Technique for methyl methacrylate cranioplasty to optimize cosmetic outcome.

Background: Cranioplasty aims to reconstruct skull defects from fractures, decompressive craniectomies, tumors, and congenital anomalies in a cosmetically acceptable manner. We present a technique in methyl methacrylate cranioplasty that gives excellent cosmetic results by maintaining patient's calvarial curvature.

Method: Cranioplasty material is placed into a plastic bag and packed inside the defect.

Fatal cyst formation after fetal mesencephalic allograft transplant for Parkinson's disease.

Object: In recent years, fetal mesencephalic tissue transplant for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been demonstrated to hold promise, but potential complications related to growth of allograft tissue have not been well described. This report explores the development and possible causation of a fatal cyst arising from a fetal transplant in the brain.

Methods: The authors report the case of a 52-year-old woman who underwent bilateral putamenal fetal mesencephalic allograft transplant for PD at another hospital.

1H MRS in acute traumatic brain injury.

The objective of this study was to demonstrate 1H MR spectroscopy (MRS) changes in cerebral metabolites after acute head trauma. Twenty-five patients (12 children, 13 adults) were examined with quantitative 1H MRS after closed head injury. Clinical grade (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS]) and outcome (Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center Outcome Score [ROS]) were correlated with quantitative neurochemical findings.

An Absolute Electric Current Probe Based on the Faraday Effect.

This paper describes the design, construction, and testing of a probe for the measurement of electric current in a circuit. This measurement is performed by using Faraday rotation produced in a beam of polarized light that encircles the current-carrying conductor. Such a probe is an absolute instrument whose calibration only depends upon the Verdet constant of the rotative medium and is independent of the dimensions or positions of the light path relative to the current.