The sympathetic trunk is sometimes damaged during the anterior and anterolateral approach to the cervical spine, resulting in Horner's syndrome. No quantitative regional anatomy in fresh human cadavers describing the course and location of the cervical sympathetic trunk (CST) and its relation to the longus colli muscle (LCM) is available in the literature. The aims of this study are to clearly delineate the surgical anatomy and the anatomical variations of CST with respect to the structures around it and to develop a safer surgical method that will diminish the potential risk of CST injury. In this study, 30 cadavers from the Department of Forensic Medicine were dissected to observe the surgical anatomy of the CST. The cadavers used in this study were fresh cadavers chosen at 12-24 h postmortem. The levels of superior and intermediate ganglions of cervical sympathetic chain were determined. The distance of the sympathetic trunk from the medial border of LCM at C6, the diameter of the CST at C6 and the length and width of the superior and intermediate (middle) cervical ganglion were measured. Cervical sympathetic chain is located posteromedial to carotid sheath and just anterior to the longus muscles. It extends longitudinally from the longus capitis to the longus colli over the muscles and under the prevertebral fascia. The average distance between the CST and medial border of the LCM at C6 is 11.6 ± 1.6 mm. The average diameter of the CST at C6 is 3.3 ± 0.6 mm. Superior ganglion of CSC in all dissections was located at the level of C4 vertebra. The length and width of the superior cervical ganglion were 12.5 ± 1.5 and 5.3 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. The location of the intermediate (middle) ganglion of CST showed some variations. The length and width of the middle cervical ganglion were 10.5 ± 1.3 and 6.3 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. The CST's are at high risk when the LC muscle is cut transversely, or when dissection of the prevertebral fascia is performed. Awareness of the CST's regional anatomy may help the surgeon to identify and preserve it during anterior cervical surgeries.

Gd-enhanced MR cisternography is a sensitive and safe imaging method for detection of CSF leaks in patients with rhinorrhea.

A case of anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) in a 9-year-old girl is reported. Histological features of PXAs are cellular pleomorphism of GFAP-positive cells, with intracytoplasmic lipidic vacuoles and a reticulin network, bizarre giant cells, low mitotic activity, and lack of necrosis and of endothelial vascular proliferations. These tumors are generally reported to have a favorable postoperative course. In our case, a poor clinical prognosis and spread of the illness through the CSF was observed. Immunohistochemical features of the tumor, which were histologically anaplastic in nature, were analyzed. There were small foci of necrosis in the sections of the material obtained at the first operation and extensive necrosis in that from the second operation, although the patient had not received radiotherapy between the operations. The presence of necrosis in PXA is an uncommon and significant feature. It predicts the poor prognosis seen in this case, and therefore this report strongly supports the notion that necrosis should automatically exclude a tumor from the PXA category. The histological grade was evaluated as grade 3 (according to the WHO classification).

No abstract

This retrospective study summarizes our experience based on treating 62 patients with trigeminal neuralgia treated with microvascular decompression. All patients had typical trigeminal neuralgia symptoms, with 24 of them (38%) having failed to benefit from other previous treatment paradigms. We excluded subjects with atypical and/or secondary forms of trigeminal neuralgia. Follow-up duration ranged from 5 months to 10 years 6 months, with recurrence being identified in three patients (4.8%).We found that the superior cerebellar artery is the leading offending vessel in our cases (33.9%; 21 patients). Interestingly, seven patients (11.3%) underwent an early reoperation 12-48 h later after the first operation was deemed ineffective. This subgroup recovered satisfactorily following isolation of the pathogenic vessels. Overall, no mortality was observed in our patients, and the only permanent morbidity outcome was a case of facial nerve palsy (1.6%). We conclude that microvascular decompression and its reapplicaiton for patients who showed no pain relief immediately after the first decompression are safe and effective treatments for trigeminal neuralgia.