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Subject: The goal of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the decompressive craniectomy (DC) concerning its various parameters., Material and Methods: Forty-five patients were studied (6 female, 39 male, mean age 53 years). All patients were treated because of severe traumatic brain injury. CT was performed before surgery and on the 1st to 3rd days postoperatively, and was evaluated using specific software. Parameters such as diameter of DC, volume of the additional intradural space obtained, and the shift of the midline were measured., Results: In the group of patients treated with unilateral DC, the 11-cm craniectomy resulted in an average of 69 mL of additional space. The best score on the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS-E) after DC was in patients younger than 35 years old., Conclusion: In our opinion DC is a suitable method of treatment for patients after severe traumatic brain injury. The best results were achieved in a group of patients aged <50 years, in particular <35 years old. DC gives extra additional space for damaged and edematous brain. DC should be performed early enough and should be large enough. Parameters of the DC obtained positive results with regard to patient status, but there are also other factors such as age and initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, which can affect outcome.

Introduction: Monitoring changes in the intracranial volume (ICV) reserve and intracranial pressure (ICP) is one of the key issues in the treatment of intracranial pathologies. The aim of this study is to develop a method of monitoring the ICV reserve by analyzing CSF volume measured using CT in specific regions., Materials and Methods: A total of 20 patients with cerebral injury were evaluated. Analysis was performed using imaging software. On selected scans (three at the basal cistern level and three at the pineal level), the following regions were analyzed: total cerebral surface (TC1, TC2) and bilateral ambient cistern (AC) only at the basal cistern level for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume. Results were correlated with patients' Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores., Results: An increase of CSF volume was observed with an improvement in the GCS. From the examined regions, only AC volume showed a statistically significant linear correlation (p < 0.0005) with GCS. Mean AC: 0.021, 0.454, and 0.678 mL CSF/scan in severe (3-8 pts GCS), moderate (9-12 pts GCS), and mild (13-15 pts GCS) TBI groups, respectively., Discussion: Assessment of CSF volume changes in mL CSF/scan can be conducted using CT. Counting voxels corresponding to the CSF eliminates mistakes due to inaccurate region demarcation. The obtained results (AC volume) show a high correlation with patient state.

Obstruction of shunt catheters is one of the main causes of shunt malfunction. The fragments of shunts removed from five patients were examined using scanning electron microscopy with a (SEM) JEOL JSM-6390 LV microscope. Fifteen catheters from the brain ventricle, lumbar space, and peritoneal space were studied. SEM studies showed that the catheters' surfaces were not sufficiently smooth. The inner surface was often covered by a web of collagen fibrils. Aggregates of red and white blood cells, platelets, lymphocytes, mast cells, and macrophages were trapped in the collagen web. Such cellular aggregates formed a coherent, delicate web mainly consisting of ultrastructurally unchanged cellular elements and were well preserved. Other types of aggregates contained completely destroyed cells that appeared to be submerged in thick collagen web fibrils.We also found a few ultrastructural abnormalities among morphologically unchanged cellular elements. The presence of abnormal red cells showing unusual variability in their shape and size including spherocytosis (thickened, spheroid, and crenate red cells), elliptocytosis (elongated, rod-shaped, or tear-drop red cells), the thalassaemic phenotype of red cells (with inclusion of precipitated unstable hemoglobin in the form of Heinz bodies distorting the red cells, leading to their lysis) was a striking finding. Under scanning electron microscopy, we also recognized swollen or crumpled red cells that looked like potato crisps. Aggregation of thickened blood platelets and white cells was observed frequently. Our study confirmed the importance of the smoothness of the inner surface of the catheter. Smoothness can prevent the formation of cell and protein deposits.

Experiments were designed to study the extent, duration and severity of the impairment of cerebrocortical microciroflow during acute ischemia following experimental SAH in the rat. Twenty five male, adult anesthetized and mechanically ventilated Wistar rats were used. SAH was induced by perforation of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) using intravascular filament. Cerebrocortical microflow (LDF) was recorded bilaterally in the territory supplied by the MCA at normocapnia before SAH and up to 180 min thereafter. Reactivity of microcirculation to CO2 was also studied. In order to further explain mechanisms of post-SAH microcirculatory changes, L-arginine--a precursor of NO and 17-octadecynoic acid (17-ODYA)--an inhibitor of the enzymes of cytochrome P-450 family were administered. SAH resulted in acute decrease of microflow on both sides although during the first 20 min this effect was much better pronounced on the side ipsilateral to ruptured MCA (p < 0.05). Pretreatment with L-arginine or 17-ODYA didn't improve microflow after SAH. On the contrary, in rats pretreated with 17-ODYA LDF on the side ipsilateral to bleeding significantly deteriorated (p < 0.05 vs. control group at all times beginning 10 min after SAH). Following SAH the impairment of CO2 reactivity was also observed.

Biopsies of 6 malignant gliomas (grade 3 or 4) and 11 low-grade meningiomas were extracted with perchloric acid or methanol/water, and the fully-relaxed 1H-MRS spectra of the extracts containing water-soluble metabolites and a concentration and chemical shift standard were recorded at 11.4 T. The resonance signals assigned to inositol (Ino), glycerophospho- and phosphocholine (GPC + PC), choline (Cho), creatine and phosphocreatine (Cr + PCr), glutamate (Glu), acetate (Ac), alanine (Ala) and lactate (Lac) were integrated, and analyzed by two methods. First, the concentrations of the aforementioned substances in the bioptates were estimated from their resonance signals in the extracts. Second, these signals were normalized to the Cr + PCr resonance signal. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to verify statistical significance between the data sets obtained for gliomas and meningiomas. When the first method of analysis was used, the only difference was in the Ala concentration, which in meningiomas was on average 4 times higher than in gliomas (P < 0.01). However, when the second method of analysis was applied, gliomas expressed lower normalized resonance signals of Ala and Glu (P < 0.001, ranges not overlapping), Lac (P < 0.005), as well as Ino and GPC + PC (P < 0.05). In proton MR spectra of brain tumor tissue extracts containing water soluble metabolites, the resonance signals normalized to that of total creatine may provide a very good discrimination between malignant gliomas and low-grade meningiomas.

Dotarizine--a novel piperazine derivative--belongs to wide spectrum Ca+ channel antagonists. It was reported to have strong vasodilatory and antiserotoninergic activities. Unlike other Ca+ channel blockers Dotarizine was found to have lower oral toxicity. In the presented study the influence of the oral administration of the novel compound on the blood flow velocity changes in different cerebral arteries--in basilar artery (BA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA)--was investigated under hyperventilation and hypoxic conditions of rabbits. In the first experimental group 25 mg/kg of Dotarizine dissolved in 0.25% agar was administered orally three times at the 10 hours' intervals. The sham group of animals was fed with agar of the same concentration. The results revealed that oral administration of Dotarizine diminished the vasoconstrictive effect of hyperventilation and this was more pronounced in MCA than in BA. During anoxic conditions stronger vasodilatory effects were observed in both groups of vessels and the low value of pulsatility index (PI) reflected pronounced decrease of the peripheral resistance, in comparison to the control group. Thus, the oral administration of Dotarizine decreases the peripheral resistance of cerebral vessels and therefore seems to have influence on the minute arteries of cerebrovascular system of the brain.

The changes of the blood flow velocity in different cerebral arteries under normal and postischemic conditions were investigated in order to evaluate cerebrovascular reserve capacity after the brain ischemia. The experiments were carried out in rabbits. Administration of acetazolamide (Diamox) of 20 mg/kg was performed in all experimental animals and the blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and the basilar artery (BA) was measured using the transcranial Doppler sonography. In the control group of animals the intravenous administration of Diamox caused significant increase of the blood flow velocity in the MCA and the BA. In the second group of animals subjected to the acute global ischemia (occlusion of two vessels + hypotension) of 10 min duration prior to the Diamox administration, no increase of the blood flow velocity in the MCA was observed parallel with an increase in the BA. In some animals there was a decrease in the blood flow velocity in MCA. This could be a consequence of stealing phenomenon, as an increase of cerebral blood flow in the posterior fossa compartment, at the cost of the supratentorial circulation. Identification of the areas damaged after the brain ischemia was performed by the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazoliumchloride (TTC) staining technique. This revealed more pronounced ischemic lesions in the cerebral cortex in comparison to the region of the basal ganglia.