Treatment of refractory, chronic low back pain with botulinum neurotoxin A: an open-label, pilot study.

Objective: To study the short- and long-term effects of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A, Botox, Allergan Inc.) on refractory chronic low back pain.

Design: The effect of botulinum neurotoxin A on chronic low back pain was prospectively studied in 75 patients with repeated treatments over a period of 14 months.

Treatment of chronic low back pain with successive injections of botulinum toxin a over 6 months: a prospective trial of 60 patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two successive neurotoxin treatments for chronic low back pain using multiple pain rating scales in an open-label, prospective study.

Methods: Adult patients with chronic low back pain received multiple paraspinal muscle injections with a maximum dosing of 500 units of botulinum A toxin per session. Those with a beneficial clinical response received a second treatment at 4 months.

Thoracic hemivertebra excision in adults via a posterior-only approach. Report of two cases.

Hemivertebrae are a common cause of congenital scoliosis. Depending on their location and the magnitude of the resultant deformity, they may be asymptomatic or require treatment. In the past, treatment has focused on prevention of deformity progression in growing children.

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence: a new indication for middle fossa craniotomy. Case report.

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence is a recently described condition resulting in pressure-induced vertigo in affected patients. The diagnosis is established with the appearance of characteristic electronystagmographic and neuroimaging findings. This condition is amenable to surgical treatment by resurfacing of the dehiscence in the defect in the middle cranial fossa floor with preservation of superior semicircular canal function.

Identification of an alternatively spliced RNA for the Ras suppressor RSU-1 in human gliomas.

Previous studies demonstrated that the Ras suppressor, RSU-1, localizes to human chromosome 10p13, a region frequently deleted in high grade gliomas, and that RSU-1 expression inhibited the tumorigenesis of a glioblastoma cell line. We have now examined RNA from human glial tumors for RSU-1 expression by RT-PCR using primers for the 5' and 3' ends of the RSU-1 open reading frame. Analysis of the amplified RSU-1 cDNA demonstrated that in addition to the entire 858 bp RSU-1 open reading frame, a shorter 725 bp RSU-1 fragment was amplified as well.

Endoscopic image-guided transethmoid pituitary surgery.

Objective: We describe a new endoscopic transethmoid approach for pituitary surgery and to compare it with other surgical techniques.

Study Design And Setting: Eleven patients undergoing pituitary surgery from September 2000 through January 2002 underwent an image-guided endoscopic transethmoid procedure to remove pituitary tumors. Ease of approach, resection, exposure of the surgical field, and operative complications were documented.