Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2024
Review Historical ArticleThe role of medical illustration in the evolution of transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.
Medical illustration played a crucial, yet often overlooked, role in the evolution of pituitary surgery. From the late 1800s to the present, many preeminent surgeons, in partnership with their surgical illustrator collaborators, developed and then shifted the paradigm of pituitary surgery, from an open procedure with high mortality and morbidity, to an endonasal approach with high success rates that is widely utilized today. This work aims to highlight the role of surgical illustrators as partners to their physician colleagues, creating artistically accessible road maps that shaped the development of the transsphenoidal approach.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2024
Multicenter StudyPerformance of the IMPACT and CRASH prognostic models for traumatic brain injury in a contemporary multicenter cohort: a TRACK-TBI study.
The International Mission on Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in Traumatic Brain Injury (IMPACT) and Corticosteroid Randomization After Significant Head Injury (CRASH) prognostic models for mortality and outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI) were developed using data from 1984 to 2004. This study examined IMPACT and CRASH model performances in a contemporary cohort of US patients. ⋯ The IMPACT and CRASH models adequately discriminated mortality and unfavorable outcome. Observed overestimations of mortality and unfavorable outcome underscore the need to update prognostic models to incorporate contemporary changes in TBI management and case-mix. Investigations to elucidate the relationships between increased survival, outcome, treatment intensity, and site-specific practices will be relevant to improve models in specific TBI subpopulations (e.g., older adults), which may benefit from the inclusion of blood-based biomarkers, neuroimaging features, and treatment data.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2024
Preoperative prescription opioid use as an independent predictor of 90-day mortality and adverse events in craniotomy and craniectomy patients.
A growing body of literature suggests that preoperative opioid exposure is an independent predictor of poor outcomes in surgical patients. No outcomes data exist on preoperative opioid use and craniotomies/craniectomies. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of preoperative opioid use on 90-day adverse events after craniotomy or craniectomy. ⋯ Preoperative opioid use was independently associated with 90-day postoperative adverse events and mortality. Opioid use increases vulnerability in craniotomy/craniectomy patients and necessitates close monitoring to improve outcomes.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2024
Neglected tracts of the brainstem: transverse peduncular tract of Gudden and taenia pontis.
The anatomy and function of the brainstem have fascinated scientists for centuries; however, the brainstem remains one of the least studied regions of the human brain. As the authors delved into studying this structure, they observed a growing tendency to forget or neglect previously identified structures. The aim of this study was to describe two such structures: the transverse peduncular tract, also known as the Gudden tract, and the taenia pontis. The authors analyzed the potential effects of neglecting these structures during brainstem surgery and the implications for clinical practice. ⋯ Recently, with increasing understanding and expertise in brainstem research, surgical approaches to this area have become more common, emphasizing the importance of a detailed knowledge of the brainstem. The two structures mentioned in this paper are described in history books and were widely studied in the 19th century but have not been mentioned in modern literature. The authors propose that a deeper understanding of these structures may prove valuable in neurosurgical practice and help reduce patient comorbidity.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2024
Are hemodynamics responsible for inflammatory changes in venous vessel walls? A quantitative study of wall-enhancing intracranial arteriovenous malformation draining veins.
Signal enhancement of vascular walls on vessel wall MRI might be a biomarker for inflammation. It has been theorized that contrast enhancement on vessel wall imaging (VWI) in draining veins of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) may be associated with disease progression and development of venous stenosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between vessel wall enhancement and hemodynamic stressors along AVM draining veins. ⋯ This novel multimodal investigation of hemodynamics in AVM draining veins allows for precise prediction of occurring shear- and flow-related phenomena in enhanced vessel walls. These findings may suggest low shear to be a local predisposing factor for venous stenosis in AVMs.