Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
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Comparative Study
Trigeminal neuralgia in a patient with Dandy-Walker malformation.
Trigeminal neuralgia may be idiopathic or secondary to a number of cranial pathologies. We report a novel case of trigeminal neuralgia associated with Dandy-Walker malformation, which may be an etiologic factor. ⋯ Trigeminal neuralgia may be associated with Dandy-Walker malformation, however an etiological relationship is not proven. We suggest that traction on the trigeminal nerve may be significant. The posterior fossa cyst of Dandy-Walker malformation may be a complicating factor when considering microvascular decompression to treat the trigeminal neuralgia. Collapse of the cyst at surgery may destabilize the posterior fossa and further deform the trigeminal nerve. We suggest that RF-TR, which is minimally invasive and reliable, may be preferable.
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Proximal migration of a lumboperitoneal (LP) shunt is a rare complication associated with unishunt systems. We report three cases with a hypothesis that raised intra-abdominal pressure may be a factor responsible for the proximal migration of a LP unishunt. A rare case of proximal migration of LP shunt into the quadrigeminal cistern is also reported.
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Brain swelling and intracranial hypertension following severe head injury are known to contribute to secondary brain damage, and have been shown to adversely affect patient outcome. The use of unilateral craniectomy following the evacuation of a mass lesion, such as acute subdural haematoma or traumatic intracerebral haematoma, is accepted practice. ⋯ Though the operation is being increasingly used, current opinion is still divided regarding its overall effects on outcome. This review examines the experimental and clinical evidence for and against the use of decompressive craniectomy, highlights the lack of class I evidence relevant to this topic and emphasises the necessity for well-designed prospective randomised controlled trials.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Thalamotomy versus thalamic stimulation for multiple sclerosis tremor.
Disabling intractable tremor occurs frequently in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). There is currently no effective medical treatment available, and the results of surgical intervention have been variable. Thalamotomy has been the mainstay of neurosurgical therapy for intractable MS tremor, however the popularisation of deep brain stimulation (DBS) has led to the adoption of chronic thalamic stimulation in an attempt to ameliorate this condition. ⋯ Following thalamotomy, long-term adverse effects were observed in three patients (30%), and comprised hemiparesis and seizures. Only one patient in the thalamic stimulation group experienced a permanent deficit (monoparesis). We conclude that thalamotomy is a more efficacious surgical treatment for intractable MS tremor, however the higher incidence of persistent neurological deficits in patients receiving lesional surgery may support the use of DBS as the preferred surgical strategy.
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Little is known about the effects of ageing on cerebral autoregulation (CA). To examine the relationship between age and CA in adults, we conducted a prospective study using a non-invasive protocol without external stimuli. We studied 32 subjects, aged 23-68 years. ⋯ Age does not affect dynamic cerebral autoregulation assessed by the Mx index in healthy adult subjects. This study supports findings from previous papers wherein CA was measured with protocols which require external stimuli. Further studies are needed to determine CA in subjects above 70 years of age.