Acta neurochirurgica
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Acta neurochirurgica · Oct 2005
Comparative StudyIntraventricular or lumbar infusion test in adult communicating hydrocephalus? Practical consequences and clinical outcome of shunt operation.
To investigate the therapeutic consequences of restricting the CSF dynamic evaluation to a lumbar infusion test (LIT), as opposed to our formerly applied intraventricular assessment (VIT), in patients with communicating hydrocephalus (CH). ⋯ LIT and VIT are equally reliable for selecting shunt responsive patients with CH, using clinical improvement rate as the main criterion for comparison. The practical and economic consequences are substantial: the LIT can be performed in an outpatient setting, whereas VIT necessitates hospitalisation for 1-2 days including occupation of the neurosurgical theatre and postoperative neuro-intensive monitoring.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Oct 2005
ReviewMicrovascular decompression for primary hemifacial spasm. Importance of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring.
There is considerable evidence that primary Hemi-Facial Spasm (HFS) is in almost all cases related to a vascular compression of the facial nerve at its Root Exit Zone (REZ) from brainstem, and that Micro-Vascular Decompression (MVD) constitutes its curative treatment. Clinical as well as electrophysiological features plead for mechanisms of the disease in structural lesions at the neural fibers (putatively: focal demyelination at origin of ephapses) and functional changes in the nuclear cells (hyperactivity of the facial nucleus). Lateral Spread Responses (LSRs) elicited by stimulation of the facial nerve branches testify of these electrophysiological perturbations. ⋯ MVD allows cure of the disease in most cases. Because the VIIIth nerve is at risk during surgery, intraoperative monitoring of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials (BEAPs) is of value to reduce occurrence of hearing loss. Increase in latency of Peak V and decrease in amplitude of Peak I are warning-signals of an excessive stretching of the the cochlear nerve and impairment of the cochlear vascular supply, respectively.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Oct 2005
Clinical TrialTransforaminal steroid injections in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. A prospective outcome study.
The aim of this study was to assess if transforaminal steroid injections applied to cohort of patients waiting for cervical disc surgery, reduce the pain of cervical radiculopathy and hence reduce the need for surgical intervention. Cervical radiculopathy due to cervical disc herniation or spondylosis is a common indication for cervical disc surgery. Surgery is however not always successful, and is not done without risk of complications. Transforaminal injection of steroids has gained popularity due to the rationale that inflammation of the spinal nerve roots causes radicular pain, and therefore steroids placed locally should relieve symptoms. ⋯ This prospective cohort study indicates a reduction in the need for operative treatment due to injection treatment. The clinical effect is measurable, and a statistically significant improvement of the radicular pain is registered. Routine transforaminal injection treatment prior to surgery seems rewarding, but the complication risk must be taken into consideration.
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Intracranial osteomas, which have no connections with the dura or the skull, are very rare. Here we report one case of multiple intracranial subarachnoid osteomas. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first report of multiple intracranial subarachnoid osteomas. Surgical findings strongly support the hypothesis of the origin of the tumour that the primitive mesenchymal cells from the connective tissue might have migrated into the subarachnoid space accompanying the intracerebral blood vessels.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Oct 2005
The prognostic value of clinical characteristics and parameters of cerebrospinal fluid hydrodynamics in shunting for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.
It is difficult to predict which patients with symptoms and radiological signs of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) will benefit from a shunting procedure and which patients will not. Risk of this procedure is also higher in patients with NPH than in the overall population of hydrocephalic patients. The aim of this study is to investigate which clinical characteristics, CT parameters and parameters of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics could predict improvement after shunting. ⋯ We conclude that neither individual parameters nor combinations of measured parameters show any statistically significant relation to clinical improvement following shunting procedures in patients suspected of NPH. We suggest restricting the term normal pressure hydrocephalus to cases that improve after shunting and using the term normal pressure hydrocephalus syndrome for patients suspected of NPH and for patients not improving after implantation of a proven well-functioning shunt.