A century of Dutch neurology.

The Netherlands Society of Neurology evolved from the Society of Psychiatry founded in 1871. The name was changed into Netherlands Society of Psychiatry and Neurology (NSPN) in 1897. In the same year, the word neurology was also added to the name of the journal.

Aberrant nerve fibres within the central nervous system.

Three cases of aberrant nerve fibres in the spinal cord and medulla oblongata are described. The literature on these fibres is discussed and their possible role in regeneration. Different views on the possibility of regeneration or functional recovery of the central nervous system are mentioned in the light of recent publications, which are more optimistic than before.

Early blindness and coma during intrathecal chemotherapy for meningeal carcinomatosis.

A 35-year-old woman was treated with intraventricular methotrexate (MTX) with a total dose of 70 mg followed by cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) with a total dose of 80 mg for meningeal metastasis of breast carcinoma. Radiation therapy was not given. Despite a response of the meningeal tumor the patient developed in the third week of MTX treatment a progressive visual loss and loss of consciousness which worsened during subsequent Ara-C treatment and led to death within 3 weeks.

Hyperammonemic encephalopathy due to suture line breakdown after bladder operation.

A patient is described with a severe encephalopathy and hyperammonemia in absence of liver dysfunction, attributed to urine absorption into the systemic circulation due to suture line breakdown after bladder dome resection. At autopsy characteristic Alzheimer type II astrocytes were found in the basal ganglia.

Acute fever and delayed leukoencephalopathy following low dose intraventricular methotrexate.

Nine out of 14 patients treated with intraventricular methotrexate (MTX) for meningeal carcinomatosis from breast carcinoma and surviving more than 4 months developed disseminated necrotising leukoencephalopathy (DNL). All four patients who had received both intraventricular MTX and whole brain radiotherapy developed DNL. Five of the six patients who experienced an acute febrile reaction with mild encephalopathic signs following intraventricular administration of MTX developed DNL after a mean time of 5 months and a low mean dose of 44 mg MTX.

Pain and neuroma formation in Wallenberg's lateral medullary syndrome.

We report a patient with a Wallenberg's lateral medullary syndrome in which pain was a prominent feature. This led to substitution of the original and correct diagnosis by that of a thalamic syndrome for which a prefrontal leucotomy was performed. The patient died some years later from a myocardial infarction and autopsy was performed.

Congenital malformations of the spinal cord without early symptoms.

Description of 11 patients with congenital malformations of the spinal cord. Six of them were males, five females and the age varied from 7 to 70 years. Most of these cases produced clinical neurological signs indicating spinal cord disease in later life during an intercurrent disease.

Parinaud's syndrome.

Five cases of a tumour in the quadrigeminal area have been described, 4 of which could be verified by autopsy. In 2 cases with a metastasis in the tegmentum of the mesencephalon, a Parinaud syndrome was present. In 2 other cases, however, with extensive destruction of the quadrigeminal plate and of the posterior commissure this syndrome was not present.

Solitary midbrain metastasis.

The available clinical and pathological data of 5 cases with solitary midbrain metastasis including 2 of the present study are reviewed. Progressive dementia occurred in one case and mild dementia in another who also developed ocular symptoms. Ocular symptoms with sensory and coordination disturbances were seen in one, and only ocular symptoms in another case.

Intramedullary metastasis.

Three cases of intramedullary metastases and one of a metastasis into the medulla oblongata are described. In two cases the primary tumour was a bronchial carcinoma and in one case a carcinoma of the breast. In one patient a primary tumour could not be found.

Effects of brain-stem and thalamic lesions on the corneal reflex: an electrophysiological and anatomical study.

In 9 patients with Wallenberg's lateral medullary syndrome, one patient with a midbrain lesion involving the right side of the tegmentum, and 2 patients with a thalamic lesion, corneal reflexes were investigated by a new electromyographic technique. The electrophysical results were compared with the results obtained by clinical observation. In the lateral medullary lesions the electrophysiologically obtained reflex responses showed four types of abnormality.

Spinothalamic fibres, pain conduction and cordotomy.

Description of four cases of cordotomy for intractable pain in which autopsy could be performed. In two of the cases the lesion had been placed (unintentionally) in the posterior quadrant of the spinal cord with good results as to the abolishing of pain. It is concluded that the conduction of pain and temperature stimuli is not restricted to the anterolateral part of the spinal cord but that this conduction may also take place along fibres in the posterolateral quadrant.

Late results of bulbar trigeminal tractotomy. Some remarks on recovery of sensibility.

Re-examination of eight patients in whom bulbar trigeminal tractotomy had been performed 13 to 15 years previously showed that four had no complaints, and the other four had only very slight complaints about pain. In two patients a Spiller-Frazier operation had been performed after tractotomy, in two patients exairesis of the infraorbital or supraorbital nerve had been done. As bulbar trigeminal tractotomy is a major operation and the risk of recurrence is substantial, the indications for this type of operation have to remain very restricted.