Neurosurgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Intrathecal Morphine Following Lumbar Fusion: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Despite the potential for faster postoperative recovery and the ease of direct intraoperative injection, intrathecal morphine is rarely provided in lumbar spine surgery. ⋯ A single intrathecal injection of 0.2 mg of morphine safely reduces postoperative pain following lumbar fusion.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The Impact of Alvimopan on Return of Bowel Function After Major Spine Surgery - A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study.
Pain management following major spine surgery requires high doses of opioids and is associated with a risk of opioid-induced constipation. Peripheral mu-receptor antagonists decrease the gastrointestinal complications of perioperative systemic opioid administration without antagonizing the analgesic benefits of these drugs. ⋯ This study shows that the perioperative use of alvimopan significantly reduced the time to return of bowel function with no increase in postoperative opioid use despite a slight increase in pain scores.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Withholding Perioperative Steroids in Patients Undergoing Transsphenoidal Resection for Pituitary Disease: Randomized Prospective Clinical Trial to Assess Safety.
Perioperative steroid protocols for patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) for pituitary pathology vary by institution. ⋯ Perioperative steroids can be safely withheld in patients with an intact HPA axis undergoing TSS. Although administration of perioperative glucocorticoids does not appear to increase the risk of complications, it may interfere with assessment of the HPA axis after surgery.
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Review Case Reports
Myopericytoma at the Craniocervical Junction: Clinicopathological Report and Review of a Rare Perivascular Neoplasm.
Myopericytoma is an emerging class of neoplasm originating from the perivascular myoid cellular environment, previously classified as a variant of hemangiopericytoma. Most reported myopericytomas are found in soft tissues of the extremities; however, infrequent cases are described involving the central nervous system. Intracranial myopericytoma remains rare. Here, we describe the first report of myopericytoma occurring at the cervicomedullary junction in close proximity to the vertebral artery, mimicking a vascular lesion. ⋯ Tumors of perivascular origin include hemangiopericytoma, glomus tumor, myofibroma, and myopericytoma and are uncommon lesions intracranially. Consideration of and distinction among these perivascular tumors is critically important, as they each have distinct clinical behaviors and management. Myopericytoma can mimic other neoplastic and cerebrovascular pathologies, but it most commonly has a benign course and can be surgically cured if a gross total resection can be achieved. Rarer myopericytoma variants that adopt a more malignant course have been described, and ongoing molecular studies may identify mutations or activated signaling pathways that can be targeted to offer chemotherapeutic options in the future.