World Neurosurg
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Case Reports
Is First Line Vancomycin still the Best Option to Treat Staphylococcus healthcare-associated Meningitis?
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) penetration of vancomycin through the blood-brain barrier is poor but important inflammation improved it. Hence, vancomycin is recommended for the treatment of community meningitis. However, what about mild inflammatory health care-associated meningitis? The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of vancomycin diffusion on CSF in Staphylococcus epidermidis health care-associated meningitis. ⋯ We propose to reassess vancomycin use as first-line therapy when meningeal inflammation is mild-to-moderate in favor of antibiotics, which have a better CSF penetration.
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In patients with progressive low-grade glioma (LGG), the presence of new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhancement is commonly used as an indicator of malignant degeneration, but its accuracy in this setting is uncertain. ⋯ In patients with progressive LGG, new MRI enhancement and pathologic grade were discordant in greater than 20% of cases. Pathologic confirmation of grade should therefore be attempted, when safe, to dictate management. Beyond functioning as a surrogate for pathologic grade, new MRI enhancement may predict for worse outcomes, a concept that merits prospective investigation.
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Preserving the facial nerve (FN) during surgery for large vestibular schwannomas (VSs) is challenging because of the unpredictable locations and morphologic changes in the FN. Diffusion tensor imaging-based fiber tracking (DTI-FT) has been proposed to preoperatively visualize the FN. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of DTI-FT for predicting FN location and shape in patients with large VSs. ⋯ DTI-FT with modified tracking settings was useful to preoperatively predict the location of FN in patients with large VSs. The MFA of FN demonstrated moderate diagnostic performance for distinguishing compact from flat FNs.
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Case Reports
Successful treatment of refractory status epilepticus using anterior thalamic nuclei deep brain stimulation.
Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) is considered a medical emergency in neurology and is related to high mortality. We report a successfully treated case of RSE using deep brain stimulation (DBS) at the anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN) in a 17-year-old woman. ⋯ DBS at the ATN significantly improved both the electroencephalography and clinical presentation in the patient with RSE. DBS at the ATN should be considered as a possible treatment choice once a patient develops RSE.
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To study the craniovertebral junction and determine the anatomic characteristics of occipitalization of the atlas (OC) by computed tomography (CT) imaging. ⋯ The outlet of the foramen magnum is severely impaired in patients with OC, and the presence of other osseous anomalies is common. Deformity is not confined to the region of the assimilated atlas; the clivus and odontoid process are also shorter than normal. The lateral facet inclination likely influences disease progression.