Evaluation of effects of memantine on cerebral ischemia in rats

To evaluate the effects of memantine on infarct size in cerebral ischemia and on neurological outcome after temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion [MCAO] and reperfusion in rats. In this study, performed between 2002-2004 in Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey, 30 adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Cerebral ischemia was constituted by the intraluminal filament method with a 4-0 nylon suture. Reperfusion was started after 2 hours of MCAO. The rats were randomly divided into 2 groups as control and memantine. Saline 0.9% [0.5 ml/kg] and memantine [30 mg/kg] were administered via nasogastric intubations. Three coronal slices of 2 mm thickness were obtained from cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem, and were stained with a 2% solution of triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Transparent sheets were placed over each section and the areas of the brain and infarct were measured. Forty-five slices from each group [total 90] were obtained. Percent of ischemic area [%] in cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem level in memantine was lower than those of the control group [p=0.0001]. In addition, we determined an improvement in neurological score at 24th and 72nd hours in the rats that have been given memantine. The memantine group showed significantly better recovery than the control group [p=0.0001]. We concluded that memantine may decrease ischemic area in experimental cerebral ischemia in rats and it seems that memantine may be beneficial in cerebral ischemia

Solitary eosinophilic granuloma of parietal bone in an adult patient

Eosinophilic granuloma [EG] is a well-recognized benign form of Langerhans-cell histiocytosis. The estimated incidence of EG is 3-4 per million of the population. More patients are children and adolescents between the ages of 1-15 years. In this report, we present an adult patient. A 37-year-old male was admitted with headache and right parietal swelling that was present for 2 months together with epileptic attacks. Cranial CT scan revealed a right parietal osteolytic lesion with large epidural and subcutaneous mass, causing brain compression. Total removal of the mass was carried out with cranioplasty. Histopathological examination disclosed Langerhans" cell histiocytosis and immunohistochemical detection of S-100 antigen. At follow-up, he had no neurological deficits, and control CT was normal. For symptomatic solitary calvarial EG, surgical excision is the main treatment option. Surgical treatment is simple, quick, and allows histological diagnosis of the osteolytic lesions

Large primary cerebral hydatid cysts in children

Hydatid cyst disease in childhood is still a serious health problem in the rural areas of Turkey and other places where the parasite is endemic. The brain involvement rate varies from 1-2% in hydatid disease. Especially in children, hydatid cysts can grow to enormous sizes, and the cases can remain neurologically intact. In this report, a 7-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl, and a 10-year-old girl, in whom large primary brain hydatid cysts were diagnosed radiologically and treated surgically, are presented. Severe headache in childhood should be taken into consideration carefully in countries where hydatid disease is seen