World Neurosurg
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Vitamin D deficiency is a well-known cause of postoperative complications in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. Orthopedic complications seen in vitamin D deficiency include nonunion, pseudarthrosis, and hardware failure. We seek to investigate the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and outcomes after lumbar spinal fusions. ⋯ Both preoperative and postoperative vitamin D levels were not significantly associated with an increased or decreased risk of pseudarthrosis, revision surgery, hardware failure, or 1-year VAS pain score after lumbar spine fusion surgery.
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The short-term neurologic outcome of infants undergoing brain tumor surgery depends on various perioperative factors. This study was undertaken to analyze the effects of perioperative variables on the postoperative neurologic outcome in infants undergoing brain tumor surgery. ⋯ In this study, factors associated with new POND were mannitol use and to a certain extent MBT. The variables associated with prolonged LOHS were reintubation and to a certain extent POND. The anesthetic technique, location of tumor, tumor histology, and extent of tumor resection did not influence the occurrence of new POND or prolonged LOHS in infantile intracranial tumor surgery. Further prospective studies with larger samples are required for confirmation of these findings and identification of new perioperative risk factors.
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Case Reports
Hydrocephalus secondary to intradural extramedullary malignant melanoma of the spinal cord: Case report.
Hydrocephalus secondary to spinal cord tumors is rare. ⋯ Our findings indicate that communicating hydrocephalus may be due to primary malignant melanoma of the spinal cord.
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To evaluate effectiveness and safety of extended laminoplasty for the treatment of ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) involving the C2 segment. ⋯ If decompression indication for cases with OPLL involving the C2 segment was appropriate, extended laminoplasty up to the C2 segment could provide satisfactory neurologic recovery and would not accelerate cervical or segmental malalignment progression.
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Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are complex vascular lesions composed of abnormal arteries directly connected to veins without the typical intervening angioarchitecture. Rupture rates range from 2% to 4%, with that risk increasing to 4.5% per year for those presenting with hemorrhage. Mortality ranges from 12% to 66.7% after rupture, and up to 40% of survivors suffer from permanent neurologic sequelae. Treatment commonly includes a multimodality approach consisting of a combination of microsurgery, embolization, and radiosurgery. Typically, preoperative embolization is undertaken in a staged manner several days to weeks prior to microsurgical resection. ⋯ We describe a novel approach to treatment of pediatric intracranial AVMs that is shown to be safe and feasible. A single anesthesia event allows for aggressive preoperative embolization without increasing the risk of hemorrhage in the waiting period until resection. A single anesthesia event also prevents the patients from undergoing another intubation and anesthesia and decreases the risk associated with another anesthesia in a relatively short time frame.