Effect of dichloracetate on infarct size in a primate model of focal cerebral ischaemia.

Acidosis is a major contributing factor towards spread of the ischaemic focus in the brain. Drugs that increase pyruvate dehydrogenase activity could decrease the formation of lactic acidosis. The sodium salt of dichloracetic acid (DCA) has been found to be effective in reducing lactate.

Primary sphenoid and petrous apex esthesioneuroblastoma: case report.

A 62-year-old woman presented with raised intracranial pressure and features of a right cerebellopontine angle tumour with extension into the right middle cranial fossa. The patient died before a surgical excision could be performed. The autopsy revealed a primary esthesioneuroblastoma of the sphenoid sinus eroding the petrous bone and extending into the middle cranial fossa with metastatic tumour in the liver, and paratracheal and hilar lymph nodes.

Benign tumours of the pineal region: a prospective study from 1983 to 1997.

Tumours of the pineal region are rare. Between 1983 and 1997, 128 patients with pineal masses were treated in our institution. Forty-eight (38%) of these were benign.

Dynamic CSF flow study in the pathophysiology of syringomyelia associated with arachnoid cysts of the posterior fossa.

Two patients with posterior fossa arachnoid cysts associated with syringomyelia are discussed adding to the five cases already reported in the literature. The formation and progression of syringomyelia secondary to a posterior fossa cyst and its possible pathophysiology by dynamic CSF flow studies using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are discussed and reviewed.

Haemostasis with cryoprecipitate in patients undergoing surgery for severe von Willebrand disease.

Background: There are limited data on the management of haemostasis in patients with severe von Willebrand disease undergoing major surgery. Data on the use of cryoprecipitate in this setting are even more limited. In many developing countries cryoprecipitate is often the only available source of factor replacement.

The calcified intracorporeal vacuole: an aid to the pathological diagnosis of solitary cerebral cysticercus granulomas.

Fifty four cases of single small (<20 mm) enhancing CT lesions (SSECTLs) of the brain that were excised between 1987 and 1995 were reviewed histologically. In 28 cases the entire cysticercus or its parts were found. In the remaining 26 cases, most had a histological picture suggestive of a parasitic granuloma.

A zebrafish ftz-F1 (Fushi tarazu factor 1) homologue requires multiple subdomains in the D and E regions for its transcriptional activity.

A zebrafish Ftz-F1 homologue, zFF1A (zebrafish Ff1a or Nr5a2, a member of nuclear receptor superfamily) and its C-terminally truncated variant (zFF1B) were previously identified. Due to lack of the identity box (I-box) and activation function 2 (AF-2) domain, zFF1B lacks transactivation function and fails to synergize with estrogen receptor (ER) in regulating promoters. It was speculated that the I-box might be involved in the zFF1A/ER interaction.

Management and outcome of brain abscess in renal transplant recipients.

Although infection is the commonest central nervous system complication following renal transplantation, brain abscess is uncommon. Over the last 11 years, five renal transplant recipients who had brain abscesses were treated by computed tomography (CT)-guided stereotactic aspiration. Three patients had a fungal abscess, one a tuberculous abscess and the other had a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus abscess.

Haematopoietic tissue presenting as a sphenoid sinus mass: case report.

We report an incidentally discovered mass in the sphenoid sinus in a patient with beta thalassaemia and sickle-cell disease which proved to be an isolated site of extramedullary haematopoiesis in the skull.

Occipital fibrous dysplasia tonsillar herniation and cervical syringomyelia.

A small posterior fossa volume has been thought to lead to hind brain herniation. The resultant obstruction to the CSF pathways at the level of the foraman magnum has been implicated in the development and subsequent progression of syringomyelia. This report highlights the gradual development of a small posterior fossa due to fibrous dysplasia of the occipital bone with consequent tonsillar herniation resulting in syringomyelia.

Management of intramedullary spinal cord tumours: review of 68 patients.

68 consecutive patients admitted with intramedullary spinal cord tumours and operated at Vellore during a six year period from January 1990 are discussed. 41 tumours were radically resected, 11 partially excised while 14 had only a biopsy. Radiation therapy was advised post operatively to those patients for whom a partial excision or biopsy was done.

Central nervous system toxoplasmosis in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: An emerging disease in India.

With the incidence of patients infected with human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) increasing in India, the central nervous system (CNS) manifestations of the disease will be seen more frequently. The CNS may be primarily afflicted by the virus or by opportunistic infections and neoplasms secondary to the immune suppression caused by the virus. In India, although mycobacterium tuberculosis has been reported to be the most common opportunistic infection, toxoplasmosis may become as common owing to the ubiquitous nature of the protozoan.

Brainstem glioma: comparative study of clinico-radiological presentation, pathology and outcome in children and adults.

Although the clinical and imaging features and behaviour of brain stem gliomas in children are well documented, similar data are not available, for adults. We have carried out a retrospective study, on 101 consecutive patients (71 children and 30 adults) with a histologically verified brain stem glioma. Duration of symptoms, clinical features, imaging characteristics, histopathology and outcome were specifically compared in children and adults with brain stem glioma.

Epilepsy surgery : overview Of forty years experience.

Although many patients with epilepsy achieve control of their seizures with medication, a substantial number ultimately develop intractable epilepsy. Patients with intractable epilepsy form the group for whom surgical procedures may be beneficial. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical profile and outcome of 141 patients operated for intractable epilepsy at Vellore between 1949 and 1990.

Sacral nerve root cysts: A review on pathophysiology.

Nerve root cysts of the sacral region are generally asymptomatic but are known to cause neurogenic claudication. In this paper we present an elderly lady who presented with claudication, whose MR imaging showed a sacral cyst. She underwent lumbo-sacral laminectomy, partial excision of the cyst wall with plication.

Medullomyoblastoma: A case report.

Medullomyoblastoma is a rare tumour seen in childhood. We report a medullomyoblastoma occurring in the cerebellar vermis of a 4 year old boy. The light microscopic features, immunohistochemistry and histogenesis are described.

Evaluation of uroprotective efficacy of amifostine against cyclophosphamide induced hemorrhagic cystitis.

The role of amifostine in the prevention of cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) was evaluated in the rat model. Urinary bladders from control rats that received no drugs (group I) were compared with those from rats receiving cyclophosphamide alone at a dose of 150 mg/kg (group II), and two other groups receiving amifostine at 100 mg/kg (group III) and 200 mg/kg (group IV), 15 min prior to cyclophosphamide. Bladders were assessed macroscopically and histologically at 24 h and after 7 days.