Acta neurochirurgica
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Acta neurochirurgica · Apr 2010
Case ReportsIsolated posterior spinal artery aneurysm causing intracranial acute subarachnoidal hemorrhage.
A case of an isolated posterior spinal artery aneurysm of the upper cervical spinal cord is presented. Spinal artery aneurysms that are not associated with other entities are extremely rare. ⋯ The aneurysm was successfully clipped. No other vascular abnormalities were seen.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Apr 2010
Case ReportsCongenital duplication of the superior sagittal sinus and parietal encephalocele after vacuum extraction delivery.
A newly-born infant with a congenital dural and bony defect and an associated short-segmented duplication of the superior sagittal sinus suffered from herniation and infarction of parietal brain tissue secondary to vacuum extraction. This ultimately led to the formation of a subgaleal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection. ⋯ As the bony defect developed characteristics of a growing fracture later on, dural repair, transplantation of a split-bone flap and, finally, the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt became necessary. This case affirms that stringent indication and cautious usage of vacuum-assisted delivery is strongly recommended, especially in view of the possibility that undetected congenital cranial, vascular and/or cerebral alterations may be present.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Apr 2010
Case ReportsEctopic choroid plexus associated with trigeminal neuralgia: case report.
A 55-year-old man underwent a microvascular decompression procedure for a pharmacoresistant trigeminal neuralgia. Preoperative MRI showed a neurovascular conflict between the Vth nerve root and the superior cerebellar artery. ⋯ Since vascular decompression of the trigeminal root did not relieve the pain, we suggest that the presence of choroid plexus at the root entry zone of the nerve may have induced trigeminal neuralgia in this patient.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Apr 2010
Robot-assisted anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) using retroperitoneal approach.
Over the past few years, robot-assisted surgery has become increasingly popular, affecting virtually all surgical fields. It has been proven to overcome pitfalls of laparoscopic procedures, such as high complication rates and steep learning curve. We have, therefore, performed experimental anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) using retroperitoneal approach in swine model to test the feasibility of robot-assisted surgery in spinal surgery. ⋯ Although retroperitoneal approach for spinal fusion has never been attempted with robotic surgical system, we could demonstrate the possibility with swine model. Further studies and development of appropriate instruments will bring minimally invasive spine surgery to a new era.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Apr 2010
Endoscopically assisted release of the ulnar nerve for cubital tunnel syndrome.
Recently, the simple decompression of the ulnar nerve has been advocated as the best surgical approach for the treatment of the cubital tunnel syndrome. Encouraged by the positive results observed with the use of the endoscopic approach for the treatment of the carpal tunnel syndrome, there have been reports about the use of endoscopes for decompression of the ulnar nerve at the level of the elbow since 1999. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the surgical results obtained with a simple and replicable technique employed for endoscopic release of the ulnar nerve in cases of cubital tunnel syndrome. ⋯ The endoscopically assisted approach for decompression of the ulnar nerve at the level of the elbow is a minimally invasive technique that demonstrated surgical results similar to those reported via the open approach. It may have additional advantages such as the reduction of soft tissue manipulation, faster mobilization of the arm, and quicker return of the patients to their daily activities.