Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · May 2011
Case ReportsPrimary glioblastoma of the cerebellopontine angle in adults.
Gliomas are rare entities in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) in adults. The authors present clinical, neuroradiological, serological, and neuropathological findings in a 60-year-old man with an extraaxial CPA glioblastoma arising from the proximal portion of cranial nerve VIII. The patient presented with progressive left-sided deafness and left-sided facial palsy lasting less than 2 months and progressive dysarthria and dysphagia lasting 2 weeks. ⋯ The patient underwent no further treatment and died of cachexia 2 months postoperatively. To the authors' knowledge, this represents the first case of a primary glioblastoma in the CPA in an adult. A high index of suspicion along with reliance on clinical assessment, radiological findings, and serum detection of specific malignant markers is essential to diagnose such uncommon CPA lesions.
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Journal of neurosurgery · May 2011
Biography Historical ArticleReflections on the contributions of Harvey Cushing to the surgery of peripheral nerves.
By the time Harvey Cushing entered medical school, nerve reconstruction techniques had been developed, but peripheral nerve surgery was still in its infancy. As an assistant surgical resident influenced by Dr. William Halsted, Cushing wrote a series of reports on the use of cocaine for nerve blocks. ⋯ Additionally, Cushing's experience with facial nerve neurotization is reviewed. The history, physical examination, and operative notes shed light on Cushing's diagnosis, strategy, technique, and hence, his surgery on peripheral nerve injury. These contributions complement others he made to surgery of the peripheral nervous system dealing with nerve pain, entrapment, and tumor.
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Journal of neurosurgery · May 2011
Case Reports Comparative StudyRecurrence rates after neuroendoscopic fenestration and Gamma Knife surgery in comparison with subtotal resection and Gamma Knife surgery for the treatment of cystic craniopharyngiomas.
The object of this study was to compare the recurrence rates of cystic craniopharyngiomas after neuroendoscopic cyst fenestration combined with Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) and after subtotal resection (STR) combined with GKS. ⋯ This investigation confirms that STR followed by GKS results in a lower recurrence rate than neuroendoscopy and GKS. Neuroendoscopy and GKS, however, results in a better preservation of endocrine function. These results suggest that a generalized multimodal approach including endoscopic fenestration in addition to GKS is hindered by higher recurrence rates.
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Journal of neurosurgery · May 2011
Long-term surgical outcome and biological prognostic factors in patients with skull base meningiomas.
Although gross-total resection (GTR) is a preferable treatment for skull base meningiomas, subtotal resection (STR) with or without radiation therapy can be considered as an alternative treatment for patients at considerable surgical risk. The long-term prognosis of such patients might be related to the biological activity of the tumor. This study examined predictors of progression-free survival (PFS) and sought to determine the optimal treatment strategies, focusing on the pathobiological findings of skull base meningiomas. ⋯ For patients with skull base meningiomas, a GTR is desirable and additional radiation therapy after STR may contribute to a longer PFS. Additional radiation therapy should be recommended, especially for patients with pathobiological risk factors, but not necessarily for those without such risks.
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Journal of neurosurgery · May 2011
Case ReportsSphenoorbital meningioma: surgical technique and outcome.
The aim of this study was to describe the surgical technique used for removal of sphenoorbital meningiomas in the authors' practice and to review the operative outcome. ⋯ In the authors' practice, surgery for sphenoorbital meningiomas consists of resection of the orbital/sphenoid intraosseous, intraorbital, and intradural tumor components. The authors believe that aggressive removal of the orbital/sphenoid intraosseous tumor is critical for a favorable visual outcome and tumor control. Furthermore, satisfactory cosmetic results can be achieved with simple reconstruction techniques as described.