title: Cushing's experience with the surgical treatment of spinal dysraphism.
abstract: Although Harvey Cushing is best known for his role in developing surgical treatments for tumors of the central nervous system, he performed diverse neurosurgical procedures throughout his career, both at The Johns Hopkins Hospital (1886--1912) and at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (1912--1932). His unique and innovative approach to the treatment of myelomeningoceles associated with hydrocephalus, displayed early in his career, is characteristic of his attempts to circumvent the technical limitations of his time in the management of neurosurgical problems. In this report, the authors discuss the evolution of Cushing's technique in the treatment of myelomeningoceles through two illustrative patient records.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. cohengadol.aaron@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Aaron A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cohen-Gadol
authors.forename: Brian V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Nahed
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Voorhees
authors.forename: Cormac O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.forename: Dennis D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000266:history; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery; D014481:United States