Treatment of refractory, chronic low back pain with botulinum neurotoxin A: an open-label, pilot study.

Objective: To study the short- and long-term effects of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A, Botox, Allergan Inc.) on refractory chronic low back pain.

Design: The effect of botulinum neurotoxin A on chronic low back pain was prospectively studied in 75 patients with repeated treatments over a period of 14 months.

Treatment of chronic low back pain with successive injections of botulinum toxin a over 6 months: a prospective trial of 60 patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two successive neurotoxin treatments for chronic low back pain using multiple pain rating scales in an open-label, prospective study.

Methods: Adult patients with chronic low back pain received multiple paraspinal muscle injections with a maximum dosing of 500 units of botulinum A toxin per session. Those with a beneficial clinical response received a second treatment at 4 months.

Thoracic hemivertebra excision in adults via a posterior-only approach. Report of two cases.

Hemivertebrae are a common cause of congenital scoliosis. Depending on their location and the magnitude of the resultant deformity, they may be asymptomatic or require treatment. In the past, treatment has focused on prevention of deformity progression in growing children.

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence: a new indication for middle fossa craniotomy. Case report.

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence is a recently described condition resulting in pressure-induced vertigo in affected patients. The diagnosis is established with the appearance of characteristic electronystagmographic and neuroimaging findings. This condition is amenable to surgical treatment by resurfacing of the dehiscence in the defect in the middle cranial fossa floor with preservation of superior semicircular canal function.

Identification of an alternatively spliced RNA for the Ras suppressor RSU-1 in human gliomas.

Previous studies demonstrated that the Ras suppressor, RSU-1, localizes to human chromosome 10p13, a region frequently deleted in high grade gliomas, and that RSU-1 expression inhibited the tumorigenesis of a glioblastoma cell line. We have now examined RNA from human glial tumors for RSU-1 expression by RT-PCR using primers for the 5' and 3' ends of the RSU-1 open reading frame. Analysis of the amplified RSU-1 cDNA demonstrated that in addition to the entire 858 bp RSU-1 open reading frame, a shorter 725 bp RSU-1 fragment was amplified as well.

Endoscopic image-guided transethmoid pituitary surgery.

Objective: We describe a new endoscopic transethmoid approach for pituitary surgery and to compare it with other surgical techniques.

Study Design And Setting: Eleven patients undergoing pituitary surgery from September 2000 through January 2002 underwent an image-guided endoscopic transethmoid procedure to remove pituitary tumors. Ease of approach, resection, exposure of the surgical field, and operative complications were documented.

Petroclival and foramen magnum meningiomas: surgical approaches and pitfalls.

The management of petroclival and foramen magnum meningiomas has been revolutionized by the techniques of cranial base surgery. However, these tumors are still among the most difficult cranial base lesions to treat. In this report, we discuss the classification, presenting symptoms, preoperative investigation, treatment indications, operative approaches and technique, postoperative complications and care, and results of surgery of petroclival and foramen magnum meningiomas.

Expression of vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor in normal rat tissues.

Vascular permeability factor (VPF)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a approximately 43-kDa secreted protein that has been shown in bioassays to induce endothelial proliferation, angiogenesis, and capillary hyperpermeability. VPF has been suggested to play an important role in the physiology of normal vasculature. To further elucidate the natural functions of VPF in vivo, the expression of VPF in normal tissues was examined using Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization histochemistry.

Expression of the vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor gene in central nervous system neoplasms.

Expression of the vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGPF) gene was investigated in human central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms and normal brain. Adsorption of capillary permeability activity from human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cell conditioned medium and GBM cyst fluids by anti-VEGPF antibodies demonstrated that VEGPF is secreted by GBM cells and is present in sufficient quantities in vivo to induce vascular permeability. Cloning and sequencing of polymerase chain reaction-amplified GBM and normal brain cDNA demonstrated three forms of the VEGPF coding region (567, 495, and 363 nucleotides), corresponding to mature polypeptides of 189, 165, and 121 amino acids, respectively.