A case of vagus nerve invasion with disseminated herpes zoster was reported. Clinical manifestation of disseminated herpes zoster and vagus nerve injury. relevant imaging examination and laboratory examination can help to establish a preliminary diagnosis. Anti-virus, anti-infection and symptomatic treatment had been performed and showed good clinical efficacy.
Aged ; Herpes Zoster ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Vagus Nerve ; pathology

Brachial Plexus ; pathology ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; pathology ; Vagus Nerve ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo determine if pathologic examination can be useful in both diagnosing cervical paraganglioma and deducing its vagal origin.

METHODSFour cases of vagal paraganglioma were studied by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry, with clinical and radiologic (computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging) correlation.

RESULTSAll patients were females and complained of upper neck mass with symptoms and signs of vagus nerve involvement, such as hoarseness of voice, ipsilateral vocal cord dysfunction and cough induced by drinking or local pressure. Radiological examination showed a tumor mass over the common carotid artery bifurcation, lying between the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein. On gross inspection, the stump of the resected vagus nerve could be identified, with nerve bundles splaying over the tumor surface. Microscopically, the tumors showed a relatively uniform nesting arrangement (Zellballen pattern) of cells and were associated with rich sinusoidal vessels and fibrous stroma. Multiple myelinated nerve fibers were present in stroma and fibrous capsule of the tumor. Sometimes, invasion of nerve trunk by tumor cells was seen. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed diffuse positivity for chromogranin A, neuron-specific enolase and synaptophysin. There was no expression of cytokeratin. The sustentacular cells and nerve bundles were highlighted by S-100 protein.

CONCLUSIONIn addition to the microscopic accurate diagnosis of paraganglioma, histopathologists can be of help in deducing the vagal origin of this tumor.

Cranial Nerve Neoplasms ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paraganglioma ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vagus Nerve Diseases ; pathology

Lung cancer is a major medical problem. Despite advances in molecular biology and pharmacology, the outcome of lung cancer treatment is unsatisfactory. Clinically, inflammation and cancer are closely associated, and, genetically, these two processes are regulated by the same gene loci. Inflammation promotes cancer formation. Increasing evidence shows that neuroimmune interaction involving inflammatory disease and the vagus nerves are crucial in the interaction. Airway sensory receptors are biosensors that detect the lung inflammatory process through various mediators and cytokines. This information is transmitted through vagal afferents to the brain and produces a host of responses that regulate the extent and intensity of inflammation. Tumor cells express receptors for neurotransmitters and provide a substrate for direct interaction with neurons. Thus, neural regulation of the immune response is targeted towards inflammation as well as tumors. The airway sensors can detect cancer-related cytokines, which provides a direct pathway to inform the brain of tumor growth. The knowledge of how these sensors may monitor tumor progression and provide neuroimmune interaction in the control of tumor development and metastasis will improve our treatment of lung cancer.
Carcinogenesis ; Cytokines ; physiology ; Humans ; Inflammation ; pathology ; Lung ; innervation ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; physiology ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology

Child ; Cranial Nerve Injuries ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Glossopharyngeal Nerve ; pathology ; Humans ; Malaria, Cerebral ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Vagus Nerve ; pathology

The neck has intricately connected neural structures, including cervical and brachial plexi, the sympathetic system, lower cranial nerves, and their branches. Except for brachial plexus, there has been little research regarding the normal imaging appearance or corresponding pathologies of neural structures in the neck. The development in imaging techniques with better spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio has made it possible to see many tiny nerves to predict complications related to image-guided procedures and to better assess treatment response, especially in the management of oncology patients. The purposes of this review is to present imaging-based anatomy of major nerves in the neck and explain their relevant clinical significance according to representative pathologies of regarded nerves in the neck.
Accessory Nerve ; Brachial Plexus ; Cervical Plexus ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Cranial Nerves ; Female ; Ganglia, Sympathetic ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck* ; Pathology* ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio ; Vagus Nerve

Adult ; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Biopsy ; adverse effects ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Vagus Nerve ; physiopathology ; Vasomotor System ; physiopathology

We evaluated the long-term outcome of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in 28 children with refractory epilepsy. Of these 28 children, 15 (53.6%) showed a >50% reduction in seizure frequency and 9 (32.1%) had a >75% reduction. When we compared seizure reduction rates according to seizure types (generalized vs. partial) and etiologies (symptomatic vs. cryptogenic), we found no significant differences. In addition, there was no correlation between the length of the stimulation period and treatment effect. The seizure reduction rate, however, tended to be inversely related to the seizure duration before VNS implantation and age at the time of VNS therapy. VNS also improved quality of life in this group of patients, including improved memory in 9 (32.1%), improved mood in 12 (42.9%), improved behavior in 11 (39.3%), improved altertness in 12 (42.9%), improved achievement in 6 (21.4%), and improved verbal skills in 8 (28.6%). Adverse events included hoarseness in 7 patients, dyspnea at sleep in 2 patients, and wound infection in 1 patient, but all were transient and successfully managed by careful follow-up and adjustment of parameters. These results indicate that VNS is a safe and effective alternative therapy for pediatric refractory epilepsy, without significant adverse events.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Electric Stimulation Therapy/*methods ; Epilepsy/*therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Seizures/therapy ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Vagus Nerve/*pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the retrograde changes in the dorsal motor nuclei (DMV) of the vagus nerve after vagotomy in rats.

METHODSNissl staining and immunohistochemistry were used to observe the morphological and quantitative changes of the DMV and alterations of the expression of iNOS and NADPH after severing of the vagus nerve in adult male Wistar rats.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the rats with right vagotomy showed obvious morphological changes and a significantly decreased number of neurons in the right DMV (P<0.05). Numerous iNOS- and NADPH-immunopositive cells were detected in the right DMV 5 and 10 days after right vagotomy.

CONCLUSIONVagotomy causes obvious retrograde changes in rat DMV shown by a significantly decreased number and obvious morphological changes of the neurons in the DMV.

Animals ; Male ; NADP ; metabolism ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vagotomy ; Vagus Nerve ; pathology ; physiopathology ; surgery

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder arising from an interplay between genetic and environmental risk factors. Studies have suggested that the pathological hallmarks of intraneuronal α-synuclein aggregations may start from the olfactory bulb and the enteric nervous system of the gut and later propagate to the brain via the olfactory tract and the vagus nerve. This hypothesis correlates well with clinical symptoms, such as constipation, that may develop up to 20 years before the onset of PD motor symptoms. Recent interest in the gut–brain axis has led to vigorous research into the gastrointestinal pathology and gut microbiota changes in patients with PD. In this review, we provide current clinical and pathological evidence of gut involvement in PD by summarizing the changes in gut microbiota composition and gut inflammation associated with its pathogenesis.
Brain ; Constipation ; Enteric Nervous System ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Microbiota ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Olfactory Bulb ; Parkinson Disease ; Pathology ; Risk Factors ; Vagus Nerve