Intramedullary capillary hemangioma of the thoracic spine: case report and review of the literature

Capillary hemangiomas are benign vascular neoplasms. When associated with the spine, these growths frequently involve the vertebral body, but rarely have they been reported to occur as intradural lesions, while even more rarely occurring in a true intramedullary location. We report a rare case of an intramedullary capillary hemangioma of the thoracic spinal cord and a review of the literature

Transient obstructive hydrocephalus due to intraventricular hemorrhage: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND: Acute transient obstructive hydrocephalus is rare in adults. We describe a patient with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) who experienced the delayed development of acute transient hydrocephalus. CASE REPORT: A 33-year-old man with a previously diagnosed Spetzler-Martin Grade 5 arteriovenous malformation presented with severe headache, which was found to be due to IVH. Forty hours after presentation he developed significant obstructive hydrocephalus due to the thrombus migrating to the cerebral aqueduct, and a ventriculostomy placement was planned. However, shortly thereafter his headache began to improve spontaneously. Within 4 hours after onset the headache had completely resolved, and an interval head CT scan revealed resolution of hydrocephalus. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with IVH, acute obstructive hydrocephalus can develop at any time after the ictus. Though a delayed presentation of acute but transient obstructive hydrocephalus is unusual, it is important to be aware of this scenario and ensure that deterioration secondary to thrombus migration and subsequent obstructive hydrocephalus do not occur

Reduced expression of N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2 in human thyroid cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>NDRG</it>2 (N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2) was initially cloned in our laboratory. Previous results have shown that <it>NDRG</it>2 expressed differentially in normal and cancer tissues. Specifically, <it>NDRG</it>2 mRNA was down-regulated or undetectable in several human cancers, and over-expression of <it>NDRG</it>2 inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells. <it>NDRG</it>2 also exerts important functions in cell differentiation and tumor suppression. However, it remains unclear whether <it>NDRG</it>2 participates in carcinogenesis of the thyroid.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study, we investigated the expression profile of human <it>NDRG</it>2 in thyroid adenomas and carcinomas, by examining tissues from individuals with thyroid adenomas (n = 40) and carcinomas (n = 35), along with corresponding normal tissues. Immunohistochemistry, quantitative RT-PCR and western blot methods were utilized to determine both the protein and mRNA expression status of Ndrg2 and c-Myc.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The immunostaining analysis revealed a decrease of Ndrg2 expression in thyroid carcinomas. When comparing adenomas or carcinomas with adjacent normal tissue from the same individual, the mRNA expression level of <it>NDRG</it>2 was significantly decreased in thyroid carcinoma tissues, while there was little difference in adenoma tissues. This differential expression was confirmed at the protein level by western blotting. However, there were no significant correlations of <it>NDRG</it>2 expression with gender, age, different histotypes of thyroid cancers or distant metastases.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data indicates that <it>NDRG</it>2 may participate in thyroid carcinogenesis. This finding provides novel insight into the important role of <it>NDRG2 </it>in the development of thyroid carcinomas. Future studies are needed to address whether the down-regulation of <it>NDRG</it>2 is a cause or a consequence of the progression from a normal thyroid to a carcinoma.</p

Platelet Plasma Membrane Comparison between Pregnant and Non-pregnant Females

Hemostasis is dependent on the functioning of three systems: blood vessels, platelets, and plasma proteins. During vessel injury, platelets adhere, secrete the contents of granules and aggregate. Each event in platelet activation is dependent upon plasma membrane proteins and a deficiency in any one of the plasma membrane proteins leads to excessive bleeding. Pregnancy is described as a hypercoagulable state during which frequent bleeding abnormalities are observed. The mechanism of hypercoagulability is not yet known. In an attempt to shed light on the hypercoagulable state, this study compares the plasma membrane proteins between pregnant and non-pregnant females

Rare Tumors 2009; volume 1:e10

hemangioma of the thoracic spine: case report and review of the literatur

Impact of lateral mass anatomic variation on ideal polyaxial screw head mobility: technical considerations

OBJECTIVE: To assess optimal angulation characteristics of lateral mass screws for subaxial (C3 to C6) fixation of the cervical spine in the neutral position. BACKGROUND: In the typical Magerl or Anderson placement technique, the screw trajectory is ideally parallel to the facet joint. For the rod and screw to align properly, the screw head must rotate enough to become perpendicular to the rod. If the optimal angle for the screw head is limited by the screw design, abnormal torsional forces will be generated at the rod/screw interface inducing kyphosis. In this paper, we examined the spinal anatomy in patients with normal CTs to determine the necessary range of motion between tulip head and screw to prevent forced persuasion and abnormal cervical spine alignment. METHODS: We examined subaxial radiographs of 292 vertebrae from C3 to C6 in 73 normal subjects. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the cervical spine with multiplanar reconstructions were evaluated in the axial and sagittal planes. A planned screw entry angle of 30° based upon the midpoint of the lateral mass was used in the axial plane, and parallel to the facet joint in the sagittal plane. The screw head angle (SHA) was then calculated from this 3D measured angle. RESULTS: The measured SHA ranged from 27 to 60°. The average SHA was 43.8°. The average SHA was not significantly different between the levels measured with consistent range and standard deviation. Seventy-six percent (223/292) of levels measured required a SHA \u3e40°, and 12% (36/292) required a SHA \u3e50°. CONCLUSION: The authors recommend using cervical instrumentation systems that allow for at least 55° of freedom of the polyaxial head to prevent abnormal segmental forces. In systems with lesser angulation, technique modifications must be applied to prevent translational forces