Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2018
Immediate Abdominal Pain after Placement of Thoracic Paddle Leads for Spinal Cord Stimulation: A Case Series.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a well-established treatment modality for chronic pain. Thoracic radiculopathy has been reported as a complication of SCS paddle lead implantation by several authors and commonly presents as abdominal pain. ⋯ We conclude that the etiology of immediate postoperative abdominal pain after thoracic paddle lead implantation for SCS is most likely thoracic radiculopathy. We hypothesize that small, transient epidural hematomas could be the cause of this thoracic radiculopathy. We argue that all patients with immediate postoperative abdominal pain and no other neurologic deficits after thoracic paddle lead implantation for SCS should first be treated conservatively with observation and pain management.
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2017
Review Case ReportsSignificant Hemorrhage Rate Reduction after Gamma Knife Radiosurgery in Symptomatic Cavernous Malformations: Long-Term Outcome in 95 Case Series and Literature Review.
The natural history of cavernous malformations (CMs) has remained unclear. This lack of knowledge has made treatment decisions difficult. Indeed, the use of stereotactic radiosurgery is nowadays controversial. The purpose of this paper is to throw light on the effectiveness of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) therapy. ⋯ The best dosage range for preventing bleeding was identified as between 11 and 12 Gy in our series. Although the efficacy of radiosurgery in CMs remains impossible to quantify, a very significant reduction in the bleeding rate occurs after a 3-year latency interval. No permanent neurological morbidity is reported in our series. These results defend the safety of GKRS in surgical high-risk CM from the first bleeding event.
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2017
Use of Spinal Cord Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Quantify Neural Ablation and Evaluate Outcome after Percutaneous Cordotomy for Intractable Cancer Pain.
Up to 20% of patients experience only partial pain relief after percutaneous cordotomy for cancer pain. ⋯ DTI metrics are sensitive to the number of ablations as well as early improvement in pain scores after cordotomy. DTI of the cervical spinal cord is a potential biomarker of neural ablation after percutaneous cordotomy for intractable cancer pain.
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2017
Refining the Deep Brain Stimulation Target within the Limbic Globus Pallidus Internus for Tourette Syndrome.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with severe, refractory Tourette syndrome (TS) has demonstrated promising but variable results thus far. The thalamus and anteromedial globus pallidus internus (amGPi) have been the most commonly stimulated sites within the cortico-striato thalamic circuit, but an optimal target is yet to be elucidated. ⋯ This study adds further support to the application of DBS in a tic-related network, though factors such as patient sample size and clinical heterogeneity remain as limitations and replication is required.
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2017
Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (Motor and Somatosensory Evoked Potentials) in Dorsal Root Entry Zone Lesioning for Brachial Plexus Avulsion Pain.
To address the feasibility and importance of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) in dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesioning for brachial plexus avulsion pain. ⋯ Significant events on IONM were common during DREZ lesioning for brachial plexus avulsion pain and were closely related to the occurrence of postoperative neurological deficits.