Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R K Laha

Publications and source records attributed to R K Laha.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Herpes simplex encephalitis: treatment with surgical decompression and cytosine arabinoside.

Herpes simplex encephalitis in a 21-year-old man presented as a flu-like illness, followed by inappropriate behaviour, drowsiness and focal neurologic signs. Investigations indicated a lesion in the right temporal lobe. The diagnosis was confirmed by isolation of the virus from a cerebral biopsy. Pronounced clinical improvement was noted when cytosine arabinoside therapy was started in the postoperative period. This report supports the observation by some authors that cytosine arabinoside may be of value in the treatment of herpes simplex encephalitis.

Adult↗

Dorsal longitudinal myelotomy.

An evaluation of dorsal longitudinal myelotomy in the management of spasticity of the lower limbs has been done in 17 patients. The follow-up has varied from 1 month to over 2 years. Most patients achieved satisfactory relief from spasticity. Eight patients have died after the operation in chronic care hospitals. In all except one, the spasticity had been relieved. Eight out of the nine living patients have benefited from myelotomy. Recurrence of spasticity following the first operation occurred in four patients, two of whom improved after a repeat myelotomy. In the presence of fixed contractures of the hip and knee joints, a satisfactory clinical result may not be obtained after the myelotomy.

Adult↗

Middle cerebral artery microneurosurgical embolectomy.

Cerebral embolism carries significant mortality and morbidity rates. Middle cerebral artery embolectomies which have been carried out in man with variable results, have been reported by different authors, In order to define a time limit for embolectomies before irreversible damage has been incurred, an experimental embolus model was used in dogs. It was observed that embolectomy carried out at 2, 3, and up to 5 hours after embolism was relatively safe and effective. Beyond 5 hours, embolectomy carried an increased risk of death and morbidity.

Animals↗

Unilateral acoustic neuroma and cerebellopontine angle lesions in children.

A case of unilateral acoustic neuroma in a girl of ten years without any stigmata or family history of von Recklinghausen's disease is presented. Despite the relatively large size of the tumor, a complete removal was achieved with preservation of function of the facial nerve and a fortuitous preservation of useful hearing. Such tumors are rare in childhood. A brief differential diagnosis of other lesions in the cerebelloponitine angle is mentioned along with a pertinent review of literature.

Child↗

Post-traumatic syringomyelia.

Post-traumatic syringomyelia is uncommon. It is seen predominantly after injury to the thoracic or the lumbar spine and rarely after injury to the cervical spine. In this report, three cases of post-traumatic syringomyelia are presented. The injury was limited to the thoracic spine in one case and to the cervical spine in the rest. The symptoms began after two years in two cases and after fifteen years in the third. The diagnosis was suggested by radiographic examination and was confirmed at operation in each case. Following evacuation and drainage of the cyst, significant improvement occurred in two patients.

Adolescent↗

Low molecular weight dextran in experimental embolectomy.

The canine middle cerebral artery (MCA) was embolized with a pliable cylinder 8 mm long by 1.6 mm in diameter via the internal carotid artery. Both control and experimental embolectomies were performed 6 hours following embolization. The experimental animals were treated with low molecular weight dextran (LMD). In the control animals, the average volume of infarction in the brain was 1.45 cm.3 In the experimental animals the average volume of infarction was 0.13 cm.3

Animals↗

Scanning electron microscopic anatomy of the supratentorial basal cisterns.

Arachnoid slips from the canine supratentorial basal cisterns were excised and studied by scanning electron microscopy. The inner face of the arachnoid membrane was examined, and two fundamental surface patterns, fenestrated and embossed, were observed. The remaining fibers and microfibers were anchored to these two surface sheets.

Animals↗