World Neurosurg
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Low-pressure hydrocephalus (LPH) is a relatively rare condition, and its presentation is similar to the classically seen high-pressure hydrocephalus, with headaches, cranial nerve dysfunction, ataxia, and disturbances of consciousness. Cerebral cerebrospinal fluid loss in the presence of altered brain viscoelastic properties has previously been suggested as the pathophysiologic process leading to ventriculomegaly, despite low or negative intracranial pressures and patent shunts. More recently, cerebral venous overdrainage has been proposed as a possible explanation in the pathogenesis of LPH, although its connection to lumbar punctures in patients with shunts has not been contemplated yet. The effectiveness of epidural blood patch in the management of post-lumbar puncture LPH has been shown in children but has not been reported in adults. ⋯ A blood patch can be efficient in adults with post-lumbar puncture LPH. Some symptoms may be explained by brainstem compression caused by enlarged cerebrospinal fluid spaces at the skull base. The role of cerebral venous overdrainage in the setting of post-lumbar puncture LPH is further supported.
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Dorsal arachnoid web (DAW) is a rare clinical entity with unknown etiology, and it can mimic other conditions on imaging.1,2 We present a surgical video of a patient with DAW that was misdiagnosed as ventral cord herniation. A 35-year-old woman presented with upper back pain and progressive bilateral lower extremity weakness and numbness for a few months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the thoracic spine (T) showed ventral cord displacement with a syrinx that extended from T2-4. ⋯ On 4-month follow-up, the patient examination had demonstrated progressive improvement of her previous symptoms (weakness, numbness, and urinary retention), and the repeat MRI scan showed a significant reduction in the size of the syrinx. DAW can mimic other pathologies on preoperative imaging, such as ventral cord herniation and arachnoid cyst. The presence of "scalpel sign" and a syrinx on MRI with no arachnoid cyst on myelography support the diagnosis of DAW.
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Spinal epidural arteriovenous fistulas (SEAVFs) are rare lesions with a low risk of hemorrhage. Most patients with lumbosacral SEAVFs with hemorrhagic events will develop a spinal epidural hematoma from epidural venous pouches. To the best of our knowledge, we have reported the first case of a lumbosacral SEAVF presenting with remote intramedullary hemorrhage in the conus medullaris. ⋯ With the significant improvement of our patient after treatment of the SEAVF, we speculated that the intramedullary hemorrhage, which had occurred in the area of spinal cord edema, might have resulted from severe venous hypertension, rather than hemorrhagic infarction of the spinal cord. Careful evaluation of the angioarchitecture of SEAVFs is imperative to determine the most effective treatment modality.
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It is not known whether aspiration-specific catheters are necessary for successful mechanical thrombectomy, but if not, off-label use of more versatile catheters could offer significant cost savings over specialized aspiration catheters. The Syphontrak (Depuy Synthes, Raynham, MA, USA) support catheter is designed for introduction of devices into distal neurovasculature but is not specifically indicated for use in mechanical thrombectomy. We sought to compare our experience using this catheter to historical controls to show the non-inferiority of aspiration achieved. ⋯ These data support the off-label use of distal intracranial support catheters for this mechanical thrombectomy, which may result in significant cost savings over aspiration-specific catheters, especially in low-volume centers.
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The term "pediculolysis" encompasses rare, chronic pedicular changes characterized by pedicle hypertrophy, sclerosis, and pseudoarthrosis, which develop secondary to recurrent microfractures from repeated stress injuries. These stress injuries to pedicles can be insufficiency fractures, commonly reported in elderly patients with associated osteoporosis, or fatigue fractures, which occur in young adolescents involved in heavy sports. These pedicular lesions have been reported in association with defects in other components of the neural arch, including the pars interarticularis and lamina. ⋯ We have reported the present case to bring awareness to spine surgeons regarding the existence of this rare entity even in middle-age individuals. From our experience with the present patient, we believe that for patients with L5 pediculolysis and spondylolisthesis, the option of L5 medial pediculectomy and extension of instrumentation to L4 level should be considered.