Pseudotumor cerebri in kaposiform lymphangiomatosis: a case report and pathogenetic hypothesis.

Case Report: A 4-year-old boy with kaposiform lymphangiomatosis (KLA) developed progressive headaches and papilloedema and was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri initially treated with acetazolamide. Clinical deterioration prompted placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. After the surgery, the child's condition has markedly improved.

Migration of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter through the processus vaginalis in infants: how serious inguinal hernia and hydrocele might be.

Migration of the catheter tip of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) through a patent processus vaginalis (PV) has seldom being reported. In this series, we analyzed all cases of inguinoscrotal migration of an VPS catheter at our center. Between 1975 and 2015, 295 VPS insertions were performed.

Intracranial hemorrhage following surgery for occult spinal dysraphism: a case-based update.

Background: Intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume depletion causes diverse clinical syndromes most of them constituting the manifestations of decreased intracranial pressure. Subdural collections or chronic subdural hematomas are the best-known consequences of persistent CSF leaks, especially in overshunted hydrocephalus. Continuous CSF escape also occurs after lumbar puncture, spinal anesthesia, and diverse spinal surgeries.

Basic cerebrospinal fluid flow patterns in ventricular catheters prototypes.

Object: A previous study by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of the three-dimensional (3-D) flow in ventricular catheters (VC) disclosed that most of the total fluid mass flows through the catheter's most proximal holes in commercially available VC. The aim of the present study is to investigate basic flow patterns in VC prototypes.

Methods: The general procedure for the development of a CFD model calls for transforming the physical dimensions of the system to be studied into a virtual wire-frame model which provides the coordinates for the virtual space of a CFD mesh, in this case, a VC.

Microdiscectomy with and without insertion of interspinous device for herniated disc at the L5-S1 level.

The role of interspinous devices (ISD) after lumbar herniated disc surgery for the prevention of postoperative back pain is controversial. The aim of this comparative prospective study was to determine outcomes in a selective cohort with L5-S1 disc herniation and degenerative disc changes after microdiscectomy with or without insertion of an ISD. One hundred and two consecutive patients underwent an L5-S1 microdiscectomy with or without implantation of an ISD.

"Triple R" tonsillar technique for the management of adult Chiari I malformation: surgical note.

Background: Chiari type I malformation is a congenital disorder that is characterized by the caudal extension of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum into the cervical canal and by a reduced posterior fossa volume.

Methods: We report our surgical technique of reposition, reduction, or resection of the cerebellar tonsils for the management of Chiari I malformation. The procedure was performed in 22 adult patients, in three different centers, with a mean age of 37 years.

Accidental head trauma during care activities in the first year of life: a neurosurgical comparative study.

Objectives: This study aims to describe clinical-epidemiological data regarding accidental fall injuries occurring during homecare activities among children up to 1 year of age and to compare their outcomes according to the type of trauma.

Methods: We searched four different hospital databases on head injuries from 1999 to 2009. Patients recorded under the descriptors "accidental fall" and "home-related" in the subtext were selected.

Wind instruments and headaches.

The authors illustrate the cases of two children with headaches, one diagnosed with Chiari type 1 malformation and the other with hydrocephalus, who played wind instruments. Both patients manifested that their headaches worsened with the efforts made during playing their musical instruments. We briefly comment on the probable role played by this activity on the patients' intracranial pressure and hypothesize that the headaches might be influenced by increases in their intracranial pressure related to Valsalva maneuvers.

Severe spinal cord injury in craniocervical dislocation. Case-based update.

Background: Craniocervical distraction injuries, including atlanto-axial dislocation (AAD) and atlanto-ocipital dislocation (AOD), are often associated with severe spinal cord involvement with high morbidity and mortality rates. Many patients with these injuries die at the accident scene, but advances in emergency resuscitation and transport permit that many patients arrive alive to hospitals.

Discussion: Children with craniocervical distraction injuries usually present with a severe cranioencephalic traumatism that is the most relevant lesion at admission.

Pediatric head injuries from earthquakes.

By means of some illustrations, the authors briefly report the effects of some accidental head injuries caused by diverse mechanisms occurring in children. Many of these accidents seem to be preventable, but others are completely unavoidable and escape prevention as the one that is depicted in the cover of this issue.

Pediatric crushing head injury: biomechanics and clinical features of an uncommon type of craniocerebral trauma.

Background: Head injuries constitute one of the leading causes of pediatric morbidity and mortality. Most injuries result from accidents involving an acceleration/deceleration mechanism. However, a special type of head injury occurs when the children sustain a traumatism whose main component is a static load in relation to a crushing mechanism with the head relatively immobile.

Neurotrophic bone marrow cellular nests prevent spinal motoneuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: a pilot safety study.

The objective of this article is to assess the safety of intraspinal infusion of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMNCs) and, ultimately, to look for histopathological signs of cellular neurotrophism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. We conducted an open single arm phase I trial. After 6 months observation, autologous BMNCs were infused into the posterior spinal cord funiculus.

Portraying disease: Sorolla's Sad Legacy.

In 1899, the Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla represented, in a large canvas, a group of children probably with sequels of poliomyelitis bathing at Valencia's beach. The title of this painting was Sad Legacy. This work contributed to the international diffusion of Sorolla's artistic creation.

Pediatric diseases in Juan Carreño de Miranda's paintings.

Pediatric obesity has become a widespread problem of health in developed countries. Overweight in the pediatric population obeys to a variety of causes. A few of Carreño de Miranda's paintings show pathological conditions occurring in children of his epoch.

Head circumference at birth and exposure to tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs during early pregnancy.

Aims: We aimed to assess the effects of exposure to tobacco smoke, alcohol and illegal drugs during early pregnancy on the head circumference (HC) at birth of otherwise healthy neonates.

Methods: A follow-up study from the first trimester of pregnancy to birth was carried out in 419 neonates. An environmental reproductive health form was used to record data of substance exposure obtained during the first obstetric visit at the end of the first trimester.

Chiari type 1 anomaly in pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia: pathogenetic hypothesis.

Aim: This study aims to report a patient with Chiari type 1 malformation (CM1) occurring in the context of pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a (PHP-Ia) that we believe represents the first instance of this association in the current literature.

Case Report: The authors describe the case of a 6-year-old girl diagnosed with PHP-Ia who presented an associated tonsillar descent. During the follow-up, the skull vault and the occipital squama became extremely thickened at the same time as the tonsillar herniation showed a marked regression.

Hydrocephalus and arachnoid cysts.

Aim: The management of arachnoid cysts (AC) remains controversial. An additional problem derives from the management of hydrocephalus associated with an AC. In this work, we discuss existing procedures proposed in the current literature for their treatment.

Space-time clustering in childhood nervous system tumors in the Region of Murcia, Spain, 1998-2009.

Aims: The aims of this study are the following: first, to analyze incidence, trends, and survival of nervous system tumors in children under the age of 15 in the Region of Murcia, Spain, during the years 1998-2009 and second, to evaluate if certain environmental exposures may be involved in the etiology of childhood nervous system tumors. The study was performed on the spatial and temporo-spatial distribution of the observed cases.

Methods: The Environment and Pediatric Cancer in the Region of Murcia is an ongoing research project aimed at carefully collecting pediatric environmental history (PEH) and to use geographical information systems to map the incidence and to analyze the geographical distribution of pediatric cancer incidence in our region.

Microporous Polysaccharide Hemospheres (MPH) for cerebral hemostasis: a preliminary report.

Objective: To report preliminary experience in using Microporous Polysaccharide Hemospheres (MPH; Medafor, Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA) for cerebral and dural sinus hemostasis.

Methods: Absorbable hemospheres for hemostasis were used in 10 patients (6 men, 4 women, mean age 56.2 years) undergoing cerebral procedures.

Cerebral anomalies and Chiari type 1 malformation.

Objective: To analyze the association of diverse cerebral anomalies in a series of pediatric patients with cerebellar tonsillar ectopia.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 60 children diagnosed with Chiari type 1 malformation (CM1), of these, 20 patients (11 boys and 9 girls; mean age 7.2 years, range 2-16 years) had an associated cerebral anomaly.