World Neurosurg
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Biography Historical Article
Constantin N. Arseni (1912-1994) centenary: the birth of modern neurosurgery in Romania.
Prof. Dr. Constantin N. ⋯ Arseni's birth in a small village within a deprived area of the country. Through his talents and perseveration, he rose to be a neurosurgical school creator and one of the most prominent figures in 20th-century Eastern European neurosurgery. This historical vignette is a modest tribute to his legacy and tells the story of his titanic endeavor.
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Case Reports
A rare case of recurrent frontal osteoma complicated by mucopyocele with an unusual organism, Moraxella catarrhalis.
We report a rare case of recurrent frontal osteoma complicated by mucopyocele and intracranial abscess. Furthermore, we report an unusual organism, Moraxella catarrhalis, as the infectious agent. Finally, we demonstrate that endovascular embolization may be part of the treatment paradigm of frontal osteomas in selected cases. ⋯ Synchronous presentation of a frontal osteoma with mucopyocele is a rare event. However, the case of a recurrent osteoma complicated by infection with M. catarrhalis has not been reported in the literature, nor a treatment paradigm that included preoperative partial endovascular embolization.
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This study sought to report patient characteristics, risk factors, and trends in management for astroblastoma patients. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the largest report of astroblastoma patients described in the literature. Supratentorial tumor location, older age, and treatment prior to 1990 were poor prognostic factors.
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Comparative Study
Minimally invasive versus open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for degenerative spondylolisthesis: comparative effectiveness and cost-utility analysis.
Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF) for lumbar spondylolisthesis allows for the surgical treatment of back/leg pain while minimizing tissue injury and accelerating the patient's recovery. Although previous results have shown shorter hospital stays and decreased intraoperative blood loss for MIS versus open TLIF, short- and long-term outcomes have been similar. Therefore, we performed comparative effectiveness and cost-utility analysis for MIS versus open TLIF. ⋯ MIS TLIF resulted in reduced operative blood loss, hospital stay and 2-year cost, and accelerated return to work. Surgical morbidity, hospital readmission, and short- and long-term clinical effectiveness were similar between MIS and open TLIF. MIS TLIF may represent a valuable and cost-saving advancement from a societal and hospital perspective.
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Isolated cerebral aspergillosis (ICA) traditionally has been associated with immunocompromised patients with dismal outcomes. Cases of ICA in immunocompetent patients are very rare and poorly described. We describe our experience of 5 immunocompetent patients with ICA and compare our experience with the literature. ⋯ ICA in otherwise healthy immunocompetent hosts seems to have a more favorable prognosis than what is reported for immunocompromised hosts.