Intradural spinal arachnoid cyst contributing to sudden paraparesis.

Background: Spinal arachnoid cysts are cystic lesions filled with cerebrospinal fluid that contributes to neurological deficits depending on their size/location within the spinal canal. Here, we report a patient with a spinal subarachnoid cyst who suddenly developed paraparesis.

Case Description: A 37-year-old female with a thoracic spinal arachnoid cyst at the T7 level suddenly developed lower abdominal pain followed by immediate paraparesis.

Regrowth and progression of multiple calcifying pseudoneoplasms of the neuraxis: Case report.

Background: Calcifying pseudoneoplasms of the neuraxis (CAPNONs) are clinically rare, nonneoplastic, noninflammatory-calcified lesions of the central nervous system. Resection of a lesion usually indicates good prognosis without recurrence. However, we experienced a unique case of CAPNON that repeatedly recurred after resection.

Usefulness of contralateral carotid angiography in revascularization therapy of acute internal carotid artery occlusion.

OBJECTIVE The vascular lumen of an acutely occluded internal carotid artery (ICA) generally contains numerous thrombi. Therefore, carotid angiography on the affected side during revascularization therapy of acute ICA occlusion has a potential risk of causing distal embolization. In this study the authors propose the use of contralateral carotid angiography.

Successful Combination of Pallidal and Thalamic Stimulation for Intractable Involuntary Movements in Patients with Neuroacanthocytosis.

Objective: Neuroacanthocytosis (NA) is a rare neurodegenerative disease that involves severe involuntary movements including chorea, dystonia, and trunk spasms. Current treatments are not effective for these involuntary movements. Although there are a few reports on the use of deep brain stimulation to treat patients with NA, the optimal stimulation target is not yet definitive.

Endovascular microcatheter provocation test for the diagnosis of glossopharyngeal neuralgia.

Objective: Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GN) is a rare disease often clinically misdiagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia. An endovascular provocative test has been applied to assist in making the diagnosis of GN caused by vascular compression. We similarly used endovascular provocative techniques to identify the causative vessel and to evaluate the indication for microvascular decompression (MVD) in two patients.

Neuromodulation using intrathecal baclofen therapy for spasticity and dystonia.

Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy is a treatment for intractable spasticity due to a variety of causes. Continuous intrathecal administration of baclofen, an agonist of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid, inhibits excitation of motor neurons at the spinal level and thus suppresses spasticity. This therapy was introduced clinically in the Europe and the United States in the 1990s, and was finally approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan in 2005.

Spinal syringomyelia following subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Subarachnoid blood has been reported as a cause of chronic spinal arachnoiditis. Although syringomyelia has been thought to be caused by spinal arachnoiditis, reports of syringomyelia following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are very rare. We describe two patients with syringomyelia associated with chronic spinal arachnoiditis following SAH.

Hemiparesis caused by cervical spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: a report of 3 cases.

We report three cases of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) with hemiparesis. The first patient was a 73-year-old woman who presented with left hemiparesis, neck pain, and left shoulder pain. A cervical MRI scan revealed a left posterolateral epidural hematoma at the C3-C6 level.

[Microvascular decompression of trigeminal neuralgia caused by vascular compression which penetrated the trigeminal nerve: a case report].

A rare case of trigeminal neuralgia, caused by a branch of the superior cerebral artery running through the trigeminal nerve, was successfully treated by microvascular decompression. The nerve gap at the arterial penetration point was widened by the dissection of the epineurium to obtain sufficient mobilization of the artery and decompression of the nerve. This technique would be useful for securing neurovascular decompression, as well as for avoiding postoperative hypesthesia owing to the neurotomy described in previous reports.

Cervical myelopathy caused by dropped head syndrome. Case report and review of the literature.

The authors present a rare case of cervical myelopathy caused by dropped head syndrome. This 68-year-old woman presented with her head hanging forward. After 1 month, she was admitted to the medical service because of head drop progression.