Objective: To investigate the changes of protein kinase C (PKC) activity and its role in the development of presyrinx state in rabbits.
Methods: Presyrinx state was established in 56 rabbits by intra-cisternal injection of kaolin. At 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after the injection, the water content in the upper cervical spinal cord was measured, its pathological changes observed microscopically and the PKC activity determined with substrate phosphorolysis kinase assay.
Results: Spinal cord edema occurred in rabbits one day after kaolin injection, with water content of (68.35-/+0.70)%, which increased to (72.70-/+0.88)% on day 3, reaching the peak level of (72.92-/+0.86)% on day 7, followed by gradual decline after 3 weeks [(70.03-/+0.77)%]. The membrane PKC activity increased from 5.67-/+0.26 pmol.mg(-1).min(-1) on day 1 after the injection to reach the peak level on day 7 (13.27-/+3.15 pmol.mg(-1).min(-1)), which was maintained till day 14 with subsequent decrease to 8.85-/+1.56 pmol.mg(-1).min(-1) on day 21. The cytoplasmic PKC activity showed changes of a reverse pattern.
Conclusion: In rabbits with experimental presyrinx state, PKC translocation and activation is involved in ischemic spinal edema.
Background: Dorsal thoracic arachnoid web is a rare diagnosis and is not commonly seen in neurosurgical practice. Patients can present with symptoms and signs of thoracic myelopathy in the setting of an arachnoid cyst and a presyrinx state.
Observations: A 57-year-old male with a 10-year history of worsening bilateral leg weakness and chronic back pain re-presented to the neurosurgery clinic after being seen by neurology and orthopedic spine surgery.
Background: The evolution of syrinx formation has rarely been documented. Here, we report a patient whose "presyrinx" evolved on successive magnetic resonance (MR) images to a mature syrinx.
Case Description: A patient had a lipoma and tethered cord at birth.
Background: A generally accepted rule is that posttraumatic syringomyelia (PTS) results from spinal cord injury (SCI).
Case Presentation: Here, we report the development of syringomyelia without SCI in a 54-year-old Caucasian man following a mild motor vehicle accident. The computed tomography on admission excluded an injury of the spine.
Background: Posttraumatic syringomyelia is a significant source of disability following spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite this, its etiology and optimal treatment remain controversial. Early identification of and intervention at a presyrinx state may halt progression.
Background: Chiari I malformation (CM-I) typically presents in late childhood and early adulthood. Often these lesions are asymptomatic and discovered incidentally. Patients typically present with tussive headaches and focal neurological findings, especially when associated with syringomyelia.
