title: Histological appearance of a chronically stimulated vagus nerve in a pediatric patient.
abstract: Histological analysis of chronically stimulated human vagus nerves is lacking in the literature. In this study, we describe the first microscopic findings in a chronically stimulated left vagus nerve from a pediatric patient. Our results show many histological changes in and around the stimulated nerve with severe demyelination. Further long-term clinical and postmortem examinations of chronically stimulated vagus nerves in both children and adults are needed to ascertain whether prolonged exposure to electrical current can cause clinical dysfunction of this nerve.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tubbs
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patwardhan
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elton
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Blount
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bebin
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Grabb
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology