Neurosurgery
-
Computerized tomography angiography (CTA) is commonly used to diagnose ruptured cerebral aneurysms with sensitivities reported as high as 97% to 100%. Studies validating CTA accuracy in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are scarce and limited by small sample sizes. ⋯ The accuracy of CTA in the diagnosis of ruptured intracranial aneurysm may be lower than previously reported. CTA has a low sensitivity for aneurysms less than 5 mm in size, in locations adjacent to bony structures, and for those arising from small caliber parent vessels. It is our recommendation that CTA should be used with caution when used alone in the diagnosis of ruptured intracranial aneurysms.
-
Hyperglycemia is common and showed to be risky for poor prognosis in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, the causality and mechanism underlying this observation are not well established. ⋯ Hyperglycemia exacerbated cerebral vasospasm and was associated with poorer neurological outcomes following SAH. Our findings also suggested the nitric oxide pathway as a potential underlying mechanism via the dysregulation of eNOS and iNOS.
-
Biophysical modeling of glioma is gaining more interest for clinical practice. The most popular model describes aggressivity of tumor cells by two parameters: net proliferation rate (ρ) and propensity to migrate (D). The ratio ρ/D, which can be estimated from a single preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), characterizes tumor invasiveness profile (high ρ/D: nodular; low ρ/D: diffuse). A recent study reported, from a large series of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients, that gross total resection (GTR) would improve survival only in patients with nodular tumors. ⋯ Whatever the degree of tumor invasiveness, as estimated from MRI-driven biophysical modeling, GTR improves survival of GBM patients, compared to PR or BST. This conflicting result should motivate further studies.