Acta neurochirurgica
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Acta neurochirurgica · Jan 2012
Three years of neurosurgical experience in a multinational field hospital in northern Afghanistan.
Since July 2007, neurosurgical services have been continuously available in a multinational Role 3 field hospital in Mazar-e-Sharif (MeS), Afghanistan. In this paper, we analyse a 3-year neurosurgical caseload experience. ⋯ The primary mission of the field hospital is to provide sick, injured or wounded ISAF personnel with medical and surgical care, the outcome of which must correspond to standards prevailing in Germany. Only a very small number of neurosurgical operations performed in MeS met the criteria established by this mission statement and by the modern principles of damage-control wartime surgery. This is completely different from the experience reported by other ISAF nations in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Jan 2012
The effect of common carotid artery occlusion on delayed brain tissue damage in the rat double subarachnoid hemorrhage model.
Delayed ischemic brain tissue damage in the time course of cerebral vasospasm in the rat double-subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model has been described before. However, in order to enhance hemodynamic insufficiency during cerebral vasospasm (CVS), we performed-in a modification to the standard double-hemorrhage model-an additional unilateral common carotid artery occlusion (CCAO), expecting aggravation of brain-tissue damage in areas particularly sensitive to hypoxia. ⋯ CCAO leads to an aggravation of CVS-related delayed brain tissue damage in the modified rat double-SAH model.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Dec 2011
Comparative Study Clinical TrialDeep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus versus the zona incerta in the treatment of essential tremor.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for essential tremor (ET). Currently the ventrolateral thalamus is the target of choice, but the posterior subthalamic area (PSA), including the caudal zona incerta (cZi), has demonstrated promising results, and the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been suggested as a third alternative. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of STN DBS in ET and to compare this to cZi DBS. ⋯ In this limited material, STN DBS was demonstrated to be an efficient treatment for ET, even though cZi DBS was more efficient. The STN may be an alternative target in the treatment of ET, pending further investigations to decide on the relative merits of the different targets.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Dec 2011
Case ReportsA possible mechanism of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy by apoplexy of pituitary adenoma without cavernous sinus invasion: a report of two cases.
Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy occasionally occurs in patients with cavernous sinus invasion with or without pituitary apoplexy. We describe two cases of pituitary apoplexy without cavernous sinus invasion presenting with isolated oculomotor palsy. In both cases, computed tomography (CT) showed erosion of the right posterior clinoid process. ⋯ The medio-posterior wall of the cavernous sinus was markedly displaced latero-posteriorly by the tumor, and there was no evidence of cavernous sinus invasion. Oculomotor palsy may be caused first by unilateral erosion of the posterior clinoid process, resulting in latero-posterior protrusion of the adenoma. Hemorrhage may result in sudden kinking of the oculomotor nerve at the entrance of the oculomotor trigone.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Dec 2011
Case ReportsElectrode dysfunctions in patients with deep brain stimulation: a clinical retrospective study.
Electrode fractures are known hardware problems in patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS) and require surgical revision. Short circuits, loose connections or disconnections of only single contacts of the common quadripolar stimulation electrodes are more subtle dysfunctions and can result in decreased efficacy of DBS. Measuring the impedances of electrodes helps detect such technical dysfunctions. This study evaluates the frequency and clinical implications of abnormal impedance measurements. ⋯ Technical dysfunctions of stimulation electrodes or extension leads are rare but important sources of unsatisfying DBS efficacy. In the majority of cases DBS programming or reprogramming allows avoiding surgical revision.