Testicular torsion: Evaluation of contralateral testicular histology

Infertility may occur in patients with unilateral testicular torsion whose contralateral testis is intact. Depending on this observation, the physicians have begun to examine the contralateral testis. In the present prospective study we aimed to examine the histopathologic alterations occurring in the contralateral testicle with time. Sixty adult male albino rats were included in the programme, and following experimental torsion the histopathologic findings, especially those in the contralateral testis, were evaluated after 4–12 weeks. Long-term and high degree torsion of the testicle led to varying degrees of deterioration in the germinal epithelium and interstitial cells of the contralateral testicle. Histopathologic alterations were reversed in 12 weeks. Tubular diameter and testicular volume also decreased in accordance with the histopathologic alteration. In our opinion, orchiectomy following torsion of one testicle will limit potential histopathologic alterations in the contralateral testicle.     

Orbital hydatid cysts: Report of four cases

Hydatid cysts of central nervous system are rare and comprise only 2% to 3% of all hydatid cysts reported. Orbital localization is very uncommon and has been reported less than 1 % of all hydatid diseases. The primary treatment of hydatid disease is surgical. The most important complication of the surgical treatment is secondary hydatidosis due to spillage of the cyst contents. Because of the difficulties of the orbital localization, total extirpation of the cysts without rupture is almost impossible. Preventing spontaneous rupture of the cysts during surgery and postoperative antihelmintic treatment should be taken into consideration in these cases.This study includes four cases who underwent surgery for orbital hydatid cysts. Radiological characteristics, operative technique and postoperative medical therapy are discussed.     

Chlamydial infections and male infertility

Chlamydial infections may be difficult to diagnose due to the silent symptoms and difficulty in culturing. An infectious process may impair fertility by adversely affecting sperm functions, resulting in testicular damage or causing obstruction of the genital tract. In our study, we tried to find Chlamydial antigen by using EIA (Enzyme Immune Assay) and to compare the Ag(+) and Ag(−) groups according to semen parameters. Except for semen volume, we found significant differences in density, morphology, motility and viability (intervolume p>0.05, interdensity p<0.01, intermorphology p<0.001, intermotility p<0.001 and interviability p<0.001).     

Esthesioneuroblastoma in a young child. Case report

Esthesioneuroblastoma is an uncommon malignant neoplasm that arises from olfactory mucosa, often with intracranial extension.A case report of the youngest victim in the literature (2-year-old boy) is presented.     

Procedural learning in schizophrenia can reflect the pharmacologic properties of the antipsychotic treatments.

BACKGROUND: Conventional and atypical antipsychotics have different affinities for D2 receptors, and these receptors are principally located in the striatum. Given that this cerebral structure was previously found to play a major role in procedural learning, the antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia may be determinant for the procedural learning profile of these patients. OBJECTIVE: The current study was aimed at verifying whether procedural learning differs in patients with schizophrenia treated with conventional antipsychotics and patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. METHOD: Forty-five patients with schizophrenia were divided into 3 different groups according to their pharmacologic treatment: (1) haloperidol, a classical neuroleptic with high D2 receptor affinity; (2) clozapine, an atypical neuroleptic with practically no D2 receptor affinity; and (3) risperidone, an atypical neuroleptic that nevertheless shows high D2 receptor affinity. Patients were compared to 35 control subjects on a visuomotor procedural learning task (mirror drawing). RESULTS: All patients were able to learn the task. However, those treated with haloperidol showed some degree of learning impairment, while those treated with clozapine or risperidone did not show this impairment. In addition, performance per se, regardless of the learning, was found to be affected in the haloperidol and risperidone, but not in the clozapine groups. CONCLUSION: Procedural learning in schizophrenia may be differentially affected, depending on the pharmacologic profiles of the antipsychotics used for the treatment of this illness.     

Monocular contribution to the peak time of the binocular pattern visual evoked potential

The contribution of each monocular pathway to the timing of the binocular pattern visual evoked potential was assessed in situations where a significant interocular timing discrepancy was observed. Monocular and binocular pattern visual evoked potentials to 0.5° checks were recorded from normal subjects, normal subjects in whom one eye was blurred, patients with monocular amblyopia, and patients with resolved unilateral optic neuritis. Normal subjects showed facilitation, while suppression was evidenced in subjects with monocular blurring. In patients with amblyopia, the affected pathway had no effect on binocular pattern visual evoked potential latency, suggesting that the amblyopic eye was suppressed. In contrast, all patients with optic neuritis showed binocular averaging. Our results show that different forms of binocular interaction are evidenced in normal subjects, in amblyopia and in optic neuritis, and suggest that a comparative analysis of monocular and binocular pattern visual evoked potential peak times brings valuable information to the clinical evaluation that could be used to distinguish disease processes further.Abbreviation BPVEP binocular pattern visual evoked potential     

Spinal dysraphism and cavovarus foot deformity: a case report

Neurological impairment secondary to spinal dysraphism most commonly presents as unilateral cavovarus foot in children. The deformity usually develops in the growing child around the age of five or six. The presence of a cavovarus foot of unknown origin in a child should lead to a complete neurological examination, including an assessment of the spine for spinal dysraphism. The early recognition of pathology may prevent severe neurological sequelae. A case of lipomyelomeningocele is presented to illustrate that cord damage in children with spinal dysraphism can present initially as a cavovarus foot.     

Structural and ultrastructural characteristics of human pineal gland,and pineal parenchymal tumors

We have studied 20 pineal parenchymal tumors (PPT) and 4 normal or cystic pineal glands both by light and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry with antibodies against glial markers [glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and protein S-100] or neural/neuroendocrine markers [neurofilaments (NF), synaptophysin and chromogranin A]. Light microscopy revealed the cellular organization of pinealocytes in the normal gland and in different morphological types of pineal tumors (typical pineocytomas, PPT with intermediate differentiation, mixed PPT exhibiting elements of both pineocytoma and pineoblastoma and pineoblastomas). Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of GFAP and protein S-100 in interstitial cells in nonneoplastic pineal gland. Cell processes were labeled with anti-synaptophysin and anti-NF antibodies. No immunoreactivity was found for chromogranin A in non-neoplastic pineal gland. In pineocytomas, GFAP and protein S-100 were observed in interstitial cells. Synaptophysin and NF were present in the large rosettes of pineocytomas. Synaptophysin, NF and chromogranin A were present in pineocytomas with a lobular arrangement of cells. Anti-chromogranin A immuno-reactivity was also seen in lobular areas of some PPT with intermediate differentiation. Analysis of normal human pineal gland by electron microscopy showed the presence of vesicle-crowned rodlets (VCR or synaptic ribbons), fibrous filaments (F), paired twisted filaments but few dense-core vesicles (DCV) in normal pinealocytes. Tumoral pineal cells appeared to differentiate either towards a neurosensory pathway characterized by the presence of sensory cells elements (VCR and F), or towards a neuroendocrine pathway, with the occurrence of many DCV. Immunogold labeling demonstrated the presence of chromogranin A in neurosecretory granules.Supported by grants from the Région Rhône Alpes and from INSERM (CJF 90-10)