Neurosurgery
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Because it is difficult to predict the compaction of Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs) after endovascular surgery for aneurysms, we studied the relationship between the coil packing ratio and compaction. Here, we propose a simple method for the preoperative estimation of coil compaction. Using follow-up angiograms, we studied the timing and degree of coil compaction in small terminal and side-wall aneurysms with narrow necks. ⋯ In patients who underwent embolization with GDC-10s of aneurysms that were small and had a small neck, the optimal coil packing ratio could be identified with the formula 0.3 x a x b x c. The probability of coil compaction was significantly higher when the coil packing ratio was less than 50%. To detect coil compaction after embolization, follow-up angiograms must be examined regularly for at least 12 months. To detect major coil compaction in patients with terminal type aneurysms, angiographic follow-up should not be shorter than 24 months.
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The Sonic Flashlight (SF) is a new handheld ultrasound (US) display device being developed at our institution. It replaces the standard monitor on a conventional ultrasound (CUS) system with a miniature monitor and half-silvered mirror to reflect real-time US images into the body. With the SF, the imaged body part appears translucent, with the US image appearing to float below the surface of the anatomy, exactly where it is being scanned. The SF merges the patient, US image, instrument, and operator's hands into the same field of view, allowing the user to operate directly on the US image using normal hand-eye coordination. In contrast, CUS procedures result in displaced hand-eye coordination when the operator looks away from the patient to view the CUS monitor. Intraoperatively, the SF may make localizing and accessing tumors, foreign bodies, hematomas, vascular malformations, and ventricles easier and more accurate, especially for those without extensive CUS training. ⋯ The needle was easily and intuitively visualized and guided into the lesion, both within and outside of the US plane. By having the US image appear directly beneath the brain surface, the surgeon can easily and quickly guide the needle or surgical instrument to the lesion. The operator's eyes never have to leave the surgical field, as they do with CUS technology. The impact of this device on neurosurgical procedures could be significant. The ease of use, intuitive function, and small instrument size allow the surgeon to quickly localize lesions, confirm surgical positioning, and assess postoperative results.
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In human somatic cells, telomeres shorten with successive cell divisions, resulting in progressive genomic instability, altered gene expression, and cell death. Recently, telomere-specific deoxyribonucleic acid-binding proteins, such as telomeric repeat binding factor-1 (TRF1), have been proposed as candidates for the role of molecules regulating telomerase activity, and they have been suggested to play key roles in the maintenance of telomere function. The present study was designed to assess TRF1 expression in human astroglial brain tumors and to speculate on the clinical implications of its expression. ⋯ Our findings suggest that the loss of TRF1 expression capability, as a result of down-regulation of TRF1 expression in malignant gliomas cells, may play a role in the malignant progression of astroglial brain tumors.
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Clinical features of aneurysms of the posterior cerebral artery: a 15-year experience with 21 cases.
To investigate the characteristic clinical behavior and develop guidelines for the clinical management of posterior cerebral artery aneurysms, we reviewed 21 cases treated during a 15-year period. ⋯ Posterior cerebral artery aneurysms have specific clinical characteristics compared with aneurysms located elsewhere. The aneurysmal site and size and the surgical technique did not significantly influence treatment outcomes.