Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
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Case Reports
Venous air emboli from intravenous catheterization: a report of iatrogenic intravascular pneumocephalus.
Pneumocephalus in the absence of a recent intracranial or intrathecal procedure is a significant radiographic finding and may be clinically relevant. Pneumocephalus secondary to intravenous catheterization may be a more common finding than previously expected. ⋯ This unexpected radiographic finding should not necessarily be cause for alarm, and there is no evidence that intravenous pneumocephalus alone is harmful. We present a patient with intravenous pneumocephalus and a review of the literature.
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The past decade (1999-2009) has witnessed a dramatic increase in the use of electrical stimulation to treat chronic, intractable pain. The implantation of electrodes in close proximity to peripheral nerves, known as peripheral nerve stimulation, has been enthusiastically adopted by neurosurgeons and interventional pain specialists. ⋯ The potential application of peripheral neuromodulation to relatively common and frequently disabling conditions such as migraine and lower back pain represents an exciting phase in the evolution of contemporary pain surgery. We review the available evidence relating to the use of peripheral nerve stimulation for the treatment of medically refractory, chronic non-cancer pain in a variety of clinical situations, highlight the absence of randomised controlled studies, and emphasise the need for scientifically sound research in this field.
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Dolichoectasia is an angiopathy characterized by dilatation, elongation, and tortuosity of the brain arteries. It most frequently involves the vertebral and basilar arteries; involvement of both the vertebrobasilar and carotid systems is rare. We present a patient with fatal dolichoectasia involving both the vertebrobasilar and carotid artery systems.