Neurosurgery
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Radiotherapy is cytotoxic to tumor cells and is therefore a critical component of therapy for many malignancies, including glioblastoma (GBM). We now appreciate the value of the immunomodulatory effects of radiation that may be important to overall therapeutic success in some patients with this primary brain tumor. ⋯ Radiotherapy is one significant and potentially actionable iatrogenic suppressor of immune response that may be limiting the success of therapy in GBM and other tumor types. Altered strategies for radiotherapy more permissive of a vigorous antineoplastic immune response may improve outcome for malignancy.
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Drain insertion following chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) evacuation improves patient outcomes. ⋯ Drain insertion after CSDH drainage is important, but position (subgaleal or subdural) and duration did not appear to influence recurrence rate or clinical outcomes. Similarly, drain location did not influence recurrence rate nor outcomes where both parietal and frontal burr holes were made. Further prospective cohort studies or randomized controlled trials could provide further clarification.
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Multicenter Study
Association Between Tumor Compartment Volumes, the Incidence of Pretreatment Seizures, and Statin-Mediated Protective Effects in Glioblastoma.
Seizures are a common initial symptom of malignant brain tumors such as glioblastoma (GBM). However, why some of these tumors are epileptogenic and others never trigger seizures remains controversial. ⋯ The size and amount of necrosis was significantly smaller in epileptogenic GBMs, maybe owed to the fact that these tumors were clinically detected at an earlier stage of their growth. Furthermore, the intake of statins was associated with a decreased occurrence of pretreatment seizures.
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Comparative Study
Open Resection versus Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for the Treatment of Pediatric Insular Epilepsy.
Various studies suggest that the insular cortex may play an underappreciated role in pediatric frontotemporal/parietal epilepsy. Here, we report on the postsurgical outcomes in 26 pediatric patients with confirmed insular involvement by depth electrode monitoring. ⋯ Both surgical resection and LITT are valid management options in the treatment of medically refractory insular/opercular epilepsy in children. Although LITT may be a less invasive alternative to craniotomy, further studies are needed to determine its noninferiority in terms of complication rates and seizure freedom, especially in cases of cortical dysplasia that may involve extensive regions of the brain.
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Balloon compression (BC), thermocoagulation (TC), and glycerol rhizolysis (GR) are percutaneous surgical options for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Whether the outcomes of these procedures in multiple sclerosis -related TN (MS-TN) are as effective as in idiopathic TN (ITN) is unknown. ⋯ BC and TC are safe and effective in MS-TN. Postoperative numbness is the strongest prognostic factor in MS-TN.