Internal reduction established by occiput-C2 pedicle polyaxial screw stabilization in pediatric atlantoaxial rotatory fixation

Atlantoaxial rotatory fixation is an uncommon disorder of childhood, which can be treated conservatively when diagnosed early. Although spontaneous correction occasionally occurs, most of the patients usually benefit from collar or traction therapies. If there is no intervention or if all external therapeutic modalities fail, the deformity may become chronic and irreducible. In such rare cases, surgical correction and stabilization are needed to prevent future head and neck deformity or facial asymmetry. In this report we describe a novel surgical technique used in a pediatric case presenting with delayed type 2 atlantoaxial rotatory fixation, in whom all external reduction methods had failed. The patient's deformity was treated by occiput-C2 pedicle polyaxial screw stabilization. This technique is effective for reducing the atlantoaxial fixation in children.     

Are there fetal stem cells in the maternal brain?

Fetal cells can enter maternal blood during pregnancy but whether they can also cross the blood-brain barrier to enter the maternal brain remains poorly understood. Previous results suggest that fetal cells are summoned to repair damage to the mother''s brain. If this is confirmed, it would open up new and safer avenues of treatment for brain damage caused by strokes and neural diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether a baby''s stem cells can enter the maternal brain during pregnancy. Deceased patients who had at least one male offspring and no history of abortion and blood transfusion were included in this study. DNA was extracted from brain tissue samples of deceased women using standard phenol-chloroform extraction and ethanol precipitation methods. Genomic DNA was screened by quantitative fluorescent-polymerase chain reaction amplification together with short tandem repeat markers specific to the Y chromosome, and 13, 18, 21 and X. Any foreign DNA residues that could be used to interpret the presence of fetal stem cells in the maternal brain were monitored. Results indicated that fetal stem cells can not cross the blood-brain barrier to enter the maternal brain.