Neurosurgery
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Neuroimaging plays an ever evolving role in the diagnosis, treatment planning, and post-therapy assessment of brain tumors. This review provides an overview of current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods routinely employed in the care of the brain tumor patient. Specifically, we focus on advanced techniques including diffusion, perfusion, spectroscopy, tractography, and functional MRI as they pertain to noninvasive characterization of brain tumors and pretreatment evaluation. The utility of both structural and physiological MRI in the post-therapeutic brain evaluation is also reviewed with special attention to the challenges presented by pseudoprogression and pseudoresponse.
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Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries are major public health issues causing significant death and long-term disability in the United States, with higher incidences in young and older adults. The ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on injury prevention education and awareness for people of all ages, with a particular focus on educating children, teens, and young adults. ⋯ This review discusses the efforts of a number of ThinkFirst chapters in terms of research, legislation, and public communication. It showcases the success of ThinkFirst interventions and suggests future directions which can help improve national injury prevention efforts.
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Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) may lead to repetitive intracerebral hemorrhage. In selected cases, a surgical resection is indicated. ⋯ We provide a meticulous analysis and new classification of preoperative MRI features that seem to be involved in the microsurgical resection of CCM.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of Complications, Trends, and Costs in Endoscopic vs Microscopic Pituitary Surgery: Analysis From a US Health Claims Database.
Microsurgical and endoscopic techniques are commonly utilized surgical approaches to pituitary pathologies. There are limited data comparing these 2 procedures. ⋯ Endoscopic approaches are increasingly being utilized to manage sellar pathologies relative to microsurgery. Postoperative complications occur in both techniques with higher incidences observed following endoscopic procedures.
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Multicenter Study
Management of Penetrating Cerebrovascular Injuries in Pediatric Trauma: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.
Blunt cerebrovascular injury is uncommon in the pediatric population; penetrating cerebrovascular injuries are even rarer and are thus poorly understood. ⋯ This is the largest series of penetrating cerebrovascular trauma in the pediatric literature. Although rare, penetrating cerebrovascular injuries can be high-grade injuries that require urgent recognition and may require aggressive endovascular and/or open surgery for treatment.