Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2019
Case ReportsIntracranial hypertension after Chiari decompression resolving after removal of a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device: case report.
Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine devices (LIUDs) are thought to release this progestin locally in the uterus to limit side effects. Authors here present a case of treatment-refractory hydrocephalus and pseudomeningocele (PMC), both of which fully resolved after LIUD removal. A 35-year-old woman with an implanted LIUD developed symptomatic PMC and hydrocephalus after suboccipital craniectomy for Chiari malformation type I. ⋯ This case indicates that a persistent problem (PMC and intracranial hypertension) that may be associated with the LIUD rapidly resolves after its removal. Implication of LIUDs as the cause of intracranial hypertension is still a matter of controversy. Further studies are needed to evaluate any potential causal relationship between LIUDs and intracranial hypertension, and physicians are advised to consider this scenario in their differential diagnosis.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2019
Nationwide analysis of hospital-to-hospital transfer in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage requiring aneurysm repair.
Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) has devastating consequences. The association between higher institutional volumes and improved outcomes for aSAH patients has been studied extensively. However, the literature exploring patterns of transfer in this context is sparse. Expansion of the endovascular workforce has raised concerns about the decentralization of care, reduced institutional volumes, and worsened patient outcomes. In this paper, the authors explored various patient and hospital factors associated with the transfer of aSAH patients by using a nationally representative database. ⋯ A relatively high percentage of patients with aSAH are transferred between acute care hospitals. Race and income were associated with transfer status. White patients are more likely to be transferred than other races. Patients from zip codes with the highest income transferred at lower rates than those from the lowest income quartile. Transfer patients were preferentially sent to urban teaching hospitals. The modality of aneurysm treatment was not associated with transfer status.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2019
Intravenous infusion of mesenchymal stem cells promotes functional recovery in a rat model of chronic cerebral infarction.
Intravenous infusion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from adult bone marrow improves behavioral function in rat models of cerebral infarction. Although clinical studies are ongoing, most studies have focused on the acute or subacute phase of stroke. In the present study, MSCs derived from bone marrow of rats were intravenously infused 8 weeks after the induction of a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to investigate whether delayed systemic injection of MSCs improves functional outcome in the chronic phase of stroke in rats. ⋯ These results indicate that the systemic infusion of MSCs results in functional improvement, which is associated with structural changes in the chronic phase of cerebral infarction, including in the stabilization of the BBB.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2019
Repurposing propranolol as an antitumor agent in von Hippel-Lindau disease.
Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) is a tumor predisposition syndrome characterized by CNS hemangioblastomas (HBs) and clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) due to hypoxia-inducible factor activation (pseudohypoxia). Because of the lack of effective medical therapies for VHL, HBs and RCCs account for significant morbidity and mortality, ultimately necessitating numerous neurological and renal surgeries. Propranolol is an FDA-approved pan-beta adrenergic antagonist with antitumor effects against infantile hemangiomas (IHs) and possibly VHL HBs. Here, the authors investigated the antitumor efficacy of propranolol against pseudohypoxia-driven VHL-HBs and VHL-RCCs. ⋯ Propranolol decreases VHL-HB and VHL-related RCC viability in vitro likely by modulation of VEGF expression and by inducing apoptosis. Propranolol abrogates 786-O xenograft tumor progression in vivo, and retrospective clinical data suggest that propranolol curtails HB growth. These results suggest that propranolol may play a role in the treatment of VHL-related tumors.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2019
Gastrostomy tube placement increases the risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection: a multiinstitutional study.
Gastrostomy tube placement can temporarily seed the peritoneal cavity with bacteria and thus theoretically increases the risk of shunt infection when the two procedures are performed contemporaneously. The authors hypothesized that gastrostomy tube placement would not increase the risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. The object of this study was to test this hypothesis by utilizing a large patient cohort combined from multiple institutions. ⋯ Gastrostomy tube placement significantly increases the risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection.