World Neurosurg
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Despite the success of folic acid fortification programs, neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida, encephalocele, and anencephaly remain among the most substantial causes of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although these are complicated conditions that require an interdisciplinary approach to care, definitive treatment of survivable NTDs is often neurosurgical. ⋯ Despite the success of folic acid fortification programs, greater global public health efforts should be placed on improving access to neurosurgical care in low and middle-income nations through sustainable initiatives such as surgeon exchange programs and the establishment of neurosurgery residency training programs.
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Pulsed arterial spin-labeling, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) are useful for predicting glioma survival. We performed a comparative review of multiple parameters obtained using these pulse sequences on 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including the molecular status and Ki-67 labeling index in newly diagnosed supratentorial glioblastomas. ⋯ Our findings indicate that the preoperative rCBF ratio and Ki-67 labeling index are useful parameters for predicting the overall survival of cerebral glioblastomas.
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Meningiomas are the most common primary brain tumors and are generally considered benign. However, a rare subgroup of meningiomas, classified as World Health Organization (WHO) grade III meningiomas, can show extremely aggressive behavior and high rates of recurrence. Despite ongoing research, data on the clinical outcome of this subgroup of meningiomas are still limited. ⋯ This study provides insight into the clinical outcomes of WHO grade III meningiomas and suggests that adjuvant radiotherapy may not be beneficial for patients who underwent gross total resection. This rare subset of meningiomas still portends a devastating prognosis and the impact of extent of resection and adjuvant therapies in these patients needs further clarification.
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Traumatic cataract is a common complication of ocular contusion. Caused by various forms of trauma, the course and prognosis of traumatic cataract are also different. Intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is the most effective treatment at the present time and can provide good visual quality and near, medium, and far vision. ⋯ A total of 30 patients (9 patients with contusion, 13 patients with intraocular foreign body, and 8 patients with perforation) were treated with aspheric and multifocal IOL to achieve the expected outcome. The noise reduction algorithm constructed in this study effectively reduced the speckle noise of ultrasound images, improved the clarity of ultrasound images, and achieved the effective observation of medical nursing outcome after traumatic cataract IOL implantation. After IOL implantation, the retinal nerves of patients with traumatic cataract were affected to different degrees.
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Spinal cord compression due to extramedullary hematopoiesis is a rare neurosurgical problem that is successfully treated with urgent decompression. Here we report the case of a young man with hemoglobin Lepore disease and beta thalassemia who presented with 1 month of lower extremity weakness and urinary retention. The patient underwent urgent thoracic laminectomies and recovered fully. This pathology can be treated with multiple modalities; however, decompression must remain in the neurosurgeon's armamentarium in the acute setting.