Based on this literature review, we consider that, due to the specific characteristics of infectious encephalitis, especially in case of viral infection, decompressive craniectomy is probably an effective treatment when brain stem compression threatens the course of the disease. In patients with viral encephalitis, better prognosis can be expected when surgical decompression is used than when only medical treatment is provided.

To our knowledge, there are no previous descriptions of ependymomas with this extensive leptomeningeal, spinal, intracranial, and extraneural dissemination at clinical onset. Bone metastases in spinal ependymoma have not been previously reported.

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A case of benign osteoblastoma of the parietal bone is presented. Attention is drawn first to the rarity of this tumor and second to the fact that the radiological and histopathological features of the tumor reported here lead us to suspect the presence of regressive features in its evolution.

In three cases of lumbar disc herniation, autologous fat grafts were inserted over the dura mater and the exposed nerve roots during surgery with the aim of preventing postoperative epidural fibrosis. A second operation had to be performed in two of these cases as a result of the radiographic appearance of excessive scar formation in the epidural and adjacent regions of the nerve root giving rise to symptoms. In the third patient, myelographic studies revealed the development of this type of hypertrophic scarring; however, the patient refused a further operation. The hypertrophic epidural scarring occurred in these three cases despite the presence of autologous fat grafts. Histopathological examination of the fat removed from the two patients who were operated on a second time showed a fibrotic infiltration into the fat graft.