Cervicothoracic (C6, C7 & T1) spina bifida occulta - A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Spina bifida (SB), as one of the spine abnormalities, is caused by incomplete closure of the neural tube and generally includes two types: open and closed. This study aims to introduce one of the rare cases of closed SB. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital with neck pain. Radiographic and computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed bifid spinous processes from C6 to T1 vertebrae, indicative of a rare case of closed SB in the cervicothoracic region. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Closed SB, while often regarded as benign, can be associated with various pathologies that require follow-up. CONCLUSION: Diagnosing this abnormality is crucial for addressing potential complications that may arise from it.

Lithopedion - a rare complication of ectopic pregnancy: A case report.

A lithopedion is one of the rare complications of ectopic pregnancy, which manifests as a calcified mass in a part of the abdominal or pelvic cavity. We present a 52-year-old woman admitted to the emergency department after an accident, and a lithopedion was observed in imaging examinations. Immediately, surgery was performed, and the calcified mass was removed.

Exosomes to control glioblastoma multiforme: Investigating the effects of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes on C6 cells in vitro.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a common, aggressive, fast-growing tumor of the central nervous system that currently has no effective treatment. Although stem cell therapy has shown promising in vitro achievements, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has always been a major hurdle to clinical success. To overcome this challenge, exosomes have been targeted as attractive drug delivery agents in numerous studies since they are small enough to enter the BBB. Furthermore, exosomes' characteristics and compositions are directly determined by the parent cell and these heritable traits affect their cell interactions. This article focuses on exosomes as an alternative to stem cell therapy to regulate glioma cell activity. Exosomes were isolated from rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMMSCs) by ultracentrifugation method and then characterized via western blot, dynamic light scattering, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Next, various concentrations of the exosomes were incubated with C6 cells and their effects at different time points were evaluated in vitro. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and Annexin/Pi assay results confirmed that the isolated exosomes cause cell death mostly through apoptosis, and a linear correlation was observed between exosomes' concentration and their cytotoxicity. Following that, the scratch test, colony formation test, and Transwell assay confirmed exosomes' significant impact on the migration and invasion behavior of C6 cells. For the first time, rBMMSC-derived exosomes have been used as a single treatment for GBM rather than in combination with other treatments or as a pharmaceutical carrier.

Bifid rib with fused vertebrae - A rare abnormality of the skeletal system: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Bifid rib as pathoanatomical findings on chest X-ray is a skeletal disorder. It is usually unilateral and commonly found in males. Bifid ribs commonly happen in absence of structural defects of the vertebrae. PRESENTATION OF CASE: The case of this report is a 65-year-old with severe infection of Covid 19. He was admitted to the ICU. Imaging findings indicate existence of a bifid rib with vertebral fusion. DISCUSSION: Bifurcated ribs usually have been described without vertebral defects. In our case, there is a bifurcated rib with fused vertebrae. These defects are also defined in the criteria of Gorlin syndrome. CONCLUSION: Unlike other rib abnormalities, the bifid rib occurs mainly in the absence of a vertebral defect, but this study reports a bifid rib with vertebral defects.