Neurogenic hypertension related to basilar impression

1993 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 924-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence D. Dickinson ◽  
Stephen M. Papadopoulos ◽  
Julian T. Hoff
Keyword(s):  
Essential Hypertension ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Basilar Invagination ◽  
Central Regulation ◽  
Basilar Impression ◽  
Neurogenic Hypertension ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transoral Odontoidectomy ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors report the resolution of essential hypertension following transoral odontoidectomy and medullary decompression in a 39-year-old woman with basilar invagination. Current understanding of central regulation of the cardiovascular system is discussed and the pertinent neuroanatomy illustrated. Experimental and clinical evidence supporting the role of neurogenic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of hypertension is reviewed.

Magnetic resonance evaluation of ventrolateral medullary compression in essential hypertension

1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary P. Colón ◽  
Douglas J. Quint ◽  
Lawrence D. Dickinson ◽  
James A. Brunberg ◽  
Kenneth A. Jamerson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Essential Hypertension ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Mr Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Images ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Neurogenic Hypertension ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thin Slice ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The authors designed a blinded prospective study comparing patients with essential hypertension to patients without hypertension in which magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was used to evaluate the role of lateral medullary compression by adjacent vascular structures as a cause of neurogenic hypertension. Methods. Patients with documented essential hypertension were recruited to undergo thin-slice axial brainstem MR imaging evaluation. Nonhypertensive (control) patients scheduled to undergo MR imaging for other reasons also underwent thin-slice MR imaging to form a basis for comparison. Magnetic resonance images obtained in patients from the hypertensive (30 patients) and the control (45 patients) groups were then compared by four independent reviewers (two neuroradiologists and two neurosurgeons) who were blinded to the patients' diagnosis and hypertensive status. Images were reviewed with regard to left versus right vertebral artery (VA) dominance, compression of the medulla on the left and/or right side, and brainstem rotation. Medullary compression was graded as either vessel contact without associated brainstem deformity or vessel contact with associated brainstem deformity. Conclusions. There was a tendency toward left VA dominance in the hypertensive group compared with the control group, although a significant difference was shown by only one of the four reviewers. There were no differences in brainstem compression or rotation between the hypertensive and nonhypertensive groups. These results are contrary to those of recently published studies in which MR imaging and/or MR angiography revealed lateral brainstem vascular compression in hypertensive patients but not in nonhypertensive (control) patients. Reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. On the basis of their own experience and that of others, the authors believe that neurogenic hypertension does exist. However, thin-slice MR imaging may not be a reliable method for detecting neurovascularly induced essential hypertension and the prevalence of neurovascular compression as the source of hypertension may be overestimated when using current imaging techniques.

scholarly journals Direct evidence for a key role of protein kinase C in the development of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage

1992 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 635-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeru Nishizawa ◽  
Nobukazu Nezu ◽  
Kenichi Uemura
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Protein Kinase C ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Kinase C ◽  
Protein Kinase C Activity ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Vascular contraction is induced by the activation of intracellular contractile proteins mediated through signal transduction from the outside to the inside of cells. Protein kinase C plays a crucial role in this signal transduction. It is hypothesized that protein kinase C plays a causative part in the development of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). To verify this directly, the authors measured protein kinase C activity in canine basilar arteries in an SAH model with (γ-32P)adenosine triphosphate and the data were compared to those in a control group. Protein kinase C is translocated to the membrane from the cytosol when it is activated, and the translocation is an index of the activation; thus, protein kinase C activity was measured both in the cytosol and in the membrane fractions. Protein kinase C activity in the membrane in the SAH model was remarkably enhanced compared to that in the control group. The percentage of membrane activity to the total was also significantly greater in the SAH vessels than in the control group, and the percentage of cytosol activity in the SAH group was decreased compared to that in the control arteries. The results indicate that protein kinase C in the vascular smooth muscle was translocated to the membrane from the cytosol and was activated when SAH occurred. It is concluded that this is direct evidence for a key role of protein kinase C in the development of vasospasm.

Incidence of silent hemorrhage and delayed deterioration after stereotactic brain biopsy

1998 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhaya V. Kulkarni ◽  
Abhijit Guha ◽  
Andres Lozano ◽  
Mark Bernstein
Keyword(s):  
Ct Scan ◽  
Neurological Deficit ◽  
Stereotactic Biopsy ◽  
Brain Biopsy ◽  
Ct Scanning ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
Stereotactic Brain Biopsy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Many neurosurgeons routinely obtain computerized tomography (CT) scans to rule out hemorrhage in patients after stereotactic procedures. In the present prospective study, the authors investigated the rate of silent hemorrhage and delayed deterioration after stereotactic biopsy sampling and the role of postbiopsy CT scanning. Methods. A subset of patients (the last 102 of approximately 800 patients) who underwent stereotactic brain biopsies at the Toronto Hospital prospectively underwent routine postoperative CT scanning within hours of the biopsy procedure. Their medical charts and CT scans were then reviewed. A postoperative CT scan was obtained in 102 patients (aged 17–87 years) who underwent stereotactic biopsy between June 1994 and September 1996. Sixty-one patients (59.8%) exhibited hemorrhages, mostly intracerebral (54.9%), on the immediate postoperative scan. Only six of these patients were clinically suspected to have suffered a hemorrhage based on immediate postoperative neurological deficit; in the remaining 55 (53.9%) of 102 patients, the hemorrhage was clinically silent and unsuspected. Among the clinically silent intracerebral hemorrhages, 22 measured less than 5 mm, 20 between 5 and 10 mm, five between 10 and 30 mm, and four between 30 and 40 mm. Of the 55 patients with clinically silent hemorrhages, only three demonstrated a delayed neurological deficit (one case of seizure and two cases of progressive loss of consciousness) and these all occurred within the first 2 postoperative days. Of the neurologically well patients in whom no hemorrhage was demonstrated on initial postoperative CT scan, none experienced delayed deterioration. Conclusions. Clinically silent hemorrhage after stereotactic biopsy is very common. However, the authors did not find that knowledge of its existence ultimately affected individual patient management or outcome. The authors, therefore, suggest that the most important role of postoperative CT scanning is to screen for those neurologically well patients with no hemorrhage. These patients could safely be discharged on the same day they underwent biopsy.

The role of craniectomy in the treatment of chronic subdural hematomas

1980 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 776-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Tyson ◽  
W. Ellis Strachan ◽  
Peter Newman ◽  
H. Richard Winn ◽  
Albert Butler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Infarction ◽  
Chronic Subdural Hematoma ◽  
Neurological Deterioration ◽  
Neurological Dysfunction ◽  
Consecutive Series ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Clinical Improvement ◽  
Acute Neurological Deterioration ◽  
Fine Print

✓ A consecutive series of 48 adult patients with a chronic subdural hematoma is reported. These patients were treated according to a protocol consisting of a sequence of conventional surgical procedures ranging from simple burr-hole drainage to craniotomy and subdural membranectomy. Seven patients (15%) continued to demonstrate severe neurological dysfunction, or suffered acute neurological deterioration after completion of this protocol. However, after undergoing excision of the cranial vault overlying the hematoma site, six of these seven patients demonstrated a significant clinical improvement. Based on analysis of these seven cases, the authors suggest that craniectomy be considered in those patients who suffer a symptomatic reaccumulation of subdural fluid following craniotomy and membranectomy, or who demonstrate further neurological deterioration as a result of cerebral swelling subjacent to the hematoma site. However, this procedure probably has no efficacy once extensive cerebral infarction has occurred.

Chronic tonsillar herniation in Crouzon's and Apert's syndromes: the role of premature synostosis of the lambdoid suture

1995 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 575-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Cinalli ◽  
Dominique Renier ◽  
Guy Sebag ◽  
Christian Sainte-Rose ◽  
Eric Arnaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Tonsillar Herniation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lambdoid Suture ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Apert's Syndrome ◽  
Suture Closure ◽  
Crouzon's Syndrome ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The incidence of chronic tonsillar herniation (CTH) was evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging in 44 patients with Crouzon's syndrome and 51 with Apert's syndrome; the incidence was 72.7% in Crouzon's syndrome and 1.9% in Apert's syndrome. All the patients with Crouzon's syndrome and progressive hydrocephalus had CTH, but of 32 individuals with Crouzon's syndrome and CTH, only 15 had progressive hydrocephalus. Five patients with Apert's syndrome were treated for progressive hydrocephalus; none had CTH. The patterns of suture closure in these two groups of patients were studied, and significant differences in coronal, sagittal, and lambdoid sutures were found between patients with Crouzon's and Apert's syndromes. In Crouzon's syndrome, significant differences in the pattern of lambdoid suture closure were found between the groups with and without CTH; in the group with CTH, the lambdoid closure appeared earlier. The authors propose that the high incidence of individuals with CTH who have Crouzon's syndrome is related to the premature synostosis of the lambdoid suture in the first 24 months of age.

Role of hydrodynamic processes in the pathogenesis of peritumoral brain edema in meningiomas

2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 594-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bitzer ◽  
Thomas Nägele ◽  
Beverly Geist-Barth ◽  
Uwe Klose ◽  
Eckardt Grönewäller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Agent ◽  
Brain Edema ◽  
Brain Tissue ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Images ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extracellular Contrast Agent ◽  
Peritumoral Brain Edema ◽  
Hydrodynamic Processes ◽  
Fine Print

Object. In a prospective study, 28 patients with 32 intracranial meningiomas were examined to determine the role of hydrodynamic interaction between tumor and surrounding brain tissue in the pathogenesis of peritumoral brain edema.Methods. Gadolinium—diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DPTA), an extracellular contrast agent used for routine clinical imaging, remains strictly extracellular without crossing an intact blood—brain barrier. Therefore, it is well suited for investigations of hydrodynamic extracellular mechanisms in the development of brain edema. Spin-echo T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were acquired before and after intravenous administration of 0.2 mmol/kg Gd-DPTA. Additional T1-weighted imaging was performed 0.6, 3.5, and 6.5 hours later. No significant Gd-DPTA diffused from tumor into peritumoral brain tissue in 12 meningiomas without surrounding brain edema. In contrast, in 17 of 20 meningiomas with surrounding edema, contrast agent in peritumoral brain tissue was detectable after 3.5 hours and 6.5 hours. In three of 20 meningiomas with minimum surrounding edema (< 5 cm3), contrast agent effusion was absent. After 3.5 hours and 6.5 hours strong correlations of edema volume and the maximum distance of contrast spread from the tumor margin into adjacent brain parenchyma (r = 0.84 and r = 0.87, respectively, p < 0.0001) indicated faster effusion in larger areas of edema.Conclusions. The results of this study show that significant contrast agent effusion from the extracellular space of the tumor into the interstitium of the peritumoral brain tissue is only found in meningiomas with surrounding edema. This supports the hypothesis that hydrodynamic processes play an essential role in the pathogenesis of peritumoral brain edema in meningiomas.

An evidence-based review of decompressive surgery in acute spinal cord injury: rationale, indications, and timing based on experimental and clinical studies

1999 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Fehlings ◽  
Charles H. Tator
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Class Ii ◽  
Decompressive Surgery ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Limited Class ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The authors conducted an evidence-based review of the literature to evaluate critically the rationale and indications for and the timing of decompressive surgery for the treatment of acute, nonpenetrating spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods. The experimental and clinical literature concerning the role of, and the biological rationale for, surgical decompression for acute SCI was reviewed. Clinical studies of nonoperative management of SCI were also examined for comparative purposes. Evidence from clinical trials was categorized as Class I (well-conducted randomized prospective trials), Class II (well-designed comparative clinical studies), or Class III (retrospective studies). Examination of studies in which animal models of SCI were used consistently demonstrated a beneficial effect of early decompressive surgery, although it is difficult to apply these data directly to the clinical setting. The clinical studies provided suggestive (Class III and limited Class II) evidence that decompressive procedures improve neurological recovery after SCI. However, no clear consensus can be inferred from the literature as to the optimum timing for decompressive surgery. Many authors have advocated delayed treatment to avoid medical complications, although good evidence from recent Class II trials indicates that early decompressive surgery can be performed safely without causing added morbidity or mortality. Conclusions. There is biological evidence from experimental studies in animals that early decompressive surgery may improve neurological recovery after SCI, although the relevant interventional timing in humans remains unclear. To date, the role of surgical decompression in patients with SCI is only supported by Class III and limited Class II evidence. Accordingly, decompressive surgery for SCI can only be considered a practice option. Furthermore, analysis of the literature does not allow definite conclusions to be drawn regarding appropriate timing of intervention. Hence, there is a need to conduct well-designed experimental and clinical studies of the timing and neurological results of decompressive surgery for the treatment of acute SCI.

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

1991 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 160-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donlin M. Long
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Research University ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Johns Hopkins Hospital ◽  
Graduate Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Johns Hopkins University ◽  
Fine Print

The role of The Johns Hopkins University as an innovative school with a basic mission of scientific research is discussed. Its principle that research is best performed by faculty and students at a graduate level gave birth to the revolutionary concept of a research university. Against this background, the hospital and later the medical school were founded. The innovations that emerged from this medical education structure are touched on.

Necrosis in a meningioma following systemic chemotherapy

1994 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Bernstein ◽  
Alfonso Villamil ◽  
George Davidson ◽  
Charles Erlichman
Keyword(s):  
Folinic Acid ◽  
Rectal Carcinoma ◽  
Systemic Chemotherapy ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Radiological and clinical evidence of acute necrosis in a meningioma following one cycle of chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, folinic acid, and levamisole was observed in a patient being treated for invasive rectal carcinoma. The possible mechanisms and implications of this occurrence are discussed.

Spontaneous chronic subdural hematomas in young adults with a deficiency of coagulation factor XIII

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 1130-1132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Albanese ◽  
Antonio Tuttolomondo ◽  
Carmelo Anile ◽  
Giovanni Sabatino ◽  
Angelo Pompucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Factor Xiii ◽  
Coagulation Factor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coagulation Factor Xiii ◽  
Subdural Hematomas ◽  
History Of ◽  
Bridging Veins ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Chronic subdural hematomas (SDHs) generally occur in elderly patients. Its pathogenesis is usually related to head trauma with tearing and rupture of the bridging veins, although in some cases a history of trauma is not recognizable. There are many reports regarding the association between spontaneous chronic SDHs and an alteration in coagulative parameters. A coagulative disorder should be suspected when an unexplained hemorrhage occurs, especially in a young patient. The authors report on three young men with a deficiency in coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) who underwent surgery for chronic SDHs. The role of FXIII in the pathogenesis of chronic SDH is emphasized. In patients with unexplained chronic SDH all coagulation parameters and factors should be screened to identify an eventual coagulative disorder.

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