Critical Molecular and Genetic Markers in Primary Brain Tumors with Their Clinical Importance

Classification of primary brain tumors is based mainly on histopathological characteristics. Due to the peculiarity of the central nervous system (CNS), the location of the tumor is also used in the naming of the CNS tumors. These features, histopathology, and location determine the main prognostic factors in these tumors. Updated molecular and genetic findings in the last two decades accumulated vast amount of knowledge about the biological behavior, response to the treatment, and consequently the prognosis of CNS tumors. After the clinical use of these data, a recent classification is proposed by the International Society of Neuropathology named as “integrated diagnosis.

Endoscopic treatment of cavum vergae cyst: case report and review

A 3.5-year-old boy was admitted with febrile convulsion for the first time. The patient had a medical history of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and premature delivery in the 21st week of pregnancy. Further, he suffered from neonatal germinal matrix hemorrhage and intraventricular hematoma (IVH). The patient was treated in the pediatric intensive care unit. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed resorption of the hematoma with the presence of cavum vergae (CV) variation. The new brain MRI revealed progression of the cavum to a large CV cyst compared with the previous imagings, causing pressure upon both lateral ventricles. Endoscopic fenestration of the lateral walls of the cyst with lateral ventricles was performed. The postoperative period was uneventful and the patient was discharged the next day. Followup MRI one year after surgery showed normal ventricle size, shrinkage of the cyst and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow between the cyst and the lateral ventricles. This is an interesting demonstration of the progression over years of a CV anatomical variation to a large CV cyst in a premature birth case that experienced germinal matrix hemorrhage

Percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar discectomy: A critical appraisal

Percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar discectomy (PETD) is one of the surgical techniques for the treatment of the lumbar disc herniations. Fenestration of the annulus and partial resection of the nuclear substance are achieved percutaneously by a posterolateral approach under local anaesthesia. The results of the first 42 patients are evaluated regarding the learning curve and indications for this procedure. The mean follow-up time was 15 months. Excellent and good results were evaluated as successful and the overall success rate is 77%. All six patients with foraminal disc herniations in whom a free fragment could be removed had excellent results. Military personnel can return to work quickly without deficits with the use of this technique

A great misfortune: second traumatic spinal cord injury

Objective: A second and a separate traumatic spinal cord injury. which results in neurological deterioration, is very rare. In this report we describe a patient who became tetraplegic after sustaining a second spinal trauma