Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2012
Nidal embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations: rates of cure, partial embolization, and clinical outcome.
Nidal embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs) has become an increasingly important component of bAVM treatment. However, controversy exists as to the relative efficacy and safety of single-stage versus multistage approaches to bAVM embolization, with recent literature favoring multistage strategies. The authors present a series of consecutive bAVMs embolized at their institution, demonstrating the safety and efficacy of a predominantly single-stage embolization strategy. The safety and efficacy of embolization are reported in the context of predetermined treatment strategies to provide more generalizable insight into treatment outcome. ⋯ This research communicates the authors' experience in developing a largely single-stage strategy for embolization of bAVMs. The results suggest that an aggressive, single-stage embolization may be implemented with a margin of safety and effectiveness similar to the multistage approaches more commonly reported in the literature. This work additionally introduces the importance of prospective assignment to a treatment strategy in assessing procedural outcome in bAVM embolization, thereby improving generalizability of the results and allowing for more rigorous interpretation of efficacy and safety.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2012
Case ReportsNerve transfers for the restoration of hand function after spinal cord injury.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a significant public health problem. Despite advances in understanding of the pathophysiological processes of acute and chronic SCI, corresponding advances in translational applications have lagged behind. Nerve transfers using an expendable nearby motor nerve to reinnervate a denervated nerve have resulted in more rapid and improved functional recovery than traditional nerve graft reconstructions following a peripheral nerve injury. The authors present a single case of restoration of some hand function following a complete cervical SCI utilizing nerve transfers.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2012
Case ReportsPercutaneous transluminal angioplasty in a patient with vasospasm due to staphylococcal meningitis.
Arterial large vessel vasculopathy is an unusual complication of bacterial meningitis in adults that may result in cerebral ischemia and severe neurological sequelae. Previous therapy has included antimicrobials with no specific vascular interventions. The authors report their experience with a patient with bacterial meningitis who developed a vasculopathy with neurological deficits. Percutaneous intracranial intervention was used successfully with anatomical and functional improvement.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2012
Rupture rate for patients with untreated unruptured intracranial aneurysms in South Korea during 2006-2009.
The authors investigated the rupture rate among patients with untreated unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) in South Korea during 2006-2009. ⋯ The overview of the incidence of rupture indicates the need for a preventive strategy and future studies to prevent rupture in Asian patients with UIAs.