World Neurosurg
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Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) used to enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans have been linked to tissue deposition, including in the brain. The management of indolent tumors such as meningiomas requires frequent MRI scans to monitor for interval growth. Given concern regarding GBCA deposition, we sought to determine if noncontrast MRI scans in patients with asymptomatic meningiomas were equivalent to GBCA-enhanced MRI scans in surveillance monitoring. ⋯ Our study provides evidence that noncontrasted MRI scans are equivalent to contrast-weighted MRI scans to follow change in tumor size over time in asymptomatic meningiomas.
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We sought to assess preliminary technical and clinical outcomes of Catalyst 5 (CAT 5) as front-line aspiration treatment for M2-M3 occlusion in acute ischemic stroke. ⋯ Preliminary experience using CAT 5 in distal occlusions demonstrates that it may be safe and effective in acute stroke treatment.
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We sought to compare the clinical and radiologic outcomes after anterior cervical surgery between zero-profile (Zero-P) cage and plate-cage construct (PCC). ⋯ Compared with the Zero-P system, the PCC system provides a comparable clinical outcome. Although it showed the disadvantages in controlling the operation time and surgical bleeding, the radiologic outcome was better at the 2-year follow-up.
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Patients with a cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) can have intracranial hemorrhages ranging from insignificant and chronic microbleeds to life-threatening hemorrhage. Management decisions and patient counseling are based on a heterogeneous body of evidence. We sought to improve the literature by providing our results based on the standardized definitions and aimed to delineate differences in the symptomatic burden for CCMs, based on their anatomic location and presence of developmental venous anomalies. This evidence will aid in clinical decision making and patient counseling. ⋯ Infratentorial cavernous malformations are more likely to present with symptomatic hemorrhages at diagnosis or during follow-up when accounting for size differences between lesions.
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Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks have been historically difficult to diagnose and treat because their cause can widely vary. There are insufficient diagnostic predictors and no clinically accepted standards for their treatment. This large institutional study reports on the diagnosis, management, and outcomes of patients presenting with CSF leak over 10 years and aims to identify potential comorbidities and risk factors for primary and recurrent leaks. ⋯ The overall CSF repair outcome was 99.14% over 10 years at a single institution. Despite this high percentage, CSF leaks continue to be a complex problem and require vigorous multidisciplinary work with close follow-up and use of multiple imaging strategies.