Neurosurgery
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A retrospective review of patients who underwent posterior cervical stabilization with Halifax Interlaminar Clamps in four neurosurgical centers in the United Kingdom was performed. Satisfactory bone fusion without complication occurred in all patients in whom lower cervical spinal stabilization (C3-C7) was performed. ⋯ In 10 patients, one of the screws loosened, and in 4 patients, one of the clamps disengaged; additional operations to achieve bone fusion were required in 9 patients (20%). The Halifax Interlaminar Clamp is safe and effective for posterior stabilization in the lower cervical spine; there is a significant failure rate associated with its use for atlantoaxial arthrodesis.
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We evaluated the treatment outcome of 17 patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma and 17 patients with anaplastic mixed oligodendroglioma-astrocytoma. In the anaplastic oligodendroglioma group, eight patients were treated at the time of the initial admission with radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy, and nine patients were treated at the time of recurrence with salvage chemotherapy. Three patients for whom adjuvant chemotherapy was not successful were also treated with chemotherapy at the time of recurrence. ⋯ The initial treatment resulted in two complete responses, three partial responses, and seven stable disease (response and stable disease, 100%), with most responses lasting longer than 12 months. The treatment of the patients with recurrent disease resulted in one partial response and five stable disease (response and stable disease, 100%), with a median time to progression of 6 months. These results suggest that aggressive treatment is beneficial for recurrent anaplastic oligodendrogliomas and mixed gliomas as well as initial mixed gliomas but may offer only minimal advantage over conventional radiotherapy for the initial treatment of anaplastic oligodendrogliomas.
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The author has designed a simple and inexpensive cylindrical stereotactic retractor that is compatible with the Leksell stereotactic system. The device allows the stereotactic localization and open resection of appropriate intracranial lesions through a 3-cm craniotomy, using standard microsurgical techniques and a completely sterile field. The device and its use are described.
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During 22 operations in 18 patients, we stimulated the ocular motor nerves electrically, intracranially, and recorded compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) directly from the extraocular muscles with a ring electrode that we developed. Recording electrodes were applied in 52 instances to the superior rectus, medial rectus, superior oblique, or lateral rectus muscle and to the levator palpebrae superioris in 2 instances; CMAP were recorded successfully from 22 muscles. Evoked CMAP were not recorded in 2 instances because of problems with recording equipment; in the remaining 30 instances, no evoked CMAP were recorded because 1) the oculomotor or abducens nerve was not exposed during the operation; or 2) the recording electrode on the superior oblique muscle had not been properly placed to record trochlear nerve CMAP. ⋯ Monitoring results also confirmed the surgeons' visual findings, thus helping the surgeons operate with greater confidence. Further, intraoperative monitoring provided us with some insights into the pathophysiology of ocular motor nerve dysfunction caused by skull base lesions; we documented electrophysiologically the occurrence of the slowing of conduction in the ocular motor nerves. We conclude that monitoring ocular motor nerve CMAP can reduce the incidence of surgical complications such as functional blindness due to inadvertent sectioning of one of these nerves and that it would be worthwhile to conduct studies of this technique in many more cases to validate our findings.
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The authors present the history of a patient with a Chiari I malformation "acquired" after multiple traumatic lumbar punctures. The genesis of tonsillar descent is believed to be related to persistent leakage of cerebrospinal fluid secondary to the multiple traumatic lumbar punctures. The topic of acquired Chiari I malformations and complications of lumbar puncture is reviewed.