1.) Why the removal of CSF from the subarachnoid space of the spinal cord a reliable means?
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1.) You can analyze the CSF for abnormal levels of protein, glucose, and immune cells that can suggest specific causes of meningitis.  You can also look directly for the presence of bacteria and check for certain viruses with PCR.\n\n2.) They contain the cell bodies of the afferent nerves, while the dorsal roots only have the thin axons.\n\n3.) Carrots have lots of beta-carotene, which is the biochemical precursor for retinal.  Retinal is the pigment that absorbs light in our eyes.  Eating carrots won't help your vision if it is blurry, but can help you if you are having trouble seeing at night.\n\n4.) The passage between the third to fourth ventricles is blocked.\n\n5.) The two patients have herniated disks at different levels of the spine.  The first person sounds like he's herniated at L2.  The second guy sounds like he's herniated at L5.
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As the optic nerve sheath is continuous with the subarachnoid space of the brain (and is regarded as an extension of the central nervous system), increased pressure is transmitted through to the optic nerve. The brain itself is relatively spared from pathological consequences of high pressure. However, the anterior end of the optic nerve stops abruptly at the eye. Hence the pressure is asymmetrical and this causes a pinching and protrusion of the optic nerve at its head. The fibers of the retinal ganglion cells of the optic disc become engorged and bulge anteriorly. Persistent and extensive optic nerve head swelling, or optic disc edema, can lead to loss of these fibers and permanent visual impairment.
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you mean cerebrospinal fluid? starts off at the lateral ventricles flowing through the monro orifice into the third ventricle, thereon down the acqueduct of silvius into the 4th ventricle (anterior to the cerebellum). from there it flows either down the ependimary duct (if open) or straight into the subarachnoid space of the medulla, bathing it all the way down to the cauda equina. it also has an upward flow through the subarachnoid space up to the uppermost parts where the arachnoid granulations of paccioni reabsorb it into the sinuses, going into venous circulation.
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I know these sorts of issues are scary, and when they're happening to your loved on they are.  However, doctors do hundreds of these surgeries every year and know what they're doing.  Personally, I work in surgery and have seen several of these done on the lumbar vertebrae.  Surgical inervention is the solution, I know alternative medicine sounds reat because it's non-invasive and there's no risk, but it is not the absolute fix that surgery is, it's not even close.
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From what I understand, a prominent cisterna magna is an incidental finding.  It is something you were born with and does not cause any problems with your health.  I would liken it to this scenario.  You are suffering with  a backache and get lumbar spine x-rays.  The x-rays show 6 lumbar vertebra instead of the normal 5.  It is the way you were born, and does not contribute to the backache.  I searched webmd for "prominent cisterna magna" and found a few articles.  Here are some excerpts:\n\nPROMINENT CISTERNA MAGNA \n\nThis represents a normal anatomic variant and should not be confused with pathology.\n\nAND:\nWe have fantastic news!  Madeline has a prominent cisterna magna, and NOT an arachnoid cyst.  Some people have big ears, a big nose, etc.  Madeline has a "big" cisterna magna.  The cerebral spinal fluid collects in the cisterna magna, which of course everyone has.  Madeline's is just extremely prominent and completely "normal".  It doesn't need to be followed up with MRI's or anything.  She probably had it her entire life, and it will always stay this size.  This should not affect her life at all.  The doctor said we should just think about taking care of her post-cancer treatment and not her cisterna magna.  We are just so relieved.
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In all honesty, I have never heard of such a thing happening before. Here's what I know about chiropractic: Chiropractic works to remove interference of the Central Nervous System (brain, spinal cord, and nerves) by correcting spinal misalignment (aka subluxation) that could be pinching a nerve. So possibly, maybe (sounds unlikely to me though) an adjustment could release the pressure on a specific nerve, and this could send a signal to the brain and cause this. I worked in a chiropractic office before, and am now a chiropractic student but I have never heard anything about this. I'm curious, did this happen to you or did you hear about it? \n\nIt could also be something about the patient. Maybe that person was nervous about receiving an adjustment, and just let out those feelings after the adjustment.
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pretty straightforward on wikipedia\n\n"Cerebrospinal fluid is produced by modified ependymal cells of the choroid plexus found in all components of the ventricular system except for the cerebral aqueduct and the occipital and frontal horns of the lateral ventricles. CSF flows from the lateral ventricles via the foramina of Monro into the third ventricle, and then the fourth ventricle via the cerebral aqueduct in the brainstem. From there it can pass into the central canal of the spinal cord or into the cisterns of the subarachnoid space via three small foramina: the central foramen of Magendie and the two lateral foramina of Luschka."
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Yes, I have seen many patients with large benign pituitary tumours who have had them removed and been fine. They can often cause problems by pressing on the Optic Chiasm (Where your optic nerves join together) giving loss of vision at the sides. Sometimes they can secrete excessive levels of hormones naturally secreted from the pituitary. Very often however they cause no problem at all. Removing them is often straight forward.
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Hydrocephalus is the abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain.
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Syringomyelia (sear-IN-go-my-EEL-ya) is a disorder in which a cyst or tubular cavity forms within the spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, expands and elongates over time, destroying the center of the spinal cord. Since the spinal cord connects the brain to nerves in the extremities, this damage results in pain, weakness, and stiffness in the back, shoulders, arms, or legs.
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There is another covering over the brain, called the dura mater - it's like a heavy membrane between the brain and the skull bone. But you would be surprised at how many people have had bone removed from the skull and a metal plate put in to replace it. People who have been injured in the war (shrapnel was a big causative factor during WW1 and 2) or in traffic accidents or industrial accidents, farm accidents -- a surprising number of people have lost bone from the top of their heads. . The brain is amazingly sturdy, and unless the brain itself was damaged, it would still function. The main concern would be keeping it sterile and keeping it moist.\nThis isn't a new problem -- there are mummies from Ancient Egypt who had been trepanned (that's what they call opening a hole in the top of the skull and taking a piece of bone out) and who survived the operation. We know they survived because the edges of the bone showed signs of growth and regeneration, so that meant they lived months or years after the operation.
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How Is It Diagnosed and Treated?\nTo diagnose encephalitis, the doctor may take blood samples and order a spinal tap to remove some cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for testing. CSF is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. A spinal tap (also called a lumbar puncture) is a procedure that involves inserting a very thin needle into the lower back to extract a small amount of CSF. The blood and CSF will then be sent to a laboratory to check for viruses or bacteria. A special brain scan (an MRI or a CT scan) may also be ordered to look for inflammation. A doctor may also order an  electroencephalogram (EEG). This test records your brain waves and can reveal whether there are abnormalities that are consistent with an encephalitis infection.\n\nTreatment for encephalitis depends on the virus that caused it. People with mild cases of encephalitis can recover at home as long as they're watched carefully by a parent or other adult in the household. Most cases of encephalitis just run their course and the person gets better on his or her own.\n\nSome viruses that cause encephalitis can be treated with medication. For example, acyclovir, an antiviral drug, can help treat encephalitis caused by the herpes simplex virus. In addition, steroid medications may be used to reduce swelling in the brain (these aren't the same as the dangerous performance-enhancing steroids that some athletes use). Because antibiotics are not effective against viruses, they're not used to treat viral encephalitis.
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cord blood can be either saved or donated.  it's the basics that can save a child's life, but only if they are stricken with certain diseases.  it won't help regrow a spinal cord, but can help strengthen immune systems
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The spinal cord is a very complex piece of anatomy.\n\nIt is acord in a sheath surrounded by vertebrae.\n\nIn the case of a fracture, the bone itself is broken. One of the vertebrate. Often it is just one of the spiny processes off the side. Hence the reason you can break your back and not be paraluyzed. If the actual nerve cord gets damaged or severed you have a problem.\nA contusion means swellign and it can resolve with proper treatment and you will get numbeness, tingling and partial loss of function. A partial or complete severe means you wil be paarlyzed. Sometimes the bone breaks and puts pressue on the cord and that causes symptoms, in which case surgery will stabilize the area.\n\nAll of what you describe indicate a potential contusion or bone pressing on the spinal cord, and you should definitely seek medical advice and monitor carefully.
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Hello Summerspirit,\n\nThanks for your question. I think this question deserved a better reponse than what it has received till now. Anyways, I'll try to compensate: \n\nFirst of all, neurons don't usually die at all. The neurons are the cells with the least regenerative powers in our body. Once killed, they cannot be replaced! But, as we grow older, some wear and tear is unavoidable and brain cells too are no exception to the wear and tear of ageing. \n\nStill, the brain cells are the last to die in our bodies as they are kept well oxygenated by an abundant blood supply.\n\nNow, the neuroglia cells that support the neurons are not as sustainable as the neurons and thus, are subject to regular wear and tear. So, there must be a path for them and other metabolic wastes to leave the brain, right? \n\nOur brain as opposed to popular conception is not a lump of matter floating in blood. It is floating alright but, not directly in blood. The brain floats in a colorless, transparent, plasma-like fluid called Cerebro-Spinal Fluid or CSF. The fluid provides a one way traffic from the cavities and membranes of the brain to the vein carrying used blood.\n\nSo, the CSF takes the dead brain-cells and flows towards a blood stream, then the waste matter is transferred to the blood.\n\nThe blood then takes the stuff to the kidneys which is known as the sieve of the human body. Kidney filters the metabolic waste from the blood to urine from where it is passed from the body.\n\nHope it helped to keep your summer spirit alive! Bye!
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The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is located within the ventricles, spinal canal, and subarachnoid spaces. The principle source of CSF are the choroid plexi of the lateral, third and fourth ventricles (Figure 6), and the volume varies between 10-20% of brain weight (Bradbury, 1979). The volume of CSF in humans is 140-150 ml, only 30-40 ml actually in the ventricular system, with a production rate of 21 ml/hr. The turnover rate of total CSF is species dependent and varies between approximately 1 hr for rat and 5 hr for human (Davson and Segal, 1996). The majority of the CSF is in the subarachnoid space, where the arachnoid membranes bridge the sulci of the brain, in the basal cisterns and around the spinal cord. CSF moves within the ventricles and subarachnoid spaces under the influence of hydrostatic pressure generated by it production. CSF cushions the brain, regulates brain extracellular fluid, allows for distribution of neuroactive substances, and is the "sink" that collects the waste products produced by the brain.\n\nConcentration of most molecules is greater in the brain than in the CSF, creating a physiological gradient between the two compartments. The continuous flow of CSF through the ventricular system and out over the surface of the brain provides a "sink" that reduces the steady-state concentration of a molecule penetrating into the brain and CSF (Davson et al., 1961). This "sink" effect is greater the slower a molecule moves, which makes it particularly important for lipid-insoluble molecules of large molecular radius (Davson and Segal, 1996). Few drugs gain entry into the brain via CSF uptake due to the bulk flow movement. However, azidothymidine (AZT) enters the brain through rapid distribution into the CSF and subsequent transport at the CSF-barrier via a thymidine transporter (i.e. pyrimidine nucleoside carrier) (Wu et al., 1992), such a transport is not present at the BBB (Cornford and Oldendorf, 1975).
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A glioependymal cyst is a capsulated collection of fluid in the brain. Its usually benign, often incidentally detected when a scan of the brain is done for some other reason. Usually does not need any treatment unless the person has symptoms because of the cyst. \nYou should see a neurosurgeon and take his/her advice. If surgery is required can be done using an endoscope ( depending on the location) or open surgery using a shunt or other device.\nYou can contact Dr Arvind Bhateja on abhateja@gmail.com or 98452-94701