Quantification of the Trömner signs: a sensitive marker for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

The Trömner sign is commonly used as a clinical neurological examination for upper motor neuron lesions above the fifth or sixth cervical segments of the spinal cord. This study aims to assess and quantify the Trömner signs utilizing electrophysiological test, and correlate to the severity of cord compression in cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). We enlisted 46 CSM patients, and 30 healthy persons as controls.

Chimney sublaminar decompression for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.

Object: The authors evaluated the efficacy and safety of so-called chimney sublaminar decompression, a new technique to decompress the degenerative stenotic lumbar spinal canal without stripping of the paravertebral muscles.

Methods: Eighteen patients (nine men and nine women whose mean age was 67 years) with symptoms of claudication were selected to undergo chimney sublaminar decompression. The duration of symptoms was greater than 6 months in 17 patients.

Sylvian fissure dermoid cyst with intratumoral hemorrhage: case report.

It is rare for a dermoid cyst to develop intratumoral hemorrhage. A 61-year-old woman had a sudden-onset left hemiparesis and slow response to verbal requests for one week when unenhanced computed tomography scanning revealed a mixed iso- and hypo-dense heterogeneous lesion in the right fronto-temporal area. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed a mixed hyper- and hypo-intense tumor in the right fronto-temporal area.

Cervical dumbbell meningioma and thoracic dumbbell schwannoma in a patient with neurofibromatosis.

The occurrence of both dumbbell meningioma and dumbbell schwannoma in one patient has not been reported in the literature. We present a 16-year-old female patient, who had progressive bilateral hearing impairment for 5 years and a progressively enlarged, non-tender neck mass for 1.5 years.

Induction of T-cell apoptosis in rats by genetically engineered glioma cells expressing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and B7.1.

Purpose: To evaluate antitumor effects on intracerebral gliomas of genetically engineered tumor vaccines expressing granulocyte-macrophage colony-timulating factor (GM-CSF), B7.1, or both (combination).

Experimental Design: A rat glioma cell line, RT-2, was engineered with a retroviral vector to express GM-CSF, B7.

A lumbar clear cell meningioma with foraminal extension in a renal transplant recipient.

Spinal meningiomas are characteristically dural based. We report a lumbar clear cell meningioma extending into the intervertebral foramen without dural attachment which mimics a neurilemmoma. This is a rare finding, with no other reported cases in the literature.

Resveratrol suppresses the angiogenesis and tumor growth of gliomas in rats.

Purpose: We wanted to investigate the antitumor effects and effect on angiogenesis of resveratrol in rat RT-2 gliomas.

Experimental Design: RT-2 glioma cells were treated with resveratrol, and then cytotoxicity was assayed, apoptosis was measured by flow-activated cell sorter flow cytometry, and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor was measured by reverse transcription-PCR. Tumor size, animal survival time, and survival rate were followed in resveratrol-treated rats with s.

Activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 and caspase 3 in the tamoxifen-induced apoptosis of rat glioma cells.

Purpose: The mechanisms of the antitumor effects of tamoxifen upon gliomas are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of c-Jun N-terminal kinase-1 (JNK1) and caspase 3 in the tamoxifen-induced apoptosis of rat glioma cells.

Methods: Glioma cells were treated with tamoxifen, followed by a cytotoxicity assay to study its effects on the cells, and then a flow-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis was performed to analyze the cellular apoptosis of the glioma cells.

Radiation-induced temporary alopecia after embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations.

Alopecia after endovascular embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is uncommon. In this report, we present a 33-year-old man who developed temporary alopecia after staged embolization of a cerebral AVM. Four days after the last procedure, this patient had hair loss over his right temporoparietal and occipial areas.

Multiple tuberculous brain abscesses.

Multiple tuberculous brain abscesses are rare. This report presents a female patient with a rapidly deteriorating clinical course. Computed tomographic scanning revealed multiple brain abscesses.

Effects of irradiated tumor vaccine and continuous localized infusion of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on neuroblastomas in mice.

Background/purpose: Immunomodulatory treatment has been proposed as a feasible strategy for neuroblastoma treatment. In this study, the antitumor effects of a continuous localized subcutaneous infusion of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) into the injection site of irradiated tumor vaccine used as a source of tumor antigens on mouse neuroblastoma were investigated.

Methods: A/J mice were inoculated subcutaneously with wild type neuro-2a neuroblastoma cells and then treated with 5 doses of irradiated tumor vaccine or continuous localized infusion of GM-CSF (1 ng/d or 10 ng/d) via an osmotic minipump.

Ruptured cervical disc after spinal manipulation therapy: report of two cases.

Study Design: Case reports of ruptured cervical disc after spinal manipulation therapy.

Objectives: To present the rare cases of ruptured cervical disc temporally related to spinal manipulation therapy.

Summary Of Background Data: The complication of ruptured cervical disc was rare in the literature.