Neurology Commons^™

Synovial Sarcoma Of Cervicodorsal Spine: A Case Report, Wali Umer Shah, Syeda Dania Shujaat, Naseeb Ullah, Salman Mansoor

Section of Neurology

Synovial sarcoma is a soft-tissue sarcoma. Its involvement of the spine is extremely rare. We report a 40 year old male who presented with shoulder pain and progressive weakness in all four limbs for six months with a visible, slowly growing bulge in his upper back. On examination he had quadriparesis and diffuse sensory deficit. MRI of the cervical spine showed a large soft tissue mass, iso to hypointense, extending into the neural canal, compressing the cord. The mass had a few internal areas of contrast enhancement with extension into the right paraspinal regions involving the vertebral bodies. Sub-periosteal spine …

Obinutuzumab, A Potent Anti-B-Cell Agent, For Rituximab-Unresponsive Igm Anti-Mag Neuropathy., Goran Rakocevic, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Marinos C. Dalakas

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Anti-MAG demyelinating neuropathy is difficult to treat. All immunotherapies have failed except for rituximab, a chimeric B-cell–depleting monoclonal antibody against CD20, that helps up to 40% of patients based on 2 controlled and several uncontrolled series.^1,–,3 Because the majority of these patients are left disabled, stronger anti–B-cell agents might be promising.

We describe clinical response and autoantibody changes after treatment with obinutuzumab (Gazyva), a new generation of humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, in 2 patients with anti-MAG neuropathy who continued to worsen despite multiple courses of rituximab. Obinutuzumab, approved for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), exerts greater peripheral and lymphoid B-cell …

Duplication Of The Alar Ligaments: A Case Report., Asad Rizvi, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The alar ligament is one of the two strongest ligaments stabilizing the craniocervical junction. The literature describes many variations of the attachment, insertion, shape, and orientation of the alar ligament and an understanding of these variations is vital as they can lead to altered biomechanics or misinterpretation on imaging. Herein, we report, to our knowledge, the first case of duplication of the alar ligaments and discuss the anatomical variations present in the literature.

Correction To: First Results On Survival From A Large Phase 3 Clinical Trial Of An Autologous Dendritic Cell Vaccine In Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma., Linda M Liau, Keyoumars Ashkan, David D Tran, Jian L Campian, John E Trusheim, Charles S Cobbs, Jason A Heth, Michael Salacz, Sarah Taylor, Stacy D D'Andre, Fabio M Iwamoto, Edward J Dropcho, Yaron A Moshel, Kevin A Walter, Clement P Pillainayagam, Robert Aiken, Rekha Chaudhary, Samuel A Goldlust, Daniela A Bota, Paul Duic, Jai Grewal, Heinrich Elinzano, Steven A Toms, Kevin O Lillehei, Tom Mikkelsen, Tobias Walbert, Steven R Abram, Andrew J Brenner, Steven Brem, Matthew G Ewend, Simon Khagi, Jana Portnow, Lyndon J Kim, William G Loudon, Reid C Thompson, David E Avigan, Karen L Fink, Francois J Geoffroy, Scott Lindhorst, Jose Lutzky, Andrew E Sloan, Gabriele Schackert, Dietmar Krex, Hans-Jorg Meisel, Julian Wu, Raphael P Davis, Christopher Duma, Arnold B Etame, David Mathieu, Santosh Kesari, David Piccioni, Manfred Westphal, David S Baskin, Pamela Z New, Michel Lacroix, Sven-Axel May, Timothy J Pluard, Victor Tse, Richard M Green, John L Villano, Michael Pearlman, Kevin Petrecca, Michael Schulder, Lynne P Taylor, Anthony E Maida, Robert M Prins, Timothy F Cloughesy, Paul Mulholland, Marnix L Bosch

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error in the spelling of one of the author names. In this Correction the incorrect and correct author names are indicated and the author name has been updated in the original publication. The authors also reported an error in the Methods section of the original article. In this Correction the incorrect and correct versions of the affected sentence are indicated. The original article has not been updated with regards to the error in the Methods section.

A Variant Origin Of The Carotid Sinus Nerve., Kevlian Andrew, Joe Iwanaga, Marios Loukas, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The carotid sinus nerve is known to convey baroreceptive fibers from the carotid sinus. Despite studies on the baroreflex pathway and the course and communications of the carotid sinus nerve with the surrounding nervous and vascular structures, there have been scant reports on variations in the origin of the carotid sinus nerve (CSN). We identified an unusual origin of the CSN. On the right side of a cadaveric specimen, the CSN was found to arise from two small rami extending from the external laryngeal nerve. Such a case can help better understand various pathways used to monitor the carotid sinus. …

The Role Of The Axillary Arch Variant In Neurovascular Syndrome Of Brachial Plexus Compression., Rabjot Rai, Joe Iwanaga, Marios Loukas, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Axillary arch muscles are often found. In their course through this area, they might interfere with regional neurovascular structures. This case report will examine the presence of the axillary arch muscle and its implication in brachial plexus compression. During routine dissection of the left axilla and upper limb, a variant muscle (axillary arch muscle) was identified arising from the distal tendon of the latissimus dorsi and extending laterally to insert onto the deep surface of the tendon of insertion of the deltoid muscle. In adduction of the upper limb, the muscle was lax without compression of any underlying neurovascular structures. …

A Variant Of The Sciatic Nerve And Its Clinical Implications., Graham Dupont, Florence Unno, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Variants of gluteal neural anatomy are important to consider, especially during surgical approaches to the hip. During the routine dissection of the gluteal region, a variant of the sciatic nerve was found where the nerve left the pelvis fully split into its tibial and common fibular components. Intrapelvically and extrapelvically, there was no splitting of the two components by the piriformis muscle. Distally, the two parts of the nerve were draped over the medial and lateral edges of the ischial tuberosity. To avoid iatrogenic injury to the sciatic nerve during invasive or surgical approaches to this region, all possible anatomical …

Lateralized Hippocampal Oscillations Underlie Distinct Aspects Of Human Spatial Memory And Navigation., Jonathan Miller, Andrew J. Watrous, Melina Tsitsiklis, Sang Ah Lee, Sameer A. Sheth, Catherine A. Schevon, Elliot H. Smith, Michael R. Sperling, Ashwini Sharan, Ali Akbar Asadi-Pooya, Gregory A. Worrell, Stephen Meisenhelter, Cory S. Inman, Kathryn A. Davis, Bradley Lega, Paul A. Wanda, Sandhitsu R. Das, Joel M. Stein, Richard Gorniak, Joshua Jacobs

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

The hippocampus plays a vital role in various aspects of cognition including both memory and spatial navigation. To understand electrophysiologically how the hippocampus supports these processes, we recorded intracranial electroencephalographic activity from 46 neurosurgical patients as they performed a spatial memory task. We measure signals from multiple brain regions, including both left and right hippocampi, and we use spectral analysis to identify oscillatory patterns related to memory encoding and navigation. We show that in the left but not right hippocampus, the amplitude of oscillations in the 1-3-Hz "low theta" band increases when viewing subsequently remembered object-location pairs. In contrast, in …

Comprehensive Review Of The Cardinal Ligament., Seif Eid, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The cardinal ligament is thought to be one of the important structures in providing support and stabilization for the pelvic organs e.g., the uterus. However, many discrepancies exist in the literature regarding terminology, anatomy, and histology. The cardinal ligament attaches the lateral side of the vagina and cervix to the lateral pelvic wall, which provides support to the vagina and cervix. Studies have shown variable findings in the collagen content and distribution in the cardinal ligaments of women with a prolapsed uterus. Uterine vessels and the branches of the inferior hypogastric plexus travel in the cardinal ligament, which is of …

The Deep Fascia Of The Forearm And The Ulnar Nerve: An Anatomical Study., Paul J Choi, Chidinma Nwaogbe, Joe Iwanaga, Georgi P Georgiev, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Introduction A reoperation for a cubital tunnel syndrome is not uncommon. Patients often complain of sensorimotor symptoms in the ulnar nerve distribution after their primary surgery. The documented etiologies for such a phenomenon include a "new" kinking of the distal ulnar nerve and a "new" compression of the ulnar nerve by the fascial septum in between or tendinous bands over the muscles of the forearm. The deep fascial plane along which the ulnar nerve travels in the forearm has had scant attention. We present an anatomical study to provide a better understanding of such etiologies to aid physicians in performing …

Review Of The Variations Of The Superficial Veins Of The Neck., Dominic Dalip, Joe Iwanaga, Marios Loukas, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The venous drainage of the neck can be characterized into superficial or deep. Superficial drainage refers to the venous drainage of the subcutaneous tissues, which are drained by the anterior and external jugular veins (EJVs). The brain, face, and neck structures are mainly drained by the internal jugular vein (IJV). The superficial veins are found deep to the platysma muscle while the deep veins are found encased in the carotid sheath. The junction of the retromandibular vein and the posterior auricular vein usually form the EJV, which continues along to drain into the subclavian vein. The anterior jugular vein is …

Ophthalmic Artery Aneurysm In A Cadaver: Case Report., Dominic Dalip, Joe Iwanaga, Marios Loukas, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The ophthalmic artery arises from the supraclinoid segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and enters the orbit through the optic canal. It perfuses the orbit and the orbit apparatus. Ophthalmic artery aneurysms (OAA) account for 0.5% to 11% of all intracerebral aneurysms. Patients are usually asymptomatic but, in some cases, patients can present with ophthalmoplegia and total blindness if these aneurysms rupture. Aneurysms are usually diagnosed using computed tomography (CT) angiography but can also be seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and four-vessel digital subtraction angiography. Treatment of OAA entails either surgical or endovascular approaches with the mortality rate …

Emerging Cellular And Molecular Strategies For Enhancing Central Nervous System (Cns) Remyelination., Mohammad Abu-Rub, Robert H Miller

Anatomy and Regenerative Biology Faculty Publications

Myelination is critical for the normal functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) in vertebrates. Conditions in which the development of myelin is perturbed result in severely compromised individuals often with shorter lifespans, while loss of myelin in the adult results in a variety of functional deficits. Although some form of spontaneous remyelination often takes place, the repair process as a whole often fails. Several lines of evidence suggest it is feasible to develop strategies that enhance the capacity of the CNS to undergo remyelination and potentially reverse functional deficits. Such strategies include cellular therapies using either neural or mesenchymal …

An Unusual Back Muscle Identified Bilaterally: Case Report., Juan J Altafulla, Mayank Patel, R Shane Tubbs, Joe Iwanaga, Zachary Litvack

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Most muscular structures in the human body are named based on their function, origin/insertion, or shape. During routine dissection of the back, an unusual muscle was found deep to the rhomboid muscles. The details of this case and a review of the extant literature are provided.

Pediatric Headache Clinic Model: Implementation Of Integrative Therapies In Practice., Anna E. Esparham, Anne Herbert, Emily Pierzchalski, Catherine Tran, Jennifer J. Dilts, Madeline Boorigie, Tammie Wingert, Mark Connelly, Jennifer Bickel

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The demand for integrative medicine has risen in recent years as research has demonstrated the efficacy of such treatments. The public has also become more conscientious of the potential limitations of conventional treatment alone. Because primary headache syndromes are often the culmination of genetics, lifestyle, stress, trauma, and environmental factors, they are best treated with therapies that are equally multifaceted. The Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri Headache Clinic has successfully incorporated integrative therapies including nutraceuticals, acupuncture, aromatherapy, biofeedback, relaxation training, hypnosis, psychology services, and lifestyle recommendations for headache management. This paper provides a detailed review of the implementation of …

Pelvic Kidney: A Review Of The Literature., Seif Eid, Joe Iwanaga, Marios Loukas, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Kidney development is a complex process that begins during the sixth to eighth weeks of life. Failure of ascent of the kidney will cause the kidney to remain in the pelvis i.e., pelvic kidney. Here, we review this entity in detail and illustrate such embryological derailment. In most cases, a pelvic kidney is an incidental finding and is usually asymptomatic. Anatomic variations of the renal vasculature have been reported in cases of pelvic kidneys and these are highlighted in this review. Clinicians who treat patients for renal or pelvic disease or interpret images of the pelvis should be well informed …

An Unusual Variation Of The Accessory Nerve., Yusuf Alimi, Joe Iwanaga, Marios Loukas, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The accessory nerve is an important nerve in the head and neck regions. Some variants of this nerve's anatomy have been reported. Herein, we present an unusual report and review the extant medical literature regarding other more commonly found derailments of this nerve's anatomy.

Letter To The Editor: Management Of Pfo: More Evidence, Same Recommendation, Halima Ali, Md

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

The author offers more evidence to support Zhang's assertion in CRP 3(2) that closure of patent foramen ovale or medical therapy alone are both appropriate choices for preventing recurrent cryptogenic strokes (https://doi.org/10.22237/crp/1518739380).

Implementation Of Attending-Supervised Ipass Handoff In The Neuro-Icu, Laura Cifrese, Md, Sonia Gill, Md, Megan Margiotta, Md, Muhammad Athar, Md, Rodney Bell, Md, Sara Hefton, Md, Fred Rincon, Md, Msc, Mbe, Syed Shah, Md, Mba, Jacqueline Urtecho, Md, Matthew Vibbert, Md, David Wyler, Md, Amandeep Dolla, Md

House Staff Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Conference (2016-2019)

Background

• Duty hour restrictions, cross coverage, and the growing number of mid-level practitioners has led to an increased number of handoffs across medical specialties
• These handoffs are well-known points of communication breakdown which can lead to patient safety issues
• Factors contributing to an effective handoff include standardization of communication, appropriate training and supervision, ample time, a quiet environment, and a supportive culture
• We hypothesize that attending supervision of handoffs is feasible and can improve practitioner perception of transitions of care

Establishing Cost-Effective Management Of Postoperative Urinary Retention After Spine Surgery, Nikolaos Mouchtouris, Md, Catriona Harrop, Md, Edward Kloniecke, Md, Victoria English, Crnp, David Wyler, Md, Kamini Patel, Rn, Mba, Ashwini Sharan, Md, James Harrop, Md

House Staff Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Conference (2016-2019)

Goal

Our goal is to develop evidence-based guidelines that:

1. streamline the order/timing of interventions in patients who develop PUR after spine surgery
2. identify those at high-risk of long-term urinary retention that require further workup
3. minimize the rate of PUR –goal is to reduce to 3.5% in FY 2019
4. and determine the cost savings from our intervention when applied to all surgeries