World Neurosurg
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Stereotactic radiosurgery as the primary treatment for new and recurrent paragangliomas: is open surgical resection still the treatment of choice?
Paragangliomas (PGs) or glomus tumors are rare, and publications comparing treatment alternatives are few. We sought to analyze our experience with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), review the literature, and develop treatment guidelines. ⋯ We feel that SRS should be the primary treatment for most new and recurrent PGs. Even some very large PGs are appropriate for SRS. RT remains an appropriate option in some centers, especially those where SRS is not available. PGs occurring in the youngest patients, catecholamine secreting PGs, and PGs causing rapidly progressing neurologic deficits may be more appropriate for open resection. Metastatic PGs may benefit from combinations of chemotherapy and SRS or RT. Treatment guidelines are proposed.
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Endoscopic endonasal versus open transcranial resection of anterior midline skull base meningiomas.
To assess the advantages and limitations of the endoscopic endonasal approach to anterior skull base meningiomas, a minimally invasive approach that avoids extensive bone drilling, brain retraction, and manipulation of nerves and critical vessels, versus open transcranial surgery. ⋯ Based on the current literature, open transcranial approaches for olfactory groove and TS and planum sphenoidale meningiomas still result in higher rates of total resection with lower postoperative CSF leak rates. The endoscopic endonasal approach may be safe and effective for certain skull base meningiomas; careful patient selection and multilayer closure techniques are essential.
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Review Meta Analysis
How large is the typical subarachnoid hemorrhage? A review of current neurosurgical knowledge.
Despite the morbidity and mortality of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), the average volume of a typical hemorrhage is not well defined. Animal models of SAH often do not accurately mimic the human disease process. ⋯ Based on our estimate of total SAH volume of 35 mL, animal injection models may now become standardized for more accurate portrayal of the human disease process.
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Review Historical Article
Surgery of the mind, mood, and conscious state: an idea in evolution.
Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have sought a physical means of altering disordered behavior and consciousness. This quest has spawned numerous innovations in neurosurgery and the neurosciences, from the earliest prehistoric attempts at trepanation to the electrocortical and anatomic localization of cerebral function that emerged in the 19th century. At the start of the 20th century, the overwhelming social impact of psychiatric illness intersected with the novel but imperfect understanding of frontal lobe function, establishing a decades-long venture into the modern origin of psychosurgery, the prefrontal lobotomy. ⋯ Recent decades have seen a revolution in minimalism, noninvasive imaging, and functional manipulation of the human cerebrum that have created new opportunities and treatment modalities for disorders of the human mind and mood. Early contemporary efforts were directed at focal lesioning of abnormal pathways, but deep-brain stimulation now aims to reversibly alter and modulate those neurologic activities responsible for not only psychiatric disorders, but also to modulate and even to augment consciousness, memory, and other elements of cerebral function. As new tools become available, the social and medical impact of psychosurgery promises to revolutionize not only neurosurgery, but also humans' capability for positively impacting life and society.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Adjuvant immunotherapy with whole-cell lysate dendritic cells vaccine for glioblastoma multiforme: a phase II clinical trial.
This study sought to evaluate effectiveness of autologous dendritic cell vaccine (immunotherapy) for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). ⋯ Adjuvant immunotherapy with whole-cell lysate dendritic cell vaccine may improve short-term survival. It seems to be safe, and its long-term effectiveness is worthy of further investigation.