Primitive neuroectodermal tumours [cerebral neuroblastoma]: a clinicopathologic and immunocytologic study of nine cases

Nine cases of cerebral neuroblastoma were studied clinicopathologically and immunocytologically. The study proved the bipotentiality of tumor origin. Surgical resection followed by radiotherapy is the line of treatment despite the size and the site of the tumor

Prognostic factors in the management of traumatic intracranial hematomas

Twenty-five consecutive patients having traumatic intracranial hematomas in their CT scans were studied to evaluate the clinical radiological parameters which affected their outcome. The type of hematoma was the most important factor found to affect prognosis of such patient. Age, level of consciousness, motor response and reactivity of pupils had an influence on the outcome. Plain radiological findings did not affect the prognosis, where CT findings had an important bearing on the management of these patients and on predicting their outcome. Mortality correlated with the size of the hematoma, especially in intracerebral and acute subdural hematomas. Multiplicity of hematomas, punctate hemorrhages, or intraventricular bleeding were associated with a poor outcome. Mortality correlated with the amount of midline shift in CT, but the extent of brain edema had little effect on it. Surgical evacuation of traumatic intracranial hematomas remains the best line of management for such lesions; however, there is a place for conservative treatment in selected cases

Microlumbar diskectomy

Thirty-five young patients were properly selected for this study. They were presented with single discogenic lumbosacral root syndromes with no evidences of lumbar canal stenosis. They were operated upon through interlaminar approach using the operating microscope in the nerve root dissection and discectomy. Surgical cure was achieved in 91.5% of cases

Surgical management of spinal tuberculosis associated with neural compression

Twenty patients with spinal tuberculosis with neural compression were treated surgically. Two groups of patients were compared: those treated by a modified anterolateral decompression, and those treated by laminectomy. Results suggest that the anterolateral approach is an adequate method for the treatment of dorsal and dorsolumbar tuberculosis. Chemotherapy and external fixation followed the surgical treatment for a duration of 18 months following surgery. Spontaneous fusion was achieved in 50% of these cases at the end of a two-year follow-up

Studies on the mitochondria in protein-energy defficient rats

The effect of protein energy deficiency on the electrolyte content and the swelling of mitechondria isolated from rat liver, kidey and thigh muscle was studied. The level of sodium was insignifcantly increased in the three types of mitochondria. Potassium concentration in the kidney mitochondria was slightly decreased, while in the liver and muscle mitochondria it was not changed. Calcium level did not show marked variations, while magnesium concentration was significantly increased in the liver mitochondria only. It was found that liver and kidney mitochondria isolated from the malnounshed animals were swollen. Inorganic phosphorous estimations showed no significant change. It was concluded that protein-energy malnutrition could interfere with the biochemical processes carried out by mitochondria, which may lead to a serious interference with the energetics of the cell

Effect of protein-energy malnutrition on the electrolyte level and total proteins in rat tissues

The effect of protein and energy deficilncy on the electrolyte levels in rat serum, kidney, liver and thigh muscle was studied. The present study revealed a significant increase of serum sodium in the malnourished animals as compared with the control group. The kidney was the only tissue which showed a marked demrease in the potassium level. Calcium was significantly decreased. In both the kidney and the thigh muscle, While magnesium was markedly decreased only in the liver. Inorganic phosphorus level was decreased significantly in the serum, kidney and liver. Total protein estimations revealed that only the liver and muscle may contribute in the compensation of protein deficiency. The results of this work were compared with the data reported in the literatuer