A 28-year-old woman with the rapid development of a major personality change and global aphasia

Article Abstract:

A case history is reported of a 28-year-old woman who was diagnosed with demyelinating disease. Over a one-month period her symptoms progressed from a toothache to severe headaches and weight loss. She experienced a major personality change, intellectual deficits and lost her ability to speak. A CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed lesions in the white matter of her brain. Possible diagnoses were infection, cancer, inflammatory vascular disease, and central nervous system disease. Her history, symptoms, imaging studies, and laboratory tests were compatible with either an unusual manifestation of multiple sclerosis or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. The latter may be a type of autoimmune disease. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis was chosen because the consequences of misdiagnosis were less serious than an initial misdiagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Administration of immunosuppressants relieved her symptoms. Eight months later an MRI scan showed marked shrinkage of the brain lesions.

Diagnosis, Demyelinating diseases

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The Icelandic Healthcare Database and informed consent

Article Abstract:

Two scientists associated with deCODE genetics discuss the development of the Icelandic Healthcare Database. deCODE genetics is the company that received parliamentary approval to build the database, which will contain information taken from individual patient records. The data will be collected under the assumption of presumed consent on the part of the patients. Patients can opt out of the database, and about 7% of the population has done so. A Gallup poll found that 8.6% of those polled were against the development of the database.

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Rule for research on human genetic variation -- lessons from Iceland

Article Abstract:

The creation of a genetic database covering the entire population of Iceland poses significant ethical problems. The database will be created by a for-profit US company called deCODE genetics. It will contain the medical records of all Icelanders who agree to participate, all of whom will have to give a blood sample for DNA analysis. Each resident should be able to withdraw from the database at any time and their DNA sample should be destroyed. Whether this will happen in Iceland remains to be seen.

Genetic research

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