Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Mar 2016
Review Case ReportsPediatric skull base reconstruction: case report of a tunneled temporoparietal fascia flap.
The authors of this report present a pediatric case involving the use of a tunneled temporoparietal fascia flap to reconstruct a skull base defect for a multiply recurrent clival chordoma and cerebrospinal fluid leak, demonstrate the surgical technique through illustrations and intraoperative photos, and review the pertinent literature. A 9-year-old female patient underwent extensive clival chordoma resection via both the endoscopic and open approaches, which ultimately exhausted the bilateral nasoseptal flaps and other intranasal reconstructive options. ⋯ While the nasoseptal flap remains the workhorse for many pediatric and adult endoscopic skull base reconstructions, the tunneled temporoparietal fascia flap has a demonstrated efficacy in adults when the nasoseptal flap and other intranasal flaps are unavailable. This report documents a pediatric case, serving as a step toward establishing this technique in the pediatric population.
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Mar 2016
Surgical management of hydrocephalus secondary to intraventricular hemorrhage in the preterm infant.
OBJECT Posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) in the preterm infant remains a major neurological complication of prematurity. The authors first described insertion of a specially designed low-profile subcutaneous ventricular catheter reservoir for temporary management of hydrocephalus in 1983. This report presents the follow-up experience with the surgical management of PHH in this population and describes outcomes both in infants who were stable for permanent shunt insertion and those initially temporized with a ventricular reservoir (VR) prior to permanent ventriculoperitoneal (VP)/ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt placement. ⋯ The number of shunt revisions and the rates of loculated hydrocephalus and shunt infection did not statistically differ between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS Patients with initial VR insertion as a temporizing measure received a CSF diversion procedure significantly earlier than those who received a permanent shunt as their initial procedure. Otherwise, the outcomes with regard to shunt revisions, loculated hydrocephalus, and shunt infection were not different for the 2 groups.
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Mar 2016
Case ReportsDe novo arteriovenous malformation in a patient with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant systemic disorder characterized by the enlargement of capillaries, recurrent nosebleeds, and multiple arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Although cerebral AVMs are traditionally considered to be congenital lesions, some reports have described de novo AVMs, which suggests that the authors believed them to be dynamic conditions. ⋯ In patients with a family history of HHT, de novo AVMs are possible, even when no lesions are detected at the first screening. Therefore, regular screenings need to be performed, and the family should be informed that AVMs could still develop despite normal MRI results.
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Mar 2016
Natural and surgical history of Chiari malformation Type I in the pediatric population.
OBJECT The natural and surgical history of Chiari malformation Type I (CM-I) in pediatric patients is currently not well described. In this study the authors discuss the clinical and radiological presentation and outcomes in a large cohort of pediatric CM-I patients treated with either conservative or surgical management. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed 95 cases involving pediatric patients with CM-I who presented between 2004 and 2013. ⋯ In the nonsurgical cohort, 3 patients (4.3%) developed new or increased syrinx. CONCLUSIONS The overwhelming majority of CM-I patients (92.9%) managed conservatively do not experience clinical or radiological progression, and a sizeable minority (41.7%) of those who present with symptoms improve. However, appropriately selected symptomatic patients (sleep apnea and dysphagia) and those presenting with syringomyelia should be considered surgical candidates because of the high rates of clinical (75%) and radiological improvement (87.5%).
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Mar 2016
Long-term follow-up for lumbar intrathecal baclofen catheters placed using the paraspinal subfascial technique.
OBJECT Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) is a valuable therapeutic option for patients with spasticity and dystonia. The techniques that place an ITB pump catheter into the subcutaneous fat of a lumbar incision are well described. Because patients who require ITB often have low body fat content, they may be predisposed to catheter-related complications. ⋯ These patients received a median follow-up of 3.0 years, with 30 of 43 patients receiving follow-up over 2.0 years. CONCLUSION This follow-up study suggests that the technique of paraspinal subfascial catheter placement translates to long-term decreases in CSF leakage and complications from erosion, infection, and also catheter malfunctions. It does not seem to affect the overall rate of complications.