Management of an intrathecal baclofen pump pocket empyema caused by a proximal vesicocutaneous fistula: A case report.

Background: Intrathecal baclofen infusing pumps are nowadays commonly implanted in patients suffering from severe, intractable spasticity with a background of multiple sclerosis. Although intrathecal baclofen therapy is considered a safe therapeutic modality, complications are unavoidable and broadly categorized as mechanical and infectious. In the instance of a pump pocket infection, a surgical explanation of the pump is often necessary to treat the infection.

mTOR pathway - a potential therapeutic target in stroke.

Stroke is ranked as the second leading cause of death worldwide and a major cause of long-term disability. A potential therapeutic target that could offer favorable outcomes in stroke is the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. mTOR is a serine/threonine kinase that composes two protein complexes, mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), and is regulated by other proteins such as the tuberous sclerosis complex.

Transient Intraluminal Filament Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Stroke Model in Rats: A Step-by-Step Guide and Technical Considerations.

Objective: Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. Related research, although already providing significant insights regarding the underlying pathophysiology and potential treatment strategies, has been far from conclusive. Stroke models have been proved of extreme significance for laboratories around the world.

A Brief Review of Brain's Blood Flow-Metabolism Coupling and Pressure Autoregulation.

Background:  The human brain, depending on aerobic glycolysis to cover its metabolic needs and having no energy reserves whatsoever, relies on a constant and closely regulated blood supply to maintain its structural and functional integrity. Cerebral autoregulation, that is, the brain's intrinsic ability to regulate its own blood flow independently from the systemic blood pressure and cardiac output, is an important physiological mechanism that offers protection from hypoperfusion injury.

Discussion:  Two major independent mechanisms are known to be involved in cerebral autoregulation: (1) flow-metabolism coupling and (2) myogenic responses of cerebral blood vessels to changes in transmural/arterial pressure.

The Potential Role of Carbon Nanoparticles in Lymph Node Tracing, Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Identification and Parathyroid Preservation During Thyroid Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Background/objective: Carbon nanoparticles (CNs) are a novel injected suspension used during thyroidectomy in order to black stain the thyroid gland and the lymph nodes while maintaining the anatomic color of the parathyroid glands and the laryngeal nerves. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the benefits of carbon nanoparticles in thyroid surgical procedures and examine their role in lymph node tracing, parathyroid preservation, and recurrent laryngeal nerve protection.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature in the PubMed/Medline database was performed.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion combined with thyroid gland surgery, a tailored case and literature review.

Background: Nowadays, Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) is considered a routine procedure. However, unexpected difficulties do occasionally arise, especially when anterior neck pathologies or anatomical variations are encountered. In such cases, proactive thinking will allow surgeons to tailor appropriately their approach and eliminate surgical risks.

Spinal synovial cysts. A case series and current treatment options.

Synovial cysts constitute an uncommon degenerative lesion of the spine. They are usually asymptomatic but they may also cause symptoms of variable severity. The authors present three cases of such cysts, two in the lumbar region of a 55-year-old female and a 66 year old female and one in the cervical region of a 56-year-old male patient.

Current trends in the surgical management of blister aneurysms. An illustrative case series.

Blister aneurysms are rare lesions characterized by a bleb-like appearance in combination with prominent fragility. They mainly affect the supraclinoid internal carotid artery and they are often thought of as dissecting or even false lesions. Treatment of such lesions has been a matter of debate during the past few years with authors competing, in an ever changing field, for best results.

The cerebral isthmus: fiber tract anatomy, functional significance, and surgical considerations.

Objective: The cerebral isthmus is the white matter area located between the periinsular sulcus and the lateral ventricle. Studies demonstrating the fiber tract and topographic anatomy of this entity are lacking in current neurosurgical literature. Hence, the authors' primary aim was to describe the microsurgical white matter anatomy of the cerebral isthmus by using the fiber dissection technique, and they discuss its functional significance.