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Study Design: A prospective, randomized, blinded experimental trauma study., Study Objective: The effect of adenosine on arachidonic acid metabolites and lipid peroxidation was investigated in induced spinal cord injury., Summary of Background Data: Effects of adenosine in ischemia-reperfusion models have been studied, but no studies of adenosine's effect on direct trauma to the spinal cord have been reported., Methods: Thirty-seven adult Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups and underwent laminectomy. Group 1 underwent a sham operation. Group 2 received an intravenous adenosine infusion of 100 micrograms/kg per minute for 30 minutes. In Group 3, a standard spinal cord trauma of 50 g.cm strength was established at the lower thoracic level with a "weight-drop" technique, and Group 4 received an infusion of adenosine (100 micrograms/kg per minute) for 30 minutes after the trauma., Results: Tissue prostaglandin E2 activity was significantly higher in adenosine-treated trauma groups when compared with that in other groups (P < 0.0001). The difference in tissue leukotriene C4 activity between control and trauma groups was significant (P < 0.05). Adenosine infusion after trauma limited the increases in lipid peroxidation, with the difference approaching significance at P = 0.06. The structure of myelin was well preserved in the adenosine-treated trauma group. However, the changes were irreversible in severely damaged areas., Conclusion: After acute spinal cord trauma, intravenous adenosine infusion of 100 micrograms/kg per minute could attenuate progression to secondary injury, but adenosine alone was not effective yet.

To study the natural history of acute sciatica, 208 patients with obvious symptoms and signs of a lumbar radiculopathy (L5 and S1) were examined within 14 days of onset. A concomitant double-blind investigation of the effect of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam was performed. The results measured by visual analog scale and Roland's functional tests showed a satisfactory improvement throughout the 4 weeks of observation. The piroxicam-treated group had same results as the control group. Based on questionnaires at months 3 and 12 approximately 30% of the patients still complained about back trouble and 19.5% were out of work after 1 year. Four patients underwent surgery during this period.

A unique case of sarcoidosis, presenting as a unilateral multilevel cervical radiculopathy without spinal cord compression, is discussed. The clinical presentation, along with the initial myelographic findings and emphasis on local compressive etiologies delayed the diagnosis. The aim of this report is to focus on this unique entity and to review its role in the differential diagnosis of patients with atypical cervical radiculopathy. A pleocytosis of cerebrospinal fluid, an increase in protein concentration, and hypoglycorrhachia support the diagnosis of spinal cord sarcoidosis. While the outlook for patients with spinal cord sarcoid is poor, improvement of neurologic deficits has been documented after steroid therapy. A review of the literature on sarcoid involvement of the spinal cord and roots is summarized.