CSF levels of myelin basic protein in pediatric patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection.

Introduction: Hydrocephalus is a common disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) in the pediatric population. Surgical treatment options involve ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement. VPS infection is the most common complication of surgically treated hydrocephalus in pediatric patients [1, 2],which may lead to neuronal damage.

Intra-cerebral implantation of a variety of collagenous scaffolds with nervous embryonic cells.

Collagenous scaffolds provide good conditions for embryonic nerve cell growth. The aim of the current study was to assess the brains reaction to the implantation of 3D sponge-shaped scaffolds. These scaffolds consisted of collagen (Col) and Col with chondroitin sulphate, which is modified by carbodiimide, or Col crosslinked with dialdehyde cellulose.

Ventriculo-amniotic shunting for severe fetal ventriculomegaly.

Introduction: Severe fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly, observed in about 1 in 1000 newborns, is associated with a high risk of perinatal death and neurodevelopmental delay in survivors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of ventriculo-amniotic shunting for drainage of severe fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly and the neurodevelopment of survivors at the age of 2 years.

Material And Methods: This was a retrospective study of 44 fetuses with severe bilateral ventriculomegaly treated with ventriculo-amniotic shunting in a tertiary fetal therapy center between 2010 and 2015.

Surgical treatment of post-inflammatory hydrocephalus. Analysis of 101 cases.

Objective: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the outcomes of surgical treatment for post-inflammatory hydrocephalus in pediatric patients. The patient's age, surgical technique and type of implants, revision rate (depending on the cause for revision and shunt type), and final outcome measured with Neurologic Outcome Scale for Infants and Children (NOSIC) scale were evaluated.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 101 patients with post-inflammatory hydrocephalus, treated in Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital Research Institute since 2005.

Unexpected eosinophilia in children affected by hydrocephalus accompanied with shunt infection.

Purpose: The aim of the article is to describe an immunological reaction to shunt infection in children with hydrocephalus. The main cause of shunt infection involves methicillin resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (Bhatia et al. Indian J Med Microbiol 35:120-123, 2017; Hayhurst et al.

Raman spectroscopy for medulloblastoma.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to use Raman spectroscopy to analyze the biochemical composition of medulloblastoma and normal tissues from the safety margin of the CNS and to find specific Raman biomarkers capable of differentiating between tumorous and normal tissues.

Methods: The tissue samples consisted of medulloblastoma (grade IV) (n = 11). The tissues from the negative margins were used as normal controls.

The oscillatory flow of the cerebrospinal fluid in the Sylvian aqueduct and the prepontine cistern measured with phase contrast MRI in children with hydrocephalus-a preliminary report.

Introduction: Recognizing patients with ventriculomegaly who are at risk of developing acute hydrocephalus presents a challenge for the clinician. The association between disturbed cerebrospinal fluid flow (CSF) and impaired brain compliance may play a role in the pathogenesis of hydrocephalus. Phase contrast MRI is a noninvasive technique which can be used to assess CSF parameters.

Novel strategies of Raman imaging for brain tumor research.

Raman diagnostics and imaging have been shown to be an effective tool for the analysis and discrimination of human brain tumors from normal structures. Raman spectroscopic methods have potential to be applied in clinical practice as they allow for identification of tumor margins during surgery. In this study, we investigate medulloblastoma (grade IV WHO) (n= 5), low-grade astrocytoma (grades I-II WHO) (n =4), ependymoma (n=3) and metastatic brain tumors (n= 1) and the tissue from the negative margins used as normal controls.

Percutaneous extrapedicular vertebroplasty with expandable intravertebral implant in compression vertebral body fracture in pediatric patient-technical note.

Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the new extrapedicular percutaneous technique for posttraumatic vertebral column fracture.

Methods: A 15-year-old boy needed a surgical Th8 posttraumatic vertebral body (VB) compressive fracture reduction due to insufficient conservative treatment and consistent severe clinical symptoms. After 6 months of external Jevett long-roll brace stabilization, progressive sagittal balance disturbance of thoracic kyphosis was measured and persistent clinical symptoms were observed.

[Fetal therapy--evaluation of ventriculo-amniotic shunts in the treatment of hydrocephalus].

Objective: The aim of the study was to establish optimal diagnostic and therapeutic scheme and to assess the efficacy of intrauterine therapy of hydrocephalus.

Material And Methods: The study was carried out between 1992-2012 on the total of 222 fetuses with hydro- cephalus, using Orbis-Sigma and ACCU-Flow valves (168 cases) and Cook8 shunts, according to a strictly defined diagnostic and therapeutic scheme.

Results: In the first stage of the study (between 1992-2001), a total of 168 fetuses with prenatally diagnosed hydrocephalus received intrauterine therapy In 91.

A hybrid technique for ventriculoatrial shunt implantation--technical note.

Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the new hybrid technique for ventriculoatrial shunt implantation.

Methods: Two-and-a-half-year-old boy needed ventriculoatrial shunt implantation due to communicating hydrocephalus and impaired absorptive ability of the peritoneum. Because of a complete occlusion of the right internal jugular vein and critical stenosis of a distal part of the left internal jugular vein, the procedure was performed under fluoroscopy guidance in the catheterisation laboratory equipped with a 3-dimensional single plane angiography machine (Philips Allura--The Netherlands).

The long-term psychological effects of surgical treatment using neuroendoscopic techniques and Orbis Sigma shunt implantation in children suffering from hydrocephalus.

Background: Hydrocephalus, which is the most common disease of the central nervous system in children, has a diverse etiology and clinical picture. Children suffering from hydrocephalus are often treated either by using a neuroendoscopic procedure or by Orbis Sigma shunt implantation.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term psychological effects of neuroendoscopic surgical treatment on the mental development and cognitive abilities of children suffering from hydrocephalus, in comparison with the results following Orbis Sigma shunt implantation, and to assess the impact of the kind of hydrocephalus on the outcome of the treatment.

Pilocytic astrocytoma as a predominant component of a recurrent complex type DNT.

Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumour (DNT) is a benign lesion of the cerebral hemispheres usually presenting minimal biological activity after surgical excision. We report an unusual case of a 7-year-old girl with a temporal lobe DNT, which recurred four years after subtotal resection of the tumour. In the recurrent lesion we identified pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) as a predominant component of the tumour.

Glioneuronal-mesenchymal tumour with malignant transformation.

We report a case of a 10-year-old girl with a tumour of the right temporoparietal region of the brain. The tumour consisted of three morphologically distinct portions: a well-differentiated one containing a mixture of a ganglioglioma with adipocytic-like cells and focal chondroid metaplasia, a separate island with neurocytic differentiation, and the malignant one, which exhibited an organoid pattern (trabecular and festooned) of primitive neuroectodemal tumour (PNET). We hypothesize that the latter component originated from the multicomponental glioneuronal tumour with mesenchymal differentiation and thus that lesion constituted an unusual example of malignant transformation of low-grade glioneuronal neoplasm.

Ultrastructural heterogeneity of gangliogliomas.

Gangliogliomas are rare brain tumors, composed of neuronal and glial cells mixed in a different proportion. The basic histopathological pattern of gangliogliomas is well recognized but the variable microscopic appearance still can pose a challenge to the neuropathologist. The authors reanalyzed their series of gangliogliomas in the files of two departments of neuropathology.

Neuroendoscopic techniques in the treatment of arachnoid cysts in children and comparison with other operative methods.

Objective: The authors intended to evaluate the application of neuroendoscopic techniques for the treatment of arachnoid cysts in children and compare it with other operative methods.

Methods: The analysis covered the results of treatment of 44 children with arachnoid cysts who were subjected to neuroendoscopic procedures and 62 patients who underwent other operations.

Results: The neuroendoscopic treatment of arachnoid cysts was very effective because of low rate of reoperative treatment (six out of 44 patients), no need to change the operative method (40 effective out of total 44 operative procedures), and low rate of persistent worsening (none of 44 patients worsened).

Mutational analysis of hSNF5/INI1 and TP53 genes in choroid plexus carcinomas.

We report here the mutational analysis of hSNF5/INI1 and TP53 genes performed on 11 specimens of choroid plexus carcinomas (CPC) in which a large number of abnormalities has been detected by molecular biology techniques. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis performed on six tumors revealed losses on chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 18, and 22. However, there were no abnormalities on 17p and mutations of the TP53 gene have been observed for two tumors comprising exons 5 and 7, respectively.

Influence of neuroendoscopic third ventriculostomy on the size of ventricles in chronic hydrocephalus.

Our intention was to compare the clinical outcome after surgical treatment of chronic hydrocephalus between patients who were subjected to neuroendoscopic third ventriculostomy and patients who underwent shunt implantation. At the Department of Neurosurgery of the Research Institute of Polish Mothers' Memorial Hospital from 1999 to 2001, 29 children, of an average age of 7 years (+/-7.1 years SD), underwent successful neuroendoscopic procedures, and from 1992 to 1994, 59 children, of an average age of 2 months (+/-1.

[Central nervous system tumors in pregnancy].

Central nervous system tumour in pregnancy constitutes a serious complication. Considering frequent difficulties in diagnostics and therapy, the aim of the study was to present our experience in management with pregnant women with brain and spinal cord tumours. Between 1988-2000, in The Research Institute Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital in Lodzi, 4 pregnant women had been diagnosed with brain and spinal cord tumours.

Posterior fossa tumours in children and adolescents. A clinicopathological study of 216 cases.

Posterior fossa tumours are characteristics of paediatric population. This report is a study of 216 consecutive cases of neuropathologically verified brain tumours in children under the 18th year of age, who underwent surgery at the Polish Mother Memorial Hospital in Lódź, Poland, between 1990 and 2003. Children with posterior fossa tumours constituted 47% of all paediatric patients with brain tumours.

[A comparison of neuro-endoscopic techniques with other surgical procedures in the treatment of arachnoid cysts in children].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of neuroendoscopic techniques (in comparison with other surgical procedures) in the treatment for arachnoid cysts in children. The analysis was performed on results of treatment 22 children with arachnoid cysts submitted to neuroendoscopic procedures. The group consisted of 6 girls and 16 boys, aged from 1 day to 18 years (mean age 5.

[Changes in head circumference and ventricular system size after neuro-endoscopic third ventriculostomy in children].

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to compare changes in the head circumference ventricular system size after neuroendoscopic third ventriculostomy with those following shunt implantation in children suffering from chronic hydrocephalus. The data were analysed to establish criteria of success of neuroendoscopic procedures. In the years 1999-2001 neuroendoscopic third ventriculostomy was performed in 59 children at the Neurosurgery Department of the Research Institute of Polish Mothers' Memorial Hospital.

Effectiveness of neuroendoscopic procedures in the treatment of complex compartmentalized hydrocephalus in children.

Objective: The main object of the work is to assess the suitability of neuroendoscopic techniques for the treatment of complex compartmentalized hydrocephalus.

Methods: For this purpose the authors compared two groups of children treated in the Research Institute of the Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital from March 1997 to January 2002. The first group of 47 children, treated using neuroendoscopic procedures, was compared with the second, which comprised 80 children treated conventionally by complicated shunt implantations.

[Neuro-endoscopic techniques in the treatment of complex hydrocephalus in children].

Unlabelled: The aim of the paper was to evaluate effectiveness of neuroendoscopic procedures in comparison to complex shunt systems implantation in the treatment of complex compartmentalized hydrocephalus in children. Neuroendoscopic techniques were applied in 47 patients (23 boys, 24 girls aged from 25 days to 18 years, mean age 3 years SD = 4.9 years).