Neurosurg Focus
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OBJECT Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) adenomas have been recognized as a more aggressive and invasive subtype of pituitary adenomas. An additional and clinically relevant peculiarity of these tumors is their ability to modify their clinical expression from a silent form to Cushing disease or vice versa. The aim of this study was to review a series of patients with pituitary adenomas and analyze the clinical implications of the transformation of clinical expression in 5 cases that showed this phenomenon. ⋯ Furthermore, this bizarre and unpredictable postoperative tumor behavior can lead to misinterpretation of clinical and endocrinological outcomes. Even if these cases are very rare, they are not anecdotal in large series. Thus, ACTH adenomas require careful biohumoral and neuroradiological follow-up to detect possible transformations.
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OBJECT The purpose of this study was to describe complications associated with the endonasal, transsphenoidal approach for the treatment of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-positive staining tumors (Cushing's disease [CD] and silent corticotroph adenomas [SCAs]) performed by 1 surgeon at a high-volume academic medical center. METHODS Medical records from Brigham and Women's Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Selected for study were 82 patients with CD who during April 2008-April 2014 had consecutively undergone transsphenoidal resection or who had subsequent pathological confirmation of ACTH-positive tumor staining. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Transsphenoidal surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with CD and other ACTH-positive staining tumors. Recent advances in endoscopic technology and increasing surgeon comfort with this technology are making transsphenoidal procedures safer, faster, and more effective. Serious complications are uncommon and can be managed successfully.
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OBJECT There is no standard therapeutic strategy for low-grade glioma (LGG). The authors hypothesized that adjuvant therapy might not be necessary for LGG cases in which total radiological resection was achieved. Accordingly, they established a treatment strategy based on the extent of resection (EOR) and the MIB-1 index: patients with a high EOR and low MIB-1 index were observed without postoperative treatment, whereas those with a low EOR and/or high MIB-1 index received radiotherapy (RT) and/or chemotherapy. ⋯ In addition, patients with a higher EOR can be safely observed without adjuvant therapy. For patients with partial resection, postoperative chemotherapy should be administered for those with oligodendroglial subtypes, and repeat resection should be considered for those with astrocytic tumors. More aggressive treatment with RT and chemotherapy may be required for patients with a poor prognosis, such as those with diffuse astrocytoma, 1p/19q nondeleted tumors, or IDH1 wild-type oligodendroglial tumors with partial resection.
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Case Reports
Clipping of bilateral MCA aneurysms and a coiled ACOM aneurysm through a modified lateral supraorbital craniotomy.
We showcase the microsurgical clipping of a left middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm-(B) done through a modified right lateral supraorbital craniotomy, as well as clipping of a previously coiled anterior communicating (ACOM) artery aneurysm-(C) and a bilobed right MCA aneurysm-(A). Splitting of the right sylvian fissure is initially performed following which a subfrontal approach is used to expose and dissect the contralateral sylvian fissure. The left MCA aneurysm is identified and clipped. ⋯ In this picture, (A) points to the bilobed right MCA aneurysm, (B) to the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm, and (C) to the previously coiled anterior communicating (ACOM) artery aneurysm. The red dotted line shows that both MCA aneurysms lie within the same plane which makes it easier to clip both of them, through one small craniotomy. The video can be found here: http://youtu.be/4cQC7nHsL5I .
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Case Reports
Clip ligation of contralateral P1 aneurysm: extending the working depth of microsurgery along the skull base.
Clip ligation of posterior circulation aneurysms can be challenging because of limited operative working space and angles. Certain proximal posterior cerebral (P1) aneurysms are especially challenging because of their locations within the lateral anterior interpeduncular fossa. We present a 52-year-old woman who had previously undergone coil embolization of a ruptured right-sided posterior communicating artery aneurysm. ⋯ She underwent clip ligation of the latter two unruptured aneurysms through a left-sided pterional craniotomy. The microsurgical techniques to clip ligate a contralateral P1 aneurysm are discussed in the video. The video can be found here: http://youtu.be/YBE7FcFGlpQ .