Pituitary Apoplexy: Comorbidities, Management and Outcomes. A Spanish Observational Multicenter Study.

Background: Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is the paradigm of endocrine and neurosurgical emergency.

Objective: To evaluate the comorbidities, risk factors, clinical presentation, pituitary apoplexy score (PAS) and the outcomes of surgical vs. conservative management of PA in Spain.

Staphylococcus aureus meningitis in adults: A comparative cohort study of infections caused by meticillin-resistant and meticillin-susceptible strains.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus meningitis is an uncommon nosocomial infection usually associated with neurosurgical procedures, but spontaneous infections may occasionally appear.

Aims: To compare the features of meningitis caused by meticillin-resistant (MRSA) and meticillin-susceptible (MSSA) S. aureus and examine the prognostic factors for mortality, including MRSA infection and combined antimicrobial therapy.

Bilateral C-1 lateral mass reconstruction following radical resection of a giant osteoblastoma of the atlas: case report.

Osteoblastoma is a rare, benign, osteoid-producing, and slow-growing primary bone tumor, typically arising in long bones or in the spine, with a slight male predominance. This report describes the surgical treatment of a giant C-1 (atlantal) osteoblastoma diagnosed in a young male patient with neurofibromatosis Type 1. The authors describe the clinical presentation, the surgical procedure for complete excision and stabilization, and results as of the 1-year follow-up.

Agreement in the assessment of metastatic spine disease using scoring systems.

Purpose: To assess variability in the use of Tomita and modified Bauer scores in spine metastases.

Materials And Methods: Clinical data and imaging from 90 patients with biopsy-proven spinal metastases, were provided to 83 specialists from 44 hospitals. Spinal levels involved and the Tomita and modified Bauer scores for each case were determined twice by each clinician, with a minimum of 6-week interval.

Cell therapy with bone marrow stromal cells after intracerebral hemorrhage: impact of platelet-rich plasma scaffolds.

Background Aims: Cell therapy using bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) has been considered a promising strategy for neurologic sequelae after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, after intracerebral administration of BMSCs, most of the cells die, partly because of the absence of extracellular matrix. Intracerebral transplantation of BMSCs, supported in a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) scaffold, optimizes this type of cell therapy.

Bone marrow stromal cells can achieve cure of chronic paraplegic rats: functional and morphological outcome one year after transplantation.

Chronic paraplegia resulting from severe spinal cord injury (SCI) is considered to be an irreversible condition. Nevertheless, recent studies utilizing adult stem cells appear to offer promise in the treatment of this and other neurological diseases. Here, we show that progressive functional motor recovery is achieved over the course of the year following the administration of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) in traumatic central spinal cord cavities of adult rats with chronic paraplegia.

Cell therapy using bone marrow stromal cells in chronic paraplegic rats: systemic or local administration?

Recent studies showed the therapeutic effect of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) after spinal cord injury (SCI). In the present study, we compared the effect of systemic and local administration of BMSC in adult Wistar rats suffering chronic paraplegia as consequence of severe SCI. Adult Wistar rats were subjected to a weight-drop impact causing complete paraplegia, and 3 months later, all the animals remained without signs of functional recovery.

Detection of 111In-oxine-labeled bone marrow stromal cells after intravenous or intralesional administration in chronic paraplegic rats.

Recent studies suggested that bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) may have a therapeutic role in the treatment of paraplegia secondary to severe spinal cord injury (SCI). For this reason, we have studied the possibility of using nuclear medicine imaging techniques to evaluate the permanency and migration of BMSC after transplantation procedures in chronic paraplegic Wistar rats. After intravenous administration of 111In-oxine-labeled BMSC, gammagraphic images showed that the activity distributed all over the organism, but in the spinal cord only scarce activity was identified.

Tissue expression of 165-aa vascular permeability factor after spinal cord injury is not influenced by dexamethasone administration in rats.

Using immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and Western Blot techniques, we studied the tissue expression of the 165-aa Vascular permeability factor (VPF) after spinal cord injury (SCI) in adult Wistar rats. The results were compared according to that the animals received or non-dexamethasone, at the dose of 1mg/kg and day after trauma. Furthermore, the different functional recovery between treated and non-treated animals was recorded.

Functional recovery in chronic paraplegia after bone marrow stromal cells transplantation.

Previous reports showed the therapeutic effect of transplants of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) after incomplete traumatic spinal cord lesions. We studied the effect of this form of therapy in chronically paraplegic Wistar rats due to severe spinal cord injury (SCI). Rats were subjected to weight-drop impact causing paraplegia, and BMSC or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was injected into spinal cord 3 months after injury.

Prognostic significance of tumor-enhancement and angiogenesis in oligodendroglioma.

Objective: To study the prognostic significance of angiogenesis and enhancement on contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CT) in oligodendrogliomas.

Material And Methods: CD34 immunostaining was employed in samples of 26 low-grade oligodendrogliomas from patients treated by extensive resection and radiotherapy to determine the tumor angiogenesis index (TAI), calculated by measuring the immunostained endothelial surface area, in microm(2), per 1000 tumor cells. Preoperative CT scan was evaluated in each case, and the absence or presence of tumor enhancement after contrast administration was recorded.

Prognostic significance of the endothelial surface in low-grade resected oligodendrogliomas.

The importance of angiogenesis as a prognostic factor in brain tumours has recently been reported. In this study, we analysed the long-term prognostic significance of a morphometric score expressing the endothelial area for every 1000 tumour cells, in tumour tissue from 26 patients with a low-grade oligodendroglioma that has been treated surgically and irradiated, and has a MIB-1 labelling index (MIB-1 LI) of less than 1%. In each tumour, a vascular endothelial surface index (VESI) was determined as the CD-34 immunostained endothelial area in micron 2 per 1000 tumour cells.

Stereotactic biopsy for brain tumors: is it always necessary?

Background: Stereotactic biopsy is currently being used in oncological neurosurgery despite its limitations. The purpose of this study is to compare its diagnostic reliability with that of the diagnosis based on clinical data and neuroimaging techniques.

Methods: We studied 200 patients (134 men and 66 women) who underwent 212 stereotactic biopsy procedures to assess brain tumors.