Neurosurg Focus
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Chiari I malformation is the most common craniocervical malformation. Its combination with basilar invagination in a significant proportion of patients is well established. This study presents surgical results for patients with Chiari I malformation with and without additional basilar invagination. ⋯ The great majority of patients with Chiari I malformations with or without basilar invagination report postoperative improvements with this management algorithm. There were no significant differences in short-term or long-term outcomes between these groups. Chiari I malformations without invagination and those with invaginations but without ventral compression can be managed by foramen magnum decompression alone. The majority of patients with ventral compression can be treated by posterior decompression, realignment, and stabilization, reserving anterior decompressions for patients with profound, symptomatic brainstem compression.
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Incidence of C-2 fracture is increasing in elderly patients. Patient age also influences decision making in the management of these fractures. There are very limited data on the national trends of incidence, treatment interventions, and resource utilization in patients in different age groups with isolated C-2 fractures. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence, treatment, complications, length of stay, and hospital charges of isolated C-2 fracture in patients in 3 different age groups by using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. ⋯ The incidence of hospitalization for isolated C-2 fractures is progressively increasing in older age groups. Simultaneously, there has been a steadily decreasing trend in the preference for nonoperative interventions. Due to more complicated hospital stay, longer hospitalizations, and higher rates of nonroutine discharges, the patients in older age groups seem to have a higher propensity for greater health care resource utilization.
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OBJECT In patients with large or symptomatic brain lesions from metastatic melanoma, the value of resection of metastases to facilitate administration of systemic ipilimumab therapy has not yet been described. The authors undertook this study to investigate whether craniotomy creates the opportunity for patients to receive and benefit from ipilimumab who would otherwise succumb to brain metastasis prior to the onset of regression. METHODS All patients with metastatic melanoma who received ipilimumab and underwent craniotomy for metastasis resection between 2008 and 2014 at the Massachusetts General Hospital were identified through retrospective chart review. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS In this series, patients who underwent resection of brain metastases in temporal proximity to receiving ipilimumab had qualitatively improved performance status following surgery in most cases. Surgery facilitated corticosteroid reduction in select patients. Larger analyses are required to better understand possible synergies between craniotomy for melanoma metastases and ipilimumab treatment.
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Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a minimally invasive technique for treating intracranial tumors, originally introduced in 1983. Its use in neurosurgical procedures was historically limited by early technical difficulties related to the monitoring and control of the extent of thermal damage. ⋯ Current commercially available LITT systems have been used for the treatment of neurosurgical soft-tissue lesions, including difficult to access brain tumors, malignant gliomas, and radiosurgery-resistant metastases, as well as for the ablation of such lesions as epileptogenic foci and radiation necrosis. In this review, the authors aim to critically analyze the literature to describe the advent of LITT as a neurosurgical, laser excision tool, including its development, use, indications, and efficacy as it relates to neurosurgical applications.