Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2007
Subtotal obliteration of cerebral arteriovenous malformations after gamma knife surgery.
Subtotal obliteration of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) after Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) implies a complete angiographic disappearance of the AVM nidus but persistence of an early filling draining vein, indicating that residual shunting is still present; hence, per definition there is still a patent AVM and the risk of bleeding is not eliminated. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of hemorrhage for patients with subtotal obliteration of AVMs. ⋯ The fact that none of the patients with subtotally obliterated AVMs suffered a rupture is not compatible with the assumption of an unchanged risk of hemorrhage for these lesions, and implies that the protection from rebleeding in patients with subtotal obliteration is significant. Subtotal obliteration does not necessarily seem to be a stage of an ongoing obliteration. At least in some cases it represents an end point of this process, with no subsequent obliteration occurring. This observation requires further confirmation by open-ended follow-up imaging.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2007
Endoscopic, endonasal extended transsphenoidal, transplanum transtuberculum approach for resection of suprasellar lesions.
The extended transsphenoidal approach is a less invasive method for removing purely suprasellar lesions compared with traditional transcranial approaches. Most advocates have used a sublabial incision and a microscope and have reported a significant risk of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. The authors report on a series of purely endoscopic endonasal surgeries for resection of suprasellar supradiaphragmatic lesions above a normal-sized sella turcica with a low risk of CSF leakage. ⋯ A purely endoscopic endonasal approach to suprasellar supradiaphragmatic lesions is a feasible minimally invasive alternative to craniotomy. With a multilayer closure, the risk of CSF leakage is low and lumbar drainage can be avoided. A larger series will be required to validate this approach.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2007
Inhibition of angiogenesis induced by cerebral arteriovenous malformations using gamma knife irradiation.
The authors studied the effect of Gamma Knife irradiation on angiogenesis induced by cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) tissues implanted in the corneas of rats. ⋯ The results suggest that Gamma Knife irradiation inhibits angiogenesis induced by AVM tissue in the cornea angiogenesis model. The data are not directly related to understanding how Gamma Knife irradiation occludes existing AVM vasculature, but to understanding why properly treated AVMs do not recur and do not show neovascularization after Gamma Knife irradiation.