World Neurosurg
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a recognized risk factor for seizures. In Nigeria, there is paucity of literature on posttraumatic seizure (PTS). This study provides the profile and pattern of PTS in patients with TBI in a rural Nigerian neurosurgical service. ⋯ Severe TBI and computed tomography findings of acute subdural hematoma and cerebral contusions are predictors of PTS in our environment. Progression of immediate/early to late PTS is rare.
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Review Meta Analysis
Chiari Malformation Type 1: A Systematic Review of Natural History and Conservative Management.
Chiari malformation type 1 (CM-1) is a variation of hindbrain development that can sometimes occur in asymptomatic individuals. Conventional treatment is surgical decompression, but little is known about the natural history of patients who do not undergo surgical management. This information is critical to determine how these patients should be managed. We conducted a systematic literature review to determine the natural history of CM-1, particularly in patients who did not undergo surgery and in asymptomatic individuals, to help patients and physicians determine when surgery is likely to be beneficial. ⋯ The natural history of mild symptomatic and asymptomatic CM-1 in adults is relatively benign and nonprogressive; the decision to perform surgical decompression should be based on severity and duration of a patient's symptoms at presentation. It is reasonable to observe a patient with mild or asymptomatic symptoms even in the presence of significant tonsillar descent or syringomyelia.
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Review Case Reports
Prenatal diagnosis and multimodal neonatal treatment of a rare pial arteriovenous fistula: case report and review of the literature.
Intracranial pial arteriovenous fistulas (PAVFs) are direct communications between the arterial and venous system of the brain, with the characteristic absence of a plexiform nidus, as seen in the classic cerebral arteriovenous malformations. These vascular malformations, usually occurring in the pediatric population, very rarely are diagnosed in utero, because of a lack of understanding of the condition and because they may be hard to visualize. ⋯ The 2-stage multimodal treatment resulted in complete disappearance of the PAVF without complications.
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Review Historical Article
Trepanation to treat a head wound: a case of neurosurgery from 13(th) century Tuscany.
During the archaeological excavations conducted in the 13th century cemetery of the Church of Sant'Agostino in Poggibonsi (Tuscany, Italy), a skull with evidence of neurosurgical intervention was brought to light. The skull, belonging to an adult male, shows two traumatic lesions produced by bladed instruments. The first lesion, located on the anterior part of the parietal bones, involved only the outer cranial table; bone remodeling indicates that the individual survived the injury for a long time. ⋯ However, the surgical intervention failed, and the patient died soon afterwards. Trepanation for the treatment of cranial traumas is described by several medical classical and medieval authors, whose texts were available in the 13th century. This case represents rare Middle Ages evidence of neurosurgery used to treat a bone injury.