The contributions of Otto Hebold and Julius Gaupp to the study of spinal vascular malformations: Original documents and historical context.

Book chapters and journal articles dealing with spinal cord vascular malformations often reference Otto Hebold and Julius Gaupp, but frequently misrepresent the observations published by the two German authors in the late 19th century. The purpose of this paper is to provide a better appreciation of these important contributions based on abridged translations of original documents set in their historical context, notably regarding the landmark works of Brasch, Raymond and Cestan, and Lindenmann. It is concluded that Gaupp offered the first reliable description of a perimedullary arteriovenous fistula while the lesion reported by Hebold was not a spinal vascular malformation.

A Narrative Review of Pediatric Nontraumatic Spinal Cord Dysfunction.

This article provides a narrative review of seven key issues relevant to pediatric onset of spinal cord damage not due to trauma, or spinal cord dysfunction (SCDys). The first topic discussed is terminology issues. There is no internationally accepted term for spinal cord damage not due to trauma. The implications of this terminology issue and an approach to addressing this are discussed. Second, a brief history of SCDys is presented, focusing on conditions relevant to pediatrics. Third, the classification of SCDys is outlined, based on the International Spinal Cord Injury Data Sets for Non-Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. Following this, a summary is given of the epidemiology of pediatric SCDys, primarily focused on the incidence, prevalence, and etiology, with a comparison to traumatic spinal cord injury. Next, important clinical rehabilitation principles unique to children with SCDys are highlighted. Then important prevention opportunities for SCDys in children are discussed. Finally, trends, challenges, and opportunities regarding research in SCDys are mentioned.

Astronaut Michael Collins, Apollo 8, and the anterior cervical fusion that changed the history of human spaceflight.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy declared that the United States would send a man to the moon and safely bring him home before the end of the decade. Astronaut Michael Collins was one of those men. He flew to the moon on the historic flight of Apollo 11 while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on its surface. However, this was not supposed to be the case.Astronaut Collins was scheduled to fly on Apollo 8. While training, in 1968, he started developing symptoms of cervical myelopathy. He underwent evaluation at Wilford Hall Air Force Hospital in San Antonio and was noted to have a C5-6 disc herniation and posterior osteophyte on myelography. Air Force Lieutenant General (Dr.) Paul W. Myers performed an anterior cervical discectomy with placement of iliac bone graft. As a result, Astronaut James Lovell took his place on Apollo 8 flying the uncertain and daring first mission to the moon. This had a cascading effect on the rotation of astronauts, placing Michael Collins on the Apollo 11 flight that first landed men on the moon. It also placed Astronaut James Lovell in a rotation that exposed him to be the Commander of the fateful Apollo 13 flight.Here, the authors chronicle the history of Astronaut Collins' anterior cervical surgery and the impact of his procedure on the rotation of astronaut flight selection, and they review the pivotal historic nature of the Apollo 8 spaceflight. The authors further discuss the ongoing issue of cervical disc herniation among astronauts.

Charles E. Beevor's lasting contributions to neurology: More than just a sign.

Charles Edward Beevor (1854-1908) was a prominent English neurologist who served in a variety of positions at the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic, Queen Square, from 1883 until his sudden death due to coronary artery disease in 1908. Staunchly committed to the meticulous study of neuroanatomy and physiology and education of his fellow physicians, Beevor was an accomplished clinician-scientist. He is most well known for describing the Beevor sign (commonly known as "Beevor's sign"), which is the upward movement of the umbilicus with truncal flexion from a supine position, used to indicate a spinal cord lesion between the levels of T10 and T12. His sign has also been reported to be suggestive of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. While the initial description of the Beevor sign has traditionally been attributed to his 1903 Croonian Lectures, he actually first described his sign in his 1898 textbook Diseases of the Nervous System: A Handbook for Students and Practitioners In addition to his eponymous sign, Beevor also made significant contributions to the understanding of the representation of motor movements in the cerebral cortex, and, of more importance, utilized a novel method to identify cerebral vascular territory maps that are still utilized by neurologists today.

Spinal cord.

We first present a brief historic review of developments in the understanding of spinal cord clinical neuroanatomy and neurophysiology over the past 200 years. We then discuss the technical aspects that apply to the examination of the human spinal cord giving details on the interrelations between the spinal cord and the overlying structures, including the meninges and vertebrae. The subsequent discussion focuses on diseases of the spinal cord. Diseases that affect the spinal cord are vascular disease, diseases of spinal column, trauma, developmental abnormalities, central nervous system degenerative disease, inflammatory disease, metabolic and nutritional myelopathies, and tumors. We summarize our knowledge regarding general reactions of spinal cord tissue to disease, in particular Wallerian degeneration of descending/ascending tracts and axonal reaction. Two categories of disease will be covered in depth: vascular disease of the spinal cord, including a review of normal vascular anatomy, and diseases of the vertebral column that can affect the cord secondarily.

Review of the History of Non-traumatic Spinal Cord Dysfunction.

Background: The incidence of non-traumatic spinal cord dysfunction (SCDys) is reported to be higher than traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in many countries. No formal review of the history of SCDys has been published. Objective: This article aims to identify key highlights in the history of SCDys. Method: An electronic literature search was conducted (January 2017) using MEDLINE (1946-2016) and Embase (1974-2016) databases for publications regarding the history of SCDys. Publications on the history of SCI and a selection of neurology textbooks and books on the history of neurology were reviewed for potentially relevant references. The focus of the literature search was on identifying publications that detail key highlights regarding the history of the diagnosis and management of the most common SCDys conditions, as well as those of historical significance. Results: The electronic search of MEDLINE and Embase identified 11 relevant publications. The majority of publications included were identified from the authors' libraries and a selection of books on neurology and the history of neurology. Conclusions: This review outlines the history of SCDys, taking a broader historical perspective and covering the increasing awareness of the role of the spinal cord and knowledge of neuroanatomy. Key milestones in the history of the diagnosis and management of the most common SCDys conditions are presented. An appreciation of the history of SCDys increases our understanding of the large number of people who contributed to our current knowledge of these conditions and in some situations helps guide efforts regarding prevention of SCDys.

Myelopathy among zinc-smelter workers in Upper Silesia during the late 19th century.

Zinc-induced myeloneuropathy was recently (re)discovered and its pathophysiology elaborated as resulting from secondary copper deficiency. However, myelopathy was a recognized problem among European zinc-smelter workers in the late 19th century, although these early reports have been overlooked in recent studies and reports. The purpose of this article is to translate and review German-language reports of myelopathy among zinc-smelter workers in Upper Silesia (now southern Poland) by Schlockow from the 1870s. Disease manifestations among zinc-smelter workers developed after sustained zinc exposure over many years. The earliest symptoms were sensory and included paresthesias, dysesthesias, allodynia, and formication in the lower extremities, particularly the feet. Workers ultimately developed a clinical picture resembling subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord with a spastic-ataxic gait with prominent proprioceptive impairment, sensory disequilibrium, and rombergism.

The pyramidal syndrome and the pyramidal tract: a brief historical note.

The discovery of the pyramidal syndrome and tract is briefly reviewed with emphasis on a few key historical aspects. The pursuit of the relationship between the lateralized deficits resulting from contralateral head trauma begins in the fourth century BC with the Hippocratic School and continues until the present day.

The pyramidal syndrome and the pyramidal tract: a brief historical note / A síndrome piramidal e o feixe piramidal: breve nota histórica

The discovery of the pyramidal syndrome and tract is briefly reviewed with emphasis on a few key historical aspects. The pursuit of the relationship between the lateralized deficits resulting from contralateral head trauma begins in the fourth century BC with the Hippocratic School and continues until the present day.

Os autores fazem uma breve nota histórica da síndrome piramidal e do feixe piramidal no homem. Os achados de deficiências motoras decorrentes de traumatismo craniano começam a partir do século IV AC com o pai da medicina Hipócrates (460-377) e vão até os dias atuais.

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis: a historical perspective.

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a term used to describe impaired venous drainage from the central nervous system (CNS) caused by abnormalities in anatomy and flow affecting the extracranial veins. Recently, it has been proposed that CCSVI may contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). It is hypothesized that venous obstruction results in abnormal flow that promotes inflammation at the blood-brain barrier and that this triggers a process marked by a disturbance of homeostasis within the CNS that leads to demyelination and neurodegeneration. The venous abnormalities of CCSVI are often diagnosed by ultrasound or magnetic resonance venography, however the prevalence of CCSVI detailed in groups of MS patients and patients without MS varies widely in published reports. Increased standardization of diagnostic studies to evaluate both anatomical and physiological findings associated with CCSVI is needed. The purpose of this article is to provide a background to understand the development of the theory of CCSVI and to frame the relevant issues regarding its diagnosis and relationship to the pathogenesis of MS.

[Development of neurology in Japan and its contribution to elucidate and resolve the sociomedical problems].

Japanese Society of Neurology (JSN) was established in 1960 with 643 members, and in 2009 it has grown up to a big society having more than 8,000 members including 3,600 neurology board specialists. JSN has greatly contributed in elucidating and resolving many socio-medical problems. I will take three topics including SMON (subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy), infectious Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Minamata disease. SMON was a new epidemic disease characterized by subacute optic neuritis and myeloneuropathy associated with diarrhea and abdominal symptoms. The research committee clarified that it was a neurological complication of chinoform, a drug for gastroenteritis. CJD surveillance started in 1996 for variant CJD, and uncovered many patients who developed CJD after human dura draft. The government prohibited to use non-inactivated human dura. Minamata disease is an organic mercury poisoning of people who took fish contaminated by mercury in Minamata bay in Kumamoto or in Aganogawa river in Niigata. The factories discharged water contaminated with mercury which was accumulated in fish and shellfish. Still many victims claim for compensation to the companies and government. Neurologists in Kumamoto and Niigata greatly contributed to diagnose and treat the victims and to clarify the cause of the disease.

Legacy and current understanding of the often-misunderstood Foix-Alajouanine syndrome. Historical vignette.

Foix-Alajouanine syndrome has become a well-known entity since its initial report in 1926. The traditional understanding of this clinical syndrome is as a progressive spinal cord venous thrombosis related to a spinal vascular lesion, resulting in necrotic myelopathy. However, spinal venous thrombosis is extremely rare and not a feature of any common spinal vascular syndrome. A translation and review of the original 42-page French report revealed 2 young men who had presented with progressive and unrelenting myelopathy ultimately leading to their deaths. Pathological analysis demonstrated endomesovasculitis of unknown origin, including vessel wall thickening without evidence of luminal narrowing, obliteration of cord vessels, or thrombosis. Foix and Alajouanine also excluded the presence of intramedullary arteriovenous malformations. At the time, dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) had not been described, and therefore this type of lesion was not specifically sought. In retrospect, it seems possible that both patients had progressive myelopathy due to Type I dAVFs. In the decades since that original report, numerous authors have included spinal cord venous thrombosis as a central feature of Foix-Alajouanine syndrome. The inclusion of thrombosis in the clinical picture of this syndrome is not only incorrect but may leave one with the impression of therapeutic futility, thus possibly preventing successful surgical or endovascular therapy.

Type I spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: historical review and illustrative case.

Type I spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas are the most common vascular malformation of the spinal cord, and an important cause of reversible progressive myelopathy. This lesion remains underdiagnosed, with most patients presenting late in the course of the disease. In this article the authors provide a review of the literature with particular attention to historical aspects related to the pathophysiology, diagnosis, classification, clinical findings, natural history, and treatment of this lesion. An illustrative case is also provided.

Ibn Jazlah and his 11th century accounts (Taqwim al-abdan fi tadbir al-insan) of disease of the brain and spinal cord. Historical vignette.

The 11th century was culturally and medicinally one of the most exciting periods in the history of Islam. Medicine of this day was influenced by the Greeks, Indians, Persians, Coptics, and Syriacs. One of the most prolific writers of this period was Ibn Jazlah, who resided in Baghdad in the district of Karkh. Ibn Jazlah made many important observations regarding diseases of the brain and spinal cord. These contributions and a review of the life and times of this early Muslim physician are presented.

Subacute combined degeneration of the cord: Putnam-Dana syndrome.

The association of anaemia and gastro-intestinal abnormalities with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves has been recognized since the mid 19th century. In early reports interpretable as subacute combined degeneration, anaemia was overlooked, and conversely in Addison's and other early reports of pernicious anaemia, cord and nerve changes were not recorded. This paper shows that Lichtheim first combined the two observations, and illustrates the excellent descriptions in 1890 of James Putnam and Charles Dana. The most complete early account was that of Russell, Batten and Collier in 1900.

A brief history of sciatica.

STUDY DESIGN: Historical review. OBJECTIVES: Appraise history of concept of sciatica. SETTING: Europe. METHODS: Selected, original quotations and a historical review. RESULTS: Evolution of ideas from hip disorders, through interstitial neuritis. CONCLUSION: Current concepts of discogenic sciatica.