Neurosurg Focus
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Review Historical Article
The management of cranial injuries in antiquity and beyond.
Cranial injuries were among the earliest neurosurgical problems faced by ancient physicians and surgeons. In this review, the authors trace the development of neurosurgical theory and practice for the treatment of cranial injuries beginning from the earliest ancient evidence available to the collapse of the Greco-Roman civilizations. The earliest neurosurgical procedure was trephination, which modern scientists believe was used to treat skull fractures in some civilizations. ⋯ Finally, Galen of Pergamon, a physician to fallen gladiators, substantially contributed to the understanding of the neuroanatomy and physiology. He also described his own classification system for skull fractures and further refined the surgical technique of trephination. From the study of these important ancient figures, it is clearly evident that the knowledge and experience gained from the management of cranial injuries has laid the foundation not only for how these injuries are managed today, but also for the development of the field of neurosurgery.
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In recent studies spinal surgery has replaced cardiac surgery as a leading cause of postoperative vision loss (POVL). Estimates of the incidence of POVL after spinal surgery range from 0.028 to 0.2%, but with advances in complex spinal instrumentation and the rise in annual spinal operations, POVL may see an ominous increase in its incidence. Postoperative vision loss is an uncommon but devastating complication, with unknown origin and pathogenesis. The authors undertook a literature review and summarize the current understanding of its pathophysiology, highlight the limitations of existing knowledge, and recommend practical guidelines for avoiding this devastating outcome.
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Review Historical Article
Hippocrates, Galen, and the uses of trepanation in the ancient classical world.
Trepanation is the process by which a hole is drilled into the skull, exposing the intracranial contents for either medical or mystical purposes. It represents one of the oldest surgical procedures, and its practice was widespread in many ancient cultures and several parts of the world. ⋯ The purpose of this paper is to examine Hippocrates' and Galen's written accounts of the technique and use of trepanation in the ancient Greek and Roman world. Examination of those records reveals the ancient knowledge of neurological anatomy, physiology, and therapeutics, and illustrates the state and evolution of neurosurgery in the classical world.
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Radiosurgery has proven useful in the treatment of small arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain. However, the volume of healthy tissue irradiated around large lesions is rather significant, necessitating reduced radiation doses to avoid complications. As a consequence, this can produce poorer obliteration rates. ⋯ Investigators dispensing >or= 7 Gy per fraction minimum doses have achieved occlusion with an acceptable number of complications in 53-70% of patients. The extended latency period between treatment and occlusion, about 5 years for emerging techniques (such as salvage, staged volume, and hypofractionated radiotherapy), exposes the patient to the risk of hemorrhage during that period. Nevertheless, improvements in dose planning and target delineation will continue to improve the prognosis in patients harboring inoperable AVMs.
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Review Historical Article
Cervical spine surgery in the ancient and medieval worlds.
The early historical literature on cervical spine surgery lacks printed material for review, and we can rely only on pathological material from the prehistoric period that has survived as a result of anthropological investigations. After the introduction of Egyptian and early Hellenic medicine, some written material became available. This paper reviews these materials, from both books and manuscripts, in an effort to understand the development of cervical spine surgery from the perspectives of the personalities involved and the early surgical practices used. The review thus considers the following five eras of medicine: 1) prehistoric; 2) Egyptian and Babylonian; 3) Greek and early Byzantine; 4) Middle Eastern; and 5) medieval.