Follicular Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Presenting with Thoracic Vertebral Metastasis: A Rare Phenomenon.

Follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FV-PTC) often follows nodal spread; and hematogenous spread is rare. A 77-year male presented to the Neurosurgery Outpatient Clinic with complaints and examination findings of spinal cord compression (SCC) by a mass at the 11th thoracic vertebra (T11). Subtotal mass excision, thoracic corpectomy with cage reconstruction, laminectomy, and posterior spinal stabilisation were performed. The patient, whose pathology result suggested follicular carcinoma metastasis, underwent total thyroidectomy two months after spinal surgery. The pathology of the thyroid was compatible with FV-PTC. Even four years after the total thyroidectomy, the neurological status of the patient was still stable and neither tumoral recurrence nor a new metastasis was detected. In the literature, the number of cases with FV-PTC presenting with SCC due to spinal metastasis is limited. Key Words: Thoracic vertebrae, Metastasis, Papillary thyroid carcinoma, Spinal cord compression.

Tuberculous Spondylodiscitis after Lumbar Microdiscectomy.

Postoperative spondylodiscitis (PSD) and postoperative osteomyelitis (POM) are known complications of lumbar disc surgery. Many infectious agents play a role in its etiology and it is mostly bacterial. A 55-year male patient underwent lumbar microdiscectomy (LMD) for left L4-5 disc hernia. Lumbar magnetic resonance images of the patient in the postoperative eighth week showed an infection, thought to be due to tuberculosis (TB) in the operation site and adjacent vertebrae. The patient who was positive for the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) test was diagnosed with TB-induced PSD. The patient received anti-TB treatment consisting of ethambutol, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and rifampin. We report a very rare case of PSD due to TB infection after LMD. Clinical results and management of the patient was compared with other patients with similar characteristics in the literature. Key Words: Discectomy, Osteomyelitis, Spondylodiscitis, Tuberculosis.

Hydrocephalus Following Surgery of Thoracic Intradural Arachnoid Cyst: A Case Report.

Spinal intradural arachnoid cysts (SIACs) are cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sacs formed by arachnoid membranes. They may be idiopathic or acquired. Treatment is resection, fenestration, or cyst drainage. A 41-year-old female patient presented with myelopathy symptoms and complaints. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a T6-T10 dorsal intradural arachnoid cyst. A T6-T10 laminectomy was performed and an arachnoid cyst was excised under surgical microscope. The cyst contained a clear liquid that was surrounded by a transparent membrane. At 7 weeks postoperatively, the patient experienced severe headache, excessive sleepiness, vomiting, loss of coordination, difficulty walking, and difficulty concentrating. A head computed tomography (CT) scan showed marked ventricular dilation that was diagnosed as delayed hydrocephalus. The patient underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement one day after admission. This is a rare condition of hydrocephalus that develops due to CSF leakage after SIAC surgery.

The preventive effect of mexiletine on cerebral ischemic injury following experimental middle cerebral artery occlusion.

AIM: Previous studies demonstrated that mexiletine has some important features in the prevention of ischemic brain injury such as sodium and calcium canal blockage and free radical occurrence. Our aim was to investigate the effects of mexiletine on ischemic brain injury. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Experiments were performed on 30 adult male Sprague- Dawley rats (285-425 g). Left middle cerebral artery occlusion following microcraniectomy and simultaneous bilateral carotid artery occlusion were performed. Three different treatments were included in this study: (a) "naïve" control group (no drug applied; n = 10); (b) "sham surgery" control group (only saline was applied; n = 10); and a (c) "treatment group (n = 10) where mexiletine was applied. After 24 h from ischemic insult, all rats were decapitated and prepared for immunocytochemical and histopathological analyses. Cerebral infarct volumes were calculated and compared using ANOVA and a Post- Hoc Bonferroni test in each group statistically. RESULTS: The results showed statistically significant differences between the treatment (81.98 +/- 12.58 mm?), control (121.57 +/- 11.41 mm?) and sham (116.08 +/- 12.36 mm?) groups (p < 0,0001), respectively. CONCLUSION: Mexiletine should be considered as an alternative medication for prevention and treatment of ischemic brain injury due to its multipotent effects.

The accuracy and diagnostic yield of computerized tomography guided stereotactic biopsy in brain lesions.

OBJECTIVES: Radiological imaging techniques provide early detection of neurological diseases but they do not always provide an adequate and reliable diagnosis. With the help of stereotactic biopsy techniques, it is possible to access brain lesions safely and with high precision. We described the surgical method used in our clinic and discussed our results with the help of the current literature. METHODS: Ninety-four patients underwent computerized tomography-guided stereotactic brain biopsy in our clinic. Anatomical locations, diagnostic yield and accuracy of the procedure, morbidity and mortality rates were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 100 stereotactic surgery procedures were performed on 94 patients. The localizations of the lesions were 13.83% frontal, 21.27% temporal, 27.66% parietal, 4.25% occipital, 4.25% multiple, 27.66% deep seated and 1.06% suprasellar. The histopathological diagnoses were 61.71% neuro-epithelial tumors, 8.51% metastases and 10.64% infectious lesions. Diagnostic yield was 86.16% and the accuracy was 90% in our series. CONCLUSION: Computerized tomography-guided stereotactic brain biopsy is a reliable and safe method. Main diagnostic problems in SBB are tissue heterogeneity, insufficient material and sampling error. These problems can be minimized by careful correlation of clinical, radiological and histopathological findings by an experienced team and by using modern technologies.

Intramedullary bronchogenic cyst of the conus medullaris.

Spinal bronchogenic cysts are rare congenital lesions. The authors describe their experience in the treatment of a 17-year-old boy who presented with back pain and paresthesia in both lower extremities. Lumbar MR imaging revealed the presence of an intramedullary cystic lesion at the conus medullaris and histopathological analysis revealed a bronchogenic cyst. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of an intramedullary spinal bronchogenic cyst arising at the conus; all previously reported spinal bronchogenic cysts were either intradural extramedullary or not located at the conus.