World Neurosurg
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Cavernous malformations are angiographically occult vascular hamartomas without intervening neural tissue that represent an estimated 10% of central nervous system vascular pathologies.1 Management is often dictated by lesion location, intranidal versus extranidal hemorrhage, presenting symptoms, acuity of onset, and surgical accessibility. Deep-seated cavernous malformations are often adjacent to eloquent structures, including functional white matter tracts that must be accounted for during surgical planning and respected during resection of the cavernoma. Exoscopic-guided channel-based approaches can help minimize retraction of brain tissue while providing a navigated, direct path to the target lesion.2 We report a case of an 18-year-old man who presented with seizures and was found to have a hemorrhagic third ventricular cavernous malformation resulting in hydrocephalus. ⋯ An uneventful gross total resection was achieved and confirmed using an angled endoscope to inspect the cavity walls, the "exoscopic to endoscopic or E2E approach" (Video 1). The patient developed transient short-term memory dysfunction in the immediate postoperative period, likely due to retraction of the fornix, which dramatically improved with speech therapy and rehabilitation. The patient provided informed consent for surgery and video recording.
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Neurosurgery is a specialty associated with high risk of malpractice claims, which can be influenced by quality and safety of care. Diagnostic errors have gained increasing attention as a potentially preventable problem. Despite the burden of diagnostic errors, few studies have analyzed diagnostic errors in neurosurgery. We aimed to delineate the effect of diagnostic errors on malpractice claims involving a neurosurgeon. ⋯ DERCs are associated with higher numbers of accepted claims and worse outcomes. Identifying diagnostic errors is important in neurosurgery, and countermeasures are required to reduce the burden on neurosurgeons and improve quality. This is the first study to focus on diagnostic errors in malpractice claims arising from neurosurgery.
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Bow hunter's syndrome is due to vertebrobasilar insufficiency caused by rotational compression of the vertebral artery. We report a case in which an osteophyte compressed the left vertebral artery causing cerebellar stroke. The patient underwent successful resection of the osteophyte via anterior surgical approach, and his symptoms of headache and dizziness dissipated postoperatively. This unique syndrome has been treated with multiple modalities and must remain in the clinician's differential as a treatable cause of stroke.
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Case Reports
Cystic Dumbbell-shaped C1 Schwannoma With Intracranial Extension and Hydrocephalus: A Case Report.
Schwannomas at the craniocervical junction commonly originate from the lower cranial nerves or C1 and C2 nerves. To date, very few cases of C1 schwannomas have been described in the literature, and the majority involve either the intra- or the extradural compartment, but not both. To our knowledge, this report documents the first case of a dumbbell-shaped C1 schwannoma that encompassed both intra- and extradural compartments and was accompanied by hydrocephalus. ⋯ To our knowledge, we present the first case of a dumbbell-shaped C1 schwannoma with intracranial extensions and accompanying hydrocephalus. The tumor had spread inside and outside the dura, but was safely removed. Our findings in this case emphasize that to achieve safe resection, detailed case-specific preoperative consideration is essential.