The 575 inhabitants of the remote Anatolian village of Karain suffered 11 deaths from pleural mesothelioma in 1975/76 and there were five cases of fibrosing pleurisy. In the previous five years there had been 25 cases of mesothelioma. Calcified pleural plaques were common on survey radiography. Asbestos does not occur in the local soil or rock, nor is it handled in the village, but a few fibres were found in the water. Fibres were also found in the pleural tissue of two of five cases examined. Inhabitants of the neighbouring villages are free of mesothelioma.

Objective: To report a case of lumbar myxopapillary ependymoma in whom neuroradiological and surgical ®ndings strongly suggested neuro®broma. Clinical presentation: The patient presented with a 2 year history of progressive monoparesthesia and monoparesia of his right leg. He reported having minimal fecal and urinary incontinence. Intervention: Total resection of the tumor was achieved by total L1-L2 laminectomies. There was no attachment to the spinal cord and dura. Conclusion: In spite of contemporary sophisticated neuroradiological facilities, we may still have diagnostic diculties in some spinal tumors. Spinal Cord (2001) 39, 449 ± 452

Our findings support the possibility of some functional recovery after umbilical cord cell transplantation following spinal cord injury.

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Background:Anaplastic astrocytoma (AA; WHO grade-III) patients determination of prognostic factors helps generating multimodal therapy protocols. For this purpose, in the Baskent University, Adana Medical Research Center, specific characteristics of AA patients who have surgery were retrospectively investigated and factors which affect prognosis has been determined.Patients and Methods:Between January 2005 and 2009, 20 patients who have AA have been evaluated retrospectively. Totally, 20 patients had 31 operations. Sixteen patients had only adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). In the postoperative period, 8 patients received adjuvant RT. Nine of 10 patients with tumor recurrence received concomitant therapy with temozolomide (ConcT with TMZ) protocol. No adjuvant therapy protocol could be applied in three patients with poor general condition in the postoperative period.Results:Median survival for patients died was 16±17 months; one year survival was 75% and five year survival 25%. After univariate analysis, preoperative Karnofsky performance score (KPS) was ≥80 (P=0.005577*), postoperative KPS was ≥80 (P=0.003825*), type of tumor resection (P=0.001751*), multiple operations (P=0.006233*), and ConcT with TMZ protocol (P=0,005766*) were all positive prognostic factors which extend the survival.Conclusions:The results of the multivariate analysis did not put forward an independent prognostic factor acting on the survival period (P>0.05).