Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2017
Size and location of ruptured intracranial aneurysms: consecutive series of 1993 hospital-admitted patients.
OBJECTIVE Large consecutive series on the size and location of ruptured intracranial aneurysms (RIAs) are limited, and therefore it has been difficult to estimate population-wide effects of size-based treatment strategies of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. The authors' aim was to define the size and location of RIAs in patients diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to aneurysm rupture in a high-volume academic center. METHODS Consecutive patients admitted to a large nonprofit academic hospital with saccular RIAs between 1995 and 2009 were identified, and the size, location, and multiplicity of RIAs were defined and reported by patient sex. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS In this large consecutive series of RIAs, 83% of all RIAs were found in 4 anterior circulation locations. The majority of RIAs were small, but the size and location varied considerably by sex. The presented data may be of help in defining effective prevention strategies.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2017
Decompressive craniectomy in hemorrhagic cerebral venous thrombosis: clinicoradiological features and risk factors.
OBJECTIVE Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a life-saving treatment for severe hemorrhagic cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). However, the correlations between the clinicoradiological features and surgical outcomes of this disease are not well established. Therefore, the authors endeavored to analyze the potential risk factors for this more severe subtype of CVT and to provide more evidence regarding the benefits of DC in patients with hemorrhagic CVT. ⋯ The hemorrhage-dominated lesions (p = 0.026) and deep cerebral venous involvement (p = 0.026) were significantly associated with a poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS In patients suffering from severe hemorrhagic CVT, DC is an effective life-saving treatment that is associated with favorable outcomes. Hemorrhage-dominated lesions and deep cerebral venous involvement have a significant impact on the outcome of this disease.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2017
Transoral robotic surgery for sellar tumors: first clinical study.
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to confirm the feasibility of an innovative transoral robotic surgery (TORS), using the da Vinci Surgical System, for patients with sellar tumors. This technique was designed to offer a new minimally invasive approach, without soft-palate splitting, that avoids the rhinological side effects of classic endonasal approaches. METHODS The authors performed a prospective study of TORS in patients with symptomatic sellar tumors. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first report of the surgical treatment of sellar tumors by means of a minimally invasive TORS. This approach using the da Vinci Surgical System seems feasible and constitutes an innovative neurosurgical technique that may avoid the adverse side effects and technical disadvantages of the classic transsphenoidal route. Moreover, TORS allows an inferosuperior approach to the sella turcica, which is a key point, as the tumor is approached in the direction of its growth.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2017
Irreversible changes occurring in long-term denervated Schwann cells affect delayed nerve repair.
OBJECTIVE Multiple factors may affect functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury, among them the lesion site and the interval between the injury and the surgical repair. When the nerve segment distal to the lesion site undergoes chronic degeneration, the ensuing regeneration (when allowed) is often poor. The aims of the current study were as follows: 1) to examine the expression changes of the neuregulin 1/ErbB system during long-term nerve degeneration; and 2) to investigate whether a chronically denervated distal nerve stump can sustain nerve regeneration of freshly axotomized axons. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS The poor outcome after delayed nerve regeneration might be explained by Schwann cell impairment and the consequent ineffective support for nerve regeneration. Understanding the molecular and biological changes occurring both in the chronically degenerating nerve and in the delayed nerve repair may be useful to the development of new strategies to promote nerve regeneration. The results suggest that neuregulin 1 has an important role in Schwann cell activity after denervation, indicating that its manipulation might be a good strategy for improving outcome after delayed nerve repair.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2017
Lithium posttreatment confers neuroprotection through glycogen synthase kinase-3β inhibition in intracerebral hemorrhage rats.
OBJECTIVE Inflammation and apoptosis are two key factors contributing to secondary brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of lithium posttreatment on behavior, brain atrophy, inflammation, and perihematomal cell death. Furthermore, the authors aimed to determine the role of the pro-apoptotic glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) after experimental ICH. ⋯ RESULTS Lithium, at a dose of 60 mg/kg initiated from 2 hours after injury, exhibited the best effects of improving neurological outcomes 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after ICH, reduced the hemispheric atrophy at 42 days after surgery, and reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells, MPO-positive neutrophils, and OX42-positive microglia in the perihematomal areas. Furthermore, lithium posttreatment modulated GSK-3β, increased HSP70, and decreased NF-κB p65 and COX-2 expression in the ipsilateral hemisphere. CONCLUSIONS Lithium posttreatment at a dose of 60 mg/kg, initiated beginning 2 hours after injury, improves functional and morphological outcomes, and inhibits inflammation and perihematomal cell death in a rat model of semicoagulated autologous blood ICH through inactivation of GSK-3β.