Surgery of perirolandic mass lesions with central sulcus mapping

In a series of forty eight consecutive patients with parenchymatous mass lesions in the perirolandic area the central sulcus was identified intraoperatively in forty six. In patients in whom the mass lesion was seen on the surface, the relationship of the lesion to the somatosensory cortex and its underlying white matter was precisely determined. When the lesion was subcortical, the relationship of the mass lesion to the central sulcus on the MR image together with the central sulcus identified peroperatively, again, helped to determine the exact site of the tumour. Knowledge of the exact location of the tumour in relation to the central sulcus helped in the radical excision of seventy seven percent of these tumours. The morbidity following the operation was minimal.

Value of visual evoked potential monitoring during trans-sphenoidal pituitary surgery

The visual outcome of 22 patients undergoing trans-sphenoidal excision of pituitary macroadenomas with intraoperative flash visual evoked potential (VEP) monitoring (Group A), was compared with a non-randomized group of 14 patients who had undergone similar operations without VEP monitoring (Group B). Tumour size, preoperative visual acuity, peripheral fields, and latencies and amplitudes of P1 and P2 were analysed to ascertain the best predictor of postoperative visual function. It was found that patients in Group A had a significantly greater improvement in field defects than those in Group B. There was no difference in postoperative improvement in visual acuity between the two groups. None of the variables analysed were good predictors of visual outcome.

Effect of low-intensity millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation on regeneration of the sciatic nerve in rats

The effect of low-intensity millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation (MWR) on regeneration of the rat sciatic nerve after transection and microsurgical reapproximation was examined. Rats were exposed to 54 GHz MWR at a power density of 4 mW/cm2. It was found that MWR treatment of the femoral skin in the area of suture accelerated the regeneration of nerve fibers. At the twentieth postoperative day, the MWR-treated animals had a 32% increase in the regeneration distance compared to the control animals. The conduction velocity showed a 26% increase in the MWR-treated animals.

Sensory receptors situated in the interphalangeal joint capsule of the fingers of the bonnet monkey (Macaca radiata)

Using bonnet monkeys (Macaca radiata) the content, location and types of sensory endings with regard to interphalangeal joints of the fingers of the hand were studied. Use of the modification of Barker and Ip [J Physiol (Lond) 1963;124: 476-488] of the de Castros silver method showed that the Paciniform/Pacinian corpuscles are almost the exclusive encapsulated receptors in this tissue. Free nerve endings are present. Using serial paraffin sections stained with the May-Grünwald-Giemsa stain, the proximal interphalangeal joint capsules were reconstructed. This confirmed the results of the study using teased preparations stained by the Barker and Ip method. In addition it was shown that the encapsulated endings were situated exclusively in the lateral and ventral aspects of the joint capsule. The number of lamellae of these encapsulated endings varied from as few as three to more than fifty. It is suggested that the contribution of these various receptors to kinaesthesis can depend on such factors as their relationship with tendons and skin.

The cerebrospinal fluid from patients with prolactinoma promotes neurite growth of sensory neurones

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with hypophysis adenomas was used to investigate its effect on organotypic cultures of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of 10-11 day old chick embryo. Only the CSF from patients with prolactinoma showed a neurite-stimulating effect compared with other hypophysis adenomas.