Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2022
Septal rhinopharyngeal flap: a novel technique for skull base reconstruction after endoscopic endonasal clivectomies.
Endoscopic endonasal reconstruction techniques have improved CSF leak rates that were initially reported after surgery for cranial base and intradural lesions. However, wide surgical defects still pose a problem, especially if located in the clival region. The authors propose and describe a novel reconstruction technique they call a septal rhinopharyngeal flap (SRF) specifically designed to address this issue. ⋯ No CSF leaks were encountered after at least 1 postoperative year. The SRF is a novel vascularized reconstruction technique specifically indicated for wide endosanasal clivectomies focused on the middle clivus with caudal extension into the lower clivus and craniocervical junction, as well as rostral extensions into the tubercular or planum sphenoidale. This new reconstruction technique could be added to the skull base reconstruction armamentarium as a safe and optimal option.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2022
Influence of dexamethasone on visible 5-ALA fluorescence and quantitative protoporphyrin IX accumulation measured by fluorescence lifetime imaging in glioblastomas: is pretreatment obligatory before fluorescence-guided surgery?
Fluorescence-guided surgery using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is nowadays widely applied for improved resection of glioblastomas (GBMs). Initially, pretreatment with dexamethasone was considered to be essential for optimal fluorescence effect. However, recent studies reported comparably high rates of visible fluorescence in GBMs despite absence of dexamethasone pretreatment. Recently, the authors proposed fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) for the quantitative analysis of 5-ALA-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) accumulation. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the influence of dexamethasone on visible fluorescence and quantitative PpIX accumulation. ⋯ In this first study to date, the authors found no significant influence of dexamethasone pretreatment on either visible 5-ALA fluorescence during GBM surgery or PpIX accumulation based on FLIM. According to these preliminary data, the authors recommend administering dexamethasone prior to fluorescence-guided surgery of GBMs only when clinically indicated.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2022
Hemangioblastoma diagnosis and surveillance in von Hippel-Lindau disease: a consensus statement.
Hemangioblastomas are a frequent underlying cause of neurological morbidity and death in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL). Although these benign tumors can cause significant neurological debility when undetected and untreated, unified evidence-based surveillance recommendations for VHL patients have not been established. To develop consensus recommendations, the VHL Alliance established an expert committee, named the International VHL Surveillance Guidelines Consortium, to define surveillance recommendations. ⋯ The CNS Hemangioblastoma Subcommittee of the International VHL Surveillance Guidelines Consortium here proposes guidelines that aim to increase the early detection of VHL-associated hemangioblastomas to reduce their morbidity and mortality.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2022
Effect of position on intracranial pressure and compliance: a cross-sectional study including 101 patients.
A better understanding of the effect of position on intracranial pressure (ICP) and compliance is important for the development of treatment strategies that can restore normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics. There is limited knowledge on the effect of position on intracranial compliance. In this cross-sectional study the authors tested the association of pulse amplitude (PA) with position and the day/night cycle. Additionally, they describe the postural ICP and PA changes of patients with "normal" ICP dynamics. ⋯ This is the largest study investigating the effect of postural changes on intracranial compliance. The results of this study suggest that PA, as well as ICP, is significantly associated with posture, increasing in upright positions compared to that while supine. Further studies will be needed to investigate the mechanism behind this association.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2022
The Suprasellar Meningioma Patient-Reported Outcome Survey: a disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure for resection of suprasellar meningioma.
Suprasellar meningioma resection via either the transcranial approach (TCA) or the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) is an area of controversy and active evaluation. Skull base surgeons increasingly consider patient-reported outcomes (PROs) when choosing an approach. No PRO measure currently exists to assess quality of life for suprasellar meningiomas. ⋯ The authors developed a disease- and approach-specific measure for suprasellar meningiomas to compare quality of life by operative approach. If demonstrated to be reliable and valid in future studies, this instrument may assist patients and providers in choosing a personalized surgical approach.