Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2024
The feasibility and clinical outcome of endoscopic transorbital transcavernous approaches with or without petrosectomy for petroclival lesions.
Petroclival tumors such as petroclival meningiomas or trigeminal schwannomas extending to the posterior cranial fossa are challenging to treat due to their deep-seated location and proximity to critical neurovascular structures. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of endoscopic transorbital surgery for the resection of central skull base tumors involving the petroclival area. ⋯ Endoscopic transorbital surgery appears to be a safe and effective technique for the resection of petroclival lesions, offering excellent visualization and access to the tumor while minimizing morbidity. However, further studies with larger patient cohorts and longer follow-up are warranted to validate the long-term efficacy and safety of this approach. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the utility of endoscopic transorbital techniques in skull base surgery.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2024
Predictors of trigeminal neuropathy in patients receiving Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma.
The authors' objective was to validate dosimetric and clinical predictors of the development of trigeminal neuropathy (Tn) in patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for a diagnosis of vestibular schwannoma (VS). ⋯ The only significant factor in the risk of development of Tn after SRS for VS was the volume of CN V that received ≥ 11 Gy. This should be routinely incorporated into dosimetric planning constraints and patients should be counseled about the risk of adverse effects if it cannot be met. For those with growing VS and a gap to the trigeminal nerve, it may be prudent to provide earlier treatment with SRS to enable application of this dosimetric constraint and reduced risk of Tn.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2024
Barriers to neurosurgery for medical students: a national study focused on the intersectionality of gender and race.
Despite 51.2% of medical school graduates being female, only 29.8% of neurosurgery residency applicants are female. Furthermore, only 12.6% of neurosurgery applicants identify as underrepresented in medicine (URM). Evaluating the entry barriers for female and URM students is crucial in promoting the equity and diversity of the neurosurgical workforce. The objective of this study was to evaluate barriers to neurosurgery for medical students while considering the interaction between gender and race. ⋯ The authors highlight the implications of gender and racial diversity in the neurosurgical workforce on medical student interest and recruitment. Their findings suggest the importance of actively working to address these barriers, including 1) maternity/paternity policy reevaluation, standardization, and dissemination; and 2) actively providing resources for the creation of mentorship relationships for both women and URM students in an effort to create a workforce that aligns with the changing demographics of medical graduates to continue to improve diversity in neurosurgery.