Schwannoma is a benign, solitary, and slow growing tumor which may arise from the nerve sheath of the peripheral, sympathetic, and cranial nerves. Ancient schwannoma is a rare variant of schwannoma with atypical tumor cells with nuclear pleomorphism and hyperchromatism. It may be confused with a malignant mesenchymal tumor or schwannoma with malignant transformation. We report a case of an ancient schwannoma being adjacent to the transverse process of the fourth cervical spine.
Cranial Nerves ; Neurilemmoma* ; Spinal Nerves* ; Spine

We studied the intradural variations of spinal nerve rootlets in 100 cases of Korean adults. The results of the study are as follows ; 1. The incidence of intrasegmental variations (abberrant rootlets) is high in cervical segments and decreased toward lumbosacral segments. The incidence is higher in posterior rootlets than anterior, except cervical sesments. 2. The incidence of intersegmental variations is higher in posterior rootlets than anterior, and generally high in cervical and lumbar segments. 3. We divide the intersegmental variations into supernumerary rootlets, dividing rootlets, and anastomosing rootlets, and among them the incidence of anastomosing rootlets is higher. We divide the anastomosing rootlets into parallel anastomosing rootlets, uniting anastomosing rootlets, and rearrangement anastomosing rootlets. 4. The anterior to posterior anastomosing of spinal nerve rootlet is present in 4 of cases studied.
Adult ; Humans ; Incidence ; Spinal Nerves*

There are considerable discrepacies between clinical symptoms and imaging diagnosis in the localization of the responsible radiculopathy. The purposes of this study are to analyzed the dynamic alteration of contrast filling of the spinal nerve sleeves during positional changes and to determine how the abnormalities of nerve sleeves no lateral bending A-P views correlate with sciatica. The criteria indicationg the root abnormality in functional myelography were (1) bad filling of ipsilateral root to sciatica and (2) good filling of contralateral root compared with those in neutral A-P view. Of total 77 patients, 67 had radiculopathy and 10 had no radiculopathy. In 23 (34.3%) of 67 patients with radiculopathy and 6 (60%) of 10 patients with no radiculopathy, their clinical symptoms well correlated with conventional myelographic findings. However, in 35 (52.2%) of 67 patients with radiculopathy and 6(60%) of 10 patients with no radiculopathy, their symptoms well correlated with functional myelographic findings. This study suggests that the functional myelogaphy using both lateral bending A-P views can be used as a complementary tool in the evaluation of the radiculopathy.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Myelography* ; Radiculopathy* ; Sciatica ; Spinal Nerves

No abstract available.
Animals ; Curcumin* ; Hyperalgesia* ; Ligation* ; Rats* ; Spinal Nerves*

The ansa cervicalis is a neural loop in the neck formed by connecting the superior root from the cervical spinal nerves (C1–2) and the inferior root descending from C2–C3. It has various anatomical variations and can be an important acknowledgment in specific operations of the neck region. This is a review the anatomy, variations, pathology and clinical applications of the ansa cervicalis.
Hypoglossal Nerve ; Neck ; Pathology ; Spinal Nerves

The approach we suggest was developed for cases in which the fourth and fifth lumbar and first sacral spinal nerves were affected in lumbar degenerative disc disease. Retrodiscal transforaminal epidural injection is known to be very effective for lumbar radiculopathy because of excellent access to primary pathology; however, access below L5 is often restricted by the anatomic characteristics of the L5–S1. In the translateral recess approach (TLR), proper final needle placement (i.e., in the axillary portion between the exiting and traversing nerve roots) can be achieved by setting the direction of the needle laterally and superiorly from the distal tip of the infra-adjacent spinous process toward the medial wall of the pedicle and neural foramen of the given level without neural injury. This approach is possible because of the wide interlaminar space in the L5–S1. Preganglionic epidural injection through TLR is an effective and safe spinal intervention for lumbosacral radiculopathy.
Injections, Epidural ; Needles ; Pathology ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Nerves

This experimental study was designed to develop an electromyography(EMG) machine and a program to be used during the selective dorsal rhizotomy, and to investigate the patterns of EMG waves generated by stimulation of the normal spinal nerve roots in cat. The developed machine, consisting of nerve stimulator, EMG amplifier, analogue-digital converter and computer program, functioned well during experiment without any mechanical or electrical problems. We were able to record pure H-wave(Hoffmann wave) in EMG by stimulating posterior root in most cases, although components of motor and directly conducted waves were observed only in few cases. The peak latency of H-wave, which was about half of that of the motor wave by the mean value, was consistent as a whole. H2/H1 ratio (the ratio of the second and the first H-wave), peak amplitude and the pattern of changes of the peak amplitudes with continuous sitmulation, however, varied greatly from case to case. In conclusion, the results of this experiment suggest that EMG wave patterns, generated by the stimulation of the posterior nerve roots, may not be appropriate for the determination of the nerve roots to be cut during the selective dorsal rhizotomy.
Animals ; Cats ; Reflex* ; Rhizotomy* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Spinal Nerves*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Ligation* ; Neuralgia* ; Rats* ; Rhizotomy* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spinal Nerves*

Allodynia is the sensation of pain due to non-painful stimuli. It usually occurs due to destructive lesions of the spinal cord or peripheral nerves. Allodynia following intradural lipoma surgery has been reported previously. We herein report a case of allodynia developed after microsurgical caudal lipoma excision without associated spinal cord injury.
Hyperalgesia ; Lipoma ; Peripheral Nerves ; Sensation ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Injuries

Primary malignant melanoma of the nervous system is a rare disease, and accounts for only 1% of melanoma cases. Primary melanomas on the spinal nerve root, particulary the cervical spinal nerve root, are extremely rare. Only a few cases of primary melanoma arising from the spinal nerve root have been reported. We report our experience with a case of primary malignant melanoma of the cervical spinal nerve root.
Melanoma ; Nervous System ; Rare Diseases ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; Spinal Nerves