Preparations from the skin of the Arabian Gulf catfish involving biologically active proteins and lipids exhibit profound effects on healing of back pain and other related types of pain, when applied topically once every 24 hrs for 3‐7 days. The preparations seem to act on inflammation, and demyelination in the nervous tissues as well as repair damage to soft tissues. Treated cases included cervical, thoracic, lumber, sacral, knee and foot joint pain. Carpal tunnel syndrome and pain in the lower limbs related to diabetes were also treated with good success. The treatment seems to be very effective providing surgical intervention is not necessary. (Supported in part by Mr. M. Al‐Naki and Kuwait University)

AIm: Supplementing anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) with plates enhances stabilization, increases fusion and reduces failure rates. Zero-P implant for stand-alone anterior interbody fusion procedures of the cervical spine was recently developed to avoid complications associated with anterior cervical plates. We evaluate the outcome of its use in our patients undergoing ACDF. mATeRIAL and meTHods: 84 patients were selected to undergo ACDF with Zero-P implant of whom 75 (52 male and 23 female) were followed up for 12 to 16 months (mean 14.2 months) with a total of 94 operated levels (54 single, 21 double level). Patients underwent pre-and postoperative clinical evaluation with full neurological examination, visual analogue scale (VAS), Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPAD) and Bazaz-Yoo dysphagia index for postoperative dysphagia. Postoperative plain X-ray evaluation of fusion and implant-associated complications was done.ResuLTs: All patients had significant reduction in arm and neck pain and NPAD maintained over 12 months, no implant-associated complications during follow-up, and radiological fusion by 3 months. None had dysphagia after 3 months postoperatively. CoNCLusIoN:The Zero-P implant is a valid alternative to anterior cervical plating after ACDF with a very low incidence of postoperative dysphagia and no implant-related complications.KeywoRds: Anterior, Cervical, Diskectomy, Zero-profile, Plate, Dysphagia ÖZ AmAÇ: Anterior servikal diskektomi ve füzyonu (ACDF) plakalarla desteklemek stabilizasyonu güçlendirir, füzyonu arttırır ve başarısızlık oranını azaltır. Anterior servikal plakalarla ilişkili komplikasyonlardan kaçınmak üzere yakın zamanda servikal omurganın tek başına anterior interbody füzyon işlemleri için Zero-P implantı geliştirilmiştir. ACDF yapılan hastalarımızda bu implantın kullanılmasının sonuçlarını değerlendirdik. BuLGuLAR: Tüm hastalarda 12 ay boyunca devam edecek şekilde kol ve boyun ağrısı ve NPAD bakımından önemli azalma oldu, takip boyunca implantla ilişkili komplikasyon görülmedi ve 3 ay içinde radyolojik füzyon gerçekleşti. Ameliyattan 3 ay sonra hiçbirinde disfaji yoktu.soNuÇ: Zero-P implantı ACDF sonrasında servikal plakalama için geçerli bir alternatiftir ve postoperatif disfaji insidansı çok düşük olup implantla ilişkili bir komplikasyon görülmemiştir.

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare but well-recognized idiopathic histioproliferative disease affecting the systemic lymph nodes. It is characterized by an unusual proliferation of histiocytic cells. Intracranial localization is a rare manifestation of RDD. The clinical and radiological differentiation from meningiomas is difficult, and can only be achieved after histological examination. This entity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of dural based lesions mimicking meningioma. We report 2 cases of isolated intracranial RDD. The first patient had a large frontal lesion in addition to smaller multiple intracranial lesions. The second patient had only one parasagittal lesion. The diagnosis was confirmed on histopathological examination after surgical excision. The pertinent literature is also reviewed.

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