Trials. 2006 Jan 18;7:2.

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Prophylactic antibiotic for prevention of posttraumatic meningitis after traumatic pneumocephalus:

design and rationale of a placebo-controlled randomized multicenter trial [ISRCTN71132784].

Eftekhar B, Ghodsi M, Hadadi A, Taghipoor M, Sigarchi SZ, Rahimi-Movaghar V, Kazemzadeh ES, Esmaeeli B, Nejat F, Yalda A, Ketabchi E.

Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center and Department of Neurosurgery, Sina Hospital, Tehran University, Iran. eftekhar[at]sina.tums.ac.ir

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotic for prevention of meningitis in acute traumatic pneumocephalus patients. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial, 200 selected head injury patients with traumatic pneumocephalus are randomly assigned to receive intravenous antibiotics (2 grams Ceftriaxone twice a day), oral antibiotics (Azithromycin) or placebo for at least 7 days after trauma. The patients will be followed for one month posttrauma. CONCLUSION: The authors hope that this study helps clarifying the effectiveness and indications of antibiotics in prevention of meningitis in traumatic pneumocephalus after head injury and in specific subgroup of these patients.

PMID: 16542035 [PubMed]

1: J Neurosurg. 2006 Mar;104(3 Suppl):210-1.

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Posterior spinal cord herniation into an extradural thoracic arachnoid cyst: surgical treatment. Case report and review of the literature.

Nejat F, Cigarchi SZ, Kazmi SS.

Department of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. nejat[at]sina.tums.ac.ir

The authors describe the case of a 2-year-old boy who experienced progressive spastic paraparesis for several months. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extensive extradural arachnoid cyst at the T3-L1 levels and posterior spinal cord herniation at T3-4. Surgical release of the neck of the hernia and total resection of the arachnoid cyst were performed. The patient had good clinical recovery several weeks after surgical decompression. This case highlights an exceedingly rare type of spinal cord herniation in a pediatric age group, and focuses on the abnormalities of the dorsal dura mater, together with imaging and intraoperative findings.

PMID: 16572642 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]