BACKGROUND: Alcohol exposure may cause hydrocephalus. In this study, the effect of vaporized nasal alcohol exposure on the choroid plexus, ependymal cells, and developing hydrocephalus was investigated. METHODS: 24 males (∼380g) Wistar rats were used in this study. Animals were divided into three groups, as the control, SHAM and study groups. Then, the study group was again divided into two groups as exposed to light or heavy dose alcohol. The choroid plexuses and intraventricular ependymal cells and ventricles volumes were assessed and compared. RESULTS: Degenerated epithelial cells density 22±5 /mm3 in the control group, 56±11 /mm3 in the SHAM group, 175±37 /mm3 in the light, and 356±85 /mm3 in the heavy alcohol exposure group. Evan's index was less than <34% in the control, larger than >36% in the SHAM, larger than >40% in the group which was exposed to light alcohol (light alcohol group), larger than >50% in heavy alcohol (heavy alcohol group) exposed. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that alcohol exposure causes choroid plexus and ependymal cell degeneration with ciliopathy and the enlarged lateral ventricles or hydrocephalus. In the COVID-19 Pandemic Era, our findings are functionally important; alcohol has often been used for hygiene and prevention of transmission of COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Ischemic brain damage can be explained by the emergence of acute focal or global neurological findings caused by vascular occlusions or hemorrhages. Even in non-fatal cases, stroke is an important pathologic condition with a severe impact on the quality of life, and patients require considerable assistance in the daily lives. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of rifampicin on malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and neurological examination of the hippocampal region in rats with transient cerebral ischemia. Methods: This experimental study has been performed in a university-affiliated animal lab, Trabzon, Turkey, in 2016. Thirty-eight Sprague Dawley rats weighing 220-280 g were used. In this two-vessel occlusion and hypotension ischemia-reperfusion model, the bilateral carotid arteries were temporarily clipped (30 minutes), and blood was withdrawn up to 3 mL of intracardiac volume before the induction of hypotension. After 30 minutes, the clips were removed, and a reperfusion medium was created. One group of 12 rats received intraperitoneal injections of 30 mg/kg of rifampicin every day, and after a 30-minute bilateral carotid artery clipping and hypotension (10 mL/kg). Another group of 12 rats underwent a 30-minute bilateral carotid artery clipping and hypotension (10 mL/kg). The third group consisting of 7 rats underwent skin laceration only. The final group of 7 rats received anesthesia for only 15 minutes. Neurological examinations were performed at the end of days 1, 4, 7, and 10 in all groups. At the end of the 10th day, the animals were euthanized, and their brain tissues were removed. The hippocampi were removed from the brains for biochemical analysis and stored at-76°C in a deep freeze. Ischemic changes in the brain were assessed biochemically by measuring MDA levels in both blood and brain tissue. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the mean tissue MDA levels (P = 0.112), but a significant difference was determined in the mean serum MDA values (P = 0.033). Serum MDA values significantly differed between the Group 1 and Group 2 (P = 0.030), but not between Group 1 and Group 3 (P = 0.58). Serum MDA values were also significantly different between Group 2 and Group 3 (P = 0.019), and between Group 2 and Group 4 (P = 0.035). Conclusions: Rifampicin could exhibit a neuroprotective effect on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

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OBJECTIVE Despite the relatively high success of surgical clipping of supraclinoid segment aneurysms of the internal carotid artery (ICA), flow diverter (FD) stent therapy is becoming increasingly used for these aneurysms. This study aims to evaluate the characteristics of FD placement for unruptured ICA supraclinoid segment aneurysms at 6 different centers with different experience levels in Türkiye. METHODS In this retrospective, multicenter study, the authors reviewed the demographic information, aneurysm shape/dimensions (neck, aspect ratio, dome/neck ratio, and maximum diameter), preoperative antiplatelet regimen, FD stent brand, perioperative complications, intervention time, clinical (modified Rankin Scale) and radiological (O’Kelly-Marotta [OKM] grading scale) outcomes, and follow-up time of 54 patients. RESULTS A total of 55 interventions for 61 aneurysms (58 supraclinoid ICA aneurysms) were performed in the 54 patients included in the study. The female/male ratio in this population was 44/10, and the mean age was 53.5 ± 13.6 (range 21–82) years. The most common form and location of the aneurysms were saccular 91.4% (53/58) and ophthalmic segment 69% (40/58), respectively. The preferred antiplatelet regimen was acetylsalicylic acid plus ticagrelor 50% (27/54). The overall complication rate was 25.5% (14/55), and the mean follow-up time was 25.76 ± 17.88 months. The successful radiological outcome (OKM grade C or D) rate at the 6-month follow-up was 92.6%. No perioperative complications led to any permanent or transient neurological deficit. CONCLUSIONS The results of this first multicenter study evaluating FD stent use for unruptured ICA supraclinoid segment aneurysms showed that FD stent treatment is a feasible method for replacing clipping and coil embolization with manageable complications and a high success rate.

Spinal schwannomalar neoplastik schwann hücrelerinden gelişmekte olup en sık intradural ekstramedüller yerleşim göstermekle beraber dura ile olan ilişkisine göre; intradural, kombine intraekstradural ve saf ekstradural yerleşim gösterebilmektedir. Schwannomaların gebelikteki seyri ile ilgili literatür bilgilerimiz çoğunlukla olgu ve/veya olguların sunumlarından ibarettir. Bu sunumda 19 yaşında 4 haftalık gebe olduğu bilinen bir hastada sol L1 seviyesinde saf ekstradural schwannoma olgusu sunulmuştur. Gebelik ve spinal schwannomalar arasındaki ilişki net değildir. Gebelik esnasında saptanan spinal schwannomalarda cerrahi için doğum sonrası beklenmeli mi, yoksa acil operasyon planlanmalı mı gibi sorulara olgumuz cevap verememektedir. Bu tür soruların cevabı için bu konu hakkında daha fazla çalışma yapılması gerektiği kanısındayız.