ADC calculation was quite effective in grading of malignant brain tumors but not in differentiation of them and added more information to conventional contrast-enhanced MR imaging.

✓ Brain abscesses have been one of the most challenging lesions, both for surgeons and internists. From the beginning of the computed tomography (CT) era, the diagnosis and treatment of these entities have become easier and less invasive. The outcomes have become better with the improvement of diagnostic techniques, neurosurgery, and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Atypical bacterial abscesses are more often due to chemotherapy usage in oncology, long life expectancy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and immunosuppression in conjunction with organ transplantation. Surgical treatment options showed no significant difference with respect to mortality levels, but lower morbidity rates were achieved with stereotactically guided aspiration. Decompression with stereotactically guided aspiration, antibiotic therapy based on results of pus culture, and repeated aspirations if indicated from results of periodic CT follow-up scans seem to be the most appropriate treatment modality for brain abscesses. Immunosuppression and comorbidities, initial neurological status, and intraventricular rupture were significant factors influencing the outcomes of patients. The pitfalls and evolution in the diagnosis and treatment of brain abscesses are discussed in this study.

Almost the same clinical outcomes can be achieved with and without duroplasty. There might be an option to perform duroplasty if simple procedure fails.

Spinal hydatid cyst was diagnosed in four patients, aged between 21 and 35 years, three male and one female between 1983 and 1993. In three patients, the cysts were epidural and in one intra-vertebral. All patients presented with symptoms of spinal cord compression. Surgical treatment was performed in all of the patients. One patient who relapsed showed evidence of cure after a second operation, and was given mebendazole (Vermox). Histological examination was performed in all of the patients.

No abstract