World Neurosurg
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Longitudinally following patients requires a full-time employee (FTE)-dependent data inflow infrastructure. There are efforts to capture patient-reported outcomes (PROs) by the use of non-FTE-dependent methodologies. In this study, we set out to assess the reliability of PRO data captured via FTE-dependent compared with non-FTE-dependent methodologies. ⋯ Our study suggests that there is great reliability between PRO data captured between FTE-dependent and non-FTE-dependent methodologies.
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Although the incidence of idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) can be 1.20 cases/1000 inhabitants/year in individuals ≥ 70 years old, in most series, the incidence of shunt-responsive iNPH appears to be <1/100,000 inhabitants/year. We report the results of a prospective 10-year longitudinal study of the incidence of iNPH in a northern Spanish population. ⋯ Even with a protocol for patient referral in place, reported iNPH incidence was lower than predicted, reflecting a persistent problem of underdiagnosis in our population.
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Obesity can be associated with increased complications and potentially worse outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the impact of obesity on complications and outcomes in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) who underwent minimally invasive surgery (MIS). ⋯ Our results suggest that obesity does not negatively impact complication rate or clinical outcomes in patients with ASD treated via MIS approaches.
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Case Reports
Neuroendoscopic Intraventricular Biopsy in Children with Small Ventricles using Frameless Varioguide® System.
Endoscopic biopsy for intraventricular tumors in pediatric patients with small ventricles is a challenging procedure because of the risk of morbidity during the intraventricular approach. We describe the use of the VarioGuide system for intraventricular endoscopic biopsy in 9 consecutive pediatric patients with intraventricular lesions and small ventricular size. All patients had lesions in the anterior part of the third ventricle with a median frontal and occipital horn ratio of 0.33. ⋯ Diagnoses included germinomas in 4 patients, hamartoma in 1 patient, hypothalamic astrocytoma in 2 patients, and craniopharyngioma in 2 patients. The use of the VarioGuide system for intraventricular endoscopic biopsy is highly recommended for pediatric patients with small ventricle size. This technique may help minimize the risk of unnecessary brain damage during the entrance to small ventricles.