Neurosurgery
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We conducted a retrospective analysis of 451 women with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the brain to determine whether pregnancy is a risk factor for cerebral hemorrhages. A total of 540 pregnancies occurred among our patient population, resulting in 438 live births and 102 abortions. There were 17 pregnancies complicated by a cerebral hemorrhage. ⋯ We found that women with an AVM face a 3.5% risk of hemorrhage during pregnancy. Pregnancy is not a risk factor for hemorrhage in women without a previous hemorrhage. This conclusion assumes no selection bias exists in our study population; a bias would be introduced if the risk of fatal outcome after a hemorrhage were greater in pregnant women than in nonpregnant women.
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This report describes two cases of craniopharyngioma with perifocal edema. In both patients, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed that the tumors occupied the suprasellar cistern, invaginated the floor of the 3rd ventricle and were tightly adherent to the ventricular walls. ⋯ The perifocal edema subsided after treatment of the intraventricular tumor by surgical resection or radiation therapy. The "moustache" appearance seems a unique, characteristic feature of perifocal edema, which is observed infrequently with certain craniopharyngiomas.