Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2020
Case ReportsThe striking effects of deep cerebellar stimulation on generalized fixed dystonia: case report.
Cerebellar neuromodulation could influence the pathological abnormalities of movement disorders through several connections between the cerebellum and the basal ganglia or other cortices. In the present report, the authors demonstrate the effects of cerebellar deep brain stimulation (DBS) on a patient with severe generalized fixed dystonia (FD) that was refractory to bilateral pallidotomy and intrathecal baclofen therapy. A previously healthy 16-year-old girl presented with generalized FD. ⋯ Ipsilateral stimulation of the SCP or DN improved the FD, and the ability of DBS administered via the SCP to relax muscles was better than that of DN DBS. A considerable improvement of generalized FD, from a bedridden state to a wheelchair-bound state, was observed in the patient following 6 months of chronic bilateral DBS via the SCP; moreover, the patient was able to move her arms and legs. The findings in the present case suggest that neuromodulation of deep cerebellar structures is a promising treatment for FD that is refractory to conventional treatments.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2020
Case ReportsDeep brain stimulation modulates hypothalamic-brainstem fibers in cluster headache: case report.
Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been used for more than a decade to treat cluster headache (CH) but its mechanisms remain poorly understood. The authors have successfully treated a patient with CH using hypothalamic DBS and found that the contact used for chronic stimulation was located in a white matter region posterior to the mammillary bodies. Fiber tracts crossing that region were the medial forebrain bundle and those interconnecting the hypothalamus and brainstem, including the dorsal longitudinal fasciculus. Because the stimulation of axons is an important mechanism of DBS, some of its clinical effects in CH may be related to the stimulation of fibers interconnecting the hypothalamus and brainstem.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2020
Primary intracranial malignant melanoma: proposed treatment protocol and overall survival in a single-institution series of 15 cases combined with 100 cases from the literature.
The overall survival and pertinent adverse factors for primary intracranial malignant melanoma (PIMM) have not been previously determined. This aim of this study was to determine the rates of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and identify the adverse factors for PIMM. ⋯ Optimal outcomes could be achieved by radical resection plus postoperative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Patients with diffuse PIMM have a more severe clinical spectrum and poorer survival than patients with solitary PIMM. Immunotherapy and targeted therapy show promise as treatment options for PIMM based on results in patients with brain metastases from extracranial melanoma.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2020
Detailed standardized protocol to prevent cerebrospinal fluid shunt infection.
While cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt surgery plays an essential role in the treatment of hydrocephalus, postoperative infection due to the implantation of foreign materials is still one of the most common and potentially serious complications of this procedure. Because no previously reported protocol has been proven to prevent postoperative infection after CSF shunt surgeries in adults, the authors investigated the effectiveness of a protocol introduced in their institution. ⋯ The authors' detailed protocol for CSF shunt surgeries was effective in preventing postoperative infection regardless of patient age.