A case of Erdheim-Chester disease with spinal cord compression and sphenoid sinus involvement.

Erdheim-Chester disease is a rare form of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis. It is an inflammatory disorder associated with BRAF V600E mutation in 50% of cases. This multisystem disease is rarely associated with spinal involvement. Neurological involvement is an independent predictive factor of poor prognosis. The diagnosis is histopathological based on CD68-positive and CD1A-negative histiocytes. Treatment with interferon-alpha is an independent predictor of survival in Erdheim-Chester disease and vemurafenib has also been shown to be effective for BRAF V600E mutation. We report a clinical case of a 51-year-old patient with multiple and rare locations of Erdheim-Chester disease, particularly at the sphenoid sinus.

Cortical and subcortical functional neuroanatomy for low-grade glioma surgery.

Knowledge of the encephalon anatomy is crucial for neurosurgical practice, especially the main cortical functional structures and their connections. General organisation of the encephalon is presented with frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, limbic and insular lobes and their Brodmann correspondence. Secondly, subcortical anatomy will be presented with main white matter fasciculi in three separated categories: association, commissural and projection fibers. Main association fibers are inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, arcuate fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, and cingulum. Commissural fibers include anterior commissure, corpus callosum and fornix. Projection fibers are internal capsule and optic radiations.

[A continuous series of 27 adult patients treated for L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis by combined approach: Clinical and radiological outcomes at 1 year follow-up]. / Une série continue de 27 patients adultes opérés d'un spondylolisthésis isthmique L5-S1 par voie combinée : résultats cliniques et radiologiques à 1 an de suivi.

Through this single-center consecutive prospective study, we evaluated the results of a combined approach for L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis, using a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) interbody lordotic cage during anterior approach and pedicle screw-based posterior fixation. Between 2010 and 2014, 27 adult patients were treated for L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis (high and low grades) by a combined approach with a minimum follow-up of one year. Clinical outcome was assessed before surgical treatment and at four months and one year after surgery by: VAS, Oswestry Index (ODI) and Rolland-Morris scores. Two observers evaluated the following radiological parameters: pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, lumbar lordosis, segmental lordosis L5-S1, anterior and posterior disc height, spinal vertical axis (SVA), SVA/sacro-femoral distance (SFD) ratio. Fusion was evaluated on the CT scan at one-year follow-up. Blood loss, surgery time and complications were also collected. The mean age was 47.7 years (±16.9). The VAS, ODI and Rolland-Morris scores were significantly improved postoperatively, decreased from 7.5 (±1.45); 48 (±19.25); 15.3 (±4.67) before the surgery to 3.8 (±2.55); 28.7 (±19.58) and 7.76 (±7.21) respectively at one year after the surgery (P=0.05). The mean follow-up was 3.3 years. Mean surgery time was 193.7min (±37). Fusion was obtained in 100% of cases. Segmental lordosis L5-S1, pelvic tilt, slippage, anterior and posterior L5-S1 disc height were significantly improved postoperatively, they passed from 20.1; 22.6; 35.3%; 26.4%; 17.9% to 29.5; 20.6; 20.3%; 64.4%; 36.3% respectively. Combined surgical procedure meets the required goals of surgery in the treatment of adults L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis.

Microsurgical anatomy of branches of musculocutaneous nerve: clinical relevance for spastic elbow surgery.

PURPOSE: The neurotomy of musculocutaneous nerve is a treatment for patients who suffer from spastic elbow flexion when medical and reeducative treatments have failed. It consists in sectioning motor branches of musculocutaneous nerve which are destined to the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles, both being the main elbow flexor muscles. The aim of this study was to analyse the distance, where each motor branch arises from the musculocutaneous nerve to both biceps brachii and brachialis muscles, to establish precisely the localisation and length of the necessary incision to reach its branches for surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen musculocutaneous nerves from ten cadavers were dissected. None of them reported with a previous pathology. The cadavers were laid on the back with 30-35° of abduction, a complete extension, and supination of the upper limb. RESULTS: The localization of motor branches was to be found in the middle third of the upper arm, with an average from the base of the humeral major tubercle of 11.46, 12.40, and 12.87 cm for the biceps brachii and 16.36, 19.10, and 16.88 cm for the brachialis muscle. CONCLUSION: The incision needed to reach the motor branches of the musculocutaneous nerve should be localised between 10 and 20 cm from the major humeral tubercle and may be shorter than usual.

[Surgical anatomy of spinal cord tumors]. / Anatomie chirurgicale des tumeurs de moelle épinière.

In this article, we respectively describe the morphology of the spinal cord, spinal meningeal layers, main fiber tracts, and both arterial and venous distribution in order to explain signs of spinal cord compression. We will then describe a surgical technique for spinal cord tumor removal.

[Oculomotor nerve schwannoma in a child: Case report and literature review]. / Schwannome du nerf oculomoteur chez l'enfant: cas clinique et revue de la littérature.

An isolated schwannoma of the oculomotor nerve is rare in children without an associated neurofibromatosis. A 13-year-old girl, with a previous medical history of migraine, was admitted for disabling ophthalmic migraine with oblique diplopia. The clinical examination showed a right incomplete ophthalmoplegia with reduced ipsilateral visual acuity (8/10). There was no particular skin reaction. The MRI revealed a right (isosignal-T1 and isosignal-T2) nodular schwannoma located within the cisternal segment of the oculomotor nerve. The angio-CT performed later confirmed the absence of any vascular malformation. The treatment consisted of analgesics and corticotherapy, with complete regression of symptoms three weeks later and a normal MRI follow-up. Therefore, radiosurgery was not performed.

Unexpected ruptured aneurysm during posterior fossa surgery.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Surgery is the recommended treatment for unique significant cerebellar metastasis, particularly in cases of hydrocephalus. Complications of posterior fossa surgery are associated with high risk of morbidity and mortality. We present a unique case of unexpected peroperative rupture of a cerebellar superior artery aneurysm during posterior fossa surgery. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: During posterior cranial fossa surgery, severe arterial bleeding occurred in front of the medulla oblongata. Immediate postoperative computed tomographic (CT) angiography revealed a fusiform aneurysm from a distal branch of the left superior cerebellar artery. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first reported operative case of unexpected infratentorial ruptured aneurysm during posterior fossa surgery.

[Intra- and intermolecular recombination of test plasmids in K12 Escherichia coli cells carrying an RTF derivative of the R1drd-19 plasmid]. / Vnutri- i mezhmolekuliarnaia rekombinatsiia test-plasmid v kletkakh Escherichia coli K12, nesushchikh RTF-derivat plazmidy R1drd-19.

The RTF derivative of the plasmid R1drd-19 was found to stimulate recombination of the tester plasmids in a recB mutant of Escherichia coli K12. The frequency of intramolecular recombination is increased 3.5 and 20-fold, as compared to the one in rec+ and rec- strains, respectively. The frequency of interplasmid recombination is enhanced 4 and 9-fold, respectively. Considerable heterogeneity of the recombination products of the tester plasmid intramolecular recombination in recB-/RTFR1-19 strain has been revealed. It is hypothesized that a "recombinase" encoded by Rldrd-19 plasmid determines a new minor pathway in recB- (Rec P) which differs in activity and, perhaps substrate specificity from the main Rec BCD pathway.