The neurological and skeletal outcome in patients with closed cervical spinal cord injury.

Sixty-one patients with closed cervical spinal cord injury were cared for within a defined protocol and followed for at least 1 year. Neurological recovery and healing of spinal structures were evaluated at intervals. Forty-three patients were managed without surgical intervention at the site of spine trauma, and the incidence of spontaneous fusion ("autofusion") was noted. Surgical fusion was performed on 17 patients, mainly to restore spinal stability and alignment. One patient underwent laminectomy without fusion. In both the surgical fusion and the autofusion groups, there were significant numbers of patients who improved neurologically, including some designated as having a complete spinal cord lesion at the initial neurological examination. As expected, better spinal alignment was achieved in the surgical group, although alignment in the nonsurgically treated group was generally acceptable. The majority of patients developed radiographically apparent callus formation anterior to the injured vertebral bodies, regardless of the mechanism of injury or the method of treatment. After 3 months all patients who underwent surgical fusion achieved spinal stability, as did the majority of patients in the autofusion group. Only individuals with flexion-distraction injuries who did not undergo surgical fusion appeared to be at risk for progressive spinal column deformity. Neither retropulsion of bone fragments nor angulation at the fracture site appeared to correlate with a poor neurological outcome, since improvement in neurological function occurred similarly in patients with and without these deformities.

Antineoplaston A in cancer therapy. (I).

Twenty-one patients with advanced cancer or leukemia were treated with antineoplaston A and followed for up to nine months. Dosage by intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, rectal, intrapleural, intravesical and/or topical administration ranged from 0.6 to 33 U/m2/24 h. Treatment was well tolerated, although side effects included fever of short duration and elevation of platelet and white blood count. In 18 cases some degree of clinical improvement was observed. Complete remission occurred in 4 cases. More than 50% remission occurred in 4 other cases which, along with another 6 cases, are continuing the treatment with high doses of antineoplaston A and show a continuing regression of the tumors although not yet achieving the criteria for complete remission; 2 of these 6 cases seem unlikely to achieve remission. Two patients temporarily discontinued treatment. During treatment, 5 patients expired; in 2 of them, however, was seen significant regression of the neoplastic process. The deaths were not due to cancer or to any toxicity incurred by the treatment.