World Neurosurg
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A Comparative Study of Bolus Dose of Hypertonic Saline, Mannitol, and Mannitol Plus Glycerol Combination in Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.
This prospective randomized controlled study compared the efficacy of an equiosmolar and isovolumetric dose of 3% hypertonic saline, 20% mannitol, and 10% mannitol plus 10% glycerol combination in reducing the raised intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ All 3 osmotic compounds exhibit comparable effectiveness in reducing ICP when a similar osmotic load is administrated, but 3% hypertonic saline appeared to be more effective followed by 10% mannitol plus 10% glycerol combination and 20% mannitol. A dose of 1.4 mL/kg can be recommended as an initial bolus dose for 3% hypertonic saline. Hypertonic saline can be recommended to treat patients with pretreatment hypovolemia, hyponatremia, or renal failure. There is no clear benefit compared with 20% mannitol in regard to neurologic outcome, even though there is a minor positive trend for 3% hypertonic saline and 10% mannitol plus 10% glycerol combination.
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We investigated the 30-day complication incidence and 1-year radiographic correction in obese patients undergoing surgical treatment of cervical deformity. ⋯ Obese patients had a 5 times greater odds of developing infections after surgery for adult cervical deformity. Obese patients also showed significantly greater pelvic anteversion after cervical correction.
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Infectious pseudoaneurysm of the intracavernous carotid artery is rare, often caused by sphenoid sinusitis or transsphenoidal surgery. Management of intracranial infectious aneurysms (IIAs) remains a controversial topic lacking randomized controlled trials to guide clinical decision making. ⋯ Unfortunately, the patient died because the IIA recurred and ruptured. Therefore we speculated that stent-assisted coil placement for the treatment of ruptured infectious pseudoaneurysms of the internal carotid artery may not be safe.
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Pneumoperitoneum after surgical manipulation of the abdomen implies a perforation. Rare cases of nonoperated cancer patients, largely with gastrointestinal or genitourinary cancers, have been noted to have radiologic findings of pneumatosis intestinalis and/or pneumoperitoneum as a complication of molecular-targeted therapy (MTT) without confounding factors for perforation. We present a patient with a cranial malignancy treated with bevacizumab who subsequently manifested with pneumatosis intestinalis. ⋯ With increasing utilization of MTTs in brain tumor management, we raise MTT as a potential cause for pneumoperitoneum in neurosurgical patients. Pneumoperitoneum after extracranial procedures still requires workup and management for potential bowel perforation, but alternative causes such as bevacizumab should also be considered. Pneumatosis intestinalis patients on MTT can have benign physical examinations and will resolve, in the majority of cases, on discontinuation of the drug.
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Case Reports
Retropharyngeal granulation: A delayed complication of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in C2-3.
A 26-year-old man presented with acute quadriparesis owing to a traffic accident. A computed tomography scan revealed a hangman fracture and locking of the left facet joint at C2-3. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a high signal change of the spinal cord on T2-weighted image and hemorrhage in the C2-3 level. ⋯ Retropharyngeal granulation can occur as a late complication associated with plate fixation after anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion. Recurrent retropharyngeal wall granulation caused by plate irritation might only be resolved after plate and screw removal.