Study design: Experimental animal model to assess ischemic spinal cord injury following occlusion of the thoraco-abdominal aorta. Objectives: To measure whether melatonin administered to rabbits before and after occlusion exerts an effect on the repair of ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Setting: Medical Biology Laboratory, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey Methods: Rabbits were divided into three IR treatment groups and one sham-operated (ShOp) control group. The three treatment groups had their infrarenal aorta temporarily occluded for 25 min, while the ShOp group had laparotomy without aortic occlusion. Melatonin was administered either 10 min before aortic occlusion or 10 min after the clamp was removed. Physiologic saline was administered to the control animals. After treatment, the animals were euthanized and lumbosacral spinal cord tissue was removed for the determination of relevant enzyme activities. Results: Malondialdehyde levels, indicating the extent of lipid peroxidation, were found to be significantly increased in the nonmelatonin treated (IR) group when compared to the ShOp group. Melatonin, whether given to pre-or post occlusion groups, suppressed malondialdehyde levels below that of the ShOp group. Catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activities were increased in the IR group compared to the ShOp group. Melatonin given preocclusion resulted in a significant decrease in both CAT and GSH-Px enzyme levels. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity was decreased in the ischemia-reperfusion treatment group. However, the melatonin treatment increased SOD enzyme activity to levels approximating that of the ShOp group. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows the effects of melatonin administered both pre-and postischemia on induced oxidative damage to injured spinal cords. Our data also expands on reports that melatonin administration may significantly reduce the incidence of spinal cord injury following temporary aortic occlusion.

A great majority of growing skull fractures occur in infancy and earlychildhood. Since the growth of brain is necessary as a driving force for these lesions to occur, almost all reported cases have been before the first 3 years of life. Although a number of uncommon locations, such as basiooccipital and skull base areas, have been reported, they are commonly located on calvaria. The authors report a growing skull fracture on the orbital roof in a 16-year-old female admitted to hospital with complaints of headache and seizures. She had had an orbital trauma 8 years before. CT scan revealed a hypodense lesion in the right frontal lobe and a diastatic fracture line on the right orbital roof. A right craniotomy was performed. Excision of arachnoid loculations and duraplasty were carried out. This is an unusual condition with respect to the location of the lesion, as well as the age of the patient.

Background: Accidental intrathecal vincristine (VCR) administration results in severe neurotoxicity, usually fatal in outcome. No specific therapy for initrathecal VCR toxicity has been reported so far. In our recent report, complete in vitro degradation of VCR by hypochlorous acid (HOCl) was demonstrated. Methods: In this comparative study, we examined the in vivo effectivity of HOCl in the cerebrospinal fluid of 24 New Zealand rabbits following intracisternal VCR administration. Results: There were no significant clinical or histopathologic abnormalities in the control and HOCl groups; however, multiple necrotic foci on histopathological examination of brain sections in the VCR group were determined. There were significantly lower numbers of necrotic foci in brain sections of rabbits which received HOCl administration than those without therapy. Conclusion: Our results indicate that HOCl may reduce VCR neurotoxicity.

AIm:Comparison of long-term preoperative and postoperative clinical and radiological results for patients diagnosed with degenerative disc disease that underwent posterior dynamic stabilization. Lumbar disc degeneration is caused by a variety of factors. Disruptions in the vertebral endplate result in defects in disc nutrition and, thus, disc degeneration. The aims of dynamic stabilization are to unload the disc/facet joints, preserve motion under mechanical load, and restrict abnormal motion in the spinal segment. mAterIAl and methOds: Twenty-five patients diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disc disease were enrolled. Totally, 25 vertebral segments were subjected to posterior dynamic stabilization. Patients were clinically evaluated in the preoperative and postoperative periods using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Segmental movement was evaluated radiologically in the late postoperative period by measuring the segmental angles during flexion and extension.results: Significant postoperative improvements were observed in the ODI and VAS measurements (P<0.01). During the long postoperative period (averaging 5 years and 2 months), lumbar lordosis angles, intervertebral space ratio and segmental ratio were measured and compared statistically. Adjacent segment disease developed in two patients. Both patients received L5-S1 discectomy.COnClusIOn: Good clinical outcomes were observed in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease with a posterior dynamic system. KeywOrds: Degenerative disc disease, Dynamic stabilization, Lumbar spine, Surgical treatment ÖZ AmAÇ: Dejeneratif disk hastalığı tanısı almış ve posterior dinamik stabilizasyon sistemi uygulanmış hastaların uzun dönem preoperatif ve postoperatif klinik ve radyolojik sonuçlarının karşılaştırılması. Lomber dejeneratif disk hastalığına birçok etken sebep olur. Bu etkenler sonuç olarak omurga son plaklarında dejenerasyona ve disk dokusunun beslenmesinin bozulmasına yol açar. Dinamik stabilizasyon sistemleri, omurlar arasındaki hareketi korurken, disk ve faset eklemleri üzerindeki aşırı yüklenmeyi azaltır, aynı zamanda da omurga segmentindeki anormal hareketlenmeyi önler. yÖntem ve GereÇler: Bu çalışmada, dejeneratif disk hastalığı tanısı konmuş 25 hasta ele alınmıştır. Toplamda 25 omurga segmentine posterior dinamik stabilizasyon uygulanmıştır. Hastalar, preoperatif ve postoperatif dönemde Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Vizüel Analog Skala (VAS) ile klinik olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Segmental hareketi değerlendirmek için geç postoperatif dönemde radyolojik olarak fleksiyon ve ekstansiyon grafileri kullanılmıştır.BulGulAr: Postoperatif dönemde ODI ve VAS ölçümlerinde anlamlı düzelmeler kaydedilmiştir (P<0,01). Ameliyatlardan sonraki uzun dönem takiplerinde (ortalama 5 yıl 2 ay), lomber lordoz açısı, intervertebral aralık oranı ve segmental oran ölçülmüş ve istatiksel olarak değerlendirilmiştir. İki hastada postoperatif dönemde komşu segment hastalığı tespit edilmiş ve bu hastalarda L5-S1 diskektomi uygulanmışt...

Spontaneous bleeding from a metastatic tumor in the brain is usually associated with melanoma, choriocarcinoma, or hypernephroma. We report a patient with rectum adenocarcinoma which metastasized into the cerebellum and mimicked a stroke, and discuss the clinical features and diagnostic problems of this uncommon condition.