British journal of neurosurgery
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Review Case Reports
Titanium cranioplasty and the prediction of complications.
Titanium cranioplasty (TC), the operative repair of a skull defect with an ergonomically manufactured plate to restore cosmesis, cranial function and reduce complications is a common neurosurgical procedure. It is technically simple but has high complication rates. This study aimed to determine the incidence and predictors of complications following TC. ⋯ TC size is predictive of postoperative length of stay. However, the TC size is not predictive of complications or removal rate. Also, there was no association between interval since primary operation and complications. There was a non-significant trend for greater rates of TC removal in the elderly. There were no predictors of complications identified but they are common and patients should be consented accordingly.
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Case Reports
Asymptomatic presentation of huge extradural hematoma in a patient with arachnoid cyst.
Haemorrhagic complications of arachnoid cysts have been reported as subdural or intracystic hematoma following trauma. In this paper, we report a patient with arachnoid cyst who developed extradural hematoma after a subtle head injury and presented with very mild symptoms in spite of the huge size of the hematoma.
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Traumatic extradural haematoma following a severe head injury is well documented in neurosurgical literature. We report a case of traumatic extradural haematoma which initially was concealed by the high intracranial pressure (ICP) and revealed after the contralateral decompressive craniectomy. A 21-year-old roofer sustained severe head injury from a fall. ⋯ The second surgery demonstrated a bleeding middle meningeal artery associated with the left temporal bone fracture. The clinical sequence of events, radiological and operative findings revealed this to be a traumatic extradural haematoma sustained at the initial trauma. This was revealed after the tamponade effect was released from the initial decompressive craniectomy on the contralateral side.
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Review Case Reports Meta Analysis
Contribution of case reports to glioblastoma research: systematic review and analysis of pattern of citation.
Research activity related to different aspects of diagnosis, epidemiology and treatment of glioblastoma has increased during recent years. Authors of scientific publications are able to choose between different formats including case reports. Little is known about their influence on advancement of the field or scientific merits. Do glioblastoma case reports attract attention or do they go largely unrecognized? ⋯ Compared to other formats, the proportion of case reports was limited and few of them were highly cited. It cannot be excluded that case reports without citation provide interesting information to some readers. However, their educational value is difficult to quantify.
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Placement of thoracic pedicle screws is a technically demanding procedure. The risk of thoracic pedicle breaches range from 6.5 to 41%. Current image guidance systems consist of computer based systems utilizing preoperative CT scans or 2D/3D intraoperative fluoroscopy. ⋯ The iCT based spinal neuronavigation system allowed for highly safe and accurate placement (97.3%) of thoracic pedicle screws in our institution with no neurovascular injury reported.