Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2021
MR-guided focused ultrasound pallidotomy for Parkinson's disease: safety and feasibility.
Stereotactic radiofrequency pallidotomy has demonstrated improvement in motor fluctuations in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), particularly levodopa (L-dopa)-induced dyskinesias. The authors aimed to determine whether or not unilateral pallidotomy with MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) could safely improve Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS; the primary outcome measure) scores over baseline scores in patients with PD. ⋯ This study supports the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of MRgFUS pallidotomy in the treatment of patients with PD and motor fluctuations, including dyskinesias. These preliminary data support continued investigation, and a placebo-controlled, blinded trial is in progress. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT02263885 (clinicaltrials.gov).
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2021
Case ReportsEndoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal direct access and Onyx embolization of a dural arteriovenous fistula mimicking a carotid-cavernous fistula: case report.
The classic presentation of a carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) is unilateral painful proptosis, chemosis, and vision loss. Just as the goal of treatment for a dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) is obliteration of the entire fistulous connection and the proximal draining vein, the modern treatment of CCF is endovascular occlusion of the cavernous sinus via a transvenous or transarterial route. Here, the authors present the case of a woman with a paracavernous dAVF mimicking the clinical and radiographic presentation of a CCF. Without any endovascular route available to access the fistulous connection and venous drainage, the authors devised a novel direct hybrid approach by performing an endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal direct puncture and Onyx embolization of the fistula.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2021
Internal dose escalation associated with increased local control for melanoma brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery.
The internal high-dose volume varies widely for a given prescribed dose during stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to treat brain metastases (BMs). This may be altered during treatment planning, and the authors have previously shown that this improves local control (LC) for non-small cell lung cancer BMs without increasing toxicity. Here, they seek to identify potentially actionable dosimetric predictors of LC after SRS for melanoma BM. ⋯ For a given prescription dose, an increased internal high-dose volume, as indicated by measures such as V30 ≥ 25%, is associated with improved LC but not increased toxicity in single-fraction SRS for melanoma BM. Internal dose escalation is an independent predictor of improved LC even in patients receiving immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy. This represents a dosimetric parameter that is actionable at the time of treatment planning and warrants further evaluation.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2021
Outcomes following surgical management of vagus nerve stimulator-related infection: a retrospective multi-institutional study.
Surgical site infection (SSI) is a rare but significant complication after vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) placement. Treatment options range from antibiotic therapy alone to hardware removal. The optimal therapeutic strategy remains open to debate. Therefore, the authors conducted this retrospective multicenter analysis to provide insight into the optimal management of VNS-related SSI (VNS-SSI). ⋯ Removal of the VNS including electrode leads combined with antibiotic administration is the definitive treatment but has a risk of causing dysphagia. If the surgeon finds dense scarring around the vagus nerve, the prudent approach is to snip the electrode close to the nerve as opposed to attempting to unwind the lead completely.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2021
Femoral nerve decompression and sartorius-to-quadriceps nerve transfers for partial femoral nerve injury: a cadaveric study and early case series.
Partial femoral nerve injuries cause significant disability with ambulation. Due to their more proximal and superficial location, sartorius branches are often spared in femoral nerve injuries. In this article, the authors report the benefits of femoral nerve decompression, demonstrate the feasibility of sartorius-to-quadriceps nerve transfers in a cadaveric study, describe the surgical technique, and report clinical results. ⋯ Femoral nerve decompression and nerve transfer using sartorius branches are a viable tool for restoring function in partial femoral nerve injuries. Sartorius branches serve as ideal donors in quadriceps nerve transfers because they are expendable, are close to their recipients, and have an adequate supply of nerve fibers.