Two large collections of Conus from the Galapagos Islands permitted the analysis of size, sex ratio, and food of 4 of the estimated 13 species of Conus present in the islands. The species investigated were C. diadema, C. lucidus, C. tiaratus, and C. nux. Significantly unequal sex ratios were found in the samples of C. diadema, C. lucidus, and C. tiaratus, but there was no indication of sexual d...

We describe a case of spinal leptomeningeal metastases of an astrocytoma of the conus medullaris that presented with quadriplegia. The patient was a 50-year-old woman with a previously treated astrocytoma of the conus medullaris and a spinal cord metastasis at the Th2-L level. Four years after the initial treatment, the patient developed weakness of the upper extremities with a decreased muscul...

A 41-year-old woman originally from West Africa presented with a 3-week history of generalized weakness. Clinical examination demonstrated quadriparesis, urinary incontinence, and reduced level of consciousness. The imaging of the neuraxis revealed multiple bilateral cerebral lesions, including basal ganglia and midbrain. Spinal cord imaging showed lesions in the conus medullaris (figure). The ...

Background and Importance: Conus medullaris dermoid cysts are benign lesions, usually observed in the lumbosacral region of ​​ the spinal canal. Such lesions are often associated with congenital dermal sinus tracts and spinal dysraphism. Case Presentation: We reported a 37-year-old man with progressive paralysis in left lower limb distal presented to our clinic. The MRI of the lumbar spine, as...

Conopeptides are a diverse group of recently evolved venom peptides used for prey capture and/or defense. Each species of cone snails produces in excess of 1000 conopeptides, with those pharmacologically characterized (≈ 0.1%) targeting a diverse range of membrane proteins typically with high potency and specificity. The majority of conopeptides inhibit voltage- or ligand-gated ion channels, pr...