Effects of intracisternal tramadol on cerebral and spinal neuronal cells in rat.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to investigate whether tramadol had toxic effect on cerebral neurons and/or spinal cord neurons when it was administered into the cerebrospinal fluid. Due to lipid peroxidation (LPO) and myeloperoxidation (MPO) levels are not specific predictors of neuronal damage, these biochemical markers of tissue damage were evaluated together with the histopathological findings of apoptosis. METHODS: Forty eight Wistar rats were anesthetized and the right femoral artery was cannulated. Mean arterial pressures, and heart rates, arterial carbon dioxide tension, arterial oxygen tension, blood pH were recorded. When the free cerebrospinal fluid flow was seen; 0.04 mL normal saline (Group Sham) or diluted tramadol in 0.04 mL volume (Group T1, T2, T0.5 and T0.1) was administered within 30 seconds from the posterior craniocervical junction of rats. For the Control Group, the free cerebrospinal fluid flow was seen but nothing was injected in it. After 7 days, following the sacrification of the rats, brain tissue, cervical and lumber segments of spinal cord were collected for the histopathological and biochemical examination. RESULTS: There was not a statistically significant difference among all groups regarding the brain LPO levels (P=0.485). The LPO levels of the cervical segment of spinal cord and the lumbar segment of spinal cord were also similar (P=0.146, P=0.939, respectively). The mean MPO levels of the cervical and the lumbar segments of spinal cord were similar among all groups (P=0.693, P=0.377, respectively). There were not any statistically significant difference regarding the total number of red neurons of the brain tissue and the cervical and lumbar segments of spinal cord among all groups (P=0.264, P=0.202, P=0.780, respectively). CONCLUSION: Tramadol had no neurotoxic effect on brain and on spinal cord tissue when administered by the intracisternal route in cerebrospinal fluid in rats.

Giant chordoid meningioma symptomatic immediately after pregnancy: report of a rare case.

BACKGROUND: Chordoid meningioma is a very rare subtype of meningioma with less than 90 cases reported in the literature. Meningiomas related with a pregnancy are also very rare. Herein, we present a pregnancy-associated case of a chordoid meningioma and briefly discuss possible mechanisms. CASE HISTORY: Approximately 10 hours after a Caesarean section, a 37-year-old woman became stuporous with a Glasgow coma scale score of 9 - 10 and the right pupil became dilated without reaction to light. An emergency computed tomography scan showed a right frontotemporal lesion measuring 8 x 7 x 6 cm which enhanced moderately and homogenously after intravenous contrast injection. The patient's hemoglobin level was slightly lower than normal level but there was no dysgammaglobulinemia or lymphoid hyperplasia. The patient was immediately taken to the operating theater and the tumor was gross totally removed. The postoperative period was uneventful; and histopathological diagnosis was chordoid meningioma. CONCLUSION: The exact mechanism causing a pregnancy-associated increase in the size of meningiomas and the amount of peritumoral edema has not been clearly elucidated. As for this case of chordoid meningioma associated with pregnancy, we think mucin accumulation in tumor could be involved in an increase in the tumor size while delivery procedures with the common anaesthetic and sedative drugs may also have enhanced the peritumoral edema by causing a relative decrease in the cerebral blood flow.

Streptococcus pneumoniae meningo-encephalitis after trans-sphenoidal surgery: a case report.

Although meningismus or meningitis are known to occur after pituitary surgery; meningo-encephalitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae following a trans-sphenoidal approach has not been previously reported. A 56-year-old man presented with blurred vision. Two days after uneventful surgery, the patient became hyperpyrexic which progressed to confusion and lethargy within 48 hours. Spinal fluid cultures revealed Streptococcus pneumoniae. The patient was treated appropriately and made an uneventful recovery. MR images showed persistent changes within both frontal lobes. This case further suggests that peri-operative antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis may not save the patient from serious surgical infections.

An extreme lateral lumbar disc herniation mimicking L4 schwannoma.

OBJECTIVE: We herein describe a case with an extraspinal mass distorting the right L4 dorsal root ganglion. Initially presumed to be a nerve root schwannoma, the lesion turned out to be a free disc fragment. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 46-year-old woman presented with a history of mild low back and intense right leg pain. The leg pain was like electrical discharges. Right knee extension was weak together with hyperalgesia and loss of heat sensation in the right LA dermatome. The right patellar reflex was absent. Electromyography showed acute and chronic denervation of muscles innervated by the right L4 nerve root. MR scan showed a right L4-5 extraforaminal mass distorting the L4 dorsal root ganglion. The mass enhanced homogeneously after gadolinium injection and was thought to be a tumor. It was surgically removed using a midline incision and intraspinal, followed by extraspinal dissection. Under the operating microscope, the mass extended between an intact lateral longitudinal ligament and a swollen dorsal root ganglion. Histopathologic examination ruled out a tumor and showed that the mass consisted of degenerated disc material surrounded by a large peripheral zone of neovascularization. CONCLUSION: Extraforaminal periganglionic free, encapsulated disc fragments may mimic tumoral masses, from which they may not be distinguished on MRI.

Retro-tympanic pulsatile mass originating from dumb-bell jugular foramen schwannoma.

BACKGROUND: Jugular foramen (JF) tumours are uncommon with paraganglioma, schwannoma and meningioma occurring most commonly in this location. JF schwannoma with extension to the retro-tympanic area has been described only once. METHODS: 20-year-old man presented with headache, blurred vision, vomiting and diplopia. FINDINGS: A left pulsatile retro-tympanic mass was seen at otoscopy. A jugular foramen tumour was found on CT and MR images. The intracranial portion of the tumour later diagnosed as schwannoma was removed. Control ENT examination confirmed that the residual retro-tympanic mass was no-longer pulsatile. CONCLUSIONS: Jugular foramen schwannomas may also extend into the retro-tympanic area.