Cranial zygomycosis caused by Saksenaea vasiformis

1977 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Dean ◽  
Libero Ajello ◽  
Richard S. Irwin ◽  
William K. Woelk ◽  
Gregory J. Skarulis
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Infection ◽  
Surgical Therapy ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Early Identification ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Severe Head Trauma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Disease Agent ◽  
First Time ◽  
Fine Print

✓ A previously healthy youth who had sustained severe head trauma and had received steroids and broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents developed a cranial zygomycotic infection with Saksenaea vasiformis. This is the first time this zygomycete has been implicated as a disease agent. Early identification of the fungal infection and subsequent vigorous medical and surgical therapy led to recovery.

Clinicopathological investigation of gyral high density on computerized tomography following severe head injury in children

1995 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 995-1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takehide Onuma ◽  
Yasuko Shimosegawa ◽  
Motonobu Kameyama ◽  
Hiroaki Arai ◽  
Kiyoshi Ishii
Keyword(s):  
Computerized Tomography ◽  
Head Trauma ◽  
Brain Atrophy ◽  
High Density ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
Severe Head Trauma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Subacute Stage ◽  
Fine Print ◽  
Diffuse Brain

✓ The authors have treated five cases of severe head trauma in children in which abnormally high density along gyri, “gyral high density,” was seen on plain computerized tomography (CT) scans in the subacute stage of the injury. The prognosis in all cases was poor, with either severe disability or a vegetative state as the outcome due to significant brain atrophy following gyral high density. This pathology was classified into three clinical stages: 1) acute stage, cerebral ischemia in which there is diffuse low density of the cerebrum on CT scans (most marked on the 3rd and 4th days); 2) subacute stage, hemorrhagic infarction showing gyral high density on plain CT scans (between 1 and 4 weeks); and 3) chronic stage, brain atrophy (beginning 4 weeks after the trauma). In their consecutive series of head-injured patients (516 children, 1459 adults), the authors did not find gyral high density on CT scan in adults. This is probably due to the fact that adults who suffer the severe head trauma associated with diffuse brain swelling or diffuse brain edema cannot survive, thus making this gyral high density unique to children.

Surgical experience with chromophobe adenomas of the pituitary gland

1971 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 726-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronson S. Ray ◽  
Russell H. Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Pituitary Gland ◽  
Operative Mortality ◽  
Postoperative Radiation ◽  
Surgical Experience ◽  
Postoperative Radiation Therapy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chromophobe Adenoma ◽  
First Time ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Between 1950 and 1969, 165 operations were performed on 146 patients for the treatment of chromophobe adenoma of the pituitary gland unassociated with either acromegaly or Cushing's syndrome. The over-all operative mortality was 1.2%, and no deaths occurred in 138 cases operated on for the first time. In 106 of the patients who had not received prior treatment, vision was improved in 80% of cases and returned to normal in 50%. In the group of patients whose initial treatment was surgery, postoperative radiation therapy was administered in one-half of the cases. The rate of recurrence was 8% in those who received radiation and 22% in those who did not. Recurrence of symptoms within less than 1 year often was due to a hemorrhagic cyst which could be treated better by reoperation than by radiation therapy.

Systemic candidiasis and endophthalmitis in neurosurgical patients

1976 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur R. Cushman ◽  
Gerald Friedman ◽  
John Capsavage
Keyword(s):  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Opportunistic Infections ◽  
Systemic Candidiasis ◽  
High Susceptibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Broad Spectrum Antibiotics ◽  
Neurosurgical Patients ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Three cases of systemic candidiasis in neurosurgical patients are presented. Two of the three patients also had endophthalmitis. All of the cases were treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and glucocorticoids prior to the appearance of candidiasis. The authors stress the high susceptibility of neurosurgical patients to opportunistic infections of this type.

Protective effects of steroids on the cortico-microcirculation injured by cold

1979 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tohru Soejima ◽  
Y. Lucas Yamamoto ◽  
Ernst Meyer ◽  
William Feindel ◽  
Charles P. Hodge
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Fluorescein Angiography ◽  
Subcortical White Matter ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Small Arteries ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Ray Projection ◽  
First Time ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Early microcirculatory changes after focal cold injury of the cerebral cortex were examined in dogs with and without steroids by serial fluorescein angiography of the brain (FAB), by measurement of the diameter of epicerebral vessels, and by measurement of cerebral blood flow with the clearance method using krypton-85 and xenon-133. Changes in the transcerebral vessels were examined by x-ray projection microangiography. Within 30 minutes of the injury, the cortical area injured by a temperature of −65° C showed a reduction in blood flow of 60%. When treated with steroids and while still at the same temperature, blood flow was reduced by only 35%. Serial FAB revealed slowing and arrest of flow in the epicerebral microcirculation which could be noted first in the small veins, then in the medium-sized veins and small arteries. Fluorescein dye leaked from the epicerebral vessels, around the small veins, then around larger veins and small arteries. Some leakage of dye from medium-sized arteries was noted 2 hours after injury. This sequence of slowing and arrest of the microcirculation, with exit of dye from intact arterial vessels, identified here for the first time in relation to a cortical freezing lesion, may help to explain the development of later brain edema which spreads widely in the subcortical white matter. After steroids, improvement of the microcirculation was present as defined by cortical blood flow, fluorescein angiography, and x-ray projection microangiography.

Intracranial hypertrophic calcification complicating neuroendoscopy

2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 186-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Thomson ◽  
Atul K. Tyagi ◽  
Paul D. Chumas
Keyword(s):  
Burr Hole ◽  
Content Type ◽  
First Time ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Three cases are presented in which progressive hypertrophic calcification formed following ventricular endoscopy. After a ventricular endoscopy has been performed, it has been the authors' practice to seal the burr hole with bone dust. They believe that the calcifications formed from bone dust that fell into the track left by the endoscope. This is the first time this complication has been described.

Surgical therapy for medically intractable epilepsy

1987 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Ojemann
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Surgical Therapy ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Intractable Epilepsy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Epilepsy ◽  
Depth Electrodes ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Intraoperative Management ◽  
Fine Print

✓ There has been a recent renewal of interest in surgical therapy for medically intractable epilepsies. Cortical resection and callosotomy are the most widely accepted modes of surgical management. The indications for each of these approaches are reviewed. Although there has been much interest in imaging techniques, including positron emission tomography, to identify epileptogenic zones, identification still depends primarily on the electroencephalogram (EEG). There are several approaches to the evaluation and intraoperative management of patients undergoing cortical resection for temporal lobe epileptogenic zones. These range from selection based on scalp interictal EEG criteria, with resections guided by electrocorticography and functional mapping, to selection based on the location of ictal onset as recorded by chronically implanted depth electrodes, with an anatomically standard resection of the temporal lobe or resection limited to amygdalohippocampectomy. No one approach provides the optimum balance of benefits to risks and costs for all patients. The relative value of the different approaches for various populations of patients with medically intractable partial complex seizures is reviewed. Techniques for minimizing the morbidity of these operations, especially in regard to language and memory, are also discussed, as are the contributions to an understanding of the neurobiology of human epilepsy and human higher functions derived from the surgical therapy of epilepsy.

The treatment of posttraumatic tremor by stereotactic surgery

1994 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 810-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim K. Krauss ◽  
Mohsen Mohadjer ◽  
Fritz Nobbe ◽  
Fritz Mundinger
Keyword(s):  
Head Trauma ◽  
Functional Disability ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Stereotactic Surgery ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
Severe Head Trauma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors report the long-term results of stereotactic surgery for severe posttraumatic appendicular tremor in 35 patients. The tremors developed after severe head trauma in 33 patients (94%) and after mild to moderate head trauma in two (6%). In all but one, the tremor was most evident during activity. The amplitude of the kinetic tremor was greater than 5 cm in 33 patients (94%) and greater than 12 cm in 19 patients (54%). All were severely incapacitated in their daily living activities due to the tremors. The 35 patients underwent 42 stereotactic operations; five patients were reoperated on the same side and two were treated with a bilateral staged procedure. The contralateral zona incerta was the stereotactic target in 12 patients and was targeted in combination with the base of the ventrolateral (oroventral) thalamus in 23 patients. Long-term postoperative follow-up review was obtained in 32 patients (mean follow-up period 10.5 years). Persistent improvement of tremor was noted in 88%. The tremor was absent or markedly reduced in 65%. Functional disability was assessed and quantified with a modified form of an established rating scale for patients with tremor; it was reduced from a mean value of 57% of maximum disability to 37% over the long term (p < 0.001). Follow-up lesion assessment was obtained in 18 patients by multiplanar magnetic resonance imaging and at autopsy in one patient whose death was unrelated to surgery. As in previous studies, the frequency of persistent side effects was relatively high (38%). These consisted mainly of aggravation of preoperative symptoms. The results are compared to those of a total of 55 patients reported from 1960 to 1992. The occurrence of dystonia and dystonic postures is discussed. Stereotactic surgery is a powerful tool to alleviate posttraumatic tremor and to improve functional disability. However, as there is considerable risk of persistent morbidity in patients after severe head trauma, the operation should be restricted to selected cases with disabling tremor.

scholarly journals Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of a Natural Clay Mineral from British Columbia, Canada

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shekooh Behroozian ◽  
Sarah L. Svensson ◽  
Loretta Y. Li ◽  
Julian E. Davies
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Chelating Agents ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Natural Clay ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of

ABSTRACT Worldwide increases in antibiotic resistance and the dearth of new antibiotics have created a global crisis in the treatment of infectious diseases. These concerns highlight the pressing need for novel antimicrobial agents. Natural clay minerals have a long history of therapeutic and biomedical applications and have lately received specific attention for their potent antimicrobial properties. In particular, Kisameet clay (KC) has strong antibacterial activity against a variety of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens in vitro. Here, we have extended the known spectrum of activity of KC by demonstrating its efficacy against two major fungal pathogens, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. In addition, KC also exhibits potent activity against the opportunistic bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium marinum, a model organism for M. ulcerans infection. Moreover, aqueous KC leachates (KC-L) exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, eradicated Gram-negative and Gram-positive biofilms, and prevented their formation. The mechanism(s) underlying KC antibacterial activity appears to be complex. Adjusting KC-L to neutral pH rendered it inactive, indicating a contribution of pH, although low pH alone was insufficient for its antibacterial activity. Treatment of KC minerals with cation-chelating agents such as EDTA, 2,2′-bipyridyl, and deferoxamine reduced the antibacterial activity, while supplementation of KC-L with these chelating agents eliminated the inhibitory activity. Together, the data suggest a positive role for divalent and trivalent cations, including iron and aluminum, in bacterial inhibition by KC. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the range of KC bioactivity and provide a better understanding of the mechanism underlying its antibacterial effects. IMPORTANCE The escalating emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, together with the paucity of novel antimicrobial agents in antibiotic development, is recognized as a worldwide public health crisis. Kisameet clay (KC), found in British Columbia (BC), Canada, is a clay mineral with a long history of therapeutic applications among people of the First Nations. We previously reported the antibacterial activity of KC against a group of MDR clinical pathogens. Here, we demonstrate its activity against two major human-pathogenic fungal species, as well as against bacterial biofilms, which underlie many recalcitrant bacterial infections. In these studies, we also identified several geochemical characteristics of KC, such as metal ions and low pH, which are involved in its antibacterial activity. These findings provide a better understanding of the components of KC antibacterial activity and a basis for developing defined preparations of this clay mineral for therapeutic applications.

Pituitary failure secondary to head trauma

1976 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Winternitz ◽  
James A. Dzur
Keyword(s):  
Growth Hormone ◽  
Head Trauma ◽  
Anterior Pituitary ◽  
Follicle Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Severe Head Trauma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hypothalamic Control ◽  
Fine Print ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

✓ A patient presented with hypopituitarism, 2 years after severe head trauma. Deficits of growth hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and borderline thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were demonstrated. Normal TSH-releasing hormone (TRH) response and elevated prolactin indicated viable anterior pituitary tissue with inadequate hypothalamic control. Precautions are suggested for recognition and treatment of this syndrome.

Charles Labbé (1851–1889)

1997 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 477-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald H. M. A. Bartels ◽  
Jacobus J. Van Overbeeke
Keyword(s):  
Skull Base ◽  
Skull Base Surgery ◽  
Public Records ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extensive Search ◽  
Vein Of Labbé ◽  
First Time ◽  
Important Structure ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The vein of Labbé is a very important structure and every neurosurgeon is acquainted with its anatomy. Because of the recent increasing interest and experience in skull base surgery, the vein of Labbé has received a great deal of attention. Intraoperative damage to this vein should be avoided and several methods to prevent this have been described. Despite these developments, nothing is written in the neurosurgical literature about the man who described this vein for the first time: Charles Labbé. The authors therefore conducted an extensive search of the literature and uncovered several public records in France to learn more about Charles Labbé.

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