Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
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There are many reports of extradural ependymal cysts in the literature; however, reports of intradural ependymal cysts are very rare and there has been no prior mention of an ependymal cyst originating from the filum terminale. In this report we present the case of a 31-year-old woman with an ependymal cyst that caused cauda equina compression, and discuss the clinical profile of the case in terms of symptoms, diagnostic images, pathohistological findings, and surgical procedures. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an ependymal cyst that caused cauda equina compression. The cyst was successfully treated by excision of the cyst during careful intraoperative monitoring to prevent neurological damage to the conus medullaris and cauda equina.
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Early diagnosis of ventriculostomy-associated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) infection in acute neurosurgical patients can be difficult. The use of prophylactic antibiotics in intraventricular or subarachnoid haemorrhage decreases the sensitivity of cell counts, Gram staining and bacterial culture as diagnostic tools. We prospectively collected clinical and cerebrospinal data for 16 patients with intraventricular haemorrhage, with an external ventricular drain inserted, with or without spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage. ⋯ The two patients with CSF lactate levels of 4-6 mmol/L were grade 5 subarachnoid haemorrhage patients, one with renal impairment. Using a cut-off lactate level of 4 mmol/L, the positive predictive value was 60% and negative predictive value was 100% for CSF infection. A CSF lactate level of above 4 mmol/L should prompt suspicion of CSF infection in intraventricular haemorrhage patients with an external ventricular drain.
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Greater clinical understanding of the pivotal role of apoptosis in spinal cord injury (SCI) has led to new and innovative apoptosis-based therapies for patients with an SCI. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is a biliary acid with antiapoptotic properties. To our knowledge, this is the first study in the English language to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of TUDCA in an experimental model of SCI. ⋯ These differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). The mechanism of neuroprotection in the treated rats, although not yet elucidated, may be related to the marked antiapoptotic properties of TUDCA. A therapeutic strategy using TUDCA may eventually lead to effective treatment of SCI without toxic effects in humans.
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Clinical Trial
Stereotactic treatment of refractory obsessive compulsive disorder by bilateral capsulotomy with 3 years follow-up.
In order to study the clinical effect of bilateral capsulotomy in patients with refractory obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), 35 patients with refractory obsessive compulsive disorder for whom anti-OCD medications and psychological/behavior therapy had failed, underwent MRI-guided stereotactic bilateral anterior capsulotomy. Pre- and post-operative Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale (Y-BOCS), Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) scores were determined by psychiatrists. All patients underwent fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography evaluation before and 6 months after the operation. ⋯ Our results show that MRI-guided stereotactic bilateral capsulotomy is a precise, safe and effective therapy for refractory obsessive compulsive disorder. This promising technique may also improve anxiety and depression in addition to OCD. OCD patients who have not responded to medication, psychotherapy or behavioral therapy might benefit from MRI-guided stereotactic bilateral capsulotomy.
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After subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) the detection of hemodynamically significant vasospasm is frequently difficult, especially in comatose patients. Most clinicians use transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) to detect increasing mean blood flow velocities in the basal arteries as markers of cerebral vasospasm, without accounting for the effects of sedation and variations in blood pressure or pCO(2). This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the arteriovenous difference of oxygen (avDO(2); in terms of % volume) could also be useful for the evaluation of vasospasm. ⋯ TCD velocities alone are poor indicators of the severity of vasospasm. In contrast, daily avDO(2) seems to be a more robust parameter. However, collection of additional metabolic information is warranted.