World Neurosurg
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Review Case Reports
Basilar artery herniation into the sphenoid sinus secondary to traumatic skull base fractures: case report and review of the literature.
Traumatic clival fractures occur with less than 0.6% frequency and can be associated with significant neurovascular injuries. The most serious of these injuries is to the basilar artery in which the artery is dissected or is fully occluded, resulting in infarction of the brainstem and cerebellum. Among early reports of these injuries, postmortem autopsy showed entrapment, or incarceration, of the basilar artery at the clival fracture site. A literature search revealed 11 cases of entrapment of the basilar artery within a clival fracture. ⋯ Basilar artery incarceration and herniation through the sphenoid sinus is rare. Such an injury portends a poor prognosis. We discuss the relevant clinical imaging and review the literature.
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Venous infarction in the brainstem caused by venous congestion is an extremely rare complication of traumatic carotid cavernous fistulas (CCFs). This condition requires immediate treatment and a multimodal treatment strategy is needed to prevent recurrence. ⋯ To ensure prevention of recurrent CCF, internal carotid artery trapping combined with high-flow bypass surgery can be a good salvage treatment for urgent cases in which an endovascular approach already failed.
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Review Biography Historical Article
Ulf Fernstrom (1915-1985) and his Contributions to the Development of Artificial Disc Replacements: A Historical Vignette.
Artificial disc replacements, which serve the function of separating vertebrae to allow for proper spinal alignment, can help treat debilitating low back pain in patients who have failed other conservative methods of treatment. A Swedish surgeon, Ulf Fernström, was the pioneer of artificial disc replacement, and his contribution in the form of Fernström balls dramatically altered spinal surgery and technique by showing the proper technique and implant that should be used for areas requiring motion in many planes. ⋯ Of the wide range of implants on the market for the intervertebral disc space, all designs and applications of products stem from the initial discovery made by Fernström, thus making him a pioneer in disc replacement.
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Posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is linked to various etiologies, including most importantly systemic hypertension. Its association with intracranial hypotension (IH), a potential sequela of various neurosurgical procedures, is underrecognized. We report a case of lumboperitoneal shunt-induced IH resulting in PRES with the goal to increase awareness and elaborate on the potential biologic mechanism, based on the Monro-Kellie hypothesis. ⋯ IH appears to be a distinct cause of PRES not previously reported in the neurosurgical literature. It occurs in susceptible patients, on average 1-5 days after the IH trigger, and seems clinically and radiologically similar to more common hypertensive cases in terms of initial presentation and prognosis. Increased vigilance is required for prompt recognition and management.
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Patients with intracranial meningiomas can experience neurocognitive dysfunctions in specific cognitive domains depending on tumor location and size. The literature regarding cognitive function surrounding the resection of frontal meningiomas is sparse. ⋯ Patients with frontal meningiomas display preoperative and postoperative deficits in perceptual speed, executive function, short-term memory, and verbal fluency. The risk for cognitive deterioration owing to surgical resection is low. Within the first two months after surgery, executive function and short-term memory appear to recover.