Myelopathy Caused by Chronic Epidural Hematoma Associated with L1 Osteoporotic Vertebral Collapse: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Epidural hematoma associated with osteoporotic vertebral collapse has not been reported yet in the literature. We report a case of myelopathy caused by chronic epidural hematoma associated with L1 osteoporotic vertebral collapse and review the relevant literature

Aberrant crossed corticospinal facilitation in muscles distant from a spinal cord injury.

Crossed facilitatory interactions in the corticospinal pathway are impaired in humans with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). The extent to which crossed facilitation is affected in muscles above and below the injury remains unknown. To address this question we tested 51 patients with neurological injuries between C2-T12 and 17 age-matched healthy controls. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation we elicited motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the resting first dorsal interosseous, biceps brachii, and tibialis anterior muscles when the contralateral side remained at rest or performed 70% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) into index finger abduction, elbow flexion, and ankle dorsiflexion, respectively. By testing MEPs in muscles with motoneurons located at different spinal cord segments we were able to relate the neurological level of injury to be above, at, or below the location of the motoneurons of the muscle tested. We demonstrate that in patients the size of MEPs was increased to a similar extent as in controls in muscles above the injury during 70% of MVC compared to rest. MEPs remained unchanged in muscles at and within 5 segments below the injury during 70% of MVC compared to rest. However, in muscles beyond 5 segments below the injury the size of MEPs increased similar to controls and was aberrantly high, 2-fold above controls, in muscles distant (>15 segments) from the injury. These aberrantly large MEPs were accompanied by larger F-wave amplitudes compared to controls. Thus, our findings support the view that corticospinal degeneration does not spread rostral to the lesion, and highlights the potential of caudal regions distant from an injury to facilitate residual corticospinal output after SCI

Diagnosis of inflammatory demyelination in biopsy specimens: a practical approach

Multiple sclerosis is the most frequent demyelinating disease in adults. It is characterized by demyelination, inflammation, gliosis and a variable loss of axons. Clinically and histologically, it shares features with other demyelinating and/or inflammatory CNS diseases. Diagnosis of an inflammatory demyelinating disease can be challenging, especially in small biopsy specimens. Here, we summarize the histological hallmarks and most important neuropathological differential diagnoses of early MS, and provide practical guidelines for the diagnosis of inflammatory demyelinating diseases

Acid formation in polymer solids by radiation-induced chain reactions of diphenyliodonium salts

In order to develop chemically amplified radiation resist having ability of acid multiplication, acid formation in γ-irradiated polymer films and solutions of acetal compounds containing diphenyliodonium salt has been studied. Acids were generated in the films and solutions by chain reactions of large G-value. The G-value depends on the chemical structure of the polymers and acetal compounds. Compounds containing cyclic acetal structure give large G-values. This dependence can be explained by difference in the possibility of the electron transfer from radicals of the polymers and acetal compounds to diphenyliodonium salt. Polyvinyl acetals will be a candidate for the dually amplified resist