Neurosurgical review
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Neurosurgical review · Jan 2013
Long-term follow-up of ruptured intracranial aneurysms treated by microsurgical wrapping with autologous muscle.
The purpose of this study is to describe our series of nine unclippable and uncoilable ruptured aneurysms in eight patients treated by microsurgical wrapping with autologous muscle. Records were retrospectively reviewed for rebleeding rate, morbidity and mortality, changes in size or the aneurysm's configurations, and inflammatory reaction. We conducted a Medline search in the post-microsurgical era, excluding patients in whom wrapping was part of the aneurysm treatment in combination with clipping or coiling. ⋯ Follow-up MR demonstrated persistence of the aneurysm's sac, without changes in size and configuration. Patients did not describe or exhibit symptoms attributable to complications inherent to the use of muscle. Microsurgical muscle-wrapping of ruptured intracranial aneurysm is safe, is associated with a low rate of acute and delayed postoperative complications and rebleeding, and could be a valid alternative for unclippable and non-amenable to endovascular procedure ruptured aneurysms.
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Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common disease in the elderly, and the recurrence rate of CSDH is reported to range from 2.3 to 33%. We performed a retrospective review of a number of CSDH cases and the potential factors associated with CSDH recurrence. The patient population comprised 112 men and 65 women with a mean age of 74.7 years. ⋯ The presence of a postoperative massive subdural air collection tended to be associated with the recurrence of hematoma. Multivariate analysis revealed that separated hematomas were significantly associated with CSDH recurrence, whereas the presence of postoperative massive subdural air collection tended to be associated with hematoma recurrence. Neither univariate nor multivariate analysis could demonstrate an association between the direction of the drainage tube and the recurrence of CSDH.
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Neurosurgical review · Jan 2013
The endoscopic endonasal approach for the management of craniopharyngiomas involving the third ventricle.
The third ventricle has historically represented one of the most challenging areas to access surgically, so that lesions directly harboring into the ventricular chamber or secondarily extending into it from adjacent areas have been approached by means of different transcranial routes. The aim of this work is to report our experience with the endoscopic endonasal approach in the management of a series of patients affected by craniopharyngiomas, extending into or arising from the third ventricle, evaluating pros and cons of this technique, also in regards of the anatomy and the pathology dealt with. During the period between January 2001 and February 2011, 12 patients, 9 male and 3 female (mean age 50.4 years; range 12-68) underwent an endoscopic endonasal approach for the treatment of a craniopharyngioma involving or arising from the third ventricle. ⋯ One patient died after the occurrence of a brainstem hemorrhage. The endoscopic endonasal route provides a good exposure, especially of the sub- and retro-chiasmatic areas, as well as of the stalk-infundibulum axis, which represents, when directly involved by a lesion, a gate to access the third ventricle chamber. Despite this study reporting only a preliminary experience, it seems that in properly selected cases--namely tumors growing mostly along the pituitary stem-infundibulum-third ventricle axis--this approach could be advocated as a valid route among the wide kaleidoscope of surgical approaches to the third ventricle.
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Neurosurgical review · Jan 2013
Dorsal location of the cochlear nerve on vestibular schwannoma: preoperative evaluation, frequency, and functional outcome.
The cochlear nerve is most commonly located on the caudoventral portion of the capsule of vestibular schwannomas and rarely on the dorsal portion. In such a condition, total removal of the tumor without cochlear nerve dysfunction is extremely difficult. The purpose of our study was to identify the frequency of this anatomical condition and the status of postoperative cochlear nerve function; we also discuss the preoperative radiological findings. ⋯ This tumor-nerve anatomical relationship was identified in all tumors of <2 cm at preoperative MR cisternography. MR cisternography has the potential to identify the tumor-nerve anatomical relationship, especially in small-sized tumors that usually require therapeutic intervention that ensures hearing preservation. Hence, careful evaluation of the preoperative MR cisternography is important in deciding the therapeutic indications.
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Neurosurgical review · Jan 2013
Case ReportsBasilar trunk perforator artery aneurysms. Case report and literature review.
Perforator artery aneurysms of the basilar trunk are rarely described in the literature. In addition to presenting our own case, we performed a PubMed search to comprehensively illustrate demographics, hemorrhage patterns, and treatment outcomes for these lesions. We found 12 patients with basilar perforator artery aneurysms. ⋯ Basilar perforator artery aneurysms may be sources of hemorrhage in diffuse or perimesencephalic/prepontine SAH. While endovascular coiling is an excellent option if parent vessel anatomy allows for catheterization, many are unamenable to endovascular treatment. Surgical obliteration via proximal occlusion or trapping is a safe and effective means of treating these aneurysms.