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The posterior cerebral fossa is an uncommon location for cerebral abscess. In most cases diagnosis is made at the encapsulation stage with the risk of life-threatening tonsillar herniation. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe our experience in the management of four cases of abscess located in the posterior cerebral fossa between January 2000 and December 2004. All patients benefited from clinical examination and radiological study (CT-scan). Surgical treatment performed in all cases consisted of trepano-puncture of the abscess. The minimum duration of post-operative follow-up was 6 months. Mean patient age was 38.75 years. All patients presented infectious syndrome and intracranial hypertension. The male:female sex ratio was 3:1. A history of chronic middle ear otitis was noted in two patients. Diagnosis of abscess in the posterior cerebral fossa was confirmed by CT-scan in 2 cases. Cholesteatoma and triventricular hydrocephaly were noted in 2 cases. All patients benefited from trepano-puncture of the abscess. Bacteriologic study of pus was positive for Staphylococcus aureus in 1 case, and Providencia Sp associated with Bactéroïdes fragilis in another. Second-stage radical mastoidectomy was performed in 2 cases. One patient died. The outcome was favorable in 3 cases. Because of the small size of the posterior cerebral fossa, abscess in that location requires emergency treatment. Delay can be life-threatening due to the risk of obstructive hydrocephaly and tonsillar herniation.

Mycetomas inflammatory-like tumors presenting as fistulas found in the skin and soft tissues. Inoculation, generally in tropical areas, occurs by skin injury. The foot is the main infection site. Other uncommon infection sites include the cranial and cervical areas which are rare. We present three cases of cranial and cervical mycetoma. Clinical sign were dominated by headache, cervical pain and cervico-occipital tumefaction with formation of pus and granules (red in two cases, black in one). A motor deficit was noted in one patient. Radiographic examinations including CT scan showed extensive mass lesions, associated with bone destruction. Laboratory tests identified Leptospheria senegalensis in one patient and Actinomadura pelletieri in two. A medicosurgical procedure was performed. The course was unfavourable in one patient. Several factors are important for treating such infections: early diagnosis, improvement of the social and economic environment, use of new drugs.

Meningioma is an uncommon tumor of childhood. In this group, supra tentorial forms predominate. We report the case of a 14 years old boy without any past medical history. He presented headaches, vomiting and cerebellar syndrome. CT scan shows cerebellar tumor, enhanced by contrast and surrounded by edema, looking like tuberculoma. After fail of tuberculosis treatment, the boy is operated by suboccipital approach. Histology and immuno histochemical examination show fibroblastic meningioma. Even if it is rare, meningioma can occur in childhood, without neurofibromatosis disease. It can present many points of likeness with tuberculoma and therefore biopsy is mandatory before tuberculosis drugs giving.

Authors present 13 cases of spinal neurinomas and neurofibromas out of 418 non- pottic, non-traumatic medullary compression operated between 1965 and 1995. All cases were histologically documented. Neurinomas and neurofibromas represent 3.1% of all non pottic, non traumatic medullary compression and 12.8% of tumour medullary compression operated in our service. The illness started with radicular pains (6 cases) and spinal ache (5 cases) and most of the time, the medullary compression diagnosis is completed at the spasmodic paraplegia status. No patient has done any C.T. scan but in the other hand a myelography has been completed in all cases, resulting in the blockage of the contrast product which in 4 cases was of an epidural type, and in 2 cases of intra dural type. All patients were operated through a posterior approach, which ended in 10 cases to a total removal, and in 3 cases to a partial one. 7 extradural localizations were noticed and 3 neurinomas, 3 neurofibromas and 1 neurofibrosarcoma were histologically identified. A post operative follow-up was done on 11 patients and a satisfactory result was obtained on 6 of them. In 2 cases, the neurological status remained unchanged. In 2 cases a deterioration occurred and a patient with neurofibrosarcoma passed away.

Spinal tuberculosis is the first etiology of spinal cord compression in our areas. We are studying the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of Pott's disease. We have collected all children aged from 0 to 15 years admitted for Pott's disease in department of Neurology in CHU Fann SenegaIL from January 1st 1983 to December 31st 1997 spinal tuberculosis. The diagnosis was both clinical and paraclinical. 27 children aged to 2-15 years were hospitalized for Pott's disease. The sex-ratio was equal to 2 in favour of boys. 77.77% of patients were consulted more than a month after the outbreak of the paraplegia. The notion of tuberculous contagion was found in 25.92% of the cases. The main clinical signs were paralysis of the limbs, sensory symptoms and bladder sphincter dysfunction. In 96.29% anomaly of disc and vertebra were recorded, more often affecting two vertebrae. The myelography, performed in 13 patients objectivized an epidural stop in 92.30% of the cases. There was a favorable evolution in 92% of patients under antituberculous chemotherapy. Spinal tuberculosis is an affection cheating all ages and it remains the first etiology of spinal cord compression in our areas. Therefore there is a necessity of primary safety by fighting against tuberculosis what is still in our areas.

Penetrating spinal cord injuries (P.S.C.I.) are rarely described in Sub Saharian countries in spite of an increasing number of wars. To study epidemiology management and prognosis of P.S.C.I. in Senegal, population of 16 patients collected from Fann Hospital in Dakar has been studied. 9 cases were related on gunshot or shrapnel injuries and 6 were stab-wounded. 8 came from war practice and 7 from civilian practice. The point of entry was at the posterior or lateral part of the body and continuous leaking of cerebral spinal fluid from this point was founded only in one patient. Patients showed a clinical picture of a complete spinal cord section syndrome, 3 spinal cord hemisection Brown Sequard syndromes, 3 cauda equina syndromes and 1 monoradicular syndrome. Spinal X-rays or myelography may lead to an accurate evaluation of the extent of bone tissue destruction. Anatomical evaluation of roots and spinal cord lesions were more difficult when C.T. scan or R.M.I. is not available. Penetrating spinal cord injury with foreign body included or myelography stop or showing cauda equina syndrome should be operated on. 9 of our patients has benefited of spine surgical posterior approach (laminectomy). Immediate vital prognosis is good regarding the fact that visceral associated lesions were rare (2 cases). Functional recovery is fair only 46.6% of patients expressed partial or complete recovery. Prognosis factors such as injuring agent and initial neurological status has been discussed. Prognosis of penetrating spinal cord injuries could be improved by immediate and multidisciplinary management.

In this paper, one case of syndrome of caudal suppression associated with a syndrome of Klippel Feil is discussed. It concerned a 14 years old boy, born form a diabetic mother with congenital abnormalities such as: urinary incontinence, facial dysmorphia, a short neck, an arachnodactylia, a lumbar kyphosis, a permanent flexion of the knee, a kalipe cavus, the spine, a partial agenesis of the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae a total agenesis of the fifth and sacrum; This syndrome is infrequent and the pathophysiological mechanisms are still under discussion and no therapeutic strategy is proposed. This case offers an opportunity to the authors to make review of the medical literature on this subject. They emphasized on the interest to look for a vertebro-medullary malformation every time a child comes to us with walking problem or enuresia, this fact should be enforced when mother is diabetic.

From 1975 to 1995, 335 patients were operated for hydrocephalus in neurosurgical clinic of CHU Fann, and got ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. 3 cases of patients presenting an uncommon complication of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt: abdominal pseudo cyst, are reported and discussed. The digestive symptoms are the first to manifest themselves for a period of time, then confusing with other forms of abdominal cysts. The suggested treatment is to remove the shunt from the peritoneal cavity and perform a ventriculo-atrial shunt, then to proceed to a laparotomy, drain the fluid and resect the cyst wall. The results are excellent.

Fourteen cases of spinal meningiomas were reviewed. There were 5 males and 9 females, with an average age of 40 years who underwent surgical treatment at the Neurosurgical Division of Dakar University Teaching Hospital. The thoracic spine was involved in 10 cases. The location of the tumor in the spinal canal was epidural in 6 cases and subdural in 8 cases. 7 patients (50%) had marked improvement or stabilization: 4 patients died and in 3 cases, a recurrence was noted. The authors emphasize diagnostic difficulties encountered in the epidural forms.

The authors report five cases of mycetomas with an original localization, cranio-encephalic and vertebro medullary. Four times it concerned a dorsal or cervical mycetoma with deep enlargement responsible for compression of the spinal cord. In the 5th case, scalp infection reached the dura mater. All patients have got histopathological diagnosis. Therapeutic difficulties are evocated about these singular localizations in a pathology for which greater amputation stands as the rule.

The authors report 80 cases of collected cranio-encephalic suppurations observed in the Neuro Surgical Unit of the University Teaching Hospital of Dakar from 1969 til 1990. 13 cases were necropsy discoveries and 67 cas that were operated consisted of 55 abscesses of the brain and 25 extra-cerebral empyemas. 56 patients were under 20 years of age with an obvious prevalence of male patients. The collected cranio-encephalic suppuration complicated head trauma in 22 cases and was consecutive to an otorhinolaryngeal infection in 10 cases. The typical clinical aspect of progressive installation associated an intracranial hypertension, motor deficit of one side of the body and an epileptic crisis. A brutal beginning was not an exception in 16 cases. This is often in subdural empyemas. Concerning neuroradiology, cerebral angiography still constitutes our method of choice of investigation; echography can only be performed in infants with permeable fontanela, or during post operative surveillance, using the lacuna created by the craniotomy as an acoustic window. Simple puncture and drainage of the cerebral abscess of the classical cutting away in bloc and the utilisation of echography have considerably contributed for the amelioration of post-operative results.