Neurosurgery
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Evolving requirements for patient and physician safety and rapid regulatory changes have stimulated interest in neurosurgical telemedicine in the COVID-19 era. ⋯ Neurosurgical telemedicine encounters appear promising in resource-scarce times, such as during global pandemics.
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Brain metastases (BM) are the most common type of brain tumor malignancy in the US. They are also the most common indication for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). However, the incidence of both local recurrence and radiation necrosis (RN) is increasing as treatments improve. MRI imagery often fails to differentiate BM from RN; thus, patients must often undergo surgical biopsy or resection to obtain a definitive diagnosis. ⋯ These results suggest that DVI could be a useful diagnostic tool to differentiate recurrent BM from RN using a minimally invasive blood sample.
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The effectiveness of balloon guide catheter (BGC) use has not been prospectively studied and its added value for improving reperfusion in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treatment has only been reported in studies in which no contact aspiration was combined with the stent retriever (CA + SR). ⋯ The reperfusion and clinical results with and without BGC use are not significantly different when combined CA + SR are used as a first-line strategy for large vessel occlusion in the setting of AIS.
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Opioid misuse in the USA is an epidemic. Utilization of neuromodulation for refractory chronic pain may reduce opioid-related morbidity and mortality, and associated economic costs. ⋯ Patients undergoing SCS were able to reduce opioid usage. Given the potential to reduce the risks of long-term opioid therapy, this study lays the groundwork for efforts that may ultimately push stakeholders to reduce payment and policy barriers to SCS as part of an evidence-based, patient-centered approach to nonopioid solutions for chronic pain.
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Surgeon's intraoperative estimation of meningioma extent of resection (Simpson Grade, SG) is widely used as a prognostic factor for recurrence. However, the validity of SG is still a matter of debate. In preoperative imaging, 68Ga-DOTATATE/PET-CT has been shown to detect meningioma tissue even more sensitively than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). ⋯ Intraoperative Simpson grading is at risk to underestimate tumor remnants, predominantly in grade I and II resections. Postoperative PET-CT improves detection rates compared to MRI. Prognostic impact of postoperative meningioma remnants according to PET-CT needs to be investigated prospectively.