Mandana Khodashahi; Zahra Havashki; Kamran Khazaeni; Amir Hossein Jafarian
Abstract
Torticollis or involuntarily twisted neck is considered to be a sign rather than a condition. Some of the main causes of torticollis are trauma, medication side-effects, infectious and inflammatory processes, and head and neck tumors.A 26-year-old female patient presented with acute acquired torticollis ...
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Torticollis or involuntarily twisted neck is considered to be a sign rather than a condition. Some of the main causes of torticollis are trauma, medication side-effects, infectious and inflammatory processes, and head and neck tumors.A 26-year-old female patient presented with acute acquired torticollis for four months, and the conditions had complicated due to constitutional symptoms, such as weight loss, sweating, and decreased appetite, eventually leading to trismus. Neck CT-scan showed bilateral lymph node enlargements, soft tissue stranding, right-sided asymmetry of the fossa of Rosenmüller (pharyngeal recess), and a heterogeneous enhancing mass on the nasopharynx roof with left extension and bilateral pressure on the Eustachian tube. The biopsy of the mass indicated the infiltration of atypical epithelial cells with marked nuclear atypia in small solid nests within the lymphoid tissue of the nasopharynx, which corresponded to nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, the patient had no risk factors for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This study highlighted the importance of a complete work-up for the underlying tumors in the head and neck in the patients presenting with the only finding of torticollis.
Zahra Rezaieyazdi; Maryam Sahebari; Nayyereh Saadati; Mandana Khodashahi
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the attack of the immune system to normal tissues. Patients with autoimmune diseases usually have the deficiency of dietary factors that may be related to the etiology of these conditions. Given the role of vitamin E as a physiologic stabilizer of lysosomal ...
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Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the attack of the immune system to normal tissues. Patients with autoimmune diseases usually have the deficiency of dietary factors that may be related to the etiology of these conditions. Given the role of vitamin E as a physiologic stabilizer of lysosomal membranes, its deficiency can initiate the process of autoimmune diseases or accelerate its progress. It is supposed that vitamin E could reduce oxidative stress, which is an important factor in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. The literature review is indicative of a decrease in the serum levels of vitamin E in almost all autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, there is evidence regarding the possible therapeutic value of vitamin E in the management of autoimmune diseases. Owing to the anti-inflammatory and protective effect of vitamin E against free radicals, and also its important effect on cytokines levels, this vitamin may play a powerful role in the prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, as well as joint inflammation and damage. Moreover, increased vitamin E intake might decrease the incidence and severity of certain autoimmune diseases through the regulation of the immune system.