The Association of Neurosurgeons in the German Democratic Republic and its First Congresses in Divided Germany.

The German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC) was founded in Bonn in 1950 and saw itself as the all-German representation of neurosurgeons. The development of neurosurgery in divided Germany was different in each case as part of a system and was not unaffected by the confrontation between the two blocs (cold war), which also had a negative impact on the field of science. Thus, early on, restrictions on intra-German travel from the East made normal relations difficult.

Neuropsychological sequelae of diffuse traumatic brain injury.

Primary Objectives: Description and analysis of neuropsychological deficits following brain trauma with diffuse lesion probably corresponding to diffuse axonal injury (DAI).

Research Design: A series of 111 patients suffering from traumatic brain injury could be investigated neuropsychologically within the first 4 weeks after injury and re-assessed after 5-8 months. They included 11 subjects with CT-evidence of diffuse axonal injury, but no CT-signs of focal contusions.

Pitfalls in surgery of meningeomas of the free tentorial edge.

Clinical experiences from 15 meningeomas located on the free edge of the tentorium are reported. Unexpected findings and complications found in five patients are presented in detail: Despite successful removal without postoperative morbidity after a presigmoid approach the preoperative loss of function of the ophthalmic nerve may cause increasing keratitis, which may result in blindness over the years after surgery. Before a presigmoid approach is performed, angiography or magnetic resonance angiography is advised, because the patient may have only one sigmoid sinus on the tumor side.

Protein S-100B and neuron specific enolase as early neurobiochemical markers of the severity of traumatic brain injury.

The present study aimed at the predictive value of early release patterns of protein S-100B and neuron specific enolase (NSE) in patients with traumatic brain injury. We investigated 69 patients who were admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery following traumatic brain injury. Both NSE and S-100B serum concentrations during the first three days after admission were highly and significantly correlated with Glasgow Coma and Coma Remission Scale scores at the respective blood sampling times as well as 2 weeks later.