Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2014
Case ReportsDefinitive treatment of vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation with stereotactic radiosurgery.
Vein of Galen aneurysmal malformations (VGAMs) are uncommon congenital malformations arising from fistulous communication with the median vein of the prosencephalon, a primitive precursor of midline cerebral venous structures. Angiographic embolization is the primary modality for treatment given historically poor microsurgical outcomes. ⋯ The authors present 2 cases of VGAM in which GKRS provided definitive treatment with good outcome: one case involving antenatal presentation of a high-output, mural-type VGAM with complex clinical course refractory to multiple embolic procedures, and the other a choroidal-type VGAM presenting with hemorrhage in an adult and without a feasible embolic approach. With discussion of these cases and review of the literature, the authors advocate inclusion of GKRS as a therapeutic option for treatment of these complex lesions.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2014
Gross-total resection outcomes in an elderly population with glioblastoma: a SEER-based analysis.
There is limited information on the relationship between patient age and the clinical benefit of resection in patients with glioblastoma. The purpose of this study was to use a population-based database to determine whether patient age influences the frequency that gross-total resection (GTR) is performed, and also whether GTR is associated with survival difference in different age groups. ⋯ Gross-total resection is associated with improved overall survival, even in elderly patients with glioblastoma. As such, surgical decisions should be individually tailored to the patient rather than an adherence to age as the sole clinical determinant.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2014
Cerebral vascular malformations in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a hereditary disorder characterized by mucocutaneous telangiectasias, frequent nosebleeds, and visceral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Few reports have outlined the prevalence of the various cerebral vascular malformations found in patients with HHT. The authors set out to define the prevalence of cerebral vascular malformations in a population of HHT patients who underwent imaging with 3-T imaging (MRI/MR angiography [MRA]) of the brain. ⋯ Few studies have investigated the prevalence of the various vascular malformations found in HHT patients screened with 3-T MRI/MRA of the brain. Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia AVMs are more likely to be multiple and have a tendency toward small size and cortical location. As such, they are often treated using a single-modality therapy.