ABSTRACT
Management of the central nervous system malignancies are among the evolving areas of research and clinical practice requiring a well-coordinated interdisciplinary approach. The neuro-oncology scientific club (NOSC) has tried to cross the links between various disciplines’ experts involved in brain tumor care in Iran since 2011. The NOSC’s structured collaborative brain tumor registry (BTCR) and the support received from its steering committee and provincial boards have been the key elements for its success and growth so far. This scientific community not only has helped to optimize brain tumor care but provided interdisciplinary research opportunities to its members across Iran. Mashhad’s NOSC has been the pioneer in the above. During the 3rd Mashhad’s NOSC meeting held in November 21st 2013, the interim results from some important local neuro-oncology studies were presented. Some potential opportunities to improve the coordinated interdisciplinary brain tumor care within the province were discussed by neurosurgery, neuroradiology and radiation oncology faculty at this provincial NOSC meeting. Clinical outcome, survival data and prognostic factors in adult and pediatric gliomas over the past several years in Mashhad, the association between methyl guanine methyl transferase (MGMT) methylation status (determined by MSQP or methylation specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction) where among the main studies outlined during this event. We realize that optimized brain tumor management and productive research in neuro-oncology can only be achieved through an integrated approach and strong team work. This is what the NOSC pursues.
ABSTRACT
Cervical spine injuries have serious implications for patients and physicians. After excluding minor cervical spine injuries, the medical records and imaging studies of 48 consecutive patients with cervical spine injuries admitted to a single spinal cord injury center, emdadi Hospital, Mashhad, Iran are retrospectively reviewed. In this paper we present our clinical experience in patients with cervical spine injury treated conservatively and surgically and their early outcome during hospitalization. There were 48 patients with cervical spine injury among whom, 23 were treated surgically and 25 treated conservatively. Neurological exam was normal in 24 patients [ASIA grade E]. Twenty-four cases had neurological deficit including 17 patients with complete spinal cord injury [ASIA grade A] and 7 patients with ASIA grade C. Ten patients [20.8%]. Died between 4 and 30 days after injury. Acute respiratory compromise was developed in 12 patients between 9 and 22 days after injury [11.3[small letter ae]7.2SD] and was te leading cause of death in eight of them. Two patients [4.2%] had obvious clinical neurological deterioration between 12 and 13 days after injury. They died 3 and 15 days after onset of neurological deterioration. Statistical analysis did not identify any significant association between the factors of age and operation and early mortality [within the first month of in injury]. Complete neurological deficit, level of spine injury, and spine dislocation are the great predictors of mortality in patients with acute cervical spine injury