Alcare (Japan)

BackgroundMeniere’s disease arises when an abnormal fluid accumulation results in heightened pressure within the inner ear or labyrinth. Its symptoms encompass vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a sensation of fullness in the ear. Various triggers for Meniere’s disease are known, from smoking and alcohol consumption to recent viral illnesses, allergies, and anxiety. Meniere’s disease presenting as a postinfectious inflammatory condition secondary to parasitic disease is unknown.Case presentationA 37-year-old Hispanic male patient, native to southern Honduras, presented with dizziness and tinnitus. These symptoms progressed to include left-sided sensorineural hearing loss. The patient was clinically diagnosed with Meniere’s disease and referred to an otolaryngologist. Laboratory work-up revealed a positive result for the anti-heat shock proteins antibody and abnormal electrocochleography, more prominent on the left than the right. His vestibulonystagmogram displayed both central and peripheral findings, and bithermal caloric irrigations suggested abnormal peripheral function with a 57% weakness in the left ear. Despite dietary and lifestyle modifications, as well as treatment with oral steroids, his symptoms persisted. More detailed history revealed that he had been treated for a tapeworm infection at the age of 14 years in his Honduran village. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain highlighted postinflammatory calcification in the right parietal lobe and generalized volume loss, more substantial than what would be expected for the patient’s age. The patient was also referred to rheumatology and neurology, where he was diagnosed with neurocysticercosis.ConclusionTo the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report suggesting that Meniere’s disease could be possibly triggered by or concurrent with neurocysticercosis. This highlights the need for a comprehensive examination to identify any coexisting neurological conditions in patients presenting with Meniere’s disease.

In diagnosis and treatment of knee joint diseases, it is effective to study the three-dimensional (3D) motion of the patient's knee joint involving the femur, tibia, and patella. A 2D/3D registration method with use of fluoroscopy and CT images is promising for this purpose. However, there is no report showing whether the dynamic 3D motion of the patella can be obtained. In this study, we tried to examine dynamic 3D motion of the knee joint which included the patella. First, in order to investigate the accuracy of the position estimation, we conducted an experiment on a pig knee joint which had several fiducial markers placed on it, and we found that errors in the estimation of rotation and translation were less than 1 mm and 1 deg. We then carried out an image-acquisition experiment with healthy knee joints of three volunteers and confirmed that 3D motions of the femur, tibia, and patella were successfully obtained for all cases.