World Neurosurg
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Moyamoya disease is a progressive, occlusive arteriopathy of the intracranial vessels causing an increased risk of stroke. It often results in functional impairment and decrease in quality of life, both in the presence and absence of stroke. Revascularization is the accepted treatment for patients with symptomatic moyamoya disease, preventing further stroke. At Leeds Children's Hospital we use the encephalo-duro-arterio-myo-synangiosis (EDAMS) technique to facilitate revascularization. We aim to assess the quality of life outcomes of patients who have undergone operative intervention at our unit for moyamoya disease. ⋯ Children with moyamoya disease have a lower quality of life than healthy controls within this series. This suggests that children with moyamoya should be offered additional psychosocial support within the community.
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To evaluate the surgical technique and accuracy of S2 alar-iliac (SAI) screw placement using intraoperative O-arm-based 3-dimensional navigation (O-arm). ⋯ SAI screw placement can be safely performed using the intraoperative O-arm system and our surgical technique.
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Direct carotid-cavernous fistulas (DCCF) develop due to breach in the integrity of the wall of the internal carotid artery, and its localization can sometimes be difficult due to rapid high flow shunts. We hypothesized that 3D rotational angiography could locate the fistula site accurately, where an interrupted rim of the carotid wall would be silhouetted against opacified vascular structures. This finding was described as a broken-rim sign, and in this study, we assessed the utility of this sign in the localization of the shunt point of DCCF. ⋯ Our study highlights the role of 3D rotational angiogram and analysis of the carotid wall in the localization of the shunt site in DCCF. The broken-rim sign accurately points to the location of the fistula.
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Typically, the clinical presentation of a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF) will be insidious, with patients' symptoms regularly attributed to other conditions. Although previous studies have characterized the neurologic outcomes after treatment for SDAVFs, little is known about the pretreatment patient characteristics associated with poor and/or positive patient outcomes. We sought to characterize the pretreatment patient demographics, diagnostic history, and neurologic outcomes of patients treated for SDAVFs and to identify the patient factors predictive of these outcomes. ⋯ Misdiagnosis has been relatively common in patients with SDAVFs and contributes to delays in treatment. Delays in diagnosis and treatment of SDAVFs appear to be associated with worse clinical outcomes for patients who, ultimately, receive treatment.
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Conventional understanding of obesity demonstrates negative consequences for overall health, whereas more modern studies have found that it can provide certain advantages. The current literature on the effect of body mass index (BMI) in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is similarly inconsistent. ⋯ The overweight group exhibited strikingly lower odds of death and poor outcome compared with the normal weight group, whereas the obese group demonstrated the opposite. These associations persisted in a multivariable model; thus, BMI can be considered an important predictor of outcome after SAH.