Effect of repeated lepromin testing on experimental nine-banded armadillo leprosy

Twenty-eight armadillos were lepromin tested and infected with M. leprae; 18 intravenously and 10 intradermally. The lepromin test was repeated after 3 months and at intervals of 6 months thereafter until their death or sacrifice up to 30 months. The one animal with tuberculoid lepromin was resistant and 14 of the 16 with lepromatous lepromin developed generalized disease. Of the 11 with borderline lepromin, 6 developed disseminated disease and 5 were resistant. There is a definite relationship between resistance and tuberculoid lepromin in the armadillo. Repeated lepromin testing had no effect in the rate of infection and the course of the disease in animals infected intravenously. In the intradermally infected animals the results were inconclusive. Whereas all the 20 animals with disseminated disease showed lesions in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes, only 4 animals had sciatic nerve involvement. Peripheral nerve trunk is not necessarily the preferred site in the armadillo. Lung lesions were an important cause of death in lepromatous armadillos.     

The sensitivity of carpal bone indices to rotational malpositioning

We investigated the dependence of 20 radiographic carpal measurements (carpal indices) on rotational positioning errors in posteroanterior and lateral radiographs. The measurements were made from "true perspective" digitally reconstructed radiographs created from computed tomography data. Most posteroanterior indices were not affected by rotation. Carpal height, carpal height ratio, revised carpal height ratio, capitate-radius distance, and carpal ulnar translocation were particularly robust. Lateral-view indices involving the scaphoid were the most sensitive to simulated malpositioning: radioscaphoid, scapholunate, and scaphocapitate angles were reduced from 58 degrees, 48 degrees, and 56 degrees at true lateral to 30 degrees, 24 degrees, and 34 degrees, respectively, at 20 degrees external rotation. Observers were unable to estimate the degree of malpositioning accurately in either view. Our results support use of the "scaphopisocapitate" criterion for assessing correct positioning in lateral plain radiographs.     

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-4 (rhBMP-4) enhanced posterior spinal fusion without decortication.

In posterior spinal fusion, insufficient decortication may decrease the number of bone marrow derived ostoprogenitor stem cells and affect the success of bony fusion. The finding of bone formation through interaction between rhBMP-4 and non-marrow derived mesenchymal cells constituted the basis of the current study. The aim is to investigate the possibility of molecular enhancement of posterior spinal fusion by site-specific application of rhBMP-4 with or without surgical decortication. Eighteen adult rabbits underwent single level bilateral posterior intertransverse process spinal fusion at L5-L6. one side with decortication, and the other side without decortication. Two animals underwent sham operation without bone grafts, the other 16 animals were randomly allocated into three groups, using hydroxyapatite-tricalcium phosphate (HA-TCP) ceramic blocks augmented with 0, 0.125 and 0.5 mg of rhBMP-4 respectively. Spinal fusion morphology was evaluated with sequential X-ray, microradiography and histomorphology. At week 7, complete bony fusion was achieved in none of the groups without rhBMP-4 irrespective of whether the bony contact surface was decorticated or not. In the groups with low dose rhBMP-4, complete fusion occurred in two of six un-decorticated sites (33%) and in three of six (50%) decorticated sites. 100% complete fusion was found in the high dose rhBMP-4 group independent of surgical decortication. The dorsal cortices of the un-decorticated transverse processes were replaced by newly formed trabecular bone through biological remodeling. This study suggested that rhBMP-4 can induce non-marrow derived mesenchymal cells to differentiate into osteogenic cells and thus enhance the high success rate of pesterior spinal fusion in both the decorticated and un-decorticated model.     

Correction to: Transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-operative neurorehabilitation in neuro-oncology: a review of the literature and future directions

Journal of Neuro-Oncology -     

The role of cesium-131 brachytherapy in brain tumors: a scoping review of the literature and ongoing clinical trials

Journal of Neuro-Oncology - Cesium-131 radioactive isotope has favored the resurgence of intracavitary brachytherapy in neuro-oncology, minimizing radiation-induced complications and maximizing...     

Neurosurgical oncology: advances in operative technologies and adjuncts

Modern glioma surgery has evolved around the central tenet of safely maximizing resection. Recent surgical adjuncts have focused on increasing the maximum extent of resection while minimizing risk to functional brain. Technologies such as cortical and subcortical stimulation mapping, intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging, functional neuronavigation, navigable intraoperative ultrasound, neuroendoscopy, and fluorescence-guided resection have been developed to augment the identification of tumor while preserving brain anatomy and function. However, whether these technologies offer additional long-term benefits to glioma patients remains to be determined. Here we review advances over the past decade in operative technologies that have offered the most promising benefits for glioblastoma patients.     

Odontogenic carcinoma: a functional genomic comparison with oral mucosal squamous cell carcinoma

Intraosseous squamous cell carcinomas of the mandible arise de novo or secondary to a tumor or transformed cyst epithelium. Current diagnostic tests frequently fail to distinguish between these tumors, leading to confusing classification schemes. We report the functional genomic analysis of a mandibular odontogenic carcinoma. Malignant keratinocytes from the lesion were isolated using laser capture microdissection. Target sample generated from the total RNA of the LCM-procured cells was used to hybridize high-density oligonucleotide arrays. Functional genomic analysis of the odontogenic carcinoma database compared with four oral mucosal squamous cell carcinoma gene expression databases was performed. Preliminary results suggest a small subset of genes distinguish this odontogenic carcinoma from oral mucosal epidermoid carcinomas.