Glossary
Angiography
Neuroimaging examination to study brain vessels (veins and arteries).
Cephalgia
A generic term for any pain in the skull (headaches).
Platinum wire
A microspiral-shaped metal structure used to block a cerebral aneurysm through the endovascular pathway (embolization).
Congenital
An antenatal condition (before birth). A congenital disease can be transmitted genetically (hereditary disease), may be due to a chromosomal mutation or an anomaly during embryo development.
Electromyography
A neurophysiology examination that studies nerve function by recording their action on different muscle groups.
Embolization
Interventional neuroradiology technique used to block a vascular malformation (e.g., an intracranial aneurysm) through the arteries of the brain, without opening the skull, in the event of brain hemorrhage.
Fluoroscopie
Fluoroscopy is a radiology modality that consists of acquiring dynamic images of the interior of structures in real time. It is particularly used in the operating theatre for spinal surgery.
Glioblastome
Malignant tumour of the brain that develops at the expense of astrocytic cells, the most numerous in the central nervous system.
Gliome
Primary tumours of the nervous system that may have different grades (benign or malignant).
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging method, without irradiation, very useful for soft tissue analysis. Often essential in the assessment of diseases of the spine and nervous system.
Cerebrospinal fluid
A liquid located in and around the central nervous system that is produced regularly, circulates in different spaces and finally passes through the veins around the meninges. A disorder of this production-circulation-absorption system causes dilation of the brain’s cavities (ventricles), called hydrocephalus.
Lombalgie
Pain in the lumbar region, i. e. the lower part of the spine, which is a very frequent symptom that only requires a complex check-up and appropriate medical treatment before it can be treated surgically.
Meningioma
Tumour of the envelopes of the brain or spinal cord. Most often benign, it is treated by surgery or radiosurgery.
Metastasis
Tumours called secondary because they are caused by cancer of another organ (lung, breast kidney…) and frequently affect the spine and nervous system.
Spinal cord
Part of the central nervous system contained in the spine.
Myeloscanner
Scanner performed after the injection, by lumbar puncture, of a product increasing the contrast of the elements of the vertebral canal (ligaments, fat, marrow, roots…). This examination also allows a dynamic analysis of these elements.
Paresthesia
A sensitivity disorder most often characterized by tingling sensations.
Rachis
Stack of vertebrae and intervertebral discs that allow the support and movement of the trunk and head while protecting the elements of the nervous system it contains (marrow and roots)
Vasospasme
A narrowing of the size of the arteries of the brain that can occur after meningeal hemorrhage and can lead to a stroke.
Percutaneous
Occurs through the skin.
Cimentoplastie
Injection of cement into a bone, especially a vertebra (vertebroplasty) and often associated with an increase in the height of a compacted vertebra (by a fracture or tumour). This process is then called “spinal expansion”.
Nosocomial
Infection occurring during or after the management of a patient, who was not present or in incubation at the time of management.