Recurrent episode of meningitis in infants and children frequently constitute a frustrating and distressing, both in determination of course and treatment. The authors are reporting a infected case of congenital dermal sinus with dermoid cyst in the subarachnoid space of cauda equina and conus medullaris which was cured after complete removal of cyst and sinus tract.
Cauda Equina ; Child ; Conus Snail ; Dermoid Cyst ; Humans ; Infant ; Meningitis ; Spina Bifida Occulta* ; Subarachnoid Space

OBJECTIVE: Prognostic factors of metastatic brain tumors have been widely reported and their operative indications also have been extended gradually even to the poor grade patients. Authors intended to analyze the causative factors for the clinical outcome of metastatic brain tumors, especially with relevant to the poor prognosis by one year follow-up evaluation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The authors retrospectively studied the clinical characteristics of 46 cases(35 patients) with metastatic brain tumors among 466 cases(437 patients) which were operated on due to the brain tumor, during the period between January 1994 to June 1999. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS 8.0(r). A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered clinically significant. RESULT: Among the variable clinical factors in patients with metastatic brain tumors, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score of less than 70(16 patients), uncontrolled primary tumor(8 patients), and surgical resection without further adjuvant therapy(9 patients) showed statistically significant poor prognosis; p value of 0.002, 0.032, and 0.001, respectively. Other tested variables, such as old age(greater than 65 years; 10 patients), gender(male; 20 patients), type of primary cancer(primary undefined; 6 patients, lung cancer; 15 patients), location(infratentorial; 9 patients, sellar; 5 patients), number of lesion(multiple; 12 patients), and number of operation(multiple craniotomy; 7 patients) were not related to the poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The most common primary site of distant metastasis was lung. The poorer prognosis was highly correlated with various factors including low KPS score(<70), no postoperative adjuvant therapy, and uncontrolled primary tumors.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Craniotomy ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Microvascular Decompression Surgery*

No abstract available.
Aneurysm*

No abstract available.
Low Back Pain* ; Sciatica*

No abstract available.
Arteries* ; Intracranial Aneurysm*

No abstract available.
Aneurysm*

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is presumably caused by a slow infectious pathogen or prion. The principal clinical features of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are dementia, pyramidal and extrapyramidal symptoms and signs, cerebellar dysfunction, and myoclonus. The patient rapidly deteriorates, declines to a vegetative state, becomes comatous, and is ultimately dead within several months. The authors present a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, proved by clinical findings, typical serial EEG, and pathologic features.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: Contrary to some clinical belief, there were quite a few studies regarding animal models of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in vivo suggesting that prior use of statins may improve outcome after ICH. This study reports the effect of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitor, simvastatin given before experimental ICH. METHODS: Fifty-one rats were subjected to collagenase-induced ICH, subdivided in 3 groups according to simvastatin treatment modality, and behavioral tests were done. Hematoma volume, brain water content and hemispheric atrophy were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining for microglia (OX-42) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was performed and caspase-3 activity was also measured. RESULTS: Pre-simvastatin therapy decreased inflammatory reaction and perihematomal cell death, but resulted in no significant reduction of brain edema and no eNOS expression in the perihematomal region. Finally, prior use of simvastatin showed less significant improvement of neurological outcome after experimental ICH when compared to post-simvastatin therapy. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that statins therapy after ICH improves neurological outcome, but prior use of statins before ICH might provide only histological improvement, providing no significant impact on neurological outcome against ICH.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Brain Edema ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Hematoma ; Inflammation ; Microglia ; Models, Animal ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Oxidoreductases ; Rats ; Simvastatin