Neurologia medico-chirurgica
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Jan 2011
Case ReportsGranulomatous amoebic encephalitis caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris.
A 51-year-old immunocompetent Japanese woman presented with a rare case of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris. She was brought to our hospital with epilepsy. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a homogeneously enhanced solitary mass in the left frontal lobe. ⋯ Autopsy revealed that the patient had GAE caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris. GAE is usually fatal, and is difficult to diagnose except at autopsy. Therefore, awareness of this disease is important, and earlier diagnosis and the development of a better therapeutic strategy will improve clinical outcome.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Jan 2011
Surgical outcome and postoperative work status of lumbar discogenic pain following transforaminal interbody fusion.
The clinical outcome and resumption of work were investigated in 21 patients with lumbar discogenic pain (15 males and 6 females, mean age 37.2 years), who failed to respond to intensive conservative therapy, treated by transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) augmented with the pedicle screw system from January 2005 to December 2007. Perioperative assessment was performed using the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score, the Oswestry Disability Index, and the visual analogue scale (VAS). Type of occupation and work status of the patients were also assessed before and after surgery. ⋯ This study showed that postoperative overall resumption rate was 90%. However, only 23% of the heavy labor group returned to the previous work compared with 71% of the light labor group. TLIF is thought to be a safe and effective technique in patients with intractable chronic lumbar discogenic pain with an acceptable overall work resumption rate, whereas complete return to previous jobs was limited in the heavy labor group.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Jan 2011
Detection of the microcatheter tip using a novel microguidewire during coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms - technical note - .
Detection of the position of the microcatheter tip is important for safe and effective coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms, but is sometimes difficult, especially in the final stage with a high density of embolized coils. We report a new technique to deduce the position of the microcatheter tip using a novel microguidewire during coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms. The novel microguidewire (ASAHI CHIKAI 10; Asahi Intecc, Nagoya, Aichi), with a radiopaque portion of 30 mm, is advanced into the microcatheter until the distal end of the radiopaque portion reaches the coil mass edge at the neck of the aneurysm. ⋯ The position of the microcatheter tip is deduced from the distance and curve of the microguidewire. Microcatheter tips can be easily detected with this technique without complications. This technique is safe, simple, and useful for deducing the position of the microcatheter tip during coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms.
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Posterior decompression of the cervical spine is an accepted treatment for patients with cervical canal disease, but some patients experience postoperative axial pain and C5 or C6 palsy that affect their quality of life. Here we describe selective posterior decompression using a spinous process-splitting approach to prevent these complications performed in 17 patients with myelopathy treated at median 2.4 levels by selective posterior decompression via the transspinous approach. Clinical symptoms, axial pain, and C5 or C6 palsy were compared before and after treatment. ⋯ None of our 17 patients experienced significant postoperative axial pain after selective posterior decompression via the transspinous approach. Minimal spinal cord shift at the C5 level may have contributed to the reduced incidence of postoperative C5 or C6 palsy in our series. Selective posterior decompression is less invasive and effective in some patients with cervical canal disease.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Jan 2011
Chronological changes in astrocytes induced by chronic electrical sensorimotor cortex stimulation in rats.
Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) is a treatment option for various disorders such as medically refractory pain, poststroke hemiplegia, and movement disorders. However, the exact mechanisms underlying its effects remain unknown. In this study, the effects of long-term chronic MCS were investigated by observing changes in astrocytes. ⋯ Following continuous MCS, GFAP-positive astrocytes were enlarged and their number increased in the cortex and the thalamus of the stimulated hemisphere. These findings indicate that chronic electrical stimulation can continuously activate astrocytes and result in morphological and quantitative changes. These changes may be involved in the mechanisms underlying the neuroplasticity effect induced by MCS.