Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2019
Review Case ReportsSymptomatic Post-Radiosurgery Intratumoral Hemorrhage in a Case of Vestibular Schwannoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.
Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is considered an established treatment for vestibular schwannoma (VS) in selected patients. Spontaneous intratumoral hemorrhage in VS after GKRS is very rare. In this report, we present a 63-year-old gentleman who had right-side severe sensorineural hearing loss on MRI showing a right cerebellopontine angle tumor (volume 4.96 cm3) with an internal acoustic meatus extension. ⋯ Postoperatively, the patient had facial palsy but was free of disabling vertigo and ataxia. At the 6-month follow-up, he was doing well without any other complaints. Although rare, an intralesional bleed can occur after GKRS in VS and should be suspected when new severe symptoms develop immediately after therapy.
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2019
ReviewNeurosurgeons' Armamentarium for the Management of Refractory Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Systematic Literature Review.
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can be refractory to both medical and minimally invasive treatments. Its complex pathophysiology explains the numerous neurosurgical procedures that have been implemented through the years. Our objective was to summarize all available neurosurgical strategies for the management of resistant PHN and evaluate their respective safety and efficacy outcomes. ⋯ There are several available neurosurgical approaches for recalcitrant PHN including neuromodulatory and ablative procedures. It is suggested that patients with resistant PHN undergo minimally invasive procedures first, including SCS, peripheral nerve stimulation or DRG radiofrequency lesioning. More invasive procedures should be reserved for refractory cases. Comparative studies are needed in order to construct a PHN neurosurgical management algorithm.
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2019
Atrophic Changes and Diffusion Abnormalities of Affected Trigeminal Nerves in Trigeminal Neuralgia Using 7-T MRI.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely used for visualizing trigeminal nerves in trigeminal neuralgia. ⋯ Our results suggest that 7-T MRI allows identifications of atrophy and diffusion abnormalities of trigeminal nerves in trigeminal neuralgia.
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2019
Implementation of New Technology in Patients with Chronic Deep Brain Stimulation: Switching from Non-Rechargeable Constant Voltage to Rechargeable Constant Current Stimulation.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders has been mainly performed with constant voltage (CV) technology. More recently also constant current (CC) systems have been developed which theoretically might have additional advantages. Furthermore, rechargeable (RC) system implantable pulse generators (IPG) are increasingly being used rather than the former solely available non-rechargeable (NRC) IPGs. ⋯ This study confirms both the safety and feasibility of switching between different DBS technologies (CV to CC, NRC to RC, different manufacturers) in patients with chronic DBS. Furthermore, it shows how the management can be planned using available information from the previous DBS settings. Individual assessment is needed and might partly be related to the DBS target and the underlying disease. MR safety might be a problem with such hybrid systems.
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2019
Placement and Anchoring of Trigeminal Neurostimulation Electrodes: Technical Report.
Peripheral neurostimulation (PNS) for medically refractory trigeminal and craniofacial pain is an emerging alternative to traditional surgical approaches. Technical problems with craniofacial PNS have included electrode migration and erosion, limiting the utility and cost-effectiveness of this procedure. ⋯ We present an improved method for craniofacial PNS surgery which introduces a separate incision for electrode anchoring at the parietal boss. This technique simplifies the procedure and greatly reduces rates of erosion and migration, improving patient comfort and satisfaction.