Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2013
Timing and mechanism of ischemic stroke due to extracranial blunt traumatic cerebrovascular injury.
Extracranial cerebrovascular injury is believed to be an important cause of neurological injury in patients who have suffered blunt trauma. The authors sought to determine the timing and mechanisms of ischemic stroke in patients who suffered traumatic cerebrovascular injury (TCVI). ⋯ Most ischemic strokes due to TCVI are embolic in nature and occur prior to screening CTA and initiation of treatment with aspirin.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2013
Pneumonia in patients with severe head injury: incidence, risk factors, and outcomes.
The reported incidence of hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia in critically ill trauma patients varies from as low as 4% to as high as 87%, with fatality rates varying from 6% to 59%. Clinical studies have identified the risk factors for pneumonia. The authors undertook this retrospective study to evaluate the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia in a group of patients with severe head injuries. ⋯ The authors identified 3 risk factors (age, nasogastric tube insertion, and hemiplegia or hemiparesis) associated with the development of pneumonia in patients with severe head injury. This finding constituted the basis for developing a simple screening tool that can be used to assess the risk of occurrence of pneumonia in such patients.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2013
The inferior medullary velum: anatomical study and neurosurgical relevance.
Although it is often visualized surgically, details regarding the inferior medullary velum are lacking in the literature. The present study is intended to better elucidate this neuroanatomical structure using microsurgical and immunohistochemical analyses. ⋯ Based on this cadaveric study, the authors conclude that division of the inferior medullary velum should be relatively harmless as no neuronal cells were identified in this structure, which appears to be a vestigial bridge of tissue between the left and right sides of the cerebellum.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2013
Case ReportsVacuum-assisted closure for complex cranial wounds involving the loss of dura mater.
The aim in this study was to describe the safety and efficacy of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) in patients with complex cranial wounds with extensive scalp, bone, and dural defects who were not candidates for immediate free tissue transfer. Five patients (4 men and 1 woman) ages 24-73 years with complex cranial wounds were treated with VAC at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Etiologies included trauma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant meningioma. ⋯ Although VAC therapy was intended as a temporary measure until these patients could be stabilized for larger tissue transfer procedures or they succumbed to their primary pathology, 1 patient had a successful skin graft following VAC therapy. Hydrocephalus requiring shunt placement developed in 2 patients during VAC therapy. The VAC dressings applied to a tissue matrix or other barrier over brain tissue in extensive cranial wounds are safe and well tolerated, providing a functional barrier and preventing infection.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2013
Failed awake craniotomy: a retrospective analysis in 424 patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumor.
Awake craniotomy for removal of intraaxial tumors within or adjacent to eloquent brain regions is a well-established procedure. However, awake craniotomy failures have not been well characterized. In the present study, the authors aimed to analyze and assess the incidence and causes for failed awake craniotomy. ⋯ Failures of awake craniotomy were associated with a lower incidence of gross-total resection and increased postoperative morbidity. The majority of awake craniotomy failures were preventable by adequate patient selection and avoiding side effects of drugs administered during surgery.