Middle cerebral artery aneurysms: aneurysm angiographic morphology and its relation to pre-operative and intra-operative rupture.

Objective: Correlate the middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysm morphology with the pre-operative and intra-operative risk of rupture.

Methods: Forty patients with 46 middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysms were treated microsurgically by the same surgeon. Aneurysms were classified according to shape and the Fisher test was applied to analyze the effect of morphology on the pre-operative and intra-operative rupture.

Microsurgical reconstruction of the cauda equina after traumatic transecting injury.

Introduction: The microsurgical reconstruction of the cauda equina nerve roots (MRCER) after traumatic injury is a highly controversial procedure with very few reports in the literature.

Methods: We report on four patients who had a penetrating traumatic injury in the lumbosacral area and underwent primary MRCER at our institution during the last decade.

Results: All four patients presented complete distal sensory and motor palsy affecting the lower lumbosacral roots.

Endothelin-1 levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Background: Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) after aneurysmal rupture and compared with levels of ET-1 in volunteers. We analyze the relationship between levels of ET-1 in both CSF and plasma with the risk of developing cerebral vasospasm (CVS).

Methods: Cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples were collected from 30 selected patients after SAH and from 10 healthy volunteers who were used as control.