ABSTRACT
The authors assessed the regression of choroidal tumors, following irradiation treatment, by means of B scan sonography (Sonomed B 3000). Thirty-two patients were studied, 12 of whom underwent brachytherapy with 106Ru plaques and 20 of whom were treated with accelerated protons. After a follow-up period of 12 months, the following was observed: reduction of the thickness of the tumor (significantly greater in the tumors which underwent brachytherapy) and morphological and structural changes which consisted in a thinning of the tumor and an increased reflectivity.
Subject(s)
Brachytherapy , Choroid Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Melanoma/diagnostic imaging , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Choroid Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Melanoma/radiotherapy , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Retrospective Studies , Treatment Outcome , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
The case of a 63-year-old patient with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea from a intraethmoidal encephalomeningocele is presented. The patient was asymptomatic until the old age. The preoperative coronal CT-scan and the preoperative and postoperative MRI are shown. The rarity of this onset in an elderly man and the surgical indications of this disease are debated.
Subject(s)
Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea/etiology , Encephalocele/complications , Ethmoid Bone/abnormalities , Meningocele/complications , Age Factors , Encephalocele/diagnosis , Encephalocele/epidemiology , Encephalocele/etiology , Encephalocele/pathology , Epilepsy, Generalized/etiology , Ethmoid Bone/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Incidence , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Meningocele/diagnosis , Middle Aged , Sella Turcica/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
A rare case of intramedullary cervical cavernoma with complete neuroradiological examination is described. The Authors debate about clinical course, radiological examination and surgical indications.
Subject(s)
Hemangioma, Cavernous/pathology , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/pathology , Adult , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , NeckABSTRACT
A case of 61-year-old man with a 2-year history of progressive difficulty in swallowing solid foods is presented. CT-scan and barium swallow test demonstrated an anterior osteophyte at C6. Resection of the osteophyte resolved the dysphagia. The rarity in the neurosurgical literature, the pathogenesis and the management of this condition are discussed.
Subject(s)
Deglutition Disorders/etiology , Spinal Osteophytosis/diagnosis , Spinal Osteophytosis/surgery , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Spinal Osteophytosis/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Deficiency of adenosine deaminase (ADA) results in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a candidate genetic disorder for somatic cell gene therapy. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients affected by ADA- SCID were transduced with a retroviral vector for human ADA and injected into immunodeficient mice. Long-term survival of vector-transduced human cells was demonstrated in recipient animals. Expression of vector-derived ADA restored immune functions, as indicated by the presence in reconstituted animals of human immunoglobulin and antigen-specific T cells. Retroviral vector gene transfer, therefore, is necessary and sufficient for development of specific immune functions in vivo and has therapeutic potential to correct this lethal immunodeficiency.
Subject(s)
Adenosine Deaminase/deficiency , Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes/genetics , Adenosine Deaminase/genetics , Animals , Base Sequence , Genetic Therapy , Genetic Vectors , Humans , Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes/therapy , Kanamycin Kinase , Lymphocyte Transfusion , Lymphocytes/physiology , Mice , Mice, Mutant Strains , Oligonucleotides/chemistry , Phosphotransferases/genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Retroviridae/geneticsABSTRACT
The effects of metadoxine (pyrrolidone carboxylate of pyridoxine), a compound with central benzodiazepine-like properties, were evaluated in two groups of chronic alcoholics (inpatients) presenting a mild withdrawal syndrome. According to a double-blind study design 20 patients received metadoxine 900 mg twice daily eluted in 500 ml of saline infusion, while 20 (the control group) were given 500 ml of saline infusion twice daily with equivalent doses of pyridoxine (40 mg/die) every morning over a 10-day period. The results indicate that metadoxine treatment was able to control alcohol abstinence, thus allowing a reduction in the needs for standard benzodiazepine therapy. The central activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid of this compound might play a crucial role in the clinical effects demonstrated.
Subject(s)
Ethanol , Pyridoxine/therapeutic use , Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid/therapeutic use , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/drug therapy , Adult , Anti-Anxiety Agents/therapeutic use , Benzodiazepines , Double-Blind Method , Drug Combinations , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pyridoxine/adverse effects , Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid/adverse effectsABSTRACT
A large number of experimental data suggest a possible biochemical hypothesis for the trigger stimulus of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Among several classes of possible spasmogens, arachidonic acid metabolites may play a primary role. Authors have measured with radioimmunoassay technique (R.I.A.) the levels of four arachidonate metabolites (PGD2, TxB2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and i-LTC4) in lumbar and cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients admitted with diagnosis of aneurysmal SAH. In all cases a significant activation of arachidonate metabolism is found, if compared to control cases. Patients with demonstrated vasospasm have significantly higher CSF levels of PGD2 and i-LTC4. Cisternal CSF levels of four metabolites are significantly higher than lumbar CSF levels. This suggests the correlation between subarachnoidal clot extension and the risk for vasospasm. Authors also present an experimental animal model of SAH, which is reliable from a pathological standpoint. This model could be therefore used in the study of neurochemical and neuropharmacological aspects of SAH.
Subject(s)
Ischemic Attack, Transient/etiology , 6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha/cerebrospinal fluid , Animals , Arachidonic Acid , Arachidonic Acids/metabolism , Brain/pathology , Humans , Ischemic Attack, Transient/metabolism , Ischemic Attack, Transient/pathology , Prostaglandin D2 , Prostaglandins/metabolism , Prostaglandins D/cerebrospinal fluid , Radioimmunoassay , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains , SRS-A/cerebrospinal fluid , Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/complications , Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/pathologyABSTRACT
The authors report 152 cases of patients with suspected herniated lumbar disk, operated on by traditional surgical approach. Thirteen of 152 patients underwent exploratory surgery at two vertebral spaces as a result of their neuroradiological examinations. All patients were examined clinically before of instrumental devices. CT-scan was performed on 113 patients, 62 underwent myelography and 36 electromyography. The authors verified reliability of clinical and instrumental devices on the basis of surgical results. Clinical examination was reliable in 83% of cases, electromyography in 78%, myelography in 83% and CT-scan in 87%. The percentage of false positive was 11% for the clinical examination, 9% for CT-scan, 8% for myelography and 11% for electromyography. The percentage of false negative was 6% for the clinical examination, 4% for CT-scan, 9% for myelography, and 11% for electromyography. The authors conclude that the CT-scan is the most reliable method of examination. This is even truer when dealing with extreme lateral disk herniation.
Subject(s)
Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Electromyography , Female , Humans , Intervertebral Disc Displacement/pathology , Lumbar Vertebrae , Male , Middle Aged , Myelography , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Non-complicated mitral valve prolapse (MVP) may cause transitory ischemic attacks (TIA) of a probable micro-embolic nature, especially in young people. This study presents 119 cases of TIA, 41 occurring in patients under 45 years of age. All of the 119 patients were given a brain CT scan and associated risk factors such as dislipidemia, diabetes, arterial hypertension, polycythemia were corrected. In addition, 115 patients underwent an angiography. The 41 patients under 45 were given an echocardiogram. The 8 patients who were found to have mitral valve prolapse were submitted to a 24-hour continuous monitoring of the ECG (Holter test) and only 4 patients were given an angiography. On the basis of the results obtained the Authors propose: (1) to use CT scan and electrocardiograms to study youthful patients who have had one or more events of TIA, (2) not to give them an angiography if they suffer from MVP, (3) to conduct the Holter test on these patients and, (4) to establish a therapy using blood-platelet anti-aggregants. The use of anti-coagulants is debatable, even in cases with recurring events.
