Primary Cauda Equina T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.

Background: T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This report describes, to our knowledge, the first adult case of a primary cauda equina T-LBL. Treatment consists of multiagent chemotherapy, and surgical removal of T-LBL does not improve outcome.

Systematic review of ventricular peritoneal shunt and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: a safe combination.

OBJECTIVE Various international and national gastrointestinal guidelines take different positions on whether ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) insertion is a contraindication to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). The objective of this meta-analysis was to try to answer the question of whether VPS insertion is a contraindication to PEG. METHODS A systematic review of the literature was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria.

Bilateral versus unilateral interlaminar approach for bilateral decompression in patients with single-level degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis: a multicenter retrospective study of 175 patients on postoperative pain, functional disability, and patient satisfaction.

Object: The bilateral and unilateral interlaminar techniques for bilateral decompression both demonstrate good results for the treatment of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS). Although there is some discussion about which approach is more effective, studies that directly compare these two popular techniques are rare. To address this shortcoming, this study compares postoperative functional disability, pain, and patient satisfaction among patients with single-level DLSS who underwent bilateral decompression using either a bilateral or unilateral approach.

CASINO: surgical or nonsurgical treatment for cervical radiculopathy, a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Cervical radicular syndrome (CRS) due to a herniated disc can be safely treated by surgical decompression of the spinal root. In the vast majority of cases this relieves pain in the arm and restores function. However, conservative treatment also has a high chance on relieving symptoms.

The effects of transforming growth factor-beta2 on dopaminergic graft survival.

Dopaminergic cell transplantation is a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, the potential of which is limited due to poor survival and low dopamine content within engrafted tissue. In this study, the ability of transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-beta2) to influence transplant survival was evaluated. Cell suspensions containing fetal rat ventral mesencephalon (VM) cells were incubated prior to surgery with vehicle (DPBS), varying concentrations of TGF-beta2 (5-1000 ng/ml), or a pan-specific antibody against TGF-beta (1D11, 100 ng/ml).