Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2015
Review Meta AnalysisImpact of intracranial pressure monitoring on mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Some studies have demonstrated that intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring reduces the mortality of traumatic brain injury (TBI). But other studies have shown that ICP monitoring is associated with increased mortality. Thus, the authors performed a meta-analysis of studies comparing ICP monitoring with no ICP monitoring in patients who have suffered a TBI to determine if differences exist between these strategies with respect to mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), and hospital LOS. ⋯ In this systematic review and meta-analysis of ICP monitoring studies, the authors found that the current clinical evidence does not indicate that ICP monitoring overall is significantly superior to no ICP monitoring in terms of the mortality of TBI patients. However, studies published after 2012 indicated a lower mortality in patients who underwent ICP monitoring.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2015
Meta AnalysisPrognostic value of premorbid hypertension and neurological status in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: pooled analyses of individual patient data in the SAHIT repository.
The literature has conflicting reports about the prognostic value of premorbid hypertension and neurological status in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of premorbid hypertension and neurological status in the SAH International Trialists repository. ⋯ This study confirmed the strong prognostic effect of neurological status as measured on the WFNS scale and the independent but weak prognostic effect of premorbid hypertension. The effect of premorbid hypertension could involve multifactorial mechanisms, including an increase in the severity of initial bleeding, the rate of comorbid events, and neurological complications.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2015
The utility of preoperative diffusion tensor imaging in the surgical management of brainstem cavernous malformations.
Resection of brainstem cavernous malformations (BSCMs) may reduce the risk of stepwise neurological deterioration secondary to hemorrhage, but the morbidity of surgery remains high. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) are neuroimaging techniques that may assist in the complex surgical planning necessary for these lesions. The authors evaluate the utility of preoperative DTI and DTT in the surgical management of BSCMs and their correlation with functional outcome. ⋯ Preoperative DTI and DTT should be considered in the resection of symptomatic BSCMs. These imaging studies may influence the selection of surgical approach or brainstem entry zones, especially in deep-seated lesions without pial or ependymal presentation. DTI/DTT findings may allow for more aggressive management of lesions previously considered surgically inaccessible. Preoperative DTI/DTT changes do not appear to correlate with functional postoperative outcome in long-term follow-up.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2015
ReviewConvection-enhanced delivery to the central nervous system.
Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is a bulk flow-driven process. Its properties permit direct, homogeneous, targeted perfusion of CNS regions with putative therapeutics while bypassing the blood-brain barrier. ⋯ The potential advantages of CED in the CNS over other currently available drug delivery techniques, including systemic delivery, intrathecal and/or intraventricular distribution, and polymer implantation, have led to its application in research studies and clinical trials. The authors review the biophysical principles of convective flow and the technology, properties, and clinical applications of convective delivery in the CNS.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2015
Gamma Knife radiosurgery for meningiomas in patients with neurofibromatosis Type 2.
Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder predisposing patients to meningiomatosis. The role of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is poorly defined in NF2, and although the procedure has excellent control rates in the non-NF2 population, its utility has been questioned because radiation has been hypothesized to predispose patients to malignant transformation of benign tumors. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to examine the use of SRS specifically for meningiomas in patients with NF2. ⋯ Radiosurgery represents a feasible modality with minimal toxicity for NF2-associated meningiomas. Increasing patient age was associated with a decreased rate of distant failure, whereas an increasing number of prior GKRS treatments predicted distant failure. Further studies are necessary to determine the long-term patterns of treatment failure in these patients.