British journal of neurosurgery
-
The classic presentation of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage is sudden severe headache, associated with decreased level of consciousness. The authors present a most dramatic presentation of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.
-
Observational Study
Do older patients with acute or subacute subdural hematoma benefit from surgery?
According to the international guidelines, acute subdural hematomas (aSDH) with a thickness of >10 mm, or causing a midline shift of >5 mm, should be surgically evacuated. However, high mortality rates in older patients resulted in ongoing controversy whether elderly patients benefit from surgery. We identified predictors of outcome in a single-centre cohort of elderly patients undergoing surgical evacuation of aSDH or subacute subdural hematoma (saSDH). ⋯ The low number of operated patients per year probably suggests that this cohort represents a selection of patients who were judged to have good chances of favouring from surgery. Functional independence at one-year follow-up was reached in 25% of patients, 64% died. Patients with bilaterally absent pupillary light reflexes did not benefit from surgery. The tendency to restrict treatment because of presumed poor prognosis may have acted as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
-
Multicenter Study
Undergraduate neurosurgical conferences - what role do they play?
Undergraduate student conferences provide networking opportunities for students interested in exploring a speciality. The ability to meet with like-minded students, engage with senior clinicians and experience the practical side of a speciality are valuable in shaping the career trajectory of undergraduates. We report our experience of developing a national undergraduate neurosurgery conference - a combined project between the medical students of King's College London School of Medicine and the neurosurgery department at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. ⋯ Student conferences are a valuable method of increasing exposure to a career in neurosurgery. They serve a great purpose in demystifying the specialty and guiding those with an interest through the steps required to enter and progress.
-
Management of patients presenting for various nonspecific complaints without clear neurological abnormalities and with normal ventricular size remains highly controversial. We intended to share our rationale for surgical treatment of patients who show symptoms of transient increase of intracranial pressure owing to the presence of the cyst. ⋯ Abnormal neurological findings and ventricular enlargement are not indispensable to justify surgical treatment of pineal cysts. Judicious selection of surgical candidates based predominantly on clinical grounds can lead to excellent operative results.
-
Effective treatment of medical conditions relies on proper diagnosis. Clinical trials show the safety and effectiveness of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) fusion in patients with chronic SI joint dysfunction. To what extent is the condition under recognised? ⋯ Lack of knowledge of the role of the SIJ in chronic low back pain probably results in diagnostic confusion and may lead to misdirected treatment.