Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2018
Long-term reintegration and quality of life in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and a good neurological outcome: findings after more than 20 years.
OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to examine long-term quality of life (QOL) and reintegration in patients with good neurological recovery after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and SAH of unknown cause (SAH NUD). METHODS A long-term follow-up was performed in an original cohort of 113 individuals who had suffered SAH (93 with aSAH and 20 with SAH NUD) between 1977 and 1984. Self-reporting assessments, performed > 20 years after the bleeding episode, included the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS), Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index, and Reintegration to Normal Living (RNL) index, along with information on sleep disturbances and work status. ⋯ However, the general QOL was not adversely affected by this impairment. Inability to return to work after SAH was associated with lower QOLS scores. Sleep disturbances were associated with lower PGWB scores.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2018
Angiographic features of hemorrhagic moyamoya disease with high recurrence risk: a supplementary analysis of the Japan Adult Moyamoya Trial.
OBJECTIVE In this paper, the authors set out to identify the angiographic features of moyamoya disease with posterior hemorrhage, which is a strong predictor of rebleeding. METHODS This cross-sectional study used the data set of the Japan Adult Moyamoya Trial (clinical trial registration no.: C000000166 [ www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm ]). The panel designed the ancillary measurement of angiography at onset, classifying the collateral vessels into 3 subtypes: lenticulostriate anastomosis, thalamic anastomosis, and choroidal anastomosis. ⋯ Topographical analysis revealed good correspondence between bleeding points associated with positive choroidal anastomosis and the anatomical distribution of the choroidal arteries, including the thalamus and the wall of the atrium. CONCLUSIONS Choroidal anastomosis and PCA involvement are characteristic of posterior hemorrhage in moyamoya disease. Choroidal anastomosis might be considered a potential source of posterior hemorrhage at high risk of rebleeding.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2018
Microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm: can intraoperative lateral spread response monitoring improve surgical efficacy?
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether intraoperative monitoring of lateral spread response (LSR) improves the efficacy of microvascular decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm (HFS). METHODS In this prospective study, patients undergoing MVD for HFS were assigned to one of 2 groups, Group A (MVD with intraoperative LSR monitoring) or Group B (MVD without LSR monitoring). Clinical outcome at 12 months after surgery was assessed through telephone survey. ⋯ Disappearance of LSR correlated with spasm-free status at 1 week postoperatively (p = 0.017) but not at 1 year postoperatively (p = 0.249). CONCLUSIONS Intraoperative LSR monitoring does not appear to provide significant benefit with respect to the outcome of MVD for HFS in skilled hands. Persistence of LSR does not always correlate with poor outcome, and LSR elimination should not be pursued in all patients after verification of complete decompression.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2018
Fully endoscopic combined transsphenoidal and supraorbital keyhole approach for parasellar lesions.
OBJECTIVE Parasellar tumors that extend far laterally beyond the internal carotid artery or that are fibrous and adhere firmly to critical structures are difficult to remove totally via the endoscopic transsphenoidal approach alone. In such cases, a combined transsphenoidal-transcranial approach is effective to achieve maximal resection in a single stage. In this paper, a new minimally invasive surgical technique for complicated parasellar lesions, a fully endoscopic combined transsphenoidal-supraorbital keyhole approach, is presented. ⋯ The goal of this procedure is not to achieve gross-total resection, but to achieve safe resection. Moreover, this new surgical approach offers neurosurgeons a simpler operative field with less invasiveness than the conventional microscopic combined approach. The fully endoscopic combined endonasal-supraorbital keyhole approach is an efficacious procedure for complicated parasellar lesions with acceptable results.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2018
Role of electrophysiology in guiding near-total resection for preservation of facial nerve function in the surgical treatment of large vestibular schwannomas.
OBJECTIVE In large vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery, the facial nerve (FN) is at high risk of injury. Near-total resection has been advocated in the case of difficult facial nerve dissection, but the amount of residual tumor that should be left and when dissection should be stopped remain controversial factors. The objective of this study was to report FN outcome and radiological results in patients undergoing near-total VS resection guided by electromyographic supramaximal stimulation of the FN at the brainstem. ⋯ At the 1-year follow-up evaluation (n = 23), 15 patients (65%) did not show growth of the residual tumor, 6 patients (26%) had regression of the residual tumor, and only 2 patients (9%) presented with tumor progression. CONCLUSIONS Near-total resection guided by electrophysiology represents a safe option in cases of difficult dissection of the facial nerve from the tumor. This seems to offer a good compromise between the goals of preserving facial nerve function and achieving maximum safe resection.