Conditions associated with giant pituitary tumors at the time of surgery effecting outcome morbidity and mortality.

Background: Surgical outcome prediction has assisted physicians in discussing surgical intervention or expectant management. While increasing pituitary tumor size would seem to be associated with increasing challenge of removal and associated complications, that relationship has not been borne in the literature.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of a consecutive cohort of pituitary surgeries completed at our institution.

Anti-epileptic prophylaxis in traumatic brain injury: A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing craniotomy versus decompressive craniectomy.

Background: Seizures account for significant morbidity and mortality early in the course of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although there is sufficient literature suggesting short-term benefits of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in post-TBI patients, there has been no study to suggest a time frame for continuing AEDs in patients who have undergone a decompressive craniectomy for more severe TBI. We examined trends in a level-II trauma center in southern California that may provide guidelines for AED treatment in craniectomy patients.

A fibril-specific, conformation-dependent antibody recognizes a subset of Abeta plaques in Alzheimer disease, Down syndrome and Tg2576 transgenic mouse brain.

Beta-amyloid (Abeta) is thought to be a key contributor to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD) in the general population and in adults with Down syndrome (DS). Different assembly states of Abeta have been identified that may be neurotoxic. Abeta oligomers can assemble into soluble prefibrillar oligomers, soluble fibrillar oligomers and insoluble fibrils.