Clinical Characteristics of Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytoma in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

Background: This study evaluated the characteristics of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) entered into the TuberOus SClerosis registry to increase disease Awareness (TOSCA). Methods: The study was conducted at 170 sites across 31 countries. Data from patients of any age with a documented clinical visit for TSC in the 12 months preceding enrollment or those newly diagnosed with TSC were entered. Results: SEGA were reported in 554 of 2,216 patients (25%). Median age at diagnosis of SEGA was 8 years (range, 18 years. SEGA were symptomatic in 42.1% of patients. Symptoms included increased seizure frequency (15.8%), behavioural disturbance (11.9%), and regression/loss of cognitive skills (9.9%), in addition to those typically associated with increased intracranial pressure. SEGA were significantly more frequent in patients with TSC2 compared to TSC1 variants (33.7 vs. 13.2 %, p < 0.0001). Main treatment modalities included surgery (59.6%) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors (49%). Conclusions: Although SEGA diagnosis and growth typically occurs during childhood, SEGA can occur and grow in both infants and adults

Late Subaxial Lesion after Overcorrected Occipitocervical Reconstruction in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Study Design: Retrospective case-control study, level 4. Purpose: To clarify the risk factors for late subaxial lesion after occipitocervical (O-C) reconstruction. We examined cases requiring fusion-segment-extended (FE) reconstruction in addition to/after O-C reconstruction. Overview of Literature: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently require O-C reconstruction surgery for cranio-cervical lesions. Acceptable outcomes are achieved via indirect decompression using cervical pedicle screws and occipital plate-rod systems. However, late subaxial lesions may develop occasionally following O-C reconstruction. Methods: O-C reconstruction using cervical pedicle screws and occipital plate-rod systems was performed between 1994 and 2007 in 113 patients with RA. Occipito-atlanto-axial (O-C2) reconstruction was performed for 89 patients, and occipito-subaxial cervical (O-under C2) reconstruction was performed for 24 patients. We reviewed the cases of patients requiring FE reconstruction (fusion extended group, FEG) and 26 consecutive patients who did not require FE reconstruction after a follow-up of > 5 years (non-fusion extended group, NEG) as controls. Results: FE reconstructions were performed for nine patients at an average of 45 months (range, 24-180 months) after O-C reconstruction. Of the 89 patients, three (3%) underwent FE reconstruction in cases of O-C2 reconstruction. Of the 24 patients, five (21%) underwent FE reconstruction in cases of O-under C2 reconstruction (p = 0.003, Fisher exact test). Age, sex, RA type, and neurological impairment stage were not significantly different between FEG and NEG. O-under C2 reconstruction, larger correction angle (4 degrees per number of unfixed segment), and O-C7 angle change after O-C reconstruction were the risk factors for late subaxial lesions on radiographic assessment. Conclusions: Overcorrection of angle at fusion segments requiring O-C7 angle change was a risk factor for late subaxial lesion in patients with RA with fragile bones and joints. Correction should be limited, considering the residual mobility of the cervical unfixed segments

SEX- AND MATURITY-RELATED HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATIONS IN THE ANTARCTIC KRILL EUPHAUSIA SUPERBA (Eleventh Symposium on Polar Biology)

Concentrations of heavy metals and their chemical forms were analyzed in the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) collected from the Scotia Sea in December, 1987, and the results were discussed in relation to sex and maturity stages. The whole body metal concentrations were in the order of Zn〓Cu>Fe>Mn>Ni>Cd. The values of Fe, Mn and Zn were higher in females than in males. The values of Cu, Fe, Ni and Cd in adult females were highest in stage IIIA. Also, the values for Cu was higher in juveniles than in adults. Concentrations of the metals were generally higher in cephalothorax than in abdomen. In particular, a majority of Cu burden in the cephalothorax existed as Cu-binding proteins, which were likely to be mainly hemocyanin and metallothionein. We speculate that changes in amounts of Cu-binding proteins by physiological conditions might be important causes for the variations of Cu concentration between sexes and between maturity stages of the Antarctic krill

In vivo deformation of anatomically pre-bent rods in thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Abstract Some surgical strategies can maintain or restore thoracic kyphosis (TK); however, next-generation surgical schemes for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) should consider anatomical corrections. A four-dimensional correction could be actively achieved by curving the rod. Thus, anatomically designed rods have been developed as notch-free, pre-bent rods for easier anatomical reconstruction. This study aimed to compare the initial curve corrections obtained using notch-free rods and manually bent, notched rods for the anatomical reconstruction of thoracic AIS. Two consecutive series of 60 patients who underwent anatomical posterior correction for main thoracic AIS curves were prospectively followed up. After multilevel facetectomy, except for the lowest instrumented segment, either notch-free or notched rods were used. Patient demographic data, radiographic measurements, and sagittal rod angles were analyzed within 1 week after surgery. Patients with notch-free rods had significantly higher postoperative TK than patients with notched rods (P < .001), but both groups achieved three-dimensional spinal corrections and significantly increased postoperative rates of patients with T6–T8 TK apex (P = .006 for notch-free rods and P = .008 for notched rods). The rod deformation angle at the concave side was significantly lower in the notch-free rods than in the notched rods (P < .001). The notch-free, pre-bent rod can maintain its curvature, leading to better correction or maintenance of TK after anatomical spinal correction surgery than the conventional notched rod. These results suggest the potential benefits of anatomically designed notch-free, pre-bent rods over conventional, manually bent rods