London Academic Publishing Ltd.: Arts & Humanities Journals
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Contribution of Romanian Society of Neurosurgery in the development of Moldavian neurosurgical activity (35 years of connections)
No full textThe development of neurosurgery in the Republic of Moldova has gone through some challenging pioneering stages. It gradually separated from the Society of Neurology, and its evolution has been extensive; it currently meets international standards.Neurosurgery in Moldova has undergone a transformative journey from its humble beginnings to a globally recognised discipline, largely driven by the relentless dedication of visionaries. Among these, Prof. Grigore Zapuhlih stands out as a trailblazer who shaped the neurosurgical landscape of Moldova, merging tradition with innovation and integrating the nation into global neurosurgical networks. His contributions, spanning decades, encompass clinical practice, academic mentorship, pioneering technologies, and international collaboration.This article provides an in-depth exploration of the evolution of Moldovan neurosurgery, paying homage to Prof. Zapuhlih’s unparalleled contributions. It traces the historical context of the field, the milestones achieved through collaboration with the Romanian Society of Neurosurgery (RSN), and the modernisation of neurosurgical practices under his leadership. Prof. Zapuhlih’s role as a mentor, innovator, and global ambassador for Moldovan medicine has not only elevated the field locally but has also secured Moldova’s place on the international stage. This tribute underscores the profound impact of his life and work, which continue to inspire the next generation of neurosurgeons
Asking a Rabbi About His Fear: Shared Intention in an Early Modern Jewish-Christian Interaction
No full textThis paper explores the intentionality of a captivating Jewish-Christian encounter in Amsterdam during the spring of 1657. It features Rabbi Nathan Shapira ha-Yerushalmi and a group of millenarian Christians led by the mystical chiliast Peter Serrarius. Rabbi Shapira, a renowned Kabbalist from the circle of Jacob ben Hayyim Tsema?, was on a mission to raise funds for the beleaguered Ashkenazi Jewish community of Jerusalem. He was convinced that their collective woes were the dramatic overture to the Messiah's grand debut. Meanwhile, the Collegiants – a radical Protestant Christian group – were eagerly awaiting apocalyptic events around 1656. Richard Henry Popkin famously described this meeting as a “touching moment” in Jewish-Christian relations, particularly noting the Rabbi’s surprisingly “philo-Christian” presentation of rabbinic texts. This study examines the source text by contextualisation and redaction. It shows that there was a shared intention, even if different agents participated for different reasons based on their own distinct religious tradition
Finding Strength in the Natural World in Beth Brant’s “Swimming Upstream” and Tomás Vallejos’ “Piñons”
No full textBeth Brant’s “Swimming Upstream,” tells the story of a Native American woman, Anna May, who loses custody of her son due to her lesbian lifestyle and history with alcoholism. When her son drowns on a fishing trip with her ex-husband, Anna May finds herself struggling with alcoholic temptation. While on the brink of relapse, she watches an injured salmon fighting to swim upstream and leap over a dam. In doing so, she is symbolically reminded of her own strength. Similarly, Tomás Vallejos’ “Piñons” tells the story of a young man grappling with his own sexuality amid his father’s toxic masculinity. Feeling isolated and ostracized by his community and family, he, too, ventures into nature for solace and is reminded of his own strength through the symbolism of the piñon tree. Both Anna May and the unnamed narrator of Piñons find that while society seeks to stifle and silence their differences, in nature, differences are celebrated as miracles. These two stories of social outsiders emphasize the rejuvenating power of the natural world and suggest that reconnecting to nature gives strength of voice and identity to those who would otherwise be silenced by the patriarchal rules of society
Rejecting Machismo in Tomás Vallejos’ “Piñons” and Edgar Gomez’s “Malcriado”
No full textBoth Tomás Vallejos' “Piñons” and Edgar Gomez's “Malcriado” feature unnamed narrators who are young Latino men coping with the reality of being gay. Both narrators come from families that value machismo and uphold violent ideologies. In “Piñons,” the narrator's family prepares for piñon season, where they will pick the fruit from the trees and gather to roast the piñons. Each year, the family strips the trees for all they are worth, and the men spend the evening drinking heavily, boasting of sexual conquests, and encouraging fights amongst one another. In “Malcriado,” the narrator is sent to visit his uncles in Nicaragua, who attempt to toughen him up by taking him to a cock fight and pressuring him to sleep with a woman. While both characters ultimately reject machismo, the narrator of “Piñons” is more easily able do so because of the affirmations of a trusted individual in his life; the narrator of “Malcriado,” however, is completely alone even amongst family, and he is only able to take those first steps toward self-realization when he discovers that he may in fact be able to find a community of other people like him who will provide him future support
Giant sacral schwannoma mimicking teratoma: A case report
No full textBackground: Sacral schwannomas are uncommon, constituting 1-5% of schwannomas. They present with vague symptoms. Schwannomas occurring in sacral and presacral regions present with enormous dimensions and are difficult to manage.
Case summary: We present a case of schwannoma occurring in the sacral region extending into the presacral region in a 45-year-old female which was diagnosed as teratoma on imageology. The lesion was excised and on histopathological examination, diagnosis of schwannoma was considered
Conclusion: Sacral schwannoma with cystic degeneration should be considered as a differential diagnosis for solid and cystic lesions of the sacral region. MRI and CT scanning will be helpful in diagnosis
Remember: 30 years since Constantin Arseni passed away: The founder of Romanian neurosurgery
No full textProfessor Constantin Arseni (1912–1994) was a Romanian neurosurgeon whose pioneering contributions established the foundation for modern neurosurgery in Romania. Widely acknowledged as the founder of Romanian neurosurgery, his legacy reflects not only exceptional clinical expertise but also visionary leadership in the development of neurosurgical training programs, the establishment of scientific societies, and substantial contributions to international neurosurgical literature. Notably, in 1982, he founded the Romanian Society of Neurosurgery (RSN), a milestone that further cemented his influence in the field. His work and enduring legacy have profoundly shaped generations of neurosurgeons, both within Romania and internationally. Over the course of his illustrious career, Arseni authored an extensive body of scientific literature, spearheaded the establishment of one of Europe’s most advanced neurosurgical departments, and played a pivotal role in advancing neurosurgical techniques and technologies
A Schopenhauerian Reading of Lovecraft’s Fiction: The Will, the Intellect, and Never-Ending Struggle of Life in Cosmic Horror
No full textThis essay aims to explore how Lovecraft applies Schopenhauer’s theory of the will. Lovecraft’s works reflect Schopenhauerian Will, wherein Schopenhauer underscores the service of the intellect to the will. Yet Lovecraft develops his cosmic horror by reiterating the vanishing of humanism into an unknown amorphous form of life due to the influence of a monstrous force within the will. The first section of the essay involves the explication of the will in Schopenhauerian ideas: the will itself is immanent, undifferentiated, and indifferent to the existence of an individual while it maintains the existence of the species. The second section provides a discussion of Lovecraft’s worldview. The significant notion in Lovecraft’s view of the world as something sad parallels Schopenhauer’s theory regarding the will and immeasurable sufferings in the world of phenomenon. However, the horror presented in Lovecraft’s fiction might be more frightening than the blind force of the will in Schopenhauer’s ideas: Lovecraft’s creatures regress to amorphous beings manipulated by the monstrous force of the will. Finally, the essay focuses on Lovecraft’s fiction, including The Shadow Over Innsmouth and At the Mountains of Madness, tracing the extraterrestrial beings as representations of an indefatigable and despotic will
Post-traumatic epileptic seizures revealing hydrocephalus
No full textBackground: Hydrocephalus is one of the late complications of head injury. More often, post-traumatic epileptic seizures are due to intracranial hematomas and brain contusion. Hydrocephalus is rarely reported in this clinical registry. The literature is not very rich in cases of epileptic seizures linked to posttraumatic hydrocephalus.
Objective: We report the results of our study, the aims of which were to establish the epidemiology of post-traumatic hydrocephalus in our practice, to determine the mechanisms of trauma onset, to describe the initial traumatic lesions and to highlight the timing and pathophysiological mechanism of epileptic seizures in post-traumatic hydrocephalus.
Materials and methods: We conducted a descriptive, retrospective study over a period of 4 years at the Neurosurgery Department of the Gabriel Touré University Hospital in Bamako. We included patients of both genders and all ages who had at least one seizure after head injury and in whom the CT scan performed during the investigation of the seizure showed hydrocephalus.
Results: Between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2023, out of 1024 cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI), hydrocephalus was diagnosed in 37 patients (3.6%) during the investigation of epileptic seizures. All patients were male with a mean age of 27.4 years. The trauma was caused by road traffic accidents in 48.6%. The initial brain injuries were dominated by hemorrhagic contusions (29.7%), osteo-meningeal injuries caused by fracture of the frontal bone (19%) and traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage (16.2%). The mean time to onset of the first attack was 28.3 days. Seizures were generalised in 86.4%. Sudden onset without prodrome occurred in 64.8% of patients. Tetraventricular hydrocephalus was diagnosed in 89.1% of cases. Ventriculoperitoneal shunting was performed in all patients. After 5 months of follow-up, seizures had completely resolved in 87.5% of patients despite complete cessation of antiepileptic treatment. No deaths were reported.
Conclusion: Epilepsy may be a clinical manifestation of post-traumatic hydrocephalus. Morphological imaging is essential for diagnosis. Management is based on cerebrospinal fluid drainage
Os Odontoideum: Case report and literature review
No full textOs odontoideum is an uncommon skeletal abnormality defined by the separation of the odontoid process from the body of the axis vertebrae. This condition can be congenital or acquired, and symptoms may include neck pain, myelopathy, or abrupt neurological deficits. Os odontoideum is commonly diagnosed using imaging modalities such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRI. Treatment options differ depending on the presence of symptoms and the stability of the atlantoaxial joint. Conservative therapy may be appropriate for asymptomatic instances, although surgical intervention, such as C1-C2 vertebral fusion, is frequently required for symptomatic cases or those at risk of spinal cord injury. Long-term follow-up is critical for monitoring potential problems and ensuring optimal results for patients with os odontoideum
Visual improvement following the treatment of internal carotid complex aneurysms through internal carotid ligation combined with STA-MCA bypass.
No full textObjective: The combination of internal carotid artery (ICA) ligation with superficial temporal artery (STA) to middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypass has proven effective in the treatment of internal complex carotid aneurysms (ICCAs). Indirect exclusion through thrombosis is anticipated to alleviate the mass effect on adjacent neurovascular structures. However, visual impairment may occur secondary to thrombosis of the ICA and ophthalmic artery. The purpose of this study is to emphasise the paradoxical stabilisation and improvement of vision observed in certain cases.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from 2016 to 2020, analysing data from a cohort of patients with ICCAs, among whom nine patients underwent ICA ligation in combination with STA-MCA anastomosis. Preoperative and postoperative visual findings were analysed and compared.
Results: All patients underwent STA-MCA bypass in addition to complete ICA ligation. Postoperative clinical outcomes remained unchanged in 8 out of 9 patients. Complete aneurysm exclusion through thrombosis was achieved at 12 months. The STA-MCA anastomosis remained patent in 6 out of 9 patients, with no clinical deterioration observed, except in one case. Notably, irrespective of graft patency, this patient experienced a minor parietal stroke, from which full recovery was achieved after six months. Furthermore, an improvement in visual acuity was observed in two patients at three months.
Conclusion: The ICCA treatment, which involves ICA ligation combined with STA-MCA bypass, alleviates the mass effect on adjacent neurovascular structures. Despite the occurrence of ICA thrombosis, an enhancement in visual acuity has been documented, which can be attributed to the patency of the ophthalmic artery via the meningeal anastomotic circuits