World Neurosurg
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Historical Article
Sofia Ionescu: Pioneering the Birth of Neurosurgery in Romania and Becoming the First Female Neurosurgeon in the World.
Sofia Ionescu (1920-2008) was the first female neurosurgeon in the world, pioneering her field with skill, dedication, and humility. Born in Romania, she began her career amid the tumult of World War II, performing her first neurosurgical procedure in 1944. Despite initial skepticism, her talent and commitment earned her recognition, culminating in her acknowledgment as the first female neurosurgeon by the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies in 2005. Throughout her illustrious career, she mentored colleagues, contributed to scientific literature, and innovated surgical techniques, all while maintaining a compassionate and composed demeanor. Her legacy serves as a beacon of inspiration for neurosurgeons worldwide, reminding them of the importance of diligence, empathy, and unwavering dedication to patient care. Even in retirement, her influence endures, as she continues to be revered for her remarkable contributions to the field of neurosurgery. ⋯ Sofia Ionescu is regarded as the first female neurosurgeon of the world and she paved the way and encouraged many young female neurosurgeons in the field.
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Accurate volumetric assessment of spontaneous aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a labor-intensive task performed with current manual and semiautomatic methods that might be relevant for its clinical and prognostic implications. In the present research, we sought to develop and validate an artificial intelligence-driven, fully automated blood segmentation tool for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients via noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) scans employing a transformer-based Swin-UNETR architecture. ⋯ Our Swin UNETR-based model offers significant advances in the automated segmentation of blood in SAH patients on NCCT images. Despite the computational demands, the model operates effectively on standard hardware with a user-friendly interface, facilitating broader clinical adoption. Further validation across diverse datasets is warranted to confirm its clinical reliability.
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This study focused on identifying factors influencing recurrent lumbar disc herniation (RLDH) by analyzing demographic data, body mass index (BMI), and radiologic disc properties in patients undergoing single-level unilateral lumbar disc herniation surgery. ⋯ We found that factors like gender, age, DM, obesity, surgical level, disc degeneration, and disc types do not significantly impact RLDH. However, the higher occurrence of HT in recurrent cases indicates a potential area for further research.
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Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are a challenging pathology in pediatric patients, carrying a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Treatment modalities include resection, endovascular embolization, and stereotactic radiosurgery. There is currently no consensus favoring one modality over another. Timing of multimodal therapy with embolization/stereotactic radiosurgery and resection is not well explored in the literature. We present a series of pediatric patients with AVMs, with special attention directed to the timing of treatment. ⋯ We present our institution's experience with pediatric AVMs, focusing on the timing of treatment. Based on our experience, early treatment of AVMs seems to be safe and effective regardless of rupture status.
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Case Reports
Vertical "Half-and-Half" Syndrome with Ipsilateral Pseudoabducens Palsy due to Rostral Midbrain Lacunar Infarction.
Vertical "half-and-half" syndrome, characterized by contralateral upward and ipsilateral downward gaze palsy, is a rare variant of vertical eye movement disturbance. Similarly, pseudoabducens palsy, manifesting as abductive palsy despite no lesion to the pons, constitutes another rare type of eye movement disturbance. ⋯ We present a rare case report detailing a patient exhibiting vertical "half-and-half" syndrome with ipsilateral pseudoabducens palsy following a left lacunar infarction of the thalamo-mesencephalic junction. Additionally, we discuss the potential underlying mechanisms contributing to this rare combination of eye movement disorders.