Surgical Exercise Intramedullary Cysticercosis in Thoracic Cord

Cysticercosis of the central nerve system seldom involves spinal structures. When it does, the parasites grow much more often in the subarachnoid space than within the cord or epidural space. Recently we have experienced a cases of intramedullary cysticercosis in thoracic cord, which was characterized by paraparesis and voiding difficulty of 1 1/2 years duration in 34-year old man, and the patient's symptoms were improved after operation. We discuss this rare condition with brief review of the literature relevant to spinal cysticercosis.

THE EFFERENT PROJECTIONS OF THE ROSTRAL VENTROLATERAL MEDULLA TO THE HYPOTHALAMIC PARAVENTRICULAR NUCLEUS AND THE THORACIC CORD IN THE CAT / 解剖学报

The efferent projections of the rostral ventrolateral medulla(RVL) to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus(Pa) and the thoracic cord were studied in the adult cat by using WGA-HRP or fluorescent retrograde tract-tracing method. After injection of WGA-HRP or fluorescent tracer Fast blue(FB) into one side of the Pa, retrogradely labelled cells were found in bilateral RVL, with an ipsilateral predominance. The labelled cells decreased in number from the caudal to the rostral level. After injection of FB into one side of the thoracic cord at T_2-T_3 segments, retrogradely labelled cells in the RVL were observed which increased in number from the caudal to the rostral level and reached the peak at 1.0-1.5mm caudal to the trapezoid body. Most of these cells were distributed in the ipsilateral RVL, and clustered in the region 0.0-1.0mm from the ventral surface of the medulla. After Diamino yellow 2HC1 and FB were injected into the Pa and the thoracic cord respectively, only single labelled cells were detected in the RVL, no double labelled cells were found. The above results suggest that the Pa and the thoracic cord receive separate fiber projections from different cells of the RVL.