World Neurosurg
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Gamma Knife ventral anterior capsulotomy is an effective option to treat refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder. Although well tolerated, complications can develop years after radiosurgery. We describe a case in which abnormal complications induced by very high doses of radiation evolved. ⋯ This case shows the consequences of affecting more fibers related to the anterior frontal region than intended with a radiosurgical procedure and illustrates the importance of careful clinical and imaging follow-up after Gamma Knife ventral anterior capsulotomy.
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Case Reports
Intramedullary Spinal Cord Metastasis from Primary Lung Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: A Case Report and Operative Video.
Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) account for a minority of all spinal cord tumors. Rarely, symptoms from ISCM may be the initial presentation of an unknown primary carcinoma. Intramedullary metastasis from a second malignancy or from an unknown neuroendocrine malignancy is extremely rare and has never been reported in the literature. Because of the rarity of these tumors and the low volume of cases, well-defined treatment guidelines do not exist for the management of ISCM. Here we present a rare and one of the first reports of an intramedullary metastatic neuroendocrine tumor. ⋯ Neuroendocrine ISCM are rare and lack well-defined treatment guidelines. Care should be individualized in these cases. Whenever feasible, surgical resection should be considered. Despite multidisciplinary care, the prognosis is dismal with limited life expectancy. Larger, multiinstitutional, or national database studies are needed that compare treatment modalities in the management of ISCM to identify the therapy with the best outcomes.
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An intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) is an uncommon acquired dural shunt between an artery and a vein without a parenchymal nidus. DAVF occlusion may be achieved using either endovascular or open surgical means. Combining both techniques is also frequently used in clinical practice. ⋯ As demonstrated in this Video 1, microsurgical obliteration of DAVFs is relatively straightforward. This provides a valuable treatment option of some selected DAVFs and should be considered as a primary initial treatment option of complex DAVFs in certain locations. Open surgical obliteration is the best possible, most durable, and most effective therapeutic option when there are failures or shortcomings with endovascular management.
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Although chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH) are often treated surgically it remains plausible that invasive treatment in elderly patients may have a negative effect on survival. The aim of this study was to characterize survival following neurosurgical intervention for cSDH in a selected cohort aged >90 years and to identify prognostic factors that may inform clinical decision-making. ⋯ We advocate that neurosurgical intervention for cSDH in selected nonagenarians can be a safe and beneficial procedure. Patients living independently at home and with a limited past medical history were most likely to benefit from the surgery.
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Minimally invasive techniques in spine surgery have continued to advance as robotic technology has evolved over several generations. Although traditional techniques for placing pedicle screws are still widespread in practice, newer technology has increased the reliability of accurately placing instrumentation with smaller incisions and subsequent decreased length of stay. Additionally, advancements in planning software have improved the ability to align posterior instrumentation to assist with rod placement on multilevel constructs. ⋯ In our experience, this robotic technology has the potential to improve patient outcomes and is associated with advanced surgical planning compared with more traditional techniques.