Staged operations for posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in extremely low-birth-weight infants with preceding stoma creation after bowel perforation: surgical strategy.

Case Report: We report a complicated extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infant with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus after intraventricular hemorrhage and preceding stoma creation after bowel perforation who was treated with staged operations, including shunting and external ventricular drainage. The first operation was a temporary valveless ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement until the time of the stoma closure. The stoma was successfully closed 3 months after the first operation when the peritoneal tube was drawn out from the chest wall and the VP shunt system was temporarily used as an external drainage with a long subcutaneous tunnel.

Atypical extraventricular neurocytoma.

Extraventricular neurocytoma (EVN) is a rare brain tumor that poses diagnostic difficulty. Described herein is a case of atypical EVN arising in a 54-year-old woman. A well-circumscribed lesion (3.

Role of hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGF activator) in invasive growth of human glioblastoma cells in vivo.

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a multifunctional growth factor that is involved in invasive growth of tumor cells via its receptor MET, a protein product of c-met proto-oncogene. HGF activator (HGFA) is a serine proteinase responsible for the activation of proform of HGF/SF (proHGF/SF). In our study, we examined the effects of engineered expression of HGFA on 2 human glioblastoma cell lines (YKG-1 and U251).

Diverse roles of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1) in the growth of glioblastoma cells in vivo.

Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type-1 (HAI-1) is an integral-membrane proteinase inhibitor. In this study, we examined the effects of HAI-1 on human glioblastoma cells. Two glioblastoma cell lines (YKG-1, U251) were stably transfected with expression plasmid harboring mature membrane-form or truncated secreted-form HAI-1.

Adenoid glioblastoma arising in a patient with neurofibromatosis type-1.

An unusual case of glioblastoma with adenoid structures arising in a 30-year-old Japanese woman with neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF1) is reported. The patient was admitted to University of Miyazaki Hospital, complaining of headache, nausea and vomiting. From the neuroradiological findings the patient was diagnosed as having glioblastoma, and the tumor was surgically resected.

Establishment and characterization of a new human glioblastoma cell line, NYGM.

A cell line designated NYGM was established from a human cerebral glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) obtained from a 75-year-old Japanese woman. The cell line has grown slowly without interruption and has been propagated continuously by serial passages (more than 80 passage) during the past 3 years. The cultured cells were fusiform or polyhedral in shape.

Appearance of early venous filling during intra-arterial reperfusion therapy for acute middle cerebral artery occlusion: a predictive sign for hemorrhagic complications.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between appearance of angiographic early venous filling during intra-arterial reperfusion therapy and posttherapeutic hemorrhagic complications.

Methods: For the past 7 years, 104 patients prospectively underwent superselective local angiography via a microcatheter before and during intra-arterial reperfusion therapy for acute middle cerebral artery occlusion to evaluate the presence or absence of early venous filling. In principle, reperfusion therapy was discontinued just after appearance of early venous filling for fear of hemorrhage.

Local administration of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor improves behavioral and histological deficit of neonatal Erb's palsy in rats.

Objective: We sought to evaluate from a behavioral and histological viewpoint the effect of local administration of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on neonatal preganglionic Erb's palsy in rats.

Methods: The Erb's palsy model was produced by transecting the anterior and posterior roots of the left C5-C7 nerves of 7-day-old rats. The rats were divided into GDNF-treated (n = 10) and vehicle-treated groups (n = 11).

Spontaneous regeneration of the corticospinal tract after transection in young rats: collagen type IV deposition and astrocytic scar in the lesion site are not the cause but the effect of failure of regeneration.

In young rats the corticospinal tract regenerated after a single transection of the spinal cord with a sharp blade, but regeneration failed if the transection was repeated to make a more traumatic injury. To identify cells and associated molecules that promote or impede regeneration, we compared expression of collagen type IV, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and vimentin immunoreactivity (IR) at the lesion sites in combination with anterograde axonal tracing between animals with two types of transection. Axonal regeneration occurred as early as 18 hours after transection; regenerating axons penetrated vessel-like structures with collagen type IV-IR at the lesion site, while reactive astrocytes coexpressing GFAP- and vimentin-IR appeared in the lesioned white matter.

Paramedian transmuscular access to C-3 dumbbell-type neurofibroma without paravertebral muscle dissection from the spinous process or facetectomy. Technical note.

The authors devised a paramedian transmuscular approach to the C2-3 facet joint that enabled total removal of C-3 dumbbell-type neurofibroma; dissection of the paravertebral muscles from the spinous process was not required and the facet joint was preserved. Only splitting or retraction of the paravertebral muscles was necessary. The anatomical features and procedures involved in muscle splitting are described.

Correlation of emmprin expression in vascular endothelial cells with blood-brain-barrier function: a study using magnetic resonance imaging enhanced by Gd-DTPA and immunohistochemistry in brain tumors.

In a previous study, we demonstrated that the expression levels in tumor cells of emmprin (CD147) correlated with the grade of astrocytic tumors. Also, we found that emmprin was expressed in vascular endothelial cells of the non-neoplastic brain and hypothesized that emmprin expression could be associated with normal blood-brain-barrier (BBB) function of vascular endothelial cells. In this study, this possibility was examined in non-neoplastic brain, glioma and metastatic carcinoma tissues by comparing emmprin immunohistochemistry with gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) enhancement of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is a clinical indicator of the BBB function.

Direct percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for acute middle cerebral artery trunk occlusion: an alternative option to intra-arterial thrombolysis.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of direct percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for patients with acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) trunk occlusion.

Methods: Over the past 9 years, a total of 70 patients with acute MCA trunk occlusion were treated with intra-arterial reperfusion therapy. In the last 5 years, 34 patients were treated with direct PTA, and subsequent thrombolytic therapy was added if necessary for distal embolization.

Development of a novel experimental rat model for neonatal pre-ganglionic upper brachial plexus injury.

A neonatal upper brachial plexus injury, referred to as Erb's palsy, is a serious obstetric problem. Some surgical methods are used to treat this injury, but they are inadequate. To seek new treatments for Erb's palsy, we used a model for cervical preganglionic root transection in neonate rats and evaluated the behavioral and histological compatibility of this model with Erb's palsy.

Clinical features of the localized girdle sensation of mid-trunk (false localizing sign) appeared in cervical compressive myelopathy patients.

Cervical compressive myelopathy patients sometimes show localized girdle sensation in the mid trunk (so-called false localizing sign). This symptom often confuses physicians, but the clinical features and mechanism of this symptom are still unclear. We investigated the clinical features and possible mechanism.

Time-threshold curve determined by single photon emission CT in patients with acute middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Background And Purpose: In patients with ischemic stroke, not only the degree of ischemia but also its duration are key determinants of tissue survival. The purpose of this study was to show the synergistic effects of these two factors on tissue survival in humans.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed findings in 19 patients with middle cerebral artery occlusion who had clearly defined ischemic duration from onset to angiographic complete recanalization and who underwent pretreatment single photon emission CT.

Combined direct percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and low-dose native tissue plasminogen activator therapy for acute embolic middle cerebral artery trunk occlusion.

Background And Purpose: In embolic middle cerebral artery (MCA) trunk occlusion, recanalization with direct percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) may be preferable to time-consuming thrombolysis. However, distal embolization with small crushed fragments is a complication of direct PTA. We prospectively evaluated combined direct PTA and low-dose native tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) therapy for acute embolic MCA trunk occlusion.