World Neurosurg
-
Recurrences of pituitary adenomas are not so rare. ⋯ A second independent de novo adenoma was present in 10 cases, probably due to changes of transcription factors.
-
Hydrocephalus is a common neurosurgical disorder that can lead to significant disability or death if not promptly identified and treated. Data on the burden of hydrocephalus in low-income countries are limited, given a lack of radiologic resources for the diagnosis of this condition. Here, we present an analysis of patterns of hydrocephalus from a large sample of computed tomography (CT) scans of the head performed at a public hospital in rural Haiti, a low-income country in the Caribbean. ⋯ In a large sample of CTs performed in a rural low-income setting, hydrocephalus was common, predominantly noncommunicating, and often associated with potentially operable intracranial lesions. Data of this nature can inform research, policy, and clinical collaborations that strengthen the neurosurgical capacity of low-income countries.
-
Chordomas are locally invasive slow-growing tumors that are difficult to study because of the rarity of the tumors and the lack of significant volumes of patients with longitudinal follow-up. As such, there are currently no machine learning studies in the chordoma literature. The purpose of this study was to develop machine learning models for survival prediction and deploy them as open access web applications as a proof of concept for machine learning in rare nervous system lesions. ⋯ This analysis of patients with spinal chordoma demonstrated that machine learning models can be developed for survival prediction in rare pathologies and have the potential to serve as the basis for creation of decision support tools in the future.
-
The greater auricular nerve (GAN) may be used as a nerve graft during neurosurgical procedures to repair damaged nerves. There is extensive literature on localization of the GAN at the posterior triangle of the neck, but objective information on localization of the GAN at the anterior triangle of the neck close to cranial neurosurgical fields is lacking. The aim of this study was to introduce simple and reliable landmarks to localize the GAN at the anterior triangle of the neck to facilitate its harvest during neurosurgical procedures. ⋯ The AGA point and the M-A line are reliable landmarks for locating the GAN at the anterior triangle of the neck and for helping neurosurgeons expose and harvest the GAN efficiently.
-
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) remains the mainstay of treatment for noncommunicating hydrocephalus these days. However, there has been no adequate clue for the intraoperative assessment of ETV efficacy until now. This time, we propose a newly defined finding, "folding sign," which is visible and enables us to confirm penetration of both the third ventricle floor and the Liliequist membrane (LM) during operation. In this report, we describe consecutive ETV cases and discuss the mechanism of folding sign and its clinical meanings. ⋯ The folding sign is a newly defined sign to predict the success of ETV during operation. This optimal finding appears only when the LM is sufficiently opened; therefore, it could be a good candidate for an intraoperative assessment tool.