World Neurosurg
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In our technical note, we have presented a technique of cranioplasty for large skull defects. ⋯ The presented technique is simple, safe, and time- and cost-effective. The technique and results are reproducible.
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Case Reports
Arachnoiditis Ossificans of the Lumbar Spine: A Rare Cause of Progressive Cauda Equina Syndrome.
Arachnoiditis ossificans of the spine is a rare entity defined as an ossification of the leptomeninges resulting in neurologic decline. We describe the case of a 42-year-old woman, without any obvious predisposing factor, who presented with a progressive cauda equina syndrome. The imaging findings on magnetic resonance imaging were confusing by showing an atypical intraspinal lesion extending from L1 to S1. ⋯ The patient underwent a large lumbar laminectomy with an incomplete resection of the ossified arachnoid. The histologic study confirmed the bony nature of the lesion. This illustrative case highlights the importance of helical computed tomography scan with multiplanar reconstruction for the diagnosis of arachnoiditis ossificans.
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The persistent trigeminal artery is the most frequent of the persistent embryonic carotid-basilar artery anastomoses. In the literature, it has most often been described in relation to cerebrovascular pathologies such as aneurysms, vascular nerve compression, trigeminal cavernous fistulas, and thromboembolic ischemia. Its role as collateral circulation, thus supplying brain perfusion during main arterial trunk occlusion, has seldom been described. We describe the case of a patient who presented with a stroke due to a traumatic dissection of the internal carotid artery at the neck, in which the infarction may have been limited by a persistent trigeminal artery.
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Meningiomas of the cavernous sinus (CS) present a neurosurgical challenge. The anatomic complexity of the area can create a potential for injury to neurovascular structures. This has traditionally limited total tumor removal. ⋯ CS surgery for meningioma is feasible with low morbidity and can provide benefits in improving preexisting cranial nerve dysfunction (Video 1).1-4 Complete resection of the CS meningiomas is possible in most cases. CS tumors remain a surgical challenge, but accurate knowledge of surgical neuroanatomy and surgical approaches facilitates their safe and effective treatment. The patient gave informed consent for surgery, use of images, and video publication.
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The frontal bone is frequently approached during neurosurgical procedures. Feared complications of such surgeries include cerebrospinal fluid leak, among others, and frequently result from a breach of the frontal sinus. For this reason, the sinus should be avoided when possible. The supraorbital notch (SON) is a reliable and easily identifiable surgical landmark and its relation to the frontal sinus has been previously studied. However, the frontal sinus shows significant variability in size and shape between populations. ⋯ We finally conclude that a 2-cm margin rostral and lateral to the SON is safest.