Neurosurg Focus
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Only 1% of all pituitary surgeries are performed to treat tumors that have metastasized to the pituitary gland; however, in certain cases of malignant neoplasms pituitary metastases do occur. Breast and lung cancers are the most common diseases that metastasize to the pituitary. Breast cancer metastasizes to the pituitary especially frequently, with reported rates ranging between 6 and 8% of cases. ⋯ Tumor invasiveness can make resection difficult. Although surgical series have not shown any significant survival benefits given by tumor resection, the patient's quality of life may be improved. Survival among these patients is poor with mean survival rates reported to range between 6 and 22 months.
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The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of bioabsorbable interbody spacers in cervical spine fusion. ⋯ The results in this series indicate that the use of Cornerstone-HSR as a bioabsorbable interbody spacer in combination with Infuse bone graft may be an alternative treatment for cervical spine fusion.
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The authors present their experience in the management of posterior fossa epidural hematoma (PFEDH), which involved an aggressive diagnostic approach with the extensive use of head computerized tomography (CT) scanning. ⋯ Compared with outcomes reported in the available literature, good outcome was found in this series. This is primarily due to the broad use of CT scanning for diagnostic and observational purposes, which, in the authors' opinion, led to early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
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Historical Article
The "tract" of history in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease.
In this paper past, present, and future treatments of degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine are outlined in a straight forward manner. This is done to review previous knowledge of the disease, define current treatment procedures, and discuss future perspectives. ⋯ In this paper, the authors attempt to outline the history of DDD of the lumbar spine in an unbiased and scientific fashion. Physiological, diagnostic, and therapeutic implications will all be addressed in this study.
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The first reference to spinal cord injury is recorded in the Edwin Smith papyrus. Little was known of the function of the cord before Galen's experiments conducted in the second century AD. Galen described the protective coverings of the spinal cord: the bone, posterior longitudinal ligament, dura mater, and pia mater. ⋯ Flatau (1894) observed the laminar nature of spinal pathways. The 20th century ushered in a new era in the evaluation of spinal cord function and localization; however, the total understanding of this remarkable organ remains elusive. Perhaps the next century will provide the answers to today's questions about spinal cord localization.