World Neurosurg
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Review Case Reports
What is the utility of postoperative antihelminthic therapy after resection for intraventricular neurocysticercosis?
Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common worldwide parasitic infection of the central nervous system, and ventricular cysts are particularly problematic, carrying the risk of acute obstructive hydrocephalus. Herein, we present a typical case in which complete resection was possible and explore the evidence supporting the use of postoperative oral antihelminthic therapy. ⋯ This review produced surprising results: 1) the generous proportion of patients who underwent medical therapy as first-line treatment for intraventricular NCC (20.8%), and 2) the significant overall mortality. The data found in this review also provided for a strong consensus for the use of postresection antihelminthic therapy, and thus we elected to treat our index case with albendazole, assuming the risk to be low and the potential benefit meaningful.
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To identify the specific angioarchitectural characteristics of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) that are associated with a clinical presentation of nonhemorrhagic neurologic deficits. ⋯ The characteristics of AVM associated with nonhemorrhagic neurological deficits include female sex, deep AVM location, more than three arterial feeders, only perforating feeding artery, more than three draining veins, the presence of varices in the venous drainage, and a Spetzler-Martin grade of III to V.