Tuberculomas
This is another form of tumor that can result in the brain as a result of a tuberculous meningitis infection. This type of tumor can also damage parts of the basal ganglia, sometimes resulting in hemiballismus. Demyelinating plaques
Demyelinating plaques attack the myelin sheaths on neurons. This decreases the conduction velocity of the neurons, making the signals received by the basal ganglia garbled and incomplete. This disorganized signal can also cause the chaotic movements characterized by hemiballismus. Complications from HIV infection
Patients with HIV often have complications that arise along with AIDS. Hypoglycemia due to pentamidine use in patients with AIDS has been known to cause hemiballismus. In some patients, hemiballismus has been the only visible symptom to alert the physician that the patients may have AIDS. It is typically a result of a secondary infection that occurs due to the compromised immune system and the most common infection causing hemiballismus is cerebral toxoplasmosis. Most of the lesions that result from this infection are found in the basal ganglia. As long as the diagnosis is not missed, this type of hemiballismus can be treated just as well as in patients without HIV. Anatomy
Basal ganglia
The basal ganglia are a collection of nuclei that connects to several other areas of the brain. Due to the diverse nuclei that they contain, the basal ganglia are involved in numerous functions, including motor control. It is within this structure that hemiballismus primarily occurs in the brain.
A urethrovaginal fistula is an abnormal passageway that may occur the urethra and the vagina. It is a sub-set of vaginal fistulas. It results in urinary incontinence as urine continually leaves the vagina. It can occur as an obstetrical complication, catheter insertion injury or a surgical injury.It is also called a urethral fistula and may be referred to as UVF. They are quite rare. In the developed world, they are typically due to injuries due to medical activity. == References ==