Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
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Acute subdural hematoma evacuations frequently necessitate large craniotomies with extended operative times and high relative blood loss, which can lead to additional morbidity for the patient. While endoscopic minimally invasive approaches to chronic subdural collections have been successfully demonstrated, this technique has not previously been applied to acute subdural hematomas. The authors report their experience with an 87-year-old patient presenting with a large acute right-sided subdural hematoma successfully evacuated via an endoscopic minimally invasive technique. The operative approach is outlined, and the literature on endoscopic subdural collection evacuation reviewed.
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Case Reports
Complete recovery following intra-arterial tenecteplase administration in a woman with acute ischemic stroke.
A 23-year-old woman, who underwent a percutaneous transluminal mitral commissurotomy for a tight mitral stenosis, developed an acute ischemic stroke involving the proximal right middle cerebral artery territory. She had a dense left hemiplegia with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 12. She was emergently treated within 1 hour with intra-arterial tenecteplase and made a dramatic recovery. Intra-arterial tenecteplase is an attractive option for treating acute ischemic stroke with proximal or major vessel occlusion.
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Painful L5/S1 pseudoarthrosis has been previously managed with posterior excision and/or lumbar fusion. To our knowledge, the anterior approach for L5/S1 pseudoarthrectomy in the treatment of Bertolotti's syndrome has not been described. We present two patients with severe symptomatic L5/S1 pseudoarthroses that were successfully excised via an anterior retroperitoneal approach with 2 year clinical and radiological follow-up. ⋯ The technique for an anterior retroperitoneal approach is described. This approach has been safe and effective in providing long term symptomatic relief to our two patients. Further studies comparing the outcomes of anterior versus posterior pseudoarthrectomy will guide the management of this condition.
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We present a patient with spontaneous intracranial hypotension due to a calcified thoracic disc prolapse. Although most cases of spontaneous intracranial hypotension resolve with conservative measures, a few reported patients require surgical intervention. We discuss an uncommon presentation of spontaneous intracranial hypotension, requiring surgical repair of a thoracic dural defect to achieve symptom resolution.
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Of patients hospitalised for traumatic brain injury (TBI), most pass through a state of altered consciousness known as "post-traumatic amnesia" (PTA). Despite the lack of a consistent definition, PTA is widely used as a construct in neurosurgical practice to guide decision-making and prognosis. Accurate PTA assessment is important, because over-evaluation leads to excess social, financial and opportunity costs, whilst under-evaluation risks patient welfare. ⋯ Although all of these features were fully described (or implied) by the earliest pioneers, most current PTA scores do not assess the complete "post-TBI syndrome". Currently, the Westmead PTA scale (WPTAS) directs most in-hospital TBI management throughout Australasia: however, in addition to general defects, specific limitations have been identified in the levels of evidence for WPTAS validity. We review the literature regarding PTA and, in particular, the continued role of the WPTAS in directing neurosurgical practice.