Neurologia medico-chirurgica
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Mar 2009
Case ReportsCervical epidural arteriovenous fistula with radiculopathy mimicking cervical spondylosis.
A 65-year-old woman presented with a rare case of cervical epidural arteriovenous fistula (AVF) manifesting as radiculopathy of the right upper extremity that mimicked cervical spondylosis. She had a 2-month history of gradually progressive right-hand motor weakness and sensory disturbance. The initial diagnosis was cervical disk herniation. ⋯ The dilated internal vertebral venous plexus attributable to epidural AVF was considered to be responsible for the radiculopathy. Transarterial embolization using n-butylcyanoacrylate achieved complete occlusion of the lesions. Her symptoms improved immediately and MR imaging and angiography performed 10 days postembolization showed reduction of both the epidural and dural AVFs.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Mar 2009
Case ReportsRemote cerebellar hemorrhage following thoracic spinal surgery.
A 51-year-old man underwent surgery for ossification of the ligamentum flavum at the T9-T10 levels. Intraoperatively, the dura was opened unintentionally and a subcutaneous suction drain was placed. The patient complained of severe headache and nausea postoperatively. ⋯ Suboccipital decompression, C1 laminectomy, and ventriculostomy were performed and his symptoms subsided 2 months later. Remote cerebellar hemorrhage following spinal surgery is extremely rare, but may occur after any type of spinal surgery resulting in dural tear or intradural manipulation. Early diagnosis is particularly important for the treatment of remote cerebellar hemorrhage following spinal surgery.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Feb 2009
Shift of the pyramidal tract during resection of the intraaxial brain tumors estimated by intraoperative diffusion-weighted imaging.
The present study evaluated the shift of the pyramidal tract during resection of 17 proximal intraaxial brain tumors. In each case intraoperative diffusion-weighted (iDW) magnetic resonance imaging with a motion-probing gradient applied in the anteroposterior direction was performed using a scanner with a 0.3 T vertical magnetic field. The position of the white matter bundles containing the pyramidal tract was estimated on the coronal images before and after resection of the neoplasm, and both quantitative and directional evaluation of its displacement was done. ⋯ Tumor location in regards to the pyramidal tract was significantly associated with the direction of the pyramidal tract displacement (p < 0.05). Outward shift occurred in 10 out of 13 cases of the lateral neoplasms, whereas in all 4 superomedial tumors inward shift was marked. In conclusion, the direction of the pyramidal tract displacement during resection of the proximal intraaxial brain tumors is mainly determined by position of the neoplasm, but can be unpredictable in some cases, which necessitates use of subcortical brain mapping and intraoperative imaging, particularly iDW imaging with updated neuronavigation.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Feb 2009
Case ReportsGiant serpentine aneurysm arising from the middle cerebral artery successfully treated with trapping and anastomosis: case report.
A 56-year-old man presented with a giant serpentine aneurysm arising from the middle cerebral artery (MCA) manifesting as right hemiparesis and motor aphasia. Magnetic resonance imaging and digital subtraction angiography identified the giant serpentine aneurysm arising from the MCA. ⋯ Temporary clipping of the distal channel induced thrombosis in the vascular channel, and the thrombosis was aspirated with an ultrasonic suction device after superficial temporal artery-MCA anastomosis. This case shows that initial occlusion of the distal channel is effective to treat giant serpentine aneurysm.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Jan 2009
Case ReportsPreliminary measurement of intraoperative sympathetic nerve activity using microneurography and laser Doppler flowmetry during surgical resection of suprasellar tumors.
Intraoperative microneurography (enabling direct measurement of sympathetic outflow) and laser Doppler flowmetry were used to measure skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) and skin blood flow (SBF) as indicators of hypothalamic damage during resection of 12 suprasellar tumors, 6 craniopharyngiomas, 4 meningiomas, 1 pituitary adenoma, and 1 germ cell tumor. SSNA was measured from a tungsten microelectrode inserted into the peroneal nerve, and SBF was measured from the foot innervated by the peroneal nerve. SBF reduction was induced by nociceptive procedures and non-nociceptive procedures before tumor exposure, on exposed tumors, and directly on the hypothalamus. ⋯ The number of SSNA bursts was 37% to 100% of the number of SBF reduction events. Various surgical procedures involving painful stimuli or mechanical stress on the hypothalamus induced SSNA bursts and SBF reduction. The present findings suggest that SSNA and SBF can be used to detect sympathetic nerve activity, as an indicator of hypothalamic function, during neurosurgical procedures.