The effects of erythropoietin, dextran and saline on brain edema and lipid peroxidation in experimental head trauma.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of erythropoietin, dextran/saline and erythropoietin in combination with dextran/saline on brain edema and lipid peroxidation following traumatic brain injury in rats.

Methods: In the study, 40 male 3-month-old albino Wistar rats, weighing 250-340 g, were divided into four groups, each consisting of ten rats. Traumatic brain injury was induced in all rats by the weight-drop method, and erythropoietin (5,000 U/kg) and/or dextran and saline (8 ml/kg) solutions were injected intraperitoneally ten minutes after trauma.

The Gigant primary cerebral hydatid cyst with no marked manifestation: a case report and review of literature.

Hydatid cyst is a parasitic infestation that rarely affects the brain. A 14 year-old child with a large mass of intracranial hydatid cysts (122 x 110 x 98 mm), but no symptoms except for an intermittent headache for 2 months is presented. Triple cysts were removed after suitable craniotomy.

Posterior Epidural Migration of a Sequestered Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Fragment.

Aim: Posterior epidural migration of a sequestered lumbar intervertebral disc fragment (PEMSLIDF) is an extremely rare condition published so far only as case reports or small case series (ranging between 2 to 8 cases). Diagnosing this condition is often challenging and the diagnosis is usually made intraoperatively. The affected patients usually suffer cauda equina syndrome (CES).

Imaging features of cerebral and spinal cystic echinococcosis.

Purpose: The main objective of this study was to describe the characteristic imaging features of cerebral and spinal hydatid disease (HD) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in order to provide more effective differential diagnoses in endemic regions. We also aimed to use MRI and CT to evaluate whether the World Health Organization's (WHO) new classification of hepatic cystic echinococcosis (CE) could be used in the classification of cerebral HD.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the CT and MR images of 30 patients who were diagnosed with cerebral and spinal HD between 1990 and 2014.

Therapeutic effects of thymoquinone in a model of neuropathic pain.

Background: The goal of our study was to determine the therapeutic effects of thymoquinone in a dose-dependent manner in a model of neuropathic pain following an experimentally applied spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Fifty female adult Wistar albino rats weighing between 220 and 260 g were included in the study and were divided into 5 groups as follows: Group S (sham), Group C (control), Group T100 (100 mg/kg thymoquinone), Group T200 (200 mg/kg thymoquinone), and Group T400 (400 mg/kg thymoquinone). To begin the experiment, SCI was applied to all groups (with the exception of the sham group) following a mechanical and heat-cold test.

Effects of intrathecal caffeic acid phenethyl ester and methylprednisolone on oxidant/antioxidant status in traumatic spinal cord injuries.

Purpose: To examine the effect of intrathecally given caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on peroxidation and total oxidant and antioxidant systems, and the effect of intrathecally given methylprednisolone (MP) in spinal cord injury (SCI) models.

Materials And Methods: Four groups of 10 rats were formed: (1) Laminectomy, intrathecal saline injection, no SCI (sham: S); (2) Laminectomy, intrathecal saline injection, SCI (control: SCI); (3) Laminectomy, intrathecally given single dose of 3 mg/kg MP, SCISCI (SCI + MP). 4) Laminectomy, intrathecally given single dose of 1 µg/kg CAPE, SCI (SCI + CAPE).

Association between neuropathic pain, pregabalin treatment, and erectile dysfunction.

Introduction: The pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction (ED) may be vasculogenic, hormonal, anatomical, neurogenic, drug-induced and/or psychogenic in origin. Neuropathic pain (NP) may facilitate ED, because it is frequently associated with anxiety, depression, and its drug, pregabalin, may also contribute ED.

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine whether pregabalin treatment for patients with neuropathic pain promotes erectile dysfunction.

Evaluation of the surgical anatomy of sphenoid ostium with 3D computed tomography.

Purpose: To evaluate the anatomy of the sphenoid ostium (SO), which has so far only been investigated with the aid of two-dimensional computed tomography (CT) or using a cadaver, from a new point of view through the use of 3D CT for the first time.

Methods: We have evaluated 50 patients who had CT angiography done for different reasons. The sphenoid sinus types and the SO were evaluated three dimensionally.

Neuroprotective effects of carvacrol and pomegranate against methotrexate-induced toxicity in rats.

Background: Studies related to the use of various antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drugs to decrease the toxic side effects related to MTX have been carried out. However, since no medicine providing full protection against the side effects of MTX has been discovered, the discovery of new agents is required.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether methotrexate (MTX) causes oxidative stress and an inflammatory response in sciatic nerve, as well as whether carvacrol (CAR) and pomegranate (POM) have protective effects against the resulting oxidative stress and inflammatory response.

Three-dimensional analysis of foramen magnum and its adjacent structures.

The goal of this effort is to evaluate the anatomy of the foramen magnum (FM) using 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT), and determine whether or not the anatomical features of vascular structures and condylar foramen (CF) affect the types of FM.The CT angiography records of 101 patients (44 men and 57 women) were retrospectively examined in this study. Details of the FM, CF, and the vertebral and basilar arteries were examined using maximum intensity projection and 3D rendering images.

Evaluation of risk factors affecting hospital-acquired infections in the neurosurgery intensive care unit.

The aim of the present study was to identify nosocomial infections (NIs), and their associated risk factors, in patients treated in the neurosurgery intensive care unit (NICU) of our hospital. Patients determined to have NIs between January 2008 and December 2012 were included in the study. Each patient's age, gender, microbiological culture results, underlying conditions, type of NIs, device utilization, total parenteral nutrition, reason for hospitalization, Glasgow score, and treatment were recorded and evaluated using statistical analysis.

Is the elapsed time following the placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter an individual risk factor for shunt fractures?

In this study, we examined whether the resistance of peritoneal catheters against the retraction force changed over time following shunt placement, and the role of this resistance in shunt fracture is discussed. We investigated peritoneal catheters removed from patients treated with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt because of hydrocephalus; previously, patients underwent shunt revision. The maximum tension, maximum elongation and elongation percentages of the peritoneal catheters were measured.

Effects of estrogen, estrogen/progesteron combination and genistein treatments on oxidant/antioxidant status in the brain of ovariectomized rats.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidative effects of estradiol (E), E plus progesteron (P) combination (E/P) and genistein (G) treatment in the brain of ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Materials And Methods: Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups, with each group including ten rats. Rats were anesthetized and bilateral ovariectomy was performed under general anaesthesia in all groups except for the sham operation group.

The comparison of neuroprotective effects of intrathecal dexmedetomidine and metilprednisolone in spinal cord injury.

Background: The purpose of this study is the investigation of the effects of intrathecally injected dexmedetomidine and methylprednisolone and their dominancy over one another in rats with generated Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).

Methods: 40, female, adult Wistar Albino rats weighing 220-260 g were included in the study. The rats were fixed with Intrathecal catheter (IT) and divided into four groups.

Malign transformation in the low grade astrocytomas and related factors.

Aim: Retrospective investigation of prognostic factors in low-grade astrocytomas.

Material And Methods: In the study, prognostic factors were prospectively identified and assumed to be effective on prognosis, which were reviewed in 67 cases diagnosed as low-grade astrocytoma with craniotomy between May 1998 to December 2005 at Erciyes University Neurosurgery Department. Assessment of demographic, neurologic, radiological, surgical and clinical features of cases and adjuvant therapies and their relationship with prognosis were evaluated.

Predictors of surgical approaches for the repair of anterior cranial base encephaloceles.

Surgical approaches to the anterior cranial base have changed considerably with the introduction of endonasal endoscopic surgery. This study aims to define the factors which help in selecting the optimal surgical approach for the treatment of anterior cranial base encephaloceles. Patients who received treatment for anterior cranial base encephaloceles at our department between 1996 and 2011 were included in the study.

Complications of chronic suppurative otitis media: a retrospective review.

The purpose of this study was to review our patients with complications of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) and compare with literature. This retrospective study was performed over 10 years in our tertiary referral university hospital. During this period 4,630 patients with CSOM were admitted to the department and 906 patients underwent a surgery.

Tethered cord syndrome in childhood: special emphasis on the surgical technique and review of the literature with our experience.

Aim: Surgery is the treatment of choice for children who had tethered cord syndrome (TCS). However, a detailed technique for the release of spinal cord is not described yet. The aims of this study are to present our series of TCS in children and to focus on the details of surgical technique.

Management outcome of peroneal nerve injury at knee level: experience of a single military institution.

Background And Purpose: We investigated the management outcome of common peroneal nerve decompression at the knee level between the years 2005 and 2009.

Material And Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with knee-level peroneal nerve injury who underwent decompression surgery and external neurolysis at our institution were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively by electrophysiological studies and motor examination (Medical Research Council grading).

Results: Twenty-eight of the cases were male and 2 were female.

The anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic effects of nebivolol and zofenopril in a model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats.

The aim of this experiment was to investigate whether nebivolol and zofenopril have protective effects against oxidative damage and apoptosis induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). There were seven groups of rats, with each containing eight rats. The groups were: the control group, I/R group, I/R plus zofenopril, I/R plus nebivolol, I/R plus nebivolol and zofenopril, zofenopril only and nebivolol only.

Anterior cervical foraminotomy for unilateral spondylotic radiculopathy.

Anterior cervical foraminotomy (ACF) was developed under the concept of functional spine surgery, which directly eliminates compressive pathological factors while preserving functional anatomic features. The authors reviewed their results to determine the efficacy of the approach for unilateral cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR). Nineteen patients were treated with the ACF with a follow-up from 12 to 36 months.