World Neurosurg
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Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis of Simultaneous versus Staged Decompression of Stenotic Regions in Patients with Tandem Spinal Stenosis.
Tandem spinal stenosis (TSS) refers to simultaneous spinal canal stenosis of noncontiguous regions. There is no consensus in the surgical strategies for patients with symptomatic TSS because of the confusing clinical manifestations. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the outcomes of 1-stage and 2-stage decompression of all stenotic regions (cervical and lumbar/thoracic segments) in patients with TSS. ⋯ For patients with cervical and lumbar TSS, 2-stage decompression showed slight advantages in clinical outcome without exposing patients to unnecessary surgical risks. For patients with cervical and thoracic TSS, 1-stage decompression showed comparable clinical outcome, although with better operative parameters and lower complication rate than in simultaneous decompression.
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The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. This study uses a bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most cited neurosurgical COVID-19-related articles to date to identify and determine their characteristics. ⋯ This analysis facilitated in making evidence-based clinical decisions and drawing the attention of researchers to identify and contribute to the increasing scientific work by identifying the top 100 most cited neurosurgical COVID-19-related articles published.
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Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a common type of chronic pain that occurs after limb amputation. Many treatment approaches are available; however, the treatment of PLP is still a challenge. This study aimed to quantify and rank the efficacy of interventions for phantom limb pain. ⋯ Our results suggest that MT is the most optimal treatment for PLP, and a combination of therapies would enhance the therapeutic effect.
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There is a pressing clinical need for minimally invasive liquid biopsies to supplement imaging in the treatment of glioblastoma. Diagnostic imaging is often difficult to interpret and the medical community is divided on distinguishing among complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease. A minimally invasive liquid biopsy would supplement imaging and clinical findings and has the capacity to be helpful in several ways: 1) diagnosis, 2) selection of patients for specific treatments, 3) tracking of treatment response, and 4) prognostic value. ⋯ Within the liquid biome, 2 broad categories of biomarkers can exist: tumor-derived, which can be directly traced to the tumor, and tumor-associated, which can be traced back to the response of the body to disease. Although tumor-associated biomarkers are promising liquid biopsy candidates, recent advances in biomarker enrichment and detection have allowed concentration on a new class of biomarker: tumor-derived biomarkers. This review focuses on making the distinction between the 2 biomarker categories and highlights promising new direction.
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Non-galenic pial arteriovenous fistulas (NGPAVFs) are rare cerebrovascular pathologies accounting for only 1.6%-4.8% of all brain vascular malformations. We performed a comprehensive review of NGPAVF cases reported in the literature to further characterize their clinical patterns of presentation, angiographic features, management, clinical outcomes, and complications. ⋯ To our knowledge, we report the largest literature review describing the clinical course and characteristics of NGPAVFs. All treatment approaches resulted in favorable obliteration rates and overall patient outcomes.