Although the etiology of primary brain tumors is largely unknown, prior studies suggest that DNA repair polymorphisms may influence risk of glioma. Altered DNA repair is also likely to affect the risk of meningioma and acoustic neuroma, but these tumors have not been well studied. We estimated the risk of glioma (n = 362), meningioma (n = 134), and acoustic neuroma (n = 69) in non-Hispanic whit...

Nerve injury frequently triggers hyperexcitability and the ectopic initiation of impulses in primary afferent axons. An important consequence is neuropathic paresthesias and pain. Electrogenesis in normal afferents depends on appropriate Na+ channel concentrations. Therefore, we have asked whether injury might trigger changes in axolemmal Na+ channel distribution that could account for neuropat...

This study aimed to examine the contributions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) at the injury site toward neuroma formation and nerve regeneration after inferior alveolar nerve transection. Histological analysis confirmed neuroma formation at 2 weeks after complete transection of the inferior alveolar nerve. A local administration of an antibody to BDNF inhibited connective tissue pro...

If I were a clinician getting ready to inject steroid in the intermetatarsal space of a patient believed to have a Morton neuroma, my awareness of the study by Thomson et al. would justify the concern that ‘‘evidence-based medicine’’ was being followed. Dr. Thomson and his coauthors have clearly shown that an injection of steroid with a local anesthetic has a significantly greater likelihood of...

The purpose of this study was to establish the frequency and pattern of depressive disorders after surgery for acoustic neuroma, and to look for associations. Twenty seven patients with acoustic neuroma underwent thorough psychiatric assessment before surgery and at three and 12 months after surgery. Three patients had a depressive disorder in the preoperative assessment. Of the remaining 24 pa...

Pacinian corpuscles are sensory nerve-end organs located in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue of the palms or soles. Pacinian neuroma is an extremely rare feature, defined as hyperplasia or hypertrophy of Pacinian corpuscles. About half of Pacinian neuromas present with point tenderness. There have been a limited number of cases reported around the world. We observed a 45-year-old woman w...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN 2B) is a rare disease caused by germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene and is transmitted in an autosomal dominant fashion. It is characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma and mucosal neuroma developing in the tongue, lip, intestinal tract, palate etc. Among these neoplasias, mucosal neuroma generally develops from early child...

There are 3 approaches for the surgical treatment of acoustic neuroma namely: 1) translabyrinthine approach 2) retrosigmoid approach, and 3) middle fossa approach. The middle fossa approach was used for the removal of small or intracanalicular tumors, with or without serviceable hearing. The first case presented with severe right sensorineural hearing loss and facial palsy; the second with prog...