World Neurosurg
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The heterogeneity of the somatotroph adenomas, especially for sparsely granulated (SG) and densely granulated (DG) subtypes, has attracted great attention in identifying their imaging biomarker. The purpose of the current study was to compare the diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences for preoperatively distinguishing the granulation patterns of somatotroph adenomas. ⋯ Our results indicated that compared with previously used T2-weighted imaging, the DWI sequence, especially the combined diagnosis index of rDWI and rADC, could more efficiently distinguish the granulation patterns of somatotroph adenomas preoperatively.
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Surgeons commonly perform Decompressive craniectomy (DC) to manage patients with cerebral ischemic infarction. However, there are conflicting data on the long-term functional outcomes following DC. Therefore, this study aims to determine the functional outcome of patients with cerebral ischemic infarction after DC. ⋯ The present study showed that mortality and mRS scores at various times are associated with infarction volume and older age in patients with ischemic stroke.
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Case Reports
Gout-Induced Cervical Deformity and Progressive Myelopathy Mimicking Infection Requiring Cervical Reconstruction.
This study describes a rare case where gout, a condition primarily associated with joint inflammation, initially manifested as a progressive cervical kyphotic deformity, mimicking infection and causing myelopathy. The patient, a previously healthy 56-year-old woman, presented with severe jaw pain and a temporomandibular joint abscess, alongside 2 months of worsening balance and arm/hand tingling. Extensive clinical and radiographic assessments revealed a severe cervical kyphotic deformity with bony erosion at multiple vertebral levels, raising suspicion of an infectious cause of compressive myelopathy. ⋯ This report underscores the significance of considering gout as a potential cause when encountering unusual spinal pathologies, especially in cases where gout-related symptoms are atypical. The presented 540-degree surgical approach effectively addressed both the cervical deformity and gout-induced myelopathic symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first documented instance of a patient with undiagnosed gout-induced severe cervical deformity successfully treated through cervical spine deformity correction, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and innovative management approaches in such rare clinical scenarios. As of the 2-year follow-up, the patient exhibited significant symptom improvement and overall well-being.
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External ventricular drain (EVD) placement is a common neurosurgical procedure that can be performed at bedside. A frequent complication following EVD placement is catheter-associated hemorrhage (CAH). The hemorrhage itself is rarely clinically significant but may be complicated in patients taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet (AC/AP) medications. ⋯ There was increased risk of CAH after EVD placement in patients taking more than one AC/AP agent regardless of presenting pathology. In particular, use of aspirin and clopidogrel combined was associated with significantly higher odds of CAH, although it was not associated with higher mortality. In addition, there appears to be an association between use of antibiotic-coated catheters and CAH across univariate and multivariate analysis.