Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2016
Follow-up results of brain metastasis patients undergoing repeat Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
OBJECTIVE Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) without upfront whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) has influenced recent treatment recommendations for brain metastasis patients. However, in brain metastasis patients who undergo SRS alone, new brain metastases inevitably appear with relatively high incidences during post-SRS follow-up. However, little is known about the second SRS results. ⋯ SRS-induced complications occurred in 25 patients (2.9%) after a median post-second SRS period of 16.8 months (range 0.6-95.0 months; interquartile range 5.6-29.3 months). The cumulative incidences of complications were 1.4%, 2.0%, 2.4%, 3.0%, and 3.0% at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after the second SRS, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Carefully selected patients with recurrent tumors-either new or locally recurrent-are favorable candidates for a second SRS, particularly in terms of neurological status maintenance and the safety of this treatment strategy.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2016
Resecting critical nodes from an epileptogenic circuit in refractory focal-onset epilepsy patients using subtraction ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI.
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the positive predictive value of postresection outcomes obtained by presurgical subtracted ictal SPECT in patients with lesional (MRI positive) and nonlesional (MRI negative) refractory extratemporal lobe epilepsy (ETLE) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Specifically, outcomes were compared between partial versus complete resection of the regions of transient hyperperfusion identified using subtraction ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI (SISCOM) in relation to the ictal onset zone (IOZ) that was confirmed by electrocorticography (ECoG). That is, SISCOM was used to understand the long-term postsurgical outcomes following resection of the IOZ that overlapped with 1 or more regions of ictal onset-associated transient hyperperfusion. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Concordance between 1 or more SISCOM regions of hyperperfusion with ECoG and at least partial resection of the dominant SISCOM signal in this refractory epilepsy cohort provided additional useful information for predicting long-term postresection outcomes. Such regions are likely critical nodes in more extensive, active, epileptogenic circuits. In addition, SPECT scanner technology may limit the sensitivity of meaningful SISCOM signals for identifying the maximal extent of the localizable epileptogenic network.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2016
A matched cohort comparison of clinical outcomes following microsurgical resection or stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with small- and medium-sized vestibular schwannomas.
OBJECTIVE A randomized trial that compares clinical outcomes following microsurgery (MS) or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for patients with small- and medium-sized vestibular schwannomas (VSs) is impractical, but would have important implications for clinical decision making. A matched cohort analysis was conducted to evaluate clinical outcomes in patients treated with MS or SRS. METHODS The records of 399 VS patients who were cared for by 2 neurosurgeons and 1 neurotologist between 2001 and 2014 were evaluated. ⋯ Facial function was excellent in both groups. Since patients were not randomly selected for surgery, different clinical outcomes may be of different value to individual patients. Both anticipated medical outcomes and patient goals remain the drivers of treatment decisions.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2016
Microinvasive tumor endoresection in combination with ocular stereotactic radiosurgery.
OBJECTIVE The use of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) as monotherapy in the treatment of uveal melanoma (UM) allows clinicians to achieve high local tumor control with low recurrence but does not prevent secondary enucleation due to glaucoma in cases of large tumors. The authors analyzed indications for tumor endoresection (ER), the time interval between irradiation and surgery, and the features and results of performing ER for UM after GKRS. METHODS Thirty-seven patients between 28 and 78 years of age (16 male and 11 female patients) with UM underwent GKRS with a dose of 70 to 80 Gy that was applied to the center of the tumor with complete immobilization of the eye during the procedure. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS As a result of this research, ER for UM after GKRS proved to be an effective method of combined eye-conserving treatment for large centrally localized or equatorial tumors at high risk of the emergence and development of toxic tumor syndrome. Perfect eye immobilization, timely ER, and multiple intraocular injections of inhibitors of angiogenesis saved not only the eye in all cases, but also useful vision in many cases. Close cooperation among radiosurgeons, ophthalmologists, and vitreoretinal surgeons is the key to effective treatment.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2016
The correlation between pulsatile intracranial pressure and indices of intracranial pressure-volume reserve capacity: results from ventricular infusion testing.
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to examine how pulsatile and static intracranial pressure (ICP) scores correlate with indices of intracranial pressure-volume reserve capacity, i.e., intracranial elastance (ICE) and intracranial compliance (ICC), as determined during ventricular infusion testing. METHODS All patients undergoing ventricular infusion testing and overnight ICP monitoring during the 6-year period from 2007 to 2012 were included in the study. Clinical data were retrieved from a quality registry, and the ventricular infusion pressure data and ICP scores were retrieved from a pressure database. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS In this study cohort, there was a significant positive correlation between pulsatile ICP and ICE measured during ventricular infusion testing. In patients with impaired ICC during infusion testing (ICC < 0.5 ml/mm Hg), overnight ICP recordings showed increased pulsatile ICP (MWA > 4 mm Hg, RTC > 20 mm Hg/sec), but not increased mean ICP (< 10-15 mm Hg). The present data support the assumption that pulsatile ICP (MWA and RTC) may serve as substitute markers of pressure-volume reserve capacity, i.e., ICE and ICC.