World Neurosurg
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Case Reports
Muscle Forehead Flap: a salvage surgery for closure of cutaneous fistula after cranioplasty exposure.
Infection and skin fistula are well-known complications after cranioplasty leading to reconstruction exposure and usually requiring new surgical procedure with poor condition for cutaneous closure. We describe 2 cases using muscle forehead flap (MFF) to treat skin fistula and cranioplasty exposure. ⋯ MFF is a surgical option to treat complex cases of cutaneous fistula secondary to cranioplasty exposure of the anterior cranial fossa.
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Spine pathology is a common reason for admission to neurosurgical units in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and can have high morbidity rates from lack of specialized institutes. However, good surgical outcomes and quality-of-life scores have been reported in LMICs. This study details the complication rates and predictive factors from spine surgery at a large hospital in Cambodia, aiming to identify high-risk patients to improve surgeon understanding of these complications for improved pre-operative planning and patient counseling. ⋯ Many factors play a role in spine surgery complications in LMICs, including limited access to intra-operative technology, low follow-up rates, and minimal physiotherapy and rehabilitation capabilities. Patients with long delays in presentation, American Spinal Injury Association grade A injuries, and lumbar-level surgery may be especially susceptible to complications and postoperative morbidity. Despite this, institutions have reported encouraging spine trauma outcomes, and spine surgeries are becoming more accepted and safe operations in many LMICs.
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Exposure to neurosurgery at the undergraduate level is an important factor in determining future interest in and applications to the specialty. Given the high competition for training posts, this exposure is also becoming an almost essential addition to an applicant's portfolio. We organized a neurosurgical conference aimed at undergraduate medical students. The aim of this study was to determine factors attracting and deterring students from the specialty before and after the conference. ⋯ The most notable factor deterring students from a career in neurosurgery was work-life balance. Other deterring factors were much less prevalent following the conference. Understanding how exposure to neurosurgery influences students' perceptions is important for developing future initiatives to prevent misconceptions and allow students to make informed choices as well as encourage the right candidates to apply.
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Angiogenesis has been shown to be strictly related to tumor malignancy. Glioblastoma (GBM) is highly vascularized and von Willebrand Factor (VWF) plays a potent proangiogenic role. Dynamic contrast-enhanced and dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represent a widely accepted method to assess GBM microvasculature. Our aim was to investigate the correlation between plasma VWF:Ag, permeability, and perfusion MRI parameters and examine their potential in predicting GBM patient prognosis. ⋯ These findings, in a small group of patients, suggest a role for VWF:Ag, similar to Ktrans, and Kep as a prognostic indicator of postoperative survival of patients with GBM.
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Anterior communicating artery (ACoA) complex aneurysms are challenging to treat microsurgically. The authors report their experience with microsurgical treatment of ACoA aneurysms and examine the anatomic characteristics of these aneurysms as predictors of outcome. ⋯ The aneurysm's exact location in relation to the adjacent neurovascular structures is potentially predictive of outcomes in the microsurgical treatment of ACoA aneurysms.