Objectives - We designed this study to evaluate the effect of TachoComb and to compare it with SurgiWrap, Surgicel, and Lyodura in an experimental rat model for epidural fibrosis (EF). Methods - This prospective and experimental rat model study was performed at Dicle University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, in Diyarbakır, Turkey, between January 2005 and June 2005, using 50 Sprague Dawley rats (30 female and 20 male) with a mean weight of 290 g. The rats were divided into five groups: TachoComb, Surgicel, SurgiWrap, Lyodura, and control. Results - Eight weeks after laminectomy, the rats were killed and EF was evaluated. EF was statistically different between the groups. The lowest EF score was in the TachoComb group (F=6.915, p<0.001). Conclusions - According to this study, TachoComb was found to be a more effective agent in decreasing EF than Surgicel, SurgiWrap, or Lyodura.

[Objective - In our case report we present the treatment of a female patient suffering from therapy resistant depression. This procedure is not in practice in Hungary at present, the aim of our work to reproduce the findigs of international studies in domestic circumstances. Matter - Major depression is a common, chronic and severe mental disorder, with 16.2% lifetime prevalence. Many international randomized, placebo controlled trials found administration of ketamine infusion effective in depressed patients. Methods - Since ketamine is an anesthetic agent, its administration was performed in the post-operative monitoring room of our hospital operating-room, supervised by an anesthesiologist. According to formerly published data, a dose of 0.5 mg/kg of body weight was administered intravenously in 40 minutes by perfusor. The drug was administered in a same manner fifteen days later. Subject - The patient was admitted to our inpatient ward with severe depression. During two months of combined antidepressant therapy her condition has not improved significantly. Approval for off label drug indication was granted with urgency by the National Institute of Quality and Organizational Development in Healthcare and Medicines. Results - During the two treatments the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 21 items rating scale score was reduced to 8 from the baseline 28, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale score was reduced to 6 from 25, Beck Depression Inventory was reduced to 9 from 20. Upon administration of the drug no severe adverse event was detected, the mild dissociative state related to ketamine was ceased in a short period of time. Discussion - With administration of 0.5 mg/kg ketamine the authors managed to achieve rapid improvement in a therapy resistant depressed patient, without permanent side effects. Our future plan is to repeat the use of the drug within a double-blind, placebo controlled trial in order to prove its efficacy in hospital settings. ]

[Renal toxicity of lithium is a highly important subject which may jeopardize the use of an agent needed by millions suffering from recurrent episodes of bipolar disorder. Lithium induced severe renal damage leading to end stage renal disease can be almost prevented today using lowered plasma lithium levels. But administration of medicines are necessary for the prevention of the lithium induced disturbance in renal concentrating operation and development of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Use of thiazides, non-steroid anti-inflammatory compounds (indomethacine) amiloride, high doses of desmopressin and their combinations are our present armamentarium. The present therapy for lithiuminduced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in man is to counter anti-vasopressin action of lithium. The “future” treatment seems to be (on the basis of recent animal experiments) to enhance the sensitivity of the kidney to vasopressin action by administering pharmacologic blockade of the renal P2Y12 receptor by using clopidrogel or prasugrel.]

Background and purpose - Former studies reported internal jugular vein stenosis in patients with multiple sclerosis. We aimed to evaluate if these venous stenoses were real and cerebral venous outflow of patients with multiple sclerosis differed from that of normal controls. Methods - 20 controls were prospectively investigated by angiography and duplex ultrasound. Seven patients with multiple sclerosis underwent angiography in other centers; we reviewed these registrations and performed venous ultrasound examinations. Results - Angiography displayed >50% stenosis of internal jugular vein in 19 controls (69±17% on the right and 73±13% on the left side) and <50% stenosis in 1 control (43.5% and 44.6%). All 7 patients had at least one-sided stenosis. The mean degree of stenosis was 63±16% on the right and 67±13% on the left side. There was no significant difference in the degree of stenosis between patients and controls. However, these “stenoses” disappeared if the contrast agent was injected at a catheter position below the orifice of the subclavian vein during venography. The venous flow volume was also similar between groups: 479.7±214.1 and 509.8±212.0 ml/min (right and left side) in the patients and 461.3±224.3 and 513.6±352.2 ml/min in the control group; p=0.85 and 0.98 (right and left). Color and power duplex imaging also revealed normal blood flow of the internal jugular vein in all patients and controls. Conclusion - The cerebral venous status of patients with multiple sclerosis and controls were similar. The angiographic “stenoses” were virtual, caused by the contrast dilution effect of the non-contrast blood stream of the subclavian vein.

[Correlation between carotid artery lesions and cerebral perfusion (Carotid Duplex scan and brain SPECT). Stenosis or dissection? Differential diagnostic issues in carotid circulation disorders. AVM diagnosed by 3D TCD. Possible diagnostic errors in supraaortic duplex UH scans and angiography. Causes of diagnostic errors in duplex ultrasound studies of the carotid arteries and ways to avoid them. The role of duplex ultrasonography in the surgical evaluation of common carotid artery occlusion (case report). Follow-up of Moyamoya disease with transcranial Doppler (TCD). Platelet function tests in the acute and chronic phase of cerebral circulatory disease. Multicausal cerebral circulatory disorders. Co-occurrence of parkinsonism and giant aneurysm (case report). Teratoma adultum, germinoma, spinal and cerebral metastases in the background of intermittent headache - 5-year patient follow-up Differential diagnosis of meningeal tumours. Extracranial tumours presenting with symptoms of brain metastasis. Pitfalls in the diagnosis of craniocervical transitional and high cervical space occupying processes. Diagnosis of benign spinal tumours. Spinal dermoid cyst - data on the aetiology of low back pain syndrome. Experimental and clinical potential of brain microdialysis. Treatment of multiple intracranial tumours. Tremor and reflex tests in Parkinson's disease. HMPAO SPECT studies in Parkinson's disease. Aurorix treatment in cases of Parkinson's syndrome complicated with depression. Drug therapy of Parkinson's syndrome with special reference to diurnal performance fluctuations. Jumex in the early phase of Parkinson's syndrome. Conductive education in parkinsonism. Use of biophysical methods in the study of the pathomechanism of neurological diseases. Large blind spot syndrome. Investigation of optokinetic nystagmus in solitary frontal laesio. Hypocalcaemia and epilepsy. Difficulties in the recognition of epileptic seizures. Hypnosis treatment in partial epilepsy. Migraine, depression, anxiety. Verbalization features of headaches. Fahr's disease in our class material. CT scanning of cerebral vascular lesions and differential diagnostic difficulties. Binswanger's disease. CT lesions in patients with psychopathological symptoms. The importance of 3D MR angiography in occlusive cerebral vascular disease. Comparative study of cervical large vessel imaging. Difficulties in the diagnosis of craniocervical transition in a case report. Differential diagnosis of spinal cord disease. History and epidemiology of Parkinson's disease. Recent data on the pathomechanism of parkinsonism; experimental therapies Diagnostic errors in Parkinson's syndrome. Sinemet CR - advances in drug therapy. Oxidant phenotype studies in Parkinson's syndrome patients. Madopar-HBS treatment of patients with Parkinson's syndrome. Co-occurrence of complicated migraine and idiopathic cerebral atrophy. Family study in adreno-leuko-dystrophy. Electrophysiological study of patients with anaemia perniciosa. Cartilage drift into the sacral dura sac. Results of electrophysiological studies in patients with Parkinson's syndrome. EMG-SCAN studies in patients with Parkinson's syndrome. A case of adult myotubular myopathy in our department. Advanced picture of Kugelberg-Welander syndrome. Immunological study of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Recessive generalized myotonia (Becker). Differential diagnosis of myotonia in a case report. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia with syncope. Familial occurrence of multisystemic atrophy. Apert syndrome in the light of modern diagnostics. Infant with Reit syndrome (video case presentation). Juvenile cardiogenic stroke. Sneddon syndrome. Cerebrovascular patients in our department in the first half of 1993. Cerebellar haemorrhages. Changes in the assessment of prognosis in the patient population of our department. A case of medial thalamic atrophy thought to be multiple sclerosis. Extrapyramidal damage caused by stroke. Cases of bilateral occipital lobular atrophy. Case of severe brainstem lesion (central pontine myelinolysis). Long-term follow-up of the cellular and humoral immune response in patients with multiple sclerosis. Current problems of Lyme borreliosis in our departmental practice. Listeria monocytogenes as a possible causative agent of purulent meningitis. Incidence of lower limb root pains causing diagnostic difficulty in our department. Peripheral neuropathy in hypereosinophilic syndrome. Eye movement disorders caused by brain stem diseases. Depression in patients with Parkinson's syndrome, with particular reference to the possibility of presuicidal syndrome (RINGEL).]