She’s Crying Unable to Move.Then CT Scan Shows THIS

She’s Crying Unable to Move.Then CT Scan Shows THIS

Grace Yeats, a 10-year-old girl’s life took a turn for the worst after she was diagnosed with Basal ganglia necrosis earlier in that year. She first developed flu-like symptoms which her mother didn’t pay much attention to. Things, however, took a turn when her mother found Grace in the shower crying and unable to move. She told her mother her legs were in so much pain, which was evident since she could not stand up.

At the hospital, she continued to deteriorate as they waited for the doctors. She got a CT scan and a spinal tap to numb the severe pain she was in. The test done on a sample of her spinal fluid revealed the fatal news of the diseases that was affecting her. When her mother asked the doctors to explain what exactly, basal ganglia necrosis was, they told her it was a condition where something was attacking her brain and corroding it. The doctors could not do much, but reduce her pain to make her comfortable.

The condition continued to incapacitate Grace Yeats. She soon after began to experience extreme seizures. She could no longer speak walk or move. She was always conscious and only communicated with the help of some particular medication. Grace has undergone several operations to stop the diseases from worsening, and her resilience is evident from the three years of round the clock care. She is now 13 years old with an uncertain future.

Basal ganglia necrosis is the dying of the brain tissues at the base of the brain in the basal ganglia area. The area has a cluster of neurons that control involuntary movement such as tremors. The infection of the basal ganglia contributes to the Parkinson disease and Huntington’s disease among others.

Symptoms
When the damage to the basal ganglia cells causes inability to control speech, movement and posture it is referred to as the Parkinson disease. Affected people are completely unable to control their movements. In very severe conditions there may be memory loss and other brain problems.

General symptoms include;
• Involuntary and slow movements
• Increased muscle tone
• Muscle rigidity and spasms
• Tremors
• Stammering
• Walking problems

Causes
Any injury to the brain that affects the cells in the basal ganglia can cause basal ganglia necrosis. At times, certain medical conditions affecting the brain can be the cause. Some of the causes include
• Carbon monoxide poisoning and other poisonous gasses.
• Hard Drugs overdose
• Head injury and trauma in accidents
• Infection from diseases
• Liver disease
• Sclerosis
• Metal poisoning from copper, manganese, or other heavy metals for industry workers
• Side effects of certain medications
• Strokes
• Tumors

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Diagnosis
When patients visit the hospital with symptoms that may indicate a problem with basal ganglia, several exams and tests are done. The tests involve both blood tests and imaging.
• CT Scans of the Head
• MRI tests
• Gene testing
• Magnetic angiography for a clear look at blood vessels in the neck and brain
• PET scan to see the metabolism of the brain
• Blood tests to check blood sugar, thyroid and liver function

Treatments
There is no permanent treatment for the condition, but therapies are commonly used to improve the deterioration of the ganglia cells. Some of the therapies include

Gene therapy
The study is still in its early stage, but it has had some level of success. New genetic material replaces the affected genes in the basal ganglia.

Levodopa
The L-DOPA treatment is converted to dopamine in the basal ganglia neurons to stop the degeneration of the cells which causes most of the symptoms.
In the case of any symptoms affecting movement and speech, it is important to get an immediate diagnosis and advice from a doctor. Maybe Grace Yeats condition had exhibited symptoms way before they started noticing.

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