Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
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Intracranial marginal zone B-cell lymphoma presenting as a dural-based mass is rare. A 45-year-old woman who had generalized tonic-clonic seizures and speech disturbance for 6 months was referred to our hospital. Radiology suggested a subdural hematoma (SDH). ⋯ Histopathological evaluation is necessary for diagnosis. MRI cannot reliably differentiate between SDH and some dural lesions that present as diffuse infiltration. Therefore, these differential diagnoses should be considered.
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Factors predictive of neurosurgery resident or applicant choice of an academic career compared to private practice are highly desired and difficult to discern. Neither medical school choice, student induction to faculty membership, age nor gender predict academic versus private practice choice among neurosurgery residents. This study was performed to examine the role of pre-residency peer-reviewed publications (PRP) in post-residency career choice. ⋯ Graduates with at least one PRP were 1.34 times more likely to choose an academic career than graduates with no PRP. Therefore, peer-reviewed PRP are strongly associated with resident choice of an academic over private practice neurosurgery career. This information might be useful in predicting the career choices of neurosurgery residents and residency applicants.
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We report a 51-year-old man with an unusual intradural suprasellar chondroid chordoma. He presented with headache and diminution of vision in both eyes. MRI demonstrated the suprasellar tumor as an isointense mass with heterogeneous enhancement after intravenous administration of contrast agent. ⋯ Based on the histological characteristics of the tumor, which was composed of typical chordoma cells and islands of chondroid elements, we diagnosed a chondroid chordoma. We believe this is the first report of an entirely intradural chondroid chordoma on the suprasellar region. Clinical, radiological, and pathological features of the tumor are described.
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We studied 27 patients with cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) but no clinical symptoms of myelopathy. We investigated the occupation ratio of the spinal canal by OPLL with cervical radiographs, assessed the morphological types of OPLL, and measured the segmental range of motion (ROM) at the level of maximum cord compression on flexion and extension radiographs. Patients were classified as having continuous-type OPLL (17 patients), mixed-type OPLL (seven patients), or segmental-type OPLL (three patients). ⋯ No patient developed myelopathy during the study period. Three patients with massive OPLL did not develop myelopathy and the mobility of their cervical spine was highly restricted, suggesting that dynamic factors such as the segmental ROM preferentially contribute to the development of myelopathy in patients with cervical OPLL. Thus, by controlling the dynamic factors (hypermobility), we might be able to reduce neurological deterioration in patients with cervical OPLL.
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Tadalafil is a selective inhibitor of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5). Nitric oxide (NO) functions as a retrograde neurotransmitter in the spinal cord, and postsynaptic structures respond to NO by producing cGMP. The concentrations of cGMP in the spinal cord are controlled by the actions of PDE. ⋯ Tissue MDA levels in the tadalafil and methylprednisolone groups tended to be lower than in the non-treatment group and sham groups (p>0.05). Although there was no difference in neurological outcome scores between the tadalafil, methylprednisolone and non-treatment groups (p>0.05), the animals in the tadalafil and methylprednisolone groups tended to have better scores than the non-treatment group. Thus, tadalafil appears to be beneficial in reducing the effects of injury to the spinal cord by increasing tissue levels of NO and serum activity of SOD.