World Neurosurg
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Review Case Reports
Giant Cell Ependymoma of the Lateral Ventricle: Case Report, Literature Review, and Analysis of Prognostic Factors and Genetic Profile.
Giant cell ependymoma (GCE) is a rare primary central nervous system neoplasm. We report a case of GCE arising in the lateral ventricle. ⋯ Although rare, GCE should be considered in the differential of young patients with atypical intraventricular lesions, particularly given that extent of resection is associated with increased survival and GCE is thought to be radiation resistant.
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Review Case Reports
Remote Thoracic Myelopathy From a Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistula at the Cranio-Cervical Junction - Case Report and Review of Literature.
The craniocervical junction is a rare location for spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs). Typically, fistulas at this location present with findings related to intracranial cortical venous reflux or cervical myelopathy. We present a case of craniocervical junction dAVF with isolated clinical and radiographic findings of thoracolumbar myelopathy. ⋯ Isolated lower extremity myelopathic symptoms are a rarely reported finding in patients harboring craniocervical junction dAVFs. At our institution, noninvasive imaging with TR-MRA is routinely used to aid localization of dAVFs. This results in decreased contrast dose and radiation exposure, and inclusion of the cervical spine should be performed when thoracolumbar imaging fails to identify a dAVF prior to proceeding to invasive angiography.
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Review Case Reports
Skull Metastasis From the Liver.Case Report and Literature Review.
Calvarial metastasis from liver cirrhosis in the absence of a primary focus is exceptionally rare. Few reports of metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma of an unknown primary focus have been published. ⋯ A calvarial mass may be an initial manifestation of hepatocellular carcinoma. Early diagnosis is important. A calvarial metastasis from the liver, although very rare, should be included in the differential diagnosis of a patient with both cirrhosis and skull mass.
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Review Historical Article
Chronic Subdural Hematoma: a Historical and Clinical Perspective.
This review aims to highlight the clinical complexity of chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) while presenting a brief historical discussion of cSDH. ⋯ A variety of clinical factors must be taken into account in the treatment of cSDH, and the multifaceted treatment paradigms continue to evolve.
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Review Case Reports
Regression of Pineal Lesions: Spontaneous or Iatrogenic? - A Case Report and Systematic Literature Review.
Tumors arising from the pineal region account for approximately 1% of intracranial neoplasms. We present a case of a previously healthy 5-year-old boy with an acute onset of headache. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed a pineal mass with aqueduct compression. The patient was scheduled for tumor resection. An endoscopic third ventriculostomy was performed in advance for the treatment of hydrocephalus. Afterwards, MRI showed a relevant regression of the pineal mass without specific treatment. Consequently, surgery was cancelled and further MRI follow-up showed a regression of the mass and a constant tumor mass over a period of 30 months. Spontaneous regression of malignant tumors is a rare phenomenon with an incidence of 1 of 60,000-100,000 cases. Only a few cases with spontaneous regression of pineal tumors have been reported. ⋯ The clinician has to bear in mind that regression of pineal tumors might be triggered by use of steroids, for example, and in cases of improvement of the patient's presenting symptoms, new MRI scans should be performed.