Neurosurgery
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Review Case Reports
A Mobile Schwannoma of the Cervical Spinal Cord: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.
Mobile schwannomas have been reported in the lumbar spine and occasionally in the thoracic spine. However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first known report of a cervical mobile schwannoma. Mobile schwannomas require careful preoperative and intraoperative evaluation of their localization because tumor mobility may result in surgery at the wrong level. ⋯ We observed an extremely rare case of a mobile schwannoma of the cervical spine. Unusually dilated subarachnoid space adjacent to the tumor can be a diagnostic sign of tumor mobility, regardless of vertebral level. Repeated MRI studies are useful to preoperatively confirm tumor mobility. Intraoperative ultrasonography is valuable for the real-time localization of such mobile tumors to avoid potentially performing surgery at the wrong vertebral level.
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Obesity rates continue to rise along with the number of obese patients undergoing elective spinal fusion. ⋯ Increased BMI is associated with longer operative times, increased complication rates, and increased cost independent of comorbidities. These effects are more pronounced with morbidly obese patients, further supporting a role for preoperative weight loss.
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Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder with childhood onset, characterized by disabling motor and vocal tics lasting for more than 1 year and associated with a wide range of psychiatric comorbidities. Pharmacological treatment is indicated for moderate to severe GTS patients. However, when GTS is refractory to conventional medical and behavioral treatments, deep brain stimulation (DBS) can be considered as a last resort therapeutic avenue. ⋯ The clinical efficacy of DBS in GTS is promising. Although DBS is associated with risks, as is any surgical intervention, DBS should be considered as a last resort therapeutic option in carefully selected GTS patients.