[Post-traumatic arteriovenous fistulae and pseudoaneurysms of the superficial temporal artery: presentation of 4 cases]. / Fistole artero-venose e pseudoaneurismi post-traumatici dell'arteria temporale superficiale: presentazione di 4 casi.

Three cases of traumatic arteriovenous fistula of the superficial temporal artery and one of pseudoaneurysm seen over a recent two-year period are presented and the literature is reviewed. Because of the course of the superficial temporal artery over the temporal bone, it is vulnerable to injury. The differential diagnosis includes hematoma, cysts, inflammatory lesions, vascular tumors and aneurysms of the middle meningeal artery. If there is doubt as to the diagnosis, angiography could confirm it, although it is seldom necessary. The treatment is simple and consists of proximal and sital ligation of the artery before aneurysmal sac or fistula removal.

Diastematomyelia in adults.

The authors report two cases of diastematomyelia in adults. One patient had a congenital kyphoscoliosis; the other had undergone surgery at birth for a myelomeningocele. The occurrence of diastematomyelia in patients with congenital scoliosis and myelomeningocele is discussed. Diastematomyelia is regarded as one of the causes of late deterioration of neurological function in such cases.

[Retrospective study of 50 cases of spinal meningioma]. / Studio retrospettivo di 50 casi di meningioma spinale.

The clinical history prior to surgery of 50 consecutive cases of spinal meningioma was reviewed. The following features turned out to be particularly interesting: a 7:1 female to male ratio; the symptoms began after the sixth decade in no less than 66% of patients; only 36% were correctly diagnosed as having spinal tumor at the first clinical examination; the average duration of symptoms was 16 months prior to surgery. Such findings are discussed and compared with those of the previous reports.

[Recurrence of sciatica in patients operated on for disk hernia: postoperative segmental spondylosis]. / La recidiva di sciatalgia nei pazienti operati di ernia discale: spondilosi segmentaria post operatoria.

Forty four patients, admitted to the department of of Neurosurgery of the Hospital of Parma, for a recurrence of sciatic pain following discectomy, have been examined between May 1978 and February 1981. In 30 patients myelography was negative for discal hernias, while plain x-ray films and polytomograms of the lumbar spine showed lateral recesses and intervertebral foramina stenosis with roots' compression. The surgical procedures were: medial facetectomy, total facetectomy or hemilaminectomy with removal of pedicle and inferior and superior articular processes, according to the case, obtaining the remission of the pain. We feel that we are dealing with an entrapment syndrome of one or more lumbosacral roots secondary to degenerative spondylotic changes of the lamina-pedicle-facet complex that follows discectomy and is specially located in the same space previously operated upon. We are describing the pathological, clinical and radiological features of this syndrome and the surgical technique used.

[Hygroma of the posterior cranial fossa. Case report]. / Igroma della fossa cranica posteriore. Relazione di un caso.

Posterior fossa hygroma is a rare entity. In a series of 553 cases of surgically treated traumatic subdural lesions, reported by Jamieson and Yelland, only 14 were in the posterior fossa; of these 7 were hygromas and 7 haematomas, giving an incidence of only 1,4% of all subdural haematomas. This report describes a case of a posterior fossa hygroma, that occurred in a 16-years-old boy, 4 days after an occipital head injury.

[Trigeminal neuralgia: interpretation of the results of the Dandy method of rhizotomy]. / Nevralgia del trigemino: interpretazione dei risultati in 29 casi di rizotomia alla Dandy.

The patterns of sensory loss in 29 cases of Juxta pontine trigeminal rhizotomy are reported. The section of 70% of the portio major gave a similar impairment of tactile, thermal and pain sensibility in the facial area corresponding to the portio of the nerve section in all the patients. These findings do not support Jannetta and Rand's statement that partial to complete section of the porto major at the pons with complete preservation of the intermediate fibre does not affect the perception of light touch. The reported data suggest: 1--intermediate fibres are not mode specific fibres for light touch; 2--clear separation between thermoalgesic and tactile afferent rootlets does not exist in the trigeminal root; 3--saving the portio minor and the intermediate fibres ensures the preservation of perception of tactile, thermal and pain sensibility, thus avoiding postoperative painful anesthesia and keratitis.

[Etiopathogenetic differences and therapeutic possibillities of the carotid sinus syndrome. Report of two rare cases (author's transl)]. / Varieta' etiopatogenetiche e possibilita' terapeutiche della "sindrome del seno carotideo". Descrizione di due rari case.

Two cases of carotid sinus syndrome with peculiar clinical and nosological characteristics are presented. The clinical symptoms were characterized by syncope with bradicardia and hypotension, which occurred contemporarily or independently of each other. The most valuable medical therapy to prevent or got over the syncopal attacks has proved to be one associating the sympathicomimetic drugs (high dosage dopamine, particularly on demande pacemaker. Complete decrease of symptoms following was obtained only after surgical treatment: denervation of carotid sinus in one case, intracranical section of the glosspharyngeal nerve and of the two vagal termination nearer to IX in the other case. This last result makes it possible to consider the case in question from an original nosological point of view exploiting the pathogenetic importance of stimulating the afferent nerve-fibres of the glossofaryngeal-nerve.

[Intradural rupture of an intervertebral disk]. / Rottura intradurale del disco intervertebrale.

Since the first description of ruptured lumbar disc, erosion of a fragment of disc through the dura mater has been mentioned only rarely. The authros report two cases occurred among 1,078 herniated discs surgically treated in their department over a period of 8 years, from January 1st., 1970 through March 31st., 1978. Various factors that might contribute to this relatively rare complication of disc disease are mentioned, and literature on the subject is summarized.

[Spinal meningioma as a frequently unrecognized cause of neuromotor disorder in the aged]. / I meningiomi spinali come causa frequentemente misconosciuta di disturbi neuromotori dell'anziano

The clinical history prior to surgery of 18 cases of spinal meningiomas is examined. In most cases, surgical management had been undertaken too late and the reasons for this are discussed. Poor neurological knowledge on the part of general practitioners or mistaken interpretation of the initial symptoms by specialists were the main causes. Persistent prejudices based on the supposed damage caused by myelographical investigation also proved a stumbling-block to timely intervention.

[Syringomyelia: four clinical cases are reported as opportunity to reexamine the pathogenetic hypotheses (author's transl)]. / Siringomielia: presentazione di alcuni casi clinici e revisione degli aspetti patogenetici

In this paper four clinical cases of syringomyelia are presented as an opportunity to reexamine more discussed pathogenetic hypotheses. The authors are referring in particular to Gardner's theory since he has the merit of explaining the anomalies often associated with syringomyelia. In Gardner's opinion syringomyelia might be due to the non-perforation of the rhombic roof.

[Post-traumatic syringomyelia (author's transl)]. / Siringomielia post-traumatica

We have examined a clinical case concerning a patient who, five years after a spinal cord injury, showed a series of symptoms due to the presence of a intramedullary cyst according to neurologists' general opinion. They think this cavitation is a development of acute myelomalacic cores or of a central haemorrhage. The extension of the cavities is regarded as a result of trasmission of venous pressure, brought about by coughing, straining and sneezing, to the spinal cord and of tethering of the cord at the side of trauma by dense arachnoidal adhesions, hence its adaptability to the extremes of movements is hampered.