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Study Design: This was a retrospective review of patients with compressive cervical radiculopathy treated with a minimally invasive anterior cervical foraminotomy (ACF).Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the results and complication rates of ACF in a consecutive series of patients and to report our clinical results of ACF as a minimally invasive technique in a series of 45 consecutive patients treated for compressive cervical radiculopathy.Overview of Literature: ACF is a motion-sparing procedure and an alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and posterior cervical foraminotomy for direct nerve root decompression in patients with compressive cervical radiculopathy.Methods: The chart review recorded clinical and radiological features preoperatively and postoperatively and at follow-up (FU). The effect of prognostic factors was analyzed in relation to the clinical outcome.Results: Between January 2004 and October 2019, 45 patients (15 females and 30 males) with a mean age of 55.9 years (range, 28–78 years) underwent ACF for unilateral cervical radiculopathy. The global clinical outcome according to the MacNab scale was evaluated as excellent in 64.5% of patients (n=29), good in 28.9% (n=13), fair in 4.4% (n=2), and poor in 2.2% (n=1). The radiological FU was available for 73.3% (n=33). The statistical analysis revealed no influence of age, sex, operated level, and side on the clinical outcome. Only one patient (2.2%) exhibited spontaneous bone fusion at the operated level on FU after a right-sided C6–7 ACF with no clinical consequences. No patient presented with signs of delayed segmental instability. The overall reoperation rate of this series was 4.4%.Conclusions: ACF is a feasible and low-cost alternative to ACDF in selected patients with cervical radiculopathy. The use of tubular retractors in ACF may confer an added advantage that creates a safe corridor for direct cervical root decompression yet minimizing surrounding soft tissue retraction and avoiding unnecessary bone removal.

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Background Cerebral atrium diverticula are focal enlargements of the ventricular system that may develop in the presence of persistent intracranial hypertension, but they are rarely described in cases of acute intracranial hypertension. Here we present a unique case of obstructive hydrocephalus in a newborn due to the formation of a cerebral atrium diverticulum compressing the ventricular system. Case Discussion A preterm 38-week-old boy was born with urgent caesarian section due to severe hydrocephalus. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the presence of a subacute right subdural hematoma with secondary obstructive hydrocephalus. The cystic lesion was characterized as a right ventricular atrium diverticulum. The child underwent urgent burr-hole evacuation of the right subdural hematoma with complete regression of the obstructive hydrocephalus and right atrial diverticulum. Conclusion Cerebral atrium diverticula are rare focal dilatations of the ventricular system, and their radiologic diagnosis may be challenging. Accurate diagnosis of atrial diverticula and understanding of the underlying physiopathology is mandatory to establish the appropriate operative strategy.

Background Endoscopic septostomy is the treatment of choice for monolateral obstruction of the foramen of Monro. Common causes of this condition include: neoplasms, hemorrages, infections, congenital atresia, idiopathic occlusion. Method All the steps for performing a safe endoscopic pellucidotomy are presented. A brief discussion about the most common technical variations and their rationale is added. Conclusion Endoscopic pellucidotomy is a safe and effective treatment when a thorough understanding of anatomy is achieved.

BACKGROUND: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is commonly used to treat several oncohematologic diseases. The autologous hematopoietic progenitor cells collected through apheresis (HPC-A) must be cryopreserved and stored before use in vivo. Cell processing that precedes cryopreservation of HPC-A includes volume reduction aimed at reducing the amount of dimethyl sulfoxide used, as well as storage space. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness of volume reduction performed with an automated closed system, namely, the Sepax S100 cell separation device (Biosafe SA). A total of 165 procedures were carried out on concentrates collected from 104 adult and pediatric patients. As a control group, 30 HPC-A units processed according to the standard method (i.e., centrifugation at a speed of 850 × g for 10 minutes, followed by manual plasma reduction) were evaluated. RESULTS: The volume reduction obtained was 59% (range, 20.54%-84.21%; standard deviation [SD], ±12.19%), going from 236 mL (range, 100-443 mL; SD, ±80.41 mL) to 97 mL (range, 33.00-263.00 mL; SD, ±47.41 mL); recovery of nucleated cells was 90% (range, 64.84%-105.93%; SD, ±8.76%), while that of CD34+ cells was 91% (range, 59.30%-119.37%; SD, ±13.30%). These values did not differ from those obtained using the standard method. Automated processing required 20 minutes versus 40 minutes of manual processing. DISCUSSION: Our data demonstrate that volume reduction carried out with the Sepax S100 automated system was particularly effective; cell recovery was excellent and the time spent was short. Moreover, the closed system allows cell processing to be carried out in a contamination-controlled environment, in accordance with good manufacturing practice guidelines.

Background Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a valid alternative to be used in transplanted patients. Limitations of the use of stem cells depends on the small number of cells available; this is the reason why UCB can be used only in very low-weight patients. In this study we have evaluated the efficacy of cellular manipulation before transplant and in particular, before thawing the units through the Rubinstein method. Methods We have evaluated the results obtained after thawing 40 UCB to be used for as many patients affected by several pathologies (21 ALL, 6 AML, 3 MDS, 2 LNH, 2 histiocytosis, 2 β-thalassemia, 1 Chediak-Higashi syndrome, 1 Fanconi anemia, 1 Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and 1 Omenn syndrome). Results After thawing, nucleated cells (NC) mean recovery was 76.81% (SD ± 15.41). The quantity of NC obtained was 124.29 × 107 (SD ± 43.18) and in only 5 cases the number of NC after the procedure was lower than the requested graft dose. Among the last ones, in two cases only we did not achieve the target after manipulation. The post-manipulation cellular viability was 83.48% (SD ± 10.6). For all the units shipment complied with all the necessary procedures; in fact the temperature never rose above −120 °C. Conclusion In our study we highlighted the efficacy of UCB thawing technique, with the same method defined in 1995 at the New York Blood Centre that guarantees an excellent NC recovery and maintains a high level of cell viability.

BACKGROUND: Immunomagnetic selection of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) in patients with tumoral infiltration in marrow makes it possible to reduce contamination of cellular concentrates, but this procedure cannot always be used, mainly because of the low cellular count in apheresis concentrates. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this case two cellular concentrates taken separately at two different times were selected and cryopreserved; they were thawed with an automatic instrument. RESULTS: After manipulation, a selected concentrate containing 24.16 × 106 CD34+ cells with a purity of 90.15 percent was obtained; vitality after thawing and selection was 88 and 96 percent, respectively. The engraftment was achieved on Day +17 from the infusion of the previously selected PBPCs, as the literature also shows us. CONCLUSION: The time passed between the infusion and the engraftment gives us evidence of the efficacy of immunomagnetic selection carried out after thawing 2 cell units that were collected at different times from the same patient. In this way, it has been possible to perform an autologous transplant in a patient in which CD34+ cells transplant is recommended, but from whom the number of collected cells after a single mobilization cycle would not have been sufficient for the engraftment.

Background aims: Immunomagnetic CD34 cell selection (ICS) is utilized in autologous and allogeneic transplants. In the fi rst case it is used to reduce the neoplastic contamination of concentrates, while in the second case it is needed to carry out a T-depletion of cell concentrates in order to reduce the incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in patients who have undergone haplo-identical transplants. Methods: The effi cacy of CliniMACS technology, after reduction of platelet contamination, incubation of monoclonal antibodies (MAb) and successive washings of concentrates, performed in 16 ICS using the standard method without reducing platelet content, was compared with the use of the automated system CytoMate, which was carried out in 46 ICS. Results: In the group of ICS carried out after automatic manipulation, a signifi cant statistical difference in purity was noted (91.39% versus 83.57, P 0.017) compared with the group of ICS carried out with the standard procedure. The same signifi cant difference was noted in relation to the remaining percentages of CD3 and CD19 cells (2.31% versus 5.68%, P 0.012, and 1.58% versus 2.71%, P 0.014, respectively). Recovery of CD34 cells overlapped in the two groups (70.49% versus 68.39%, P 0.774). Conclusions: Immunomagnetic selection carried out using the automated procedure was more effi cient, producing a purer sample, more effi cient T-depletion and optimal reduction of B cells, without infl uencing cell recovery. Furthermore, conforming to good manufacturing practice (GMP) guidelines, the entire procedure with CytoMate took place in a contamination-controlled environment.