Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2004
Surgical treatment of symptomatic Rathke cleft cysts: clinical features and results with special attention to recurrence.
Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs) are rarely symptomatic. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical, neuroimaging, surgical, and pathological features of symptomatic RCCs with special attention to their recurrence. ⋯ Rathke cleft cysts are associated with a variety of clinical presentations and sometimes confusing intraoperative and pathological findings. Close postoperative observation with neuroimaging and neuroophthalmological assessment is necessary, especially after a partial removal, as in cases with squamous metaplasia.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2004
Case ReportsImproved repair of cervical esophageal fistula complicating anterior spinal fusion: free omental flap compared with pectoralis major flap. Report of four cases.
Esophageal injury is a serious complication of anterior cervical fusion. A team approach to the management of these cases is described. The authors performed spinal assessment, control of the fistula, and interposition of a vascularized flap between the spine and the esophagus. They compared the overall efficacy of the pectoralis major flap (pedicled; two cases) and omental flap (free; two cases).
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2004
Proximal occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in C57Black6 mice: relationship of patency of the posterior communicating artery, infarct evolution, and animal survival.
The intraluminal suture model for focal cerebral ischemia is increasingly used, but not without problems. It causes hypothalamic injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and inadvertent premature reperfusion. The patency of the posterior communicating artery (PCoA) potentially affects the size of the infarct. In addition, survival at 1 week is unstable. The authors operated on C57Black6 mice to produce proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) so that drawbacks with the suture model could be circumvented. ⋯ This model provides not only a robust infarct size (which is not affected by the patency of the PCoA), but also a better survival rate.