Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
First use of radiation for the treatment of arteriovenous malformation.
In 1921, Norwegian neurosurgeon Vilhelm Magnus (1871-1929) described the first use of radiation for the treatment of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in his monograph, Bidrag til hjernechirurgiens klinik og resultater. Seeing as this monograph has never been widely translated nor digitized, the authors discuss the impact of Magnus' original work and the ethics surrounding its citation. The senior author of this paper gained access to and directly translated key sections of Magnus' publication. ⋯ No other information on that treatment is given, but for good reason Magnus has been given credit in the literature for the first use of radiation of any kind to treat a person with AVM. Most papers that have referenced Magnus' monograph cite it even though it is probable that the authors did not see it, let alone read its contents. While it is appropriate that his innovation has been properly credited, the authors discuss the limits of citing publications sight unseen.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
BOLD frequency-dependent alterations in resting-state functional connectivity by pallidal deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Functional MRI (fMRI) has been used to investigate the therapeutic mechanisms underlying deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the alterations in stimulation site-seeded functional connectivity induced by DBS at the internal globus pallidus (GPi) remain unclear. Furthermore, whether DBS-modulated functional connectivity is differentially affected within particular frequency bands remains unknown. The present study aimed to reveal the alterations in stimulation site-seeded functional connectivity induced by GPi-DBS and to examine whether there exists a frequency band effect in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals related to DBS. ⋯ These findings indicate that the alterations in functional connectivity from the stimulation site to the cortical motor areas, as well as multiple connectivities among the motor-related network, were associated with the efficacy of GPi-DBS for PD. Furthermore, the changing pattern of functional connectivity within the 4 BOLD frequency subbands is partially dissociable.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
Cytodifferentiation of pituitary tumors influences pathogenesis and cavernous sinus invasion.
Pituitary tumors (PTs) continue to present unique challenges given their proximity to the cavernous sinus, whereby invasive behavior can limit the extent of resection and surgical outcome, especially in functional tumors. The aim of this study was to elucidate patterns of cavernoinvasive behavior by PT subtype. ⋯ The likelihood of CSI differed by transcription factor expression; PIT-1-expressing tumors had a higher predilection for invading the cavernous sinus, particularly microscopically, compared with the other tumor subtypes. This elucidates a unique cavernoinvasive behavior absent in cells from other lineages. Innovative surgical techniques, however, can mitigate tumor behavior and achieve robust, reproducible biochemical remission and gross-total resection rates. These findings can have considerable implications on the surgical management and study of PT biology and behavior.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
The mutational landscape of skull base and spinal chordomas and the identification of potential prognostic and theranostic biomarkers.
Chordomas are rare bone neoplasms characterized by a high recurrence rate and no benefit from any approved medical treatment to date. However, the investigation of molecular alterations in chordomas could be essential to prognosticate, guide clinical decision-making, and identify theranostic biomarkers. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed genomic landscape of a homogeneous series of 64 chordoma samples, revealing driver events, theranostic markers, and outcome-related genomic features. ⋯ In the current study, the authors identified driver events such as PBRM1 and PIK3CA mutations, TBXT alterations, or homozygous deletions of CDKN2A/2B, which could, for some, be considered potential theranostic markers and could allow for identifying novel therapeutic approaches. With the aim of a future biomolecular prognostication classification, alterations affecting PIK3CA and CDKN2A/2B could be considered as poor prognostic biomarkers.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
Anton de Haen (1704-1776) and his extraordinary "portentosum infundibulum" case: the futile skull cauterization of a blind patient with a craniopharyngioma.
Anton de Haen (1704-1776) became one of the most influential physicians in the Habsburg Empire as a reformer of clinical instruction at Vienna Citizen's Hospital (Bürgerspital), where he introduced the bedside teaching method he had learned from Herman Boerhaave in Leyden, Holland. He also promoted the meticulous recording of clinical observations and the use of postmortem studies to identify the cause of death in hospitalized patients. Among the numerous clinicopathological reports compiled in his monumental 18-volume work Rationis Medendi in Nosocomio Practico, published in 1761, was the first documented patient with amenorrhea caused by a pituitary tumor, appearing in the 6th volume. ⋯ At the autopsy, a large solid-cystic and calcified tumor with gross characteristics typical of adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma was found encroaching on the infundibulum and third ventricle. This is the first known account of an infundibulo-tuberal lesion associated with the impairment of sexual functions, predating by 140 years the pathological evidence for a sexual brain center sited at the basal hypothalamus. In this paper, the authors analyze the historical importance and impact of de Haen's foundational report on the fields of neuroendocrinology and neurosurgery.