Neurosurgery
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Tectal plate gliomas (TPGs) are midbrain tumors that grow slowly and have a benign clinical course. Most TPGs are low-grade astrocytomas, but they can encompass various histological tumor types. Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is being explored as a potentially safe and effective treatment option for TPGs, although research in this area is limited. This study aims to evaluate GKRS's efficacy and safety in patients with TPG and provide a comprehensive review of existing literature on the topic. ⋯ There is limited research available on the management of TPGs, and this study presents the largest patient cohort treated with GKRS, along with a substantial follow-up duration. Despite its limitations, this study demonstrates the efficacy and low-risk profile of GKRS for TPGs.
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Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face higher incidences and burdens of care for neural tube defects (NTDs) and hydrocephalus compared with high-income countries (HICs), in part due to limited access to neurosurgical intervention. In this scoping review, we aim to integrate studies on prenatal care, counseling, and surgical management for families of children with spinal dysraphism and hydrocephalus in LMICs and HICs. ⋯ NTDs have become a widely acknowledged public health problem in many LMICs. Prenatal counseling and care and folate fortification are critical in the prevention of spinal dysraphism. However, high-quality, standardized studies reporting their epidemiology, prevention, and management remain scarce. Compared with NTDs, research on the prevention and screening of hydrocephalus is even further limited. Future studies are necessary to quantify the burden of disease and identify strategies for improving global outcomes in treating and reducing the prevalence of NTDs and hydrocephalus. Surgical management of NTDs in LMICs is currently limited, but pediatric neurosurgeons may be uniquely equipped to address disparities in the care and counseling of families of children with spinal dysraphism and hydrocephalus.
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Artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) can offer revolutionary advances in their application to the field of spine surgery. Within the past 5 years, novel applications of ML have assisted in surgical decision-making, intraoperative imaging and navigation, and optimization of clinical outcomes. ⋯ Ethical considerations to ML and challenges in ML implementation must be addressed to maximally benefit patients, spine surgeons, and the healthcare system. Areas for future research in augmented reality and mixed reality, along with limitations in generalizability and bias, will also be highlighted.
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Clinical methods to quantify brain injury related to neurosurgery are scarce. Circulating brain injury biomarkers have recently gained increased interest as new ultrasensitive measurement techniques have enabled quantification of brain injury through blood sampling. ⋯ Measuring circulating brain injury biomarkers could be a useful method for quantification of the impact on the brain after tumor surgery or neurosurgery in general.
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The hemorrhage risk of unruptured and untreated cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) has been shown to be higher for female patients than male patients in their child bearing ages. Although it has been neurosurgical practice to advise female patients in their childbearing ages to postpone pregnancy until proven AVM obliteration, there is no literature consensus regarding this potential hemorrhage risk increase. ⋯ The quantified annual risk for AVM hemorrhage during pregnancy is about 3 times higher than that of male patients at corresponding age. This provides an important basis for advising female patients with patent AVMs about the increased risk for hemorrhage that a pregnancy would entail.