ABSTRACT
Extradural meningiomas account for approximately 7% of all spinal meningiomas and are most commonly located in the thoracic spine. Although rare, they should be included in the differential diagnosis of an extradural contrast-enhancing mass. Prognosis depends greatly on the extent of surgical resection. If considered safe, complete resection should be attempted to decrease the risk of recurrence. We report a case of spinal epidural meningioma diagnosed in an elderly woman complaining of right cervicobrachial pain of several years duration, associated with diffuse paresthesia and permanent numbness of her right index finger. The surgical removal of the tumor was incomplete because of the deep lateral extension of the lesion.
Subject(s)
Epidural Neoplasms , Meningioma , Aged , Cervical Vertebrae , Epidural Neoplasms/diagnosis , Epidural Neoplasms/surgery , Female , Humans , Meningioma/diagnosis , Meningioma/surgery , Thoracic VertebraeSubject(s)
Arnold-Chiari Malformation/diagnosis , Pseudotumor Cerebri/diagnosis , Adult , Arnold-Chiari Malformation/complications , Arnold-Chiari Malformation/surgery , Brain/pathology , Decompression, Surgical , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Neurosurgical Procedures , Pseudotumor Cerebri/etiology , Pseudotumor Cerebri/surgery , Syringomyelia/pathologyABSTRACT
We report on a young woman operated for a ganglioglioma involving the right auditory cortex (AC), presenting with auditory seizures. Despite a normal pre-operative examination, a specific post-operative disorder affecting the perception of a human voice occurred. The patient was unable to recognise the tone of familiar voices while she recognised the expressed content. A temporal lobectomy for recurrence was performed two years later. The patient recovered from the voice perception deficit. This report shows that (1) a discrete site within the AC is specifically involved in the perception of tone of the human voice (2) functional compensation is possible.
Subject(s)
Auditory Cortex/surgery , Auditory Perceptual Disorders/etiology , Brain Neoplasms/surgery , Dominance, Cerebral/physiology , Ganglioglioma/surgery , Postoperative Complications/etiology , Speech Acoustics , Voice Quality , Anterior Temporal Lobectomy , Auditory Cortex/physiopathology , Auditory Perceptual Disorders/diagnosis , Auditory Perceptual Disorders/physiopathology , Brain Neoplasms/diagnosis , Brain Neoplasms/physiopathology , Follow-Up Studies , Ganglioglioma/diagnosis , Ganglioglioma/physiopathology , Humans , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnosis , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/physiopathology , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/surgery , Postoperative Complications/diagnosis , Postoperative Complications/physiopathology , Recovery of Function/physiology , ReoperationABSTRACT
Methylation of CpG motifs in DNA is involved in the control of gene expression and in several other epigenic effects. It suppresses also the immuno-stimulation properties of bacterial or viral DNAs that contain CPGS: However, effects of methylation on the DNA structure and dynamics are not clear. Here we carried out a 10 ns MD simulation, confronted to an NMR analysis, of a hexadecanucleotide with the cAMP responsive element (CRE) DNA methylated at its center: d(GAGATGAmCGTCATCTC)(2) (CREmet). Methylation does not introduce significant structure modification but reduces the dynamics. Molecular mechanics and generalized Born solvation energy calculations showed that the stiffness of CREmet arises from both a restriction of the conformational space by the bulky methyl groups and a folding of DNA around the hydrophobic methyls. The latter effect is favored when the GpA steps belonging to the TGA binding half-sites adopt the BII conformation. The inability of the methylated DNAs to interact with their protein partners-either transcription factors for gene regulation or a Toll-like receptor for immunostimulation-could result from both the obstacle created by methyls, preventing crucial interactions, and the loss of DNA flexibility, reducing its adaptability. Results are discussed in the light of NMR and crystallographic data.
Subject(s)
CpG Islands/genetics , Cyclic AMP/metabolism , DNA Methylation , DNA/chemistry , Response Elements/genetics , Base Sequence , Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/chemistry , Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/genetics , Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/metabolism , DNA/metabolism , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Molecular Structure , Nucleic Acid Conformation , Oligonucleotides/chemistry , Oligonucleotides/metabolism , Solubility , ThermodynamicsABSTRACT
Two cases of obstructive hydrocephalus who suffered multiple shunt failures and shunt revisions are presented. The patients developed after the neurochirurgical treatment a clinical syndrome of akinetic mutism followed by a Progressive Supranuclear Palsy-like (PSP) syndrome. The akinetic mutism and the PSP-like syndrome were remarkably improved with bromocriptine.
Subject(s)
Akinetic Mutism/etiology , Hydrocephalus/surgery , Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive/etiology , Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt/adverse effects , Adult , Antiparkinson Agents/therapeutic use , Atrophy/diagnostic imaging , Atrophy/pathology , Bromocriptine/therapeutic use , Humans , Hydrocephalus/diagnosis , Male , Mesencephalon/diagnostic imaging , Mesencephalon/pathology , Neurosurgical Procedures , Severity of Illness Index , Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive/drug therapy , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
The cAMP-responsive element (CRE, 5'-TGACGTCA-3') is essential to the transcriptional function of numerous gene promoters in eukaryotic cells. We carried out NMR restrained molecular mechanics studies using two different force fields (Flex and "AMBER94") on a hexadecanucleotide d(GAGATGACGTCATCTC) containing CRE. Results indicated that free CRE is a B-DNA that is intrinsically curved towards the minor groove. To our knowledge, NMR restraints have not previously been useful in accounting for a global DNA curvature. In order to validate the bend in CRE, we applied a new strategy in which DNA structures displaying different curvatures were generated and then compared with NMR data. Conformations of CRE curved towards the minor groove provided the best agreement with NMR data. Our results contrast with previous results obtained from NMR restrained modelling and gel methods; these suggested conformations that were straight or curved towards the major groove, respectively. The curve in free CRE is spread along the DNA helix: several kinks are repeated in phase within the helical turn, although they are centred mainly on CpG in between the TGA half-sites, thus slightly increasing their spacing within the major groove. Comparison with the crystal structure of CRE complexed to general control protein 4 showed that the curve orientation is reversed from the minor to the major groove upon protein binding, due to a helix distortion concentrated mainly on CpG.
Subject(s)
Cyclic AMP/genetics , Nucleic Acid Conformation , Oligodeoxyribonucleotides/chemistry , Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid/genetics , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins , DNA-Binding Proteins/chemistry , Fungal Proteins/chemistry , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Models, Molecular , Molecular Conformation , Protein Kinases/chemistry , SoftwareABSTRACT
We report a case of traumatic duodenal hematoma. The patient's age (2.5 y.) and the absence of evidence of trauma when the symptoms began led to perform plain films of the abdomen, upper GI series, US, CT, and MR. This excess of imaging modalities emphasize the diagnostic value of plain X Rays of the abdomen and opacification of the duodenum.
Subject(s)
Abdominal Injuries/complications , Duodenal Diseases/etiology , Hematoma/etiology , Age Factors , Child, Preschool , Duodenal Diseases/diagnosis , Duodenal Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Hematoma/diagnosis , Hematoma/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/complicationsABSTRACT
Screening for handedness was performed in 11 inbred strains of mice. Direction and degree of handedness were measured for both males and females in each strain. The data show that there are almost as many right- as left-handed subjects and no strain could be classified as right- or left-handed. Females, however, tend to be more strongly lateralized than males. The range of variation for degree of handedness is pronounced between strains. These results thus suggest that degree of handedness would be the relevant variable in a genetic analysis of handedness in mice. They are in agreement with Collins' previous results showing a response to selection for degree, but not for direction, of handedness.
Subject(s)
Functional Laterality/genetics , Mice, Inbred Strains/genetics , Animals , Female , Male , Mice , Psychomotor Performance , Sex Characteristics , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
Mice from a pool of inbred strains (384 males and 329 females) were tested for handedness according to Collins' protocol in order to assess the reliability of this measurement. As previously reported by Collins these data revealed that a) approximately half of the mice were right-handed and half left-handed, b) most of the mice were strongly lateralized and c) females were more lateralized than males. The study of the psychometric characteristics of the test suggested that this measurement of behavioral asymmetry is both stable and observer independent. The test of paw preference also appeared to measure preexisting lateralization and was not a function of training during the test.
