An Exceptional Neurosurgical Presentation of a Patient with Osteopetrosis.

Background: Osteopetrosis (OP) is a varied clinical condition caused by malfunction or insufficient development of osteoclasts, or both. Neurologic findings can occur because of osteopetrotic conditions restricting neural foramina through which the spinal cord, cranial nerves, or major vascular structures traverse the skull. Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) is a well-documented condition with OP.

Aplasia cutis congenita associated with type I split cord malformation: Unusual case.

A full-term newborn girl born with large skin, muscle, bone and dural defect in the lumbo-sacral area. The lesion included a split spinal cord by a perpendicular bony spur and connected from its tip to the upper lamina. Patient was diagnosed with aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) associated with type I split cord malformation (SCM).

The effects of valproic acid and levetiracetam on chicken embryos.

For patients with epilepsy, anti-epileptic medication is generally the first line of treatment, but treating pregnant women with epilepsy can be a challenge. Standard anti-epileptic medications have caused developmental abnormalities, so much effort has been put into developing antiepileptic medications with minimal teratogenic effects. In this experimental study, the new-generation anti-epileptic medication levetiracetam and the standard anti-epileptic medication valproic acid were compared in terms of teratogenicity by studying embryonic development in 360 fertile White-Leghorn chicken eggs (conception day 0).

Lateral tethering intraspinal lipoma with scoliosis.

The authors present an unusual case of an intradural lipoma at the thoracolumbar level causing lateral tethering of the spine, with complicated scoliosis. A 6-year-old girl was admitted with progressive change in posture detected by her parents. Thoracolumbar scoliosis was detected by physical examination and X-ray studies.

Terminal syringomyelia mimicking an intramedullary tumor: case report.

In this report, the authors present a 14-year-old male patient admitted with progressive paraparesis and urinary incontinence that developed in a 3-month period. Thoracolumbar MRI revealed an intramedullary lesion starting from the level of the T10 vertebra and extending to fill the sacral spinal canal. Based on the radiological findings an intramedullary tumor was suspected.

Treatment of symptomatic interhemispheric arachnoid cysts by cystoperitoneal shunting.

Arachnoid cysts (AC) located within the interhemispheric fissure are rare, frequently associated with agenesis or hypogenesis of the corpus callosum. The optimal method for surgical treatment is under debate. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical results of seven infants (five males, two females; mean age, 5.

Supratentorial high grade astroblastoma: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Astroblastoma is a rare glial tumor with uncertain histopathological origin and unpredictable clinical behavior. In this report, the authors present two cases of high grade intracerebral astroblastomas. Both tumors occurred in children as supratentorial, well-circumscribed, peripheral masses.

A vertebral hydatid cyst infection mimicking tuberculous spondylodiscitis.

Hydatid disease involving the vertebral body and paravertebral soft tissues is rare even in rural areas where echinococcosis is endemic. The case of a 34-year-old woman with vertebral hydatid disease mimicking tuberculous spondylodiscitis (Pott's disease) is presented in this report. Spinal hydatid disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spondylodiscitis in endemic countries, and tested for with imaging and serology.

The effects of high dose progesterone on neural tube development in early chick embryos.

Background: Although folic acid deficiency is known to be one of the factors in the development of spina bifida and other neural tube defects (NTD) the exact pathophysiology still remains unclear. Progesterone is an endogenous hormone which increases significantly during pregnancy.

Aims: We aimed to study the possible negative effects of high dose progesterone on neural tube development in early chick embryos.

Bilateral peninsula-shaped linear craniectomy for mild degrees of craniosynostosis: indication, technique and long-term results.

Objective: The goals of surgery in craniosynostosis are to reduce increased intracranial pressure and to achieve a good aesthetic result with minimal mortality and morbidity. A new type of strip craniectomy according to these principles is presented.

Patients: The technique was applied to seven cases of oxycephaly and three cases of scaphocephaly under 5 years of age.