Evaluation of carbon fiber cages placement in surgical management of multiple level cervical disease

Seventeen patients with multiple level cervical soft disc herniation and/or degenerative osteophyte were enrolled in this study. Patients were operated upon by multiple level anterior cervical discectomy, followed by placement of carbon cages to achieve interbody fusion. The immediate postoperative course was noted and complications were recorded. Serial plain cervical X-ray was obtained to assess cervical interbody height, cervical spine curve and signs of fusion. All patients were followed for a minimum of three months following surgery. The results revealed that good fusion was achieved in all cases. 88% of the patients noted remarkable pain improvement and 82% of the cases had motor power improvement. Graft donor site morbidity was reported in 12% of the patients. In this study, the use of the carbon fiber cages avoided donor site morbidity and at the same time achieved the same fusion rates and symptom improvement rates reported with the use of tricortical iliac bone graft

Cerebella pontine angle epidermoids

Epidermoids of the cerebello-pontine angle are congenital lesions that grow attaining a large size over a more or less long duration. 15 cases of cerebello-pontine angle epidermoids are the subjet of this paper in young age [a mean age 26], with their main complaint being facial and other cranial nerves affection and a definite C.T. Scan picture, showing a homogenously hypodense lesion in the cerebello- pontine angle region with finger like processes unless small so as to be accidently faced with intraoperatively [3 cases]. The patients were operated upon through a suboccipital cranioctomy or temporobasal craniotomy or even both, with excellent outcomes using the microneurosurgical techniques of dissection and suction irrigation. Some postoperative complications were dealt with accordingly like aseptic meningitis and cerebrospinal fluid leak mainly