The role of stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of intramedullary spinal cord neoplasms: a systematic literature review.

Advances in imaging technology and microsurgical techniques have made microsurgical resection the treatment of choice in cases of symptomatic intramedullary tumors. The use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for spinal tumors is a recent development, and its application to intramedullary lesions is debated. We conducted a literature search through PubMed's MeSH system, compiling information regarding intramedullary neoplasms treated by SRS.

Hemangiopericytoma of the foramen magnum in a pregnant patient: A case report and literature review.

Background: The presentation of intracranial hemangiopericytomas is very rare, and only one case of a hemangiopericytoma during pregnancy has been reported in the literature. The management of these lesions poses a great challenge to the neurosurgeon, since the physiological and hormonal changes of pregnancy can exacerbate the symptoms of this highly vascularized neoplasm and pose different risks to both the mother and the fetus. We report the case of a patient who had sudden onset of intracranial hypertension at the ninth week of gestation due to a hemangiopericytoma of the foramen magnum and review the literature in this regard.

Diabetes in South and Central America: an update.

The estimated population of the South and Central America (SACA) Region is 467.6 million and 64% is in the age range of 20-79 years but the population pyramid and age distribution are changing. The average prevalence of diabetes in the Region is 8.

New bipolar leads for the study of atrial arrhythmias.

The electrocardiography study of atrial arrhythmias has been hindered by the frequent occurrence of a "hidden". P wave in standard lead recordings. We present a modified method of surface electrocardiography that proved helpful in our prospective study of 26 consecutive patients in whom traditional surface recordings did not show the atrial mechanism.

Adrenergic activation of phospholipase D in primary rat astrocytes.

Phospholipase D (PLD) activity was investigated in astrocytes prepared from newborn rat cerebral cortex using the transphosphatidylation assay. Basal PLD activity was measurable and was found to be enhanced by ATP, carbachol and noradrenaline. The activation by noradrenaline (EC50, 0.

Impaired urinary ammonium excretion in patients with isolated proximal renal tubular acidosis.

During previous studies in patients with isolated proximal renal tubular acidosis (pRTA), the rates of urinary ammonium excretion were considered inappropriately low for their state of chronic metabolic acidosis. These observations were made while the patients were on a normal diet as well as when they were undergoing a short ammonium chloride test. Because these findings suggested an impaired ability to excrete maximal amounts of ammonium, the response to the 3-day acid loading test was evaluated in eight patients with isolated pRTA and in 10 normal control subjects.