Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2005
Case ReportsVisual changes after gamma knife surgery for optic nerve tumors. Report of three cases.
Tumors involving the optic nerve (optic glioma, optic nerve sheath meningioma) are benign but difficult to treat. Gamma knife surgery (GKS) may be a useful treatment. The authors present data obtained in three such cases and record the effects of GKS.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2005
Radiosurgery for patients with recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastatic to the brain: outcomes and prognostic factors.
Lung carcinoma is the leading cause of death from cancer. More than 50% of those with small cell lung cancer develop a brain metastasis. Corticosteroid agents, radiotherapy, and resection have been the mainstays of treatment. Nonetheless, median survival for patients with small cell lung carcinoma metastasis is approximately 4 to 5 months after cranial irradiation. In this study the authors examine the efficacy of gamma knife surgery for treating recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastases to the brain following tumor growth in patients who have previously undergone radiation therapy, and they evaluate factors affecting survival. ⋯ Stereotactic radiosurgery for recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastases provided effective local tumor control in the majority of patients. Early detection of brain metastases, aggressive treatment of systemic disease, and a therapeutic strategy including radiosurgery can extend survival.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2005
Case ReportsTemporary symptomatic swelling of meningiomas following gamma knife surgery. Report of two cases.
In two patients in whom gamma knife surgery was performed for meningiomas clinically significant volume increases were observed in the first 3 months after treatment. Clinical examination and various imaging studies form the basis of the report in these patients. In each case, the volume increase was temporary.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2005
Case ReportsGlossopharyngeal neuralgia treated with gamma knife surgery: treatment outcome and failure analysis. Case report.
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) is a rare condition in which patients present with intractable deep throat pain. Similar to trigeminal neuralgia (TN), treatment with microvascular decompression (MVD) has been successful in both. Because gamma knife surgery (GKS) has also been shown to be effective in treating TN, it seemed reasonable to apply it to GPN. The authors present the first report of GKS-treated GPN in a patient who presented with severe, poorly controlled GPN and who refused MVD.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2005
Analyzing 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging units for implementation in radiosurgery.
The limiting factor affecting accuracy during gamma knife surgery is image quality. The new generation of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging units with field strength up to 3 teslas promise superior image quality for anatomical resolution and contrast. There are, however, questions about chemical shifts or susceptibility effects, which are the subject of this paper. ⋯ The 3-tesla imaging unit showed superior anatomical contrast and resolution in comparison with the established 1-tesla and 1.5-tesla units; however, due to the high field strength the field within the head coil is very sensitive to inhomogeneities and therefore 3-tesla imaging data will have be handled with care.