Common peroneal nerve decompression.

Background: Common peroneal neuropathy occurs as a result of compression of the common peroneal nerve (CPN) in the fibro-osseous tunnel between the fibular neck and the tendinous arch of peroneus longus. High rates of spontaneous recovery have been reported. However, there is a subset of patients who require decompression of the CPN at the fibular neck.

Recovery of ankle dorsiflexion weakness following lumbar decompressive surgery.

This retrospective study evaluated the recovery of ankle dorsiflexion (ADF) weakness following decompressive surgery in order to identify factors indicative of a better outcome. Fifty-six consecutive patients with ADF weakness secondary to nerve root compression underwent lumbar decompressive surgery. The demographic features, duration and severity of preoperative ADF weakness, associated radicular pain, as well as the radiological and intraoperative findings were recorded.

A cluster of nocardial brain abscesses.

Background: Nocardia species are aerobic Gram-positive bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment. Infection usually occurs through inhalation or direct cutaneous inoculation of the organism. It has been reported that infection is more common in warm, dry climates.

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: analysis of surgical outcome with and without plating.

The aim of this study is to analyse the differences in clinical and radiological outcome of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for cervical degenerative disease, with and without the addition of an anterior cervical locking plate. Although disc arthoplasty is gaining popularity, the anterior cervical decompression and fusion procedure remains the gold standard. The outcome of 242 cases operated between 1991 to 1998 were analysed.

Schwannoma with tentorial attachment in the cerebellopontine angle mimicking a meningioma.

Intracranial schwannoma not associated with the cranial nerves is rare. It is also an intriguing neoplasm since the Schwann cell is not native to the central nervous system. To date only four cases of intracranial schwannoma arising from the tentorium have been reported.

Paradoxical fixed dilatation of the contralateral pupil as a false-localizing sign in intraparenchymal frontal hemorrhage.

Unilateral fixed pupillary dilatation represents an important clinical sign of transtentorial herniation of an ipsilateral mass lesion. Rarely the contralateral pupil is affected to produce a false-localizing sign. Two cases of this paradoxical contralateral fixed pupillary dilatation involving intra-axial lesions have been reported.

Neurolysis for meralgia paresthetica: an operative series of 45 cases.

Background: Failure of symptom relief after neurolysis for meralgia paresthetica (MP) is reported frequently, yet systematic outcome analysis is limited in the modern literature. The present operative series of 45 cases aims to address this issue.

Methods: From 1996 to 2000, all patients who had neurolysis for MP by our senior author were enrolled in the study.

Somatosensory evoked potentials predict neurolysis outcome in meralgia paraesthetica.

Background: The role of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) in predicting the outcome of nerve entrapment syndrome following surgical release has not been fully verified.

Methods: All patients included in our study had preoperative SEP recordings and had undergone neurolysis for treatment of meralgia paraesthetica by our senior author (KNC) between 1996 and 2000. The outcome of surgery was assessed 6 weeks after the procedure; follow up was continued at 3 month intervals if symptoms persisted.