Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2017
Language pathway tracking: comparing nTMS-based DTI fiber tracking with a cubic ROIs-based protocol.
OBJECTIVE Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) fiber tracking (FT) has been widely used in glioma surgery in recent years. It can provide helpful information about subcortical structures, especially in patients with eloquent space-occupying lesions. This study compared the newly developed navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS)-based DTI FT of language pathways with the most reproducible protocol for language pathway tractography, using cubic regions of interest (ROIs) for the arcuate fascicle. ⋯ For specifically tracking the arcuate fascicle, however, the cubic ROIs-based approach showed better results (97.3% vs 75.7% with nTMS-based DTI FT). CONCLUSIONS The cubic ROIs-based protocol was designed for arcuate fascicle tractography, and this study shows that it is still useful for this intention. However, superior results were obtained using the nTMS-based DTI FT for visualization of other language-related fiber tracts.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2017
Impact of the radiosurgery prescription dose on the local control of small (2 cm or smaller) brain metastases.
OBJECTIVE The impact of the stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) prescription dose (PD) on local progression and radiation necrosis for small (≤ 2 cm) brain metastases was evaluated. METHODS An institutional review board-approved retrospective review was performed on 896 patients with brain metastases ≤ 2 cm (3034 tumors) who were treated with 1229 SRS procedures between 2000 and 2012. Local progression and/or radiation necrosis were the primary end points. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS A PD of 24 Gy results in significantly better local control of metastases measuring < 2 cm than lower doses. In addition, tumor size is an independent prognostic factor for both local progression and radiation necrosis. Some tumor pathologies and locations may also contribute to an increased risk of radiation necrosis.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2017
Endoscopic endonasal control of the paraclival internal carotid artery by Fogarty balloon catheter inflation: an anatomical study.
OBJECTIVE Neurosurgical management of many vascular and neoplastic lesions necessitates control of the internal carotid artery (ICA). The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of achieving control of the ICA through the endoscopic endonasal approach by temporary occlusion with a Fogarty balloon catheter. METHODS Ten endoscopic endonasal paraseptal approaches were performed on cadaveric specimens. ⋯ Inflation of the Fogarty balloon caused interruption of blood flow in 100% of cases. CONCLUSIONS Temporary occlusion of the paraclival ICA performed through the endoscopic endonasal route with the aid of a Fogarty balloon catheter may be another maneuver for dealing with intraoperative ICA control. Further clinical studies are required to prove the efficacy of this method.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2017
Comparison of clipping and coiling in elderly patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysms.
OBJECTIVE The comparative effectiveness of the 2 treatment options-surgical clipping and endovascular coiling-for unruptured cerebral aneurysms remains an issue of debate and has not been studied in clinical trials. The authors investigated the association between treatment method for unruptured cerebral aneurysms and outcomes in elderly patients. METHODS The authors performed a cohort study of 100% of Medicare fee-for-service claims data for elderly patients who had treatment for unruptured cerebral aneurysms between 2007 and 2012. ⋯ The same associations were present in propensity score-adjusted and inverse probability-weighted models. CONCLUSIONS In a cohort of Medicare patients, there was no difference in mortality and the readmission rate between clipping and coiling of unruptured cerebral aneurysms. Clipping was associated with a higher rate of discharge to a rehabilitation facility and a longer LOS.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2017
Primary versus revision transsphenoidal resection for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas: matched cohort study.
OBJECTIVE The object of this study was to compare the outcomes of primary and revision transsphenoidal resection (TSR) of nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFPMAs) using endoscopic methods. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 287 consecutive patients who had undergone endoscopic endonasal TSR for NFPMAs at their institution in the period from 2005 to 2011. Fifty patients who had undergone revision TSR were retrospectively matched for age, sex, and duration of follow-up to 46 patients who had undergone primary TSR. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Patients who underwent primary TSR of NFPMAs experienced higher rates of SIADH than those who underwent revision TSR. Patients who underwent revision TSR were less likely to have GTR of their tumor, although they still had a PFS rate similar to that in patients who underwent primary TSR. This finding may be attributable to an increased rate of adjuvant radiation treatment to subtotally resected tumors in the revision TSR group.