bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intramedullary gadolinium-DTPA enhancement in a patient with cervical spondylotic myelopathy and an associated vascular lesion
Authors: Morimoto Tetsuya , Yamada Tomonori , Nagata Kiyoshi , Matsuyama Takeshi , Sakaki Toshisuke 
Published: January 2008

Intramedullary enhancement of the cervical spinal cord is rare in chronic compression disease. An accompanying vascular lesion should be considered in such a case.
A 59-year-old man presented with severe cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
Gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) enhanced magnetic resonance imaging showed intramedullary enhancement at the C5`6 level, which was the most severely compressed level. A right ascending cervical arteriogram demonstrated a spinal arteriovenous fistula (AVF) fed mainly by the C-6 radicular artery and draining from the posterior medullary vein.
Surgery was performed to decompress the myelopathy and to obliterate the AVF. Postoperative MR imaging with Gd-DTPA enhancement showed immediate and complete disappearance of the previous enhancement. The intramedullary enhancement presumably resulted from the intraparenchymal hemodynamics due to the AVF.
Cerebral autoregulation following minor head injury
Authors: Jünger Elisabeth C. , Newell David W. , Grant Gerald A. , Avellino Anthony M. , Ghatan Saadi , Douville Colleen M. , Lam Arthur M. , Aaslid Rune , Winn H. Richard 
Published: January 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients with minor head injury experience impairments in cerebral autoregulation. Twenty-nine patients with minor head injuries defined by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 13 to 15 underwent testing of dynamic cerebral autoregulation within 48 hours of their injury using continuous transcranial Doppler velocity recordings and blood pressure recordings. Twenty-nine age-matched normal volunteers underwent autoregulation testing in the same manner to establish comparison values. The function of the autoregulatory response was assessed by the cerebral blood flow velocity response to induced rapid brief changes in arterial blood pressure and measured as the autoregulation index (ARI).Eight (28%) of the 29 patients with minor head injury demonstrated poorly functioning or absent cerebral autoregulation versus none of the controls, and this difference was highly significant (p = 0.008). A significant correlation between lower blood pressure and worse autoregulation was found by regression analysis in head-injured patients (r = 0.6, p < 0.001); however, lower blood pressure did not account for the autoregulatory impairment in all patients. Within this group of head-injured patients there was no correlation between ARI and initial GCS or 1-month Glasgow Outcome Scale scores. This study indicates that a significant number of patients with minor head injury may have impaired cerebral autoregulation and may be at increased risk for secondary ischemic neuronal damage.
Artificial neural networks: application to electrical stimulation of the human nervous system
Authors: North Richard B. , McNamee J. Paul , Wu Lee , Piantadosi Steven 
Published: January 2008

Artificial neural networks are used increasingly in applications such as graphic pattern recognition, which are difficult to address with conventional statistical methods. In the management of chronic pain, graphic methods are used routinely; patients describe their patterns of pain using “pain drawings.” The authors have previously reported an automated, computerized pain drawing methodology, which has been used by patients with implanted spinal cord stimulators to represent a technical goal of the procedure, the overlap of pain by stimulation paresthesias. Standard linear discriminant statistical methods have shown associations between stimulation parameters and electrode positions as independent variables and technical outcome and relief of pain as dependent variables.
The authors have applied artificial neural networks to the problem of optimizing implanted stimulator adjustment. A data set of 3000 electrode combinations obtained in 41 patients was used to develop a linear discriminant statistical model on a mainframe computer and to train artificial neural networks on a personal computer. The performance of these two systems on a new data set obtained in 10 patients was compared with that of human “experts.” The best neural network model was marginally better than the linear discriminant model; the variance in patient ratings was predicted by these models to a degree that the human experts were unable to predict. The authors anticipate expanding the role of these models and incorporating them into expert sytems for clinical use.
Occipital plagiocephaly: a critical review of the literature
Authors: Rekate Harold L. 
Published: January 2008

The objective of this review was to determine what information is available on the incidence, pathophysiology, late complications, and treatment paradigms for occipital plagiocephaly based on a critical review of the literature obtained from recognized databases in peer-reviewed scientific publications.
The content of this article is based on a critical review of the literature, and when discussing treatment options, classification of those articles with respect to the strength of the recommendations they contain.
Using standard computerized search techniques, databases containing medical literature were queried for key words related to occipital plagiocephaly beginning in 1966. Key words used for this search were: lambdoid, craniosynostosis, cranial sutures, facial asymmetry, torticollis, and plagiocephaly. Titles of all articles were scanned for relevance. Copies of all potentially relevant articles published in the English language were obtained and received at least a cursory review. Several articles not captured by these methods were found to be important when referenced in the articles obtained. Articles discussing treatment were divided into Class I, Class II, and Class III data for the purpose of deciding on their applicability to the development of a potential consensus for the treatment of this controversial condition.
Using the aforementioned key words, there were 4308 articles identified with potential relevance: scanning by title excluded all but 89. Of the 89, those with on-line abstracts were scanned, the remainder were obtained via interlibrary loan when needed for scanning of the article itself. The actual incidence of occipital plagiocephaly is unknown and there are no population-based studies of its incidence or prevalence. The reported incidence of lambdoid craniosynostosis ranges from 3 to 20% with the differences primarily due to differences in diagnostic criteria. With the possible exception of a lambdoid suture, which is replaced throughout its entire course by a dense ridge of bone, there are no other diagnostic criteria upon which there is agreement. There are no Class I and only one Class II studies in which a group of patients treated with one form of therapy is compared with another form of therapy or an untreated group. Treatment options that are recommended include observation only, mechanical treatments such as exercises, positioning, remodeling helmets, and a wide variety of surgical techniques. Very few reports accessed through the aforestated methodology report patients suffering any significant late effects of occipital plagiocephaly, although it may be morphometrically evident in as many as 14% of adults.
Controlled clinical trials will be needed before any form of intervention can be generally recommended. If surgery, which is expensive and potentially dangerous, is to continue to play a role in the management of this condition, efforts should be made to ascertain from the general population which patients who have not been treated have suffered from this lack of treatment.
Tremor control after pallidotomy in patients with Parkinson's disease: correlation with microrecording findings
Authors: Taha Jamal M. , Favre Jacques , Baumann Thomas K. , Burchiel Kim J. 
Published: January 2008

The goals of this study were to analyze the effect of pallidotomy on parkinsonian tremor and to ascertain whether an association exists between microrecording findings and tremor outcome.
Forty-four patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who had drug-induced dyskinesia, bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor underwent posteroventral pallidotomy. Using a 1-μ-tip tungsten electrode, microrecordings were obtained through one to three tracts, starting 10 mm above the pallidal base. Tremor severity was measured on a patient-rated, 100-mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), both preoperatively and 3 to 9 months (mean 6 months) postoperatively.
Preoperatively, tremor was rated as 50 mm or greater in 24 patients (55%) and as less than 25 mm in 13 patients (30%). Postoperatively, tremor was rated as 50 mm or greater in five patients (11%) and less than 25 mm in 29 patients (66%). The difference was significant (p = 0.0001). Four patients (9%) had no postoperative tremor. Tremor improved by at least 50% in eight (80%) of 10 patients in whom tremor-synchronous cells were recorded (Group A) and in 12 (35%) of 34 patients in whom tremor-synchronous cells were not recorded (Group B). This difference was significant (p = 0.03). Tremor improved by at least 50 mm in all (100%) of the seven Group A patients with severe (>= 50 mm) preoperative tremor and in nine (53%) of 17 Group B patients with severe preoperative tremor. This difference was also significant (p = 0.05).
The authors proffer two conclusions: 1) after pallidotomy, tremor improves by at least 50% in two-thirds of patients with PD who have severe (>= 50 mm on the VAS) preoperative tremor; and 2) better tremor control is obtained when tremor-synchronous cells are included in the lesion.
Magnetic resonance image evaluation of pallidotomy lesions: a volumetric and shape analysis
Authors: Burns Jeffrey M. , Wilkinson Steve , Overman John , Kieltyka Jennifer , Lundsgaarde Thorsten , Tollefson Travis , Koller William C. , Pahwa Rajesh , Tröster Alexander I. , Lyons Kelly E. , Batnitzky Solomon , Wetzel Louis , Gordon Michael A. 
Published: January 2008

Determination of acute pallidotomy-produced lesion volumes, pre- and postpallidotomy globus pallidus (GP) volumes, and assessment of lesion shape using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-based computerized segmentation (contouring) and three-dimensional rendering was made in 19 patients. Magnetic resonance image slice thickness (1.5 mm or 6 mm) was not found to be a significant factor influencing contour-based pallidotomy lesion volume estimates. Previously reported lesion volumes produced by pallidotomy have often been estimated using the ellipsoid volume formula. Using 1.5-mm-thick MR sections, contour-based pallidotomy-produced lesion volumes were significantly different from those volumes estimated by the ellipsoid formula. Globus pallidus volumes, estimated by contouring T2-weighted MR images, were bilaterally similar (2.4 ± 0.37 ml [right]; 2.2 ± 0.45 ml [left]). Postoperative GP volumes were found on the contralateral, unlesioned side to be 2 ± 0.45 ml and on the lesioned side to be 1.25 ± 0.45 ml. Using the contralateral, unlesioned side as a reference volume, approximately 39 ± 14% of the GP was visibly affected on the lesioned side. Seventeen of 18 patients had a favorable outcome with reduced dyskinesias and "off" time with improvement in parkinsonian symptoms.
Analysis of computerized three-dimensional rendering of pallidotomy-produced lesions based on MR images showed no relationship between lesioning technique and resulting lesion shape. Important factors in the volumetric analysis of pallidotomy lesions are identified and allow reasonable assessment of the pallidotomy lesion volume and shape and the extent of the affected GP.
Contemporaneous bilateral pallidotomy
Authors: Iacono Robert P. , Carlson Jonathan D. , Kuniyoshi Sandra , Mohamed Aymen , Meltzer Christine , Yamada Shokei 
Published: January 2008

To investigate the effects of bilateral posteroventral pallidotomy (PVP) for Parkinson's disease (PD), the authors reviewed the technique and neurological outcome in a number of patients who had undergone bilateral pallidotomy. The authors have previously reported the outcome of PVP in 25 bilateral and 25 unilateral surgeries, rating the patient's postural stability, speech, and total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores. A second, separate group of 23 patients who underwent contemporaneous bilateral PVP were evaluated for early onset idiopathic PD, levodopa failure syndrome, and severe bilateral dyskinesia as well as akinetic “off” states. Cognitive and psychological studies were reviewed in 10 patients who demonstrated preoperative impairments in spatial recognition and memory. Following surgery there were significant improvements in these cognitive deficits and no deficits were incurred by surgery.
Published reports regarding bilateral operations for PD have emphasized the risks of speech and cognitive deficits. This study shows bilateral PVP to be effective, particularly in patients with bilateral symptoms, including disabling dyskinesia. Additionally, bilateral PVP does not cause additional cognitive or speech deficits. The techniques and indications as well as outcomes and complications are presented and discussed in this report in light of their controversial nature.
Hydroxyurea for treatment of unresectable and recurrent meningiomas. I. Inhibition of primary human meningioma cells in culture and in meningioma transplants by induction of the apoptotic pathway
Authors: Schrell Uwe M. H. , Rittig Michael G. , Anders Marc , Kiesewetter Franklin , Marschalek Rolf , Koch Uwe H. , Fahlbusch Rudolf 
Published: January 2008

Meningiomas, which invade intracranial bone structures and the adjacent connective tissue, are frequently unresectable because of their aggressive and recalcitrant growth behavior. They have a high recurrence rate, and in approximately 10% of these tumors there is an increased risk of malignancy. Significant morbidity and mortality rates associated with recurrent meningiomas demand nonsurgical approaches. To date, adjuvant hormonal treatment has not proven beneficial. The anticancer drug hydroxyurea was therefore tested for its potential use in the treatment of meningiomas.
Early-passaged cell cultures were established from 20 different meningiomas. The addition of 5 X 10−4 and 10−3 M hydroxyurea over a period of 5 to 9 days resulted in a remarkable decrease in cell proliferation and even blocked tumor cell growth when compared with untreated cells. A significant arrest of meningioma cell growth in the S phase of the cell cycle was revealed on DNA flow cytometry.
Electron micrographs of hydroxyurea-treated tumor cells showed ultrastructural features consistent with apoptosis, and light microscopy demonstrated DNA fragmentation by in situ DNA strand break labeling. Short-term treatment of meningioma cell cultures with hydroxyurea for 24 to 48 hours resulted in discrete oligonucleosomal fragments (DNA ladder), another characteristic sign of apoptosis. In addition to the in vitro studies, tissue from five different meningiomas was transplanted into nude mice followed by treatment with 0.5 mg/g body weight hydroxyurea over 15 days. In situ DNA strand break labeling demonstrated DNA fragmentation in distinct regions with different tumor cell densities in all hydroxyurea-treated meningioma transplants.
These data provide evidence that hydroxyurea is a powerful inhibitor of meningioma cell growth, most likely by causing apoptosis in the tumor cells. Thus, hydroxyurea may be a suitable chemotherapeutic agent for the long-term treatment of unresectable or semi- to malignant meningiomas, or for preventing recurrent growth of meningiomas after resection.
Hydroxyurea for treatment of unresectable and recurrent meningiomas. II. Decrease in the size of meningiomas in patients treated with hydroxyurea
Authors: Schrell Uwe M. H. , Rittig Michael G. , Anders Marc , Koch Uwe H. , Marschalek Rolf , Kiesewetter Franklin , Fahlbusch Rudolf 
Published: January 2008

In this paper the authors present the first evidence that meningiomas respond to treatment with hydroxyurea. Hydroxyurea was administered as an adjunct chemotherapeutic treatment in patients with recurrent and unresectable meningiomas. Hydroxyurea was used because experimental data demonstrated that it inhibits growth of cultured human meningioma cells and meningioma transplants in nude mice by inducing apoptosis. The authors therefore treated four selected patients with hydroxyurea. All patients had undergone multiple gross resections and all except one received radiotherapy. Three patients with recurrent Grade I meningiomas assessed according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines received hydroxyurea because of an increased tumor growth rate, documented by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, within a 6- or 12-month interval. A fourth patient with a malignant meningioma (WHO Grade III) began a course of treatment with hydroxyurea immediately after his sixth palliative operation without waiting for another relapse to be demonstrated on MR imaging. Because of their location and invasive growth behavior none of the meningiomas could have been removed completely by surgical intervention.
All patients received hydroxyurea at a dosage level of 1000 to 1500 mg/day (approximately 20 mg/kg/day). In a man with a large sphenoid wing meningioma invading the right cavernous sinus and the temporal base, the intracranial tumor mass was reduced by 60% during 6 months of treatment. A woman with a large ball-shaped meningioma of the right sphenoid wing invading the cavernous sinus exhibited a 74% decrease of the initial tumor volume in 10 months of treatment with oral hydroxyurea. Serial MR images obtained monthly revealed that the process of size reduction was continuous and proportionate. The shrinkage of the tumor was accompanied by a complete remission of symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia after 2 months and by improved abducent paresis after 5 months. The third patient had a slowly growing meningioma that exhibited a 15% reduction in mass when reassessed after 5 months of hydroxyurea treatment. The fourth patient with the malignant meningioma in the left cerebellopontine angle has had no recurrence for 24 months. Long-term treatment with hydroxyurea may result in full remission of tumors in meningioma patients.
The preliminary data indicate that hydroxyurea provides true medical treatment in patients with unresectable and recurrent meningiomas, replacing palliative surgery and radiotherapy in the management of this disease.
Microsurgical carpal tunnel release
Authors: Shapiro Scott 
Published: January 2008

The author reports on a series of 482 patients who underwent primary carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery beginning in 1987. Two hundred twenty-five patients underwent CTR in the right hand, 169 patients underwent CTR in the left hand, and 88 patients underwent bilateral CTR surgery, for a total of 570 hands. These surgeries were performed on an outpatient basis. After application of a local anesthetic, a microsurgical technique using a 2-cm longitudinal incision that did not cross the wrist flexion crease was accomplished. In five patients the recurrent thenar branch exited through the middle or ulnar portion of the ligament and this branch was preserved in all five. Perioperative complications included stitch abscesses in nine hands (2%), which were managed on an outpatient basis; deep wound infections occurred in three hands (0.5%) and these patients were admitted for intravenous antibiotic administration and wound care. One steroid-dependent patient suffered wound dehiscence due to a fall and the wound was primarily repaired. One patient required a second minor procedure to remove a retained suture. Two patients developed “trigger finger” 6 months postoperatively. The mean time until return to work for those patients not receiving Workers' Compensation was 3 weeks and for those receiving Workers' Compensation it was 6.5 weeks. Complete disappearance of painful dysesthesias occurred in 431 (89%) of 482 patients. Marked improvement occurred in another 33 (7%) patients, yielding an overall improvement rate of 96%. Motor improvement was noted in 438 (96%) of 454 patients with preoperative motor weakness. Bilateral symptoms resolved on the contralateral side following unilateral surgery in seven patients. Fifteen patients (12 of whom were receiving Workers' Compensation) experienced persistent dysesthesias and/or incision pain and did not return to work. An additional eight procedures were performed in patients who had previously undergone surgery at another institution; four showed no evidence of their transverse carpal ligament being sectioned. Five of the eight patients undergoing reexploration noted postoperative improvement in their symptoms. Finally, 14 (3%) patients presented 1 to 5 years postsurgery with thenar/hypothenar pain. These patients have responded to local steroid injections and are being followed by a hand surgeon.
The reimbursement of the surgeon's fee is $253.00 from Medicaid, $360.00 from Medicare, and $560.00 from preferred provider insurance. The mean total time in the outpatient operating room is 35 to 40 minutes. The outcome and time to return to work are equal, if not superior, to those reported for endoscopic CTR surgery. Microsurgical CTR is thought to be safer and probably more cost-effective.
Acquired lumbar stenosis: topic review and a case series
Authors: Jane John A. , diPierro Charles G. , Helm Gregory A. , Shaffrey Christopher I. , Jane John A. 
Published: January 2008

Stenosis of the central and lateral lumbar vertebral canal can be congenital or acquired; the latter is most often caused by a degenerative process. The associated neurogenic claudication and/or radiculopathic symptom complexes are thought to result from compression of the cauda equina and lumbosacral nerve roots by hypertrophy of or encroachment by any combination of the following: canal walls, ligamenta flava, intervertebral discs, posterior longitudinal ligament, or epidural fat.
The authors' technique for the treatment of lumbar stenosis involves extensive unilateral decompression with undercutting of the spinous process and obviates the need for instrumentation by using a contralateral autologous bone fusion. The results in a series of 29 patients in whom the procedure was performed suggest that this decompression method safely and successfully treats not only the radicular symptoms caused by lateral stenosis but also the neurogenic claudication symptoms associated with central stenosis. In addition, the procedure can preserve spinal stability without instrumentation by using contralateral autologous bone fusion along the laminae and spinous processes.