Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2000
Case ReportsTranscranial-transdural real-time ultrasonography during transsphenoidal resection of a large pituitary tumor. Case report.
Ultrasonography has been used in neurosurgical operative procedures for several decades. The authors report the case of a large pituitary tumor that was subtotally resected using endoscopy via the transnasal-transsphenoidal approach, with the aid of transcranial real-time ultrasound. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in which intraoperative transcranial-transdural real-time ultrasound was used to facilitate the resection of a skull base tumor.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2000
Possible origin of suprasellar arachnoid cysts: neuroimaging and neurosurgical observations in nine cases.
In this study the authors identify and investigate two new classifications of suprasellar arachnoid cysts. ⋯ The authors postulate two different types of suprasellar arachnoid cysts: a noncommunicating intraarachnoid cyst of the diencephalic membrane of Liliequist and a communicating cyst that is a cystic dilation of the interpeduncular cistern.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2000
Comparative StudyComparison of the effects of melatonin and methylprednisolone in experimental spinal cord injury.
Melatonin is a very effective antioxidant agent. This study was performed to investigate the effects of melatonin in experimental spinal cord injury (SCI). The authors also compared its effects with those of methylprednisolone, which also protects the spinal cord from secondary injury because of its antioxidant effect on membrane lipids. ⋯ Both melatonin and methylprednisolone have been shown to protect neuron, axon, myelin, and intracellular organelles including mitochondrion and nucleus. However, this study provides quantitative evidence that this protection of neurons and subcellular organelles of spinal cord after secondary injury is much more obvious in melatonin-treated rats than those treated with methylprednisolone. In view of these data, melatonin has been shown to be very effective in protecting the injured spinal cord from secondary injury.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2000
Effects of cervical spinal cord stimulation on cerebral blood flow in the rat.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is frequently used for the treatment of chronic pain. Although the mechanisms by which SCS alleviates pain are unclear, they are believed to involve changes within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Spinal cord stimulation has also been found to cause significant vasodilation in the peripheral vasculature. The mechanisms underlying this effect are thought to involve sympathetic blockade. A rostral vasodilatory effect has also been described, but changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) have been poorly delineated. Using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), the authors examined the effects of cervical SCS on CBF in rats. ⋯ These results indicate that cervical SCS may induce cerebral vasodilation and that this effect may involve indirect effects on vasomotor centers in the brainstem as well as an alteration in sympathetic tone.