Neurosurgery
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Observational Study
Motor Recovery Depends on Timing of Surgery in Patients With Lumbar Disk Herniation.
Although approximately half of the patients undergoing lumbar disk surgery present with motor deficits, timing of surgery for radicular weakness is largely unclear. ⋯ Timing of surgery is crucial for motor recovery in LDH-associated deficits. Immediate diagnosis, imaging, and referral should be aimed for to allow disk surgery within 3 days in patients with severe and moderate radicular weakness. If functionally disabling, even mild deficits may warrant decompression within a week.
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Avoiding the Radial Paradox: Neuroendovascular Femoral Access Outcomes After Radial Access Adoption.
Transradial access (TRA) for neuroendovascular procedures is increasing in prevalence. The safety benefits of TRA at a patient level may be offset at a population level by a paradoxical increase in transfemoral access (TFA) vascular access site complications (VASCs), the so-called "radial paradox." ⋯ TFA remains an important access route, despite a predominantly radial paradigm, and is disproportionately used in patients at increased risk for VASCs. TFA proficiency may still be achieved in predominantly radial practices without an increase in femoral complications.
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Tumors that arise in and around the skull base comprise a wide range of common and rare entities. Recent studies have advanced our understanding of their pathogenesis, which in some cases, have significantly influenced clinical practice. The genotype of meningiomas is strongly associated with their phenotype, including histologic subtype and tumor location, and clinical outcome. ⋯ The identification of nonoverlapping genetic drivers of adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas and papillary craniopharyngiomas indicates that these are distinct tumor entities and has led to successful targeted treatment of papillary craniopharyngiomas using BRAF and/or mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors. Similarly, dramatic therapeutic responses have been achieved in patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, both with BRAF -mutant and BRAF -wildtype tumors. Familiarity with the pathology of skull base tumors, their natural history, and molecular features is essential for optimizing patient care.
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Research has suggested that workers' compensation (WC) status can result in poor outcomes after anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF). ⋯ WC patients reported similar preoperative and 1-yr postoperative neck and arm pain compared with non-WC patients after ACDF. One-yr MCID achievement rates were similar between cohorts for disability and PF scores.
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Traumatic acute subdural hematomas (aSDHs) are common, life-threatening injuries often requiring emergency surgery. ⋯ The RASH score is a simple and validated grading scale that uses easily accessible preoperative factors to predict estimated mortality rates in patients with traumatic aSDHs who undergo surgical evacuation.