Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2010
Case ReportsUse of confirmatory imaging studies to illustrate adequate treatment of cerebrospinal fluid leak in spontaneous intracranial hypotension.
Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a syndrome with serious neurological sequelae. As demonstrated by the following report, recurrent episodes of SIH can be difficult to diagnose when associated with other neurosurgical procedures, such as craniectomies. In this paper, the authors demonstrate SIH presenting as a subdural hematoma with recurrence of CSF leaks. ⋯ Treatment of SIH necessitated multiple epidural blood patches for CSF leaks at different spinal levels and at different times. The efficacy of each epidural blood patch was confirmed with radionuclide imaging. Confirmation of effective blood patch placement may be useful for identifying patients at risk for a failed epidural blood patch or for patients whose neurological examination results have not fully improved.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2010
Review Meta AnalysisTreatment decision making based on the published natural history and growth rate of small meningiomas.
Definitive data allowing clinicians to predict which meningioma patients will fail to respond to conservative management are lacking. To address this need, the authors systematically reviewed the published literature regarding the natural history of small, untreated meningiomas. ⋯ This systematic review of the literature regarding the clinical behavior of untreated meningiomas suggests that most meningiomas ≤ 2.5 cm in diameter do not proceed to cause symptoms in the approximately 5-year period following their discovery. Those that do cause symptoms can usually be predicted with close radiographic follow-up. Based on these findings, the authors suggest the importance of observation in the early course of treatment for small asymptomatic meningiomas, especially those with an initial diameter < 2 cm.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2010
Analysis of the subdural evacuating port system for the treatment of subacute and chronic subdural hematomas.
The subdural evacuating port system (SEPS; Medtronic, Inc.) is a minimally invasive means of draining subacute or chronic subdural fluid collections. The purpose of this study was to examine a single institution's results with the SEPS. ⋯ The SEPS is a safe and effective treatment option for draining subacute and chronic SDHs. The system can be used quickly with local anesthesia only, making it ideal in elderly or sick patients who might not tolerate the physiological stress of a craniotomy under general anesthesia. Computed tomography is useful in predicting which subdural collections are most amenable to SEPS drainage. Specifically, hypodense subdural collections drain more effectively through an SEPS than do mixed density collections. Although significant bleeding after SEPS insertion was uncommon, 1 patient in the series required urgent surgical hematoma evacuation due to iatrogenic injury.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2010
Prevalence of previous extracranial malignancies in a series of 1228 patients presenting with meningioma.
The study of patients with multiple neoplasms can yield valuable insight into the common pathogenesis of both diseases, as well as identify more subtle risk factors that might not be as readily apparent otherwise. The authors present an analysis of the prevalence of previously diagnosed extracranial malignancies at the time of meningioma diagnosis in 1228 patients evaluated at a single institution. ⋯ The data support a growing body of evidence suggesting an epidemiological link between papillary carcinoma of the thyroid and meningioma. Although the link between these tumors is not immediately apparent, it is possible that further exploration will yield interesting insight into the pathogenesis of both diseases.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2010
The endoscopic, endonasal, transmaxillary transpterygoid approach to the pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, petrous apex, and the Meckel cave.
In this paper the authors' goal was to present their clinical experience with lesions of the pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, lateral sphenoid sinus, cavernous sinus, petrous apex, and Meckel cave using simple and extended endoscopic transpterygoid approaches to the lateral skull base. ⋯ An endoscopic transpterygoid approach is a minimally invasive endoscopic approach for lesions located or extending to the pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, petrous apex, Meckel cave, and other regions of the paramedian skull base.