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Hemangioblastomas (HBLs) are highly vascular and cystic benign neoplasms. They form very small part of intracranial tumours and are often localized in the posterior fossa. Although most of them are sporadic, a significant group is accompanied with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome. This case report presents a 57-year-old woman treated with total resection using micro-surgical technique and was diagnosed as HBL based on histopathologic findings. Contrast-enhanced cranial MRI of the patient with the complaints of spasms in the right side of body showed a right paracentral mass that caused midline shift. In literature, the previously reported cases of supratentorial HBL unaccompanied with VHL syndrome were searched in PUBMED, compiled and presented. It should be borne in mind that rare HBLs manifesting with various neurological symptoms may occur in the supratentorial region, and may not accompany with VHL syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: A rat model of spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion was conducted and the serum cytokine levels and histopathological changes were assessed., Material and Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned into four experimental groups. Group-A (the sham operated rats) and group-B (the spinal ischemia/reperfusion group) were sacrificed at 24 hours postoperatively while group-C (the sham operated rats) and group-D (the spinal ischemia/reperfusion group) were sacrificed at 48 hours. Histopathological changes in the spinal cords and serum cytokine levels were analysed., Results: All three proinflammatory cytokine levels reached significantly higher levels compared to the sham operated groups in both the 24-hour and 48-hour spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion groups., Conclusion: Inflammation is a plausible pathway in spinal cord ishemia/reperfusion injury. However clinical treatment of the damage does not currently include antiinflammatory therapy. The results of our study supported the hypothesis that inflammatory responses could play a possible role in the ischemia/reperfusion injury of the spinal cord. Characterization of the role of inflammation in the etiopathogenesis of ischemia/reperfusion injury to the spinal cord is important to facilitate the development of novel therapeutic approaches for prevention and/or treatment of this severe condition.

The amyloidoses comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by the extracellular deposition of an insoluble protein complex in various tissues. Amyloidomas in bone are most common in patients with systemic amyloidosis and plasma cell dyscrasias. Decreased clearance of beta2 microglobulin frequently causes excessive amyloid deposition in the musculoskeletal system in patients with a history of chronic renal failure and long-term dialysis treatment. Calvarial and/or upper cervical amyloid depositions are rarely seen in clinical practice; therefore the diagnosis requires high index of suspicion and special staining of the tissue. In this article, we present a patient with amyloidoma at the right temporal bone and upper cervical spine. The etiology, radiological findings and differential diagnosis were briefly discussed in the highlights of relevant literature. Amyloidomas should be particularly kept in mind in patients with a history of long-term dialysis therapy, plasma cell dyscrasias or long-standing inflammatory diseases. Differential diagnosis mostly encounters benign or malign mesenchymal neoplasms of the dura and skull base, metastatic tumors, plasmacytoma and brown tumor in the calvarium, as well as primary osseous tumors or metastatic lesions in the spine.