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PubMed1983

Intracerebral growth of a human glioma tumor line in athymic mice and treatment with procarbazine, 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, aziridinylbenzoquinone, and cis-platinum.

Tumors derived from the established human glioma cell line D-54 MG were transplanted intracerebrally into athymic "nude" mice. All control mice developed tumors in the brain after the transplantation of 10(5) cells and died within 30 days. Tumor was purely intracerebral in the presymptomatic stages, including the time of drug treatment. The injection of serial cell dilutions reduced the tumor incidence and prolonged survival. Procarbazine (PCB), 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, diaziquone (aziridinylbenzoquinone), and cis-platinum each produced statistically significant increases in survival when administered on Day 10 after transplantation, and PCB alone cured most of the animals. These results extend the characterization of the human glioma line D-54 MG and confirm the value of the athymic mouse for the testing of chemotherapeutic agents of interest in brain tumor therapy.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Postoperative intervertebral disc space infection.

Intervertebral disc space infection is an uncommon, but serious, complication of disc surgery. By a retrospective chart review, we identified 27 patients at our institution who had a postoperative disc space infection; 14 were diagnosed and treated within the last 5 years. The characteristic symptoms were severe spinal pain and limited spinal mobility beginning 7 to 30 days postoperatively. The key physical findings were paravertebral muscle spasm and marked mechanical signs. The key laboratory findings were an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and a mildly elevated white blood cell count. The diagnosis was based on the clinical presentation and early radiographic changes in the vertebral bodies adjacent to the involved disc, especially irregularities of the cortical margins seen best by tomography. Definitive bacteriological diagnosis by Craig needle biopsy was attempted in 14 patients; 7 had positive cultures and all yielded a Staphylococcus species. The usual treatment consisted of the administration of antistaphylococcal antibiotics and immobilization of the spine with a spica cast, a plastic body jacket, or complete bedrest. The final radiographic findings showed bony fusion or bridging in 19 patients, and 25 patients had a pain-free recovery after 1 to 9 months. There was 1 recurrent infection, and 3 patients eventually required an anterior discectomy and fusion. Based on a review of our own cases and those reported in the literature, we stress the importance of spinal tomography in establishing the diagnosis of postoperative disc space infection at a relatively early stage in a patient who is suspected of having this condition on the basis of typical symptoms and signs combined with an elevated sedimentation rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗