Iniencephaly: neuroradiological and surgical features. Case report and review of the literature.

Iniencephaly is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by spina bifida of the cervical vertebrae, fixed retroflexion of the head on the cervical spine, and occipital bone defect. There are only five reports of surviving patients with iniencephaly. The authors report the case of a newborn who presented with iniencephaly and an encephalocele that were surgically treated in our service. Neurological examination of the patient yielded normal results except for a moderate psychomotor retardation. The neuroradiological and surgical findings of the case suggested that the trigger of the anomaly was the occipital bone defect and rachischisis of the posterior vertebral arches.

Depressed skull fracture overlying the superior sagittal sinus as a cause of benign intracranial hypertension. Case report.

The use of surgical treatment for depressed skull fractures that are located over major venous sinuses is a matter of controversy. However, if clinical and radiological findings of sinus obliteration and related intracranial hypertension are present, surgical decompression is indicated. The authors present the case of a 38-year-old man who had a depressed skull fracture overlying the posterior one-third portion of the superior sagittal sinus. The lesion was initially treated conservatively and the patient was readmitted 1 month later with signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension. The role of radiological investigation in the detection of venous sinus flow and indications for surgical treatment are discussed. If venous sinus flow obstruction is revealed in the presence of signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension, surgery is indicated as the first line of treatment.

Intracranial meningiomas in children: review of 29 cases.

BACKGROUND: Meningiomas are predominantly tumors of the fifth and sixth decades of life. Although rare in infancy and childhood, they represent an important field in pediatric neurosurgery. METHODS: Twenty-nine children under 15 years of age with intracranial meningiomas were treated during the period 1968-1994 in the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery in Marseille (23 cases) and in the Department of Neurosurgery of Cerrahpasa Medical School in Istanbul (6 cases). These tumors represented 2.4% of all central nervous system (CNS) tumors in this age group. RESULTS: There were 18 boys and 11 girls. Eighteen cases (62%) occurred between 10 and 15 years of age and two cases were infants. Twelve children (41%) had associated neurofibromatosis. Presenting symptoms were related to the tumor location. Thirty-one intracranial meningiomas were observed in these 29 children. Cerebral convexity was the most common location and 13% of the tumors had no dural attachment. Thirty-one tumors were operated on and total removal was achieved in 25 patients (86.2%). Five patients died, one during surgery. There was no mortality among the 17 children without neurofibromatosis. After a mean 6.5 year follow-up period, 13 patients (45%) are neurologically intact, 8 patients (27.5%) have a moderate disability, without evidence of tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION: Childhood meningiomas occur predominantly in males. Absence of dural attachment is more common in children than in adults. Childhood meningiomas have a low recurrence rate. They are frequently associated with neurofibromatosis; this is the most important factor influencing outcome.

[Arachnoid cysts of the middle cranial fossa in children. A review of 75 cases, 47 of which have been operated in a comparative study between membranectomy with opening of cisterns and cystoperitoneal shunt]. / Les kystes arachnoïdiens temporo-sylviens chez l'enfant. Revue de 75 cas dont 47 ont été opérés et étude comparative entre la membranectomie avec ouverture des citernes et la dérivation kystopéritonéale.

The authors report their experience concerning 75 cases of middle fossa arachnoid cysts observed in children during the period 1975-1993, 47 of which (62.6%) were operated upon. The aim of this study was to study the clinical presentation of these cysts, to discuss the surgical indications and to compare the results of the various techniques used to treat these malformations. Head injury was revealing in 17 cases (22.6%) and among these, 12 patients presented intracranial complications (subdural effusions; 6 cases, subdural hematomas: 4 cases and intracystic hematomas: 2 cases). The most usual signs and symptoms were: intracranial hypertension (25.3%), epilepsy (16%) and temporal bulging (24%). Twenty-one patients (44.7%) underwent a cystoperitoneal shunt; 20 patients (42.5%) were treated by membranectomy with opening of the basal cisterns and removal of intracystic (2 cases) or subdural hematoma (4 cases); 2 patients (4.3%) were treated using membranectomy, opening of the cisterns and cystoperitoneal shunt and 4 patients (8.4%) underwent a subduroperitoneal shunt. The long-term results were good regardless of the surgical procedure; nevertheless, only one patient among 20 cases treated by membranectomy and opening of the cisterns developped complications (5%), while multiple shunt revisions were necessary in 11 children (40.7%) out of 27 where a shunt was inserted. The authors conclude that membranectomy and opening of the basal cisterns is the procedure of choice to treat middle fossa arachnoid cysts in children.

[Intracerebral solitary plasmacytoma. Apropos of a case possibly induced by head injury]. / Plasmocytome solitaire intracérébral. A propos d'un cas peut-être induit par un trauma crânien.

We report a rare occurrence of an intraparenchymal plasmocytoma. On the past history of a severe head injury twenty years ago and the presence of a porencephalic area on the computerized tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging we suspected a possible trauma-tumor relation. Accuracy of the histological diagnosis of plasmocytoma was confirmed. The treatment was a surgical excision only, and after a 4.5 years follow-up period, no clinical nor radiographic recurrence was noted.

Cervical cord tethering and congenital mirror movements: is it an association rather than a coincidence?

Two unusual cases of cervical cord tethering associated with mirror movements of the hands are presented. A brief discussion of the literature pertaining to mirror movements is included. It is concluded that the association of cervical cord tethering and mirror movements can be more than a coincidence.

Posterior fossa arachnoid cysts.

Arachnoid cysts of the posterior fossa are rare lesions that are considered to be mostly congenital in origin. In this article, we retrospectively review 12 patients who underwent surgical treatment for their symptomatic posterior fossa arachnoid cysts. The most common presenting symptoms were gait disturbances and headache. The diagnosis was established on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Surgery consisted of cyst wall excision with fenestration in nine cases and shunting procedures in three cases. In all cases except one who-died, the postsurgical follow-up neuroradiological investigations showed that the cysts had decreased in size, the cerebellum had re-expanded, and if there was preoperative hydrocephalus, the ventricular size was decreased. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 11 years. All surviving cases are free of symptoms and no arachnoid cysts recurred. The classification, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis and surgical treatment of infratentorial arachnoid cysts are discussed and the relevant literature is reviewed.

The role of mebendazole in the surgical treatment of central nervous system hydatid disease.

Although hydatid disease is the most common human disease caused by helminths, cerebral and spinal involvement in hydatid disease is rare. Recurrence is common when cysts rupture during surgical removal. The authors present the results of combined treatment with surgery and mebendazole in four cerebral and five spinal cases of hydatid disease. The patients' ages ranged between 4 and 55 years with a mean of 26 years. In three of the four cranial patients who received mebendazole treatment, the cysts ruptured during surgical removal. Four of the five spinal cases had recurrent disease at the time of admission. Mebendazole was started immediately after surgery and continued over 12 months. All cases but one are stable clinically or radiologically at a mean 27 months follow-up period.

The skull base in plagiocephaly.

Between 1975 and 1992, 426 children with craniofacial malformations were treated in the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Hôpital des Enfants de la Timone in Marseille. Plagiocephaly was present in 71 (16.6%). The authors present a reproducible analysis of the skull base in plagiocephaly based on these 71 patients. A control group of Mediterranean children (n = 20) was used for comparison. Clinical anthropometric patterns were analyzed in all cases. Comparison with the control group showed a difference only in the nasion-lambda distance. Data obtained from clinical anthropometry were compared for the involved and the uninvolved sides. A three-dimensional reconstruction was possible in 20 cases. The statistical correlation between the basal angles (nasion-pterional, nasion-petrosal, nasion-clino-basion, and zygomatic angles) of the involved and uninvolved sides allows a new nosographic identification of this complex malformation.

Hydrocephalus and chronically increased intracranial pressure in achondroplasia.

Two achondroplastic children with ventriculomegaly are reported. The patients had no signs of increased intracranial pressure, but in one blindness had previously been detected by the parents. Neuroradiological examinations showed ventriculomegaly in both. Intracranial pressure remained at high levels (20-55 mmHg) preoperatively; ventriculo-peritoneal shunting was performed in both cases, and postoperatively levels fell to normal (5-16 mmHg). The need for the treatment of ventriculomegaly seen in achondroplastic children is analyzed on the basis of these two patients, with a brief review of literature.

Effect of nimodipine and N-acetylcysteine on lipid peroxidation after experimental spinal cord injury.

The effectiveness of nimodipine and N-acetylcysteine in experimental spinal cord injury was evaluated by measuring tissue lipid peroxidation levels of the damaged spinal cords 1 hour after the injury We used the clip compression method to produce acute spinal cord injury in 40 female Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The rats were divided into four groups of 10 each. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring the tissue content of malonil dialdehyde (MDA). In group 3, nimodipine, and in group 4, N-acetylcysteine, was administered i.p. as a single dose immediately after the injury. The rats were sacrificed 1 hour after clip application. The tissue mean MDA content was 3,992 micromol MDA/gww in group 1 (sham operated), 10,192 micromol MDA/gww in group 2 (trauma), 10,449 micromol MDA/gww in group 3 (nimodipine treatment) and 9,009 micromol MDA/gww in group 4 (N-acetylcysteine treatment). These results demonstrated that a single dose of nimodipine and N-acetylcysteine had no effect on peroxidation of lipid membranes in the early period of experimental spinal cord injury.

Two different surgical techniques for reduction cranioplasty.

Reduction cranioplasty is required in selected patients when macrocephaly interferes with head control, seating, locomotion, and social acceptance. Two different surgical techniques for reduction cranioplasty in two cases of older hydrocephalic patients are described. Emphasis is placed on the basic stages of the procedure.

Influence of aging on blood-brain barrier permeability and free radical formation following experimental brain cold injury.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of experimental cold brain injury on blood-brain barrier integrity, on brain oedema formation, and on lipid peroxidation and to compare the results between the aged and young rats. Cold brain injury was used to create a standard model of brain trauma in old and young rats. Disruption of the blood-brain barrier was analyzed by Evans blue method. The values of cerebral water content were calculated by using the fresh and dry weights of the cerebral hemispheres. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring the tissue content of malonyl dialdehyde. Blood-brain barrier was destroyed significantly in young and old rats, but it was more severe in old rats. Accordingly, cerebral water content was increased in both groups, however this increase was significantly more prominent in old rats. No significant difference was found on malonyl dialdehyde levels between young and old rats. The blood-brain barrier was more easily disrupted in old rats, and this was supposed to be the basic event causing more secondary damage.