Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Apr 2006
Review Case ReportsIntrinsic brainstem epidermoid cyst. Case report and review of the literature.
Brainstem epidermoid cysts are rare lesions, with only 18 reported cases in the literature and only five purely intrinsic epidermoid cysts within this group. The authors present the case of a 3-year-old girl with a history of chronic headaches, progressive diplopia, and relapsing and remitting mild right hemiparesis who was found to harbor an intrinsic brainstem epidermoid cyst at the pontomedullary junction. Initial working diagnoses included intrinsic brainstem astrocytoma and cavernoma. ⋯ Three years after the operation, the patient is neurologically intact and no evidence of tumor recurrence has been found. The rarity of brainstem epidermoid cysts can make their diagnosis difficult; thus a DW MR imaging sequence of the brain is a useful diagnostic modality. Intrinsic brainstem epidermoid cysts can be removed safely, in a manner similar to that used for the surgical treatment of focal tumors.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Apr 2006
Multicenter StudyLong-term evaluation of deep brain stimulation of the thalamus.
The effects of thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) on essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson disease (PD) have been well documented, but there is a paucity of long-term data. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of DBS of the ventralis intermedius nucleus (VIM) of the thalamus for PD and ET. ⋯ Thalamic stimulation is safe and effective for the long-term management of essential and Parkinsonian tremors. Bilateral stimulation can cause dysarthria and incoordination and should be used cautiously.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Apr 2006
Multicenter StudyA functional neuroimaging investigation of deep brain stimulation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral [anterior internal] capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS) is under investigation as an alternative to anterior capsulotomy for severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In neuroimaging studies of patients with OCD, dysfunction in the orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex, striatum, and thalamus has been identified; and modulation of activity in this circuit has been observed following successful nonsurgical treatment. The purpose of the current study was to test hypotheses regarding changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during acute DBS at the VC/VS target in patients with OCD who were participating in a clinical DBS trial. ⋯ Acute DBS at the VC/VS target is associated with activation of the circuitry implicated in OCD. Further studies will be necessary to replicate these findings and to determine the neural effects associated with chronic VC/VS DBS. Moreover, additional data are needed to investigate whether pretreatment imaging profiles can be used to predict a patient's subsequent clinical response to chronic DBS.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Apr 2006
Microelectrode-guided implantation of deep brain stimulators into the globus pallidus internus for dystonia: techniques, electrode locations, and outcomes.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus internus (GPI) is a promising new procedure for the treatment of dystonia. The authors describe their technical approach for placing electrodes into the GPI in awake patients with dystonia, including methodology for electrophysiological mapping of the GPI in the dystonic state, clinical outcomes and complications, and the location of electrodes associated with optimal benefit. ⋯ Physiologically guided implantation of DBS electrodes in patients with dystonia was technically feasible in the awake state in most patients, and the morbidity rate was low. Spontaneous discharge rates of GPI neurons in dystonia were similar to those of globus pallidus externus neurons, such that the two nuclei must be distinguished by neuronal discharge patterns rather than rates. Active electrode locations associated with robust improvement (> 70% decrease in BFMDRS score) were located near the intercommissural plane, at a mean distance from the pallidocapsular border of 3.6 mm.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Apr 2006
Outcome following decompressive craniectomy for malignant swelling due to severe head injury.
The aim of this study was to assess outcome following decompressive craniectomy for malignant brain swelling due to closed traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ Decompressive craniectomy was associated with a better-than-expected functional outcome in patients with medically uncontrollable ICP and/or brain herniation, compared with outcomes in other control cohorts reported on in the literature.