World Neurosurg
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The use of venous duplex ultrasonography (VDU) for confirmation of deep venous thrombosis in neurosurgical patients is costly and requires experienced personnel. We evaluated a protocol using D-dimer levels to screen for venous thromboembolism (VTE), defined as deep venous thrombosis and asymptomatic pulmonary embolism. ⋯ The D-dimer protocol was beneficial in identifying VTE in a heterogeneous group of neurosurgical patients by prompting VDU evaluation for patients with a D-dimer values of ≥3.5 μg/mL during hospitalization. Refinement of this screening model is necessary to improve the identification of VTE in a practical and cost-effective manner.
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Case Reports
Coiling as a rescue strategy for flow diverter prolapse into a giant intracranial aneurysm.
Up to 3.2% of the adult population has an unruptured intracranial aneurysm (IA). Flow diversion is a relatively new treatment technique that is especially useful for large and morphologically unfavorable IAs. ⋯ Giant IAs remain one of the most daunting clinical problems to treat. FD displacement is a rare (0.5%-0.75%) and possibly fatal complication. Currently, no clinical guidelines exist for its management. Adjunctive coiling is a possible rescue strategy for stabilizing an FD that foreshortened and prolapsed into the aneurysmal sac. Further studies are needed to identify the best approach to this complication.
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Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) is being used for different purposes in patients with brain tumors. However, the procedure requires a positive electrophysiological response. For patients with negative response in rest conditions, active motor threshold (AMT) may be used. However, sometimes it is difficult to obtain AMT measures owing to inability of the patient to sustain steady muscle contraction. Herein, we describe a simple method by using a hand dynamometer to obtain AMT measures during nTMS session. ⋯ Although more studies are necessary to validate the method, the hand dynamometer should be considered for patients unable to sustain muscle contraction during AMT measurement.
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Pineal region glioma is a rare systematically reported tumor in the literatures, and little is known about its behavior, development, and best treatment strategies because of its complex anatomical relationship and rarity. ⋯ Open surgery is the first-line strategy for pineal region gliomas with tolerable mortality and disability rate. Radiosurgery and chemotherapy can be applied as adjuvant or alternative methods when surgery is contraindicated.
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Review Multicenter Study
Navigable Channel-Based Trans-sulcal Resection of Third Ventricular Colloid Cysts: A Multicenter Retrospective Case-Series and Review of the Literature.
Developments in frameless neuronavigation and tubular retractors hold the potential for minimizing iatrogenic injury to the overlying cortex and subcortical tracts, with improved access to the ventricular system. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes after resection of third ventricular colloid cysts using an integrated neuronavigation and channel-based approach. ⋯ Use of a channel-based navigable retractor provided a minimal trans-sulcal approach to third ventricular colloid cysts with the benefit of bimanual surgical control in an air medium for definitive resection of third ventricular colloid cysts.