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Spinal osteochondromas are very rare, and they present with nonspecific localized pain owing to bone involvement. Diagnosis is made based on direct X-ray and computed tomography (CT) imaging of the exophytic bone lesion with pedunculated or sessile structure. Although asymptomatic patients can be observed, surgical excision is the main treatment modality. We present the case of a 34-year-old man with solitary thoracic osteochondroma. The patient presented with complaints of pain in the legs, numbness, and inability to walk. The diagnosis was confirmed with CT imaging showing calcified heterogeneous bone lesion originating from the left side of T1-2 facet joint. After total excision, histopathological examination revealed the diagnosis of osteochondroma. No new clinical or radiological findings were detected in the 10-month follow-up.

Low back pain has been recorded as the second most common pathology in adults. Irregularities in the zygapophyseal joints constitute one of the most well-known pathologies in this type of pain. Medial branch blocks and intra-articular injections have been used for the treatment. Local corticosteroid injections are also reliable for the treatment of low back pain. This study aims to compare the efficiency, in terms of low back pain palliation, of “intra-articular injection of local anesthetic and steroid drug combination” and “oral pain reliever and muscle relaxant combination” in the treatment of diagnosed non-discogenic low back pain. After Ethics Committee aproval 96 patients who had applied to outpatient clinic with low back pain complaints and were then treated for the diagnosis of facet joint pain between 2016 June -2019 June were examined. This retrospective study included 80 patients whose records were properly recorded and followed up in the scope of this one-center. Patients were classified into two groups; those given oral pain killers and muscle relaxants (n=40) and those who injected steroids and local anesthetics into the lumbar facet joint (n=40). Pain scores significantly decreased in both groups. When the low back pain is not discogenic, the patient should be subjected to further examination, and pain treatment should be started since this painful condition results in severe labor loss in society. We suggest that oral treatment or combined injections of steroids and local anesthetics for the cases, whose low back pain is determined to originate from the lumbar facet joint, will be very effective in therapeutic pain relief.

The most common benign tumor of the brain is meningiomas. Usually diagnosed between the ages of 40–60, they are more common in women. Studies have shown a strong relationship between hormones and malignancies. Although meningiomas are slow-growing tumors of the brain, pregnancy seems to induce its growth speed. Studies concerning meningiomas and hormone relationship may explain the reason why symptoms during pregnancy flare. More specifically, the estrogen and progesterone receptor may take an active role through signal transduction in inducing the growth of the tumor. Thus, the dilemma of pregnancy + meningioma arises. In this case, a 21-year-old pregnant with a giant meningioma diagnosed on the symptom of loss of sight is reported. Her pregnancy was terminated, and the tumor was excised. Her vision improved and the histopathological examination showed a progesterone receptor positive meningioma. It is a challenging decision to be made by the physician, the patient and the family when deciding if and when pregnancy should be terminated once an intracranial meningioma is diagnosed.

Objective: Failed Back Syndrome (FBS) is unacceptable relief of pain or recurrence of symptoms in patients after spinal surgery, such as laminectomy. One possible cause of FBS is peridural fibrosis (PF). PF is the overproduction of scar tissue adjacent to the dura mater. Bleeding can cause PF after laminectomy. Ostene is an alkylene oxide copolymer material used to stop bleeding from bony surfaces. Floseal is a gelatin thrombin matrix sealant used to assist fibrin formation and to promote coagulation. Methods: Total of 32 female Sprague–Dawley rats were evenly allotted to 4 experimental groups: laminectomy only, laminectomy + Ostene (Baxter International, Inc., Deerfield, IL, USA), laminectomy + Floseal (Baxter International, Inc., Deerfield, IL, USA), and laminectomy + Adcon-L (aap Implantate AG, Berlin, Germany). After performing total laminectomy, agents were placed over dura mater. Spinal column of test subjects was harvested 6 weeks after laminectomy. Histopathological examination of samples was based on Masson's trichrome and hematoxylin and eosin staining. PF observed in the groups was graded using system previously described by He et al. Statistically significant p value was defined as p < 0.005. Results: Present study revealed that Adcon-L, Ostene, and Floseal groups had reduced PF compared with laminectomy only group (p = 0.001). Comparison of Ostene and Floseal groups with Adcon-L group yielded no significant difference. Conclusion: Reoperation as result of FBS has greater risk and often has poor outcome; surgeons must take precautions to avoid FBS, such as careful selection of appropriate patient and operation technique. Ostene and Floseal may be applied and left in the operation field safely during laminectomy to reduce occurrence of PF after procedure., NA

Despite the new treatment strategies within the last 30 years, peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is still a worldwide clinical problem. The incidence rate of PNIs is 1 in 1000 individuals per year. In this study, we designed a composite nanoplatform for dual therapy in peripheral nerve injury and investigated the in-vivo efficacy in rat sciatic nerve crush injury model. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) was loaded into poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) electrospun nanofibers which would release the drug in a faster manner and atorvastatin (ATR) loaded chitosan (CH) nanoparticles were embedded into PLGA nanofibers to provide sustained release. Sciatic nerve crush was generated via Yasargil aneurism clip with a holding force of 50 g/cm2. Nanofiber formulations were administered to the injured nerve immediately after trauma. Functional recovery of operated rat hind limb was evaluated using the sciatic functional index (SFI), extensor postural thrust (EPT), withdrawal reflex latency (WRL) and Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) test up to one month in the post-operative period at different time intervals. In addition to functional recovery assessments, ultrastructural and biochemical analyses were carried out on regenerated nerve fibers. L-929 mouse fibroblast cell line and B35 neuroblastoma cell line were used to investigate the cytotoxicity of nanofibers before in-vivo experiments. The neuroprotection potential of these novel nanocomposite fiber formulations has been demonstrated after local implantation of composite nanofiber sheets incorporating ALA and ATR, which contributed to the recovery of the motor and sensory function and nerve regeneration in a rat sciatic nerve crush injury model.

The Fahr syndrome (FS) is a rare degenerative neurological disorder (its prevalence is

To investigate the effectiveness of local steroid injection and surgical decompression in the treatment of patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and also to compare short-term outcomes using clinical and electrophysiological criteria.The patients diagnosed as severe CTS were divided into two groups. Group 1 received local steroid injection and Group 2 underwent surgical decompression. The Boston Questionnaire that consists of two sections as the Boston Symptom Severity Scale (BSS) and the Functional Status Scale (FSS) was completed by the patients.A total of 33 patients completed the study. Since two patients had bilateral severe CTS, a total of 35 hands were evaluated in the study. In Group 1, a significant difference was recorded between some pre- and post-treatment clinical parameters (BSS and FSS scores) and all electrophysiological parameters excluding motor conduction velocities. In Group 2, a statistically significant difference was found between pre- and post-treatment BSS scores and all electrophysiological parameters excluding motor conduction velocity and distal latency. However intergroup differences were not statistically significant as for all clinical and electrophysiological parameters (BSS, FSS, sensory amplitude, sensory conduction velocity, distal latency, motor amplitude, motor conduction velocity).In the treatment of severe CTS, steroid injection and surgical decompression achieved favourable improvements in clinical and electrophysiological parameters within a short-term without superiority of one treatment over other. Therefore, in patients in whom surgical decompression can not be applied, local steroid injection can be recommended as a less invasive and a promising treatment alternative.

Leptomeningeal adhesions and fibrosis in the spinal peridural space are the most common causes of post-laminectomy syndrome. Fibrin sealant agents and membrane barriers are commonly used for hemostasis and sealing purposes in spinal surgery. Peridural fibrosis may be a risk of the usage of these topical agents. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of Cova ™, Tisseel® and Adcon ® Gel on the development of spinal peridural fibrosis in the experimental rat model.Thirty-two Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into 4 groups. Groups were constituted as group 1; Cova™ group (laminectomy+Cova™), group 2; Tisseel® group (laminectomy+Tisseel®), group 3; Adcon®Gel group (laminectomy + Adcon®Gel), group 4; control group (laminectomy only). Six weeks after laminectomy, spinal columns were removed en bloc between L1 and L4 vertebrae. Peridural fibrosis was evaluated histologically and the results were compared statistically.Statistically significant reduction of peridural fibrosis was achieved in groups 1, 2, and 3 when compared with the control group (p0.05). Our data revealed a statistically significant difference between group 1 and group 3 (p0.05). When we compared with group 2 and 3, the fibrosis grades were not different between these two groups (p0.05).Fibrin sealant agent Tisseel® and membrane barrier Cova™ do not enhance peridural fibrosis following laminectomy. Cova™ and Tisseel® may be appropriate for hemostasis and leakage prevention during the spinal surgery and it is safe to leave these materials on the operation surface.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition of the central nervous system. There is no proven therapeutic agent for the treatment of this complex disorder. Asiatic acid (AA) has been used as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agent in Eastern countries for many years. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of AA on the treatment of traumatic SCI in rats.Thirty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups as laminectomy, laminectomy+trauma, vehicle, and AA treatment groups. SCI was created by the modified Allen"s weight-drop technique. After the injury, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL1-Beta;, TNF-alpha;) and lipid peroxidation products (MDA) were measured. Tarlov functional recovery scores were also determined for each rat. The One-way ANOVA test was used for the analysis of difference between 4 experimental groups and the groups were compared individually by Tukey-LSD post hoc analysis test (p=0.001).AA administration just after SCI attenuated the levels of lipid peroxidation products (MDA) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha;, IL1Beta;). It also increased the Tarlov functional recovery scores of the rats.AA administration could attenuate a number of deleterious reactions after traumatic SCI. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathways of neuroprotective effects of AA after spinal trauma.

Aim Leptomeningeal adhesions and fibrosis in the spinal peridural space are the most common causes of post-laminectomy syndrome. Fibrin sealant agents and membrane barriers are commonly used for hemostasis and sealing purposes in spinal surgery. Peridural fibrosis may be a risk of the usage of these topical agents. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of Cova ™, Tisseel® and Adcon ® Gel on the development of spinal peridural fibrosis in the experimental rat model. Material and methods Thirty-two Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into 4 groups. Groups were constituted as group 1; Cova™ group (laminectomy+Cova™), group 2; Tisseel® group (laminectomy+Tisseel®), group 3; Adcon®Gel group (laminectomy + Adcon®Gel), group 4; control group (laminectomy only). Six weeks after laminectomy, spinal columns were removed en bloc between L1 and L4 vertebrae. Peridural fibrosis was evaluated histologically and the results were compared statistically. Results Statistically significant reduction of peridural fibrosis was achieved in groups 1, 2, and 3 when compared with the control group (p 0.05). Conclusion Fibrin sealant agent Tisseel® and membrane barrier Cova™ do not enhance peridural fibrosis following laminectomy. Cova™ and Tisseel® may be appropriate for hemostasis and leakage prevention during the spinal surgery and it is safe to leave these materials on the operation surface.

Clay-shoveler's fractures are isolated, avulsion-type spinous process fractures of the lower cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae. Multi-level fractures of the spinous processes are extremely rare. We report the case of a 60-year-old female patient with a six-level isolated spinous process fracture of the thoracic spine. Our case is the fourth reported case in literature, of an isolated spinous process fracture involving five or more levels in the thoracic vertebrae.

Aim Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a devastating health problem both for the patient and the clinician. Numerous treatment modalities have been studied to reverse the effects of spinal cord injury. Herein is reported the effects and the comparison of Alpha Lipoic Acid and N-Acetyl Cysteine on rats with SCI. Material and methods 38 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: only laminectomy, laminectomy and trauma, laminectomy trauma and Alpha Lipoic Acid 100 mg/kg IP administration, laminectomy trauma and N-Acetyl Cysteine 300 mg/kg IP administration, and vehicle group (PEG). The trauma model was the Modified Allen Weight drop method. After the procedure, the rats' motor function was evaluated using the modified Tarlov Scale and consequently they were sacrificed and the spinal cord tissue was analyzed biochemically for inflammation markers. Results Both Alpha Lipoic Acid and N-Acetyl Cysteine administration after the injury significantly improved the results. There was no statistically significant difference in between the agents. Conclusion Although these agents both proven to be effective in ameliorating the effects of SCI, there was not enough evidence in this research to conclude the benefit of one agent over the other.

Aim Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition of the central nervous system. There is no proven therapeutic agent for the treatment of this complex disorder. Asiatic acid (AA) has been used as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agent in Eastern countries for many years. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of AA on the treatment of traumatic SCI in rats. Material and methods Thirty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups as laminectomy, laminectomy+trauma, vehicle, and AA treatment groups. SCI was created by the modified Allen"s weight-drop technique. After the injury, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL1-B, TNF-a) and lipid peroxidation products (MDA) were measured. Tarlov functional recovery scores were also determined for each rat. The One-way ANOVA test was used for the analysis of difference between 4 experimental groups and the groups were compared individually by Tukey-LSD post hoc analysis test (p=0.001). Results AA administration just after SCI attenuated the levels of lipid peroxidation products (MDA) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-a, IL1B). It also increased the Tarlov functional recovery scores of the rats. Conclusion AA administration could attenuate a number of deleterious reactions after traumatic SCI. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathways of neuroprotective effects of AA after spinal trauma.

Aim To investigate the effectiveness of local steroid injection and surgical decompression in the treatment of patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and also to compare short-term outcomes using clinical and electrophysiological criteria. Material and methods The patients diagnosed as severe CTS were divided into two groups. Group 1 received local steroid injection and Group 2 underwent surgical decompression. The Boston Questionnaire that consists of two sections as the Boston Symptom Severity Scale (BSS) and the Functional Status Scale (FSS) was completed by the patients. Results A total of 33 patients completed the study. Since two patients had bilateral severe CTS, a total of 35 hands were evaluated in the study. In Group 1, a significant difference was recorded between some pre- and post-treatment clinical parameters (BSS and FSS scores) and all electrophysiological parameters excluding motor conduction velocities. In Group 2, a statistically significant difference was found between pre- and post-treatment BSS scores and all electrophysiological parameters excluding motor conduction velocity and distal latency. However intergroup differences were not statistically significant as for all clinical and electrophysiological parameters (BSS, FSS, sensory amplitude, sensory conduction velocity, distal latency, motor amplitude, motor conduction velocity). Conclusion In the treatment of severe CTS, steroid injection and surgical decompression achieved favourable improvements in clinical and electrophysiological parameters within a short-term without superiority of one treatment over other. Therefore, in patients in whom surgical decompression can not be applied, local steroid injection can be recommended as a less invasive and a promising treatment alternative.

A 37-year-old patient is reported with intracranial sewing needles, which were located in the right frontal lobe. Both clinical and radiological findings suggested that these needles must have been introduced in infancy before the closure of anterior fontanelle during an unsuccessful homicide. Usually intracranial foreign objects are placed due to penetrating trauma or surgical procedures. Child abuse has been known for centuries. Many types of physical traumas have been reported, especially in Western countries. In Iran, insertion of sewing needles into the brain aiming to kill the infant have been seen in a lot of cases. This situation takes part in a lot of Persian stories. We reported a 37-year-old man who had 2 intracranial sewing needles with unknown etiology.

AIM In spinal surgery, high doses of radiation are delivered during surgical procedures that require fluoroscopic control. The aim of this study was to determine the amount of radiation delivered from the fluoroscopic unit and also the factors to reduce the amount of radiation during the surgery of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this retrospective study 21 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis treated by transpedicular screws between 2009 and 2012 were enrolled the study. Dose Area Product (DAP) values , number of views obtained during screw placement and other data were retrieved from the medical records of the patients. RESULTS The mean number of transpedicular screws used was 18. An average of 10,1 vertebrae were instrumented. The mean number of images obtained was 7.76. Mean fluoroscopy time was 7.95 seconds. The total mean DAP was 64.6 cGy.cm 2 . CONCLUSION The amount of ionizing radiation transmitted to the patient and the surgical team can be reduced by freehand insertion, confirmation of screw position by AP and lateral fluoroscopic views including more than one segment, the use of K-wires as a guide in spinal segments with abnormal pedicular anatomy and neuromonitorization of the patient during the surgical correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

AIM In mild and moderate idiopathic scoliosis (IS), posterior only instrumentation and fusion can provide satisfactory reduction. However in severe and rigid curvatures, combined anterior and posterior fusion is generally required. In this study we have aimed to evaluate the efficacy of posterior only instrumentation in severe thoracolumbar scoliosis clinically and radiologically and compare these results with the literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this retrospective study, 29 consecutive patients with severe idiopathic scoliosis who underwent posterior only instrumentation and fusion between March 2003 and February 2011 were included the study. Radiological evaluation was performed with preoperative, postoperative and folllow up standing AP and lateral x-rays. Clinical evaluation was made with shoulder balance and trunk shift. REAULTS: Major curve magnitude decreased to 24,1° and compensatory curve magnitude decreased to 12.20° at postoperative period. There was no significant difference in sagittal plane angles. Major curve correction rate was %68,65 in screw only instrumentation and % 65 in hybrid instrumentation. CONCLUSION Transpedicular screw instrumentation in severe IS is a safe and effective method in proper hands when flexibility of the curve evaluated accurately in preoperative period.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of mexiletine on the neural function and histopathological changes after ischemic spinal cord injury in rabbits. We also compared the effect of mexiletine to that of methylprednisolone.Twenty six male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into six groups. Group 1; sham operated group (n=3) underwent only the surgical exposure of infrarenal aorta. Group 2 (n=4) received neither intravenous (iv) nor intraperitoneal medication but the infrarenal aorta was cross-clamped. Group 3 (n=5) received intravenous infusion of 20 ml/kg/h normal saline. Group 4 (n=5) received 30 mg/kg intravenous methylprednisolone. Group 5 (n=3) received intraperitoneal 20mg/kg/h normal saline. Group 6 (n=6) received 50mg/kg mexiletine intraperitoneally. Temporary spinal cord ishemia was induced by infrarenal aortic occlusion for 25 minutes and followed by reperfusion. The neural status was scored using the Tarlov criteria at 24 hours after reperfusion. Immediately after the neurological scoring, the spinal cords of all animals were removed for histopathological study.Histopathological examination scores were significantly higher in group 6 compared to group 2 (p0.05).Mexiletine can significantly ameloriate the neural function and prevent histopathological damage after transient spinal cord ischemia in rabbits. This is the first research that investigates the neuron=protective effect of mexiletine in a spinal cord ischemia model.

The prophylactic use of phenytoin during and after brain surgery and cranial irradiation is a common measure in brain tumor therapy. Phenytoin has been associated with variety of adverse skin reactions including urticaria, erythroderma, erythema multiforme (EM), Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis. EM associated with phenytoin and cranial radiation therapy (EMPACT) is a rare specific entity among patients with brain tumors receiving radiation therapy while on prophylactic anti-convulsive therapy. Herein we report a 41-year-old female patient with left temporal glial tumor who underwent surgery and then received whole brain radiation therapy and chemotherapy. After 24 days of continous prophylactic phenytoin therapy the patient developed minor skin reactions and 2 days later the patient returned with generalized erythamatous and itchy maculopapuler rash involving neck, chest, face, trunk, extremities. There was significant periorbital and perioral edema. Painful mucosal lesions consisting of oral and platal erosions also occurred and prevented oral intake significantly. Phenytoin was discontinued gradually. Systemic admistration of corticosteroids combined with topical usage of steroids for oral lesions resulted in complete resolution of eruptions in 3 weeks. All cutaneous lesions in patients with phenytoin usage with the radiotherapy must be evoluated with suspicion for EM.