World Neurosurg
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Nigeria's neurosurgical field faces profound challenges, including a critically low neurosurgeon-to-patient ratio and significant migration of medical professionals to developed countries. High costs, low socioeconomic status, and the urban-centric location of neurosurgical centers impede access to care. Key barriers to service delivery include lack of manpower, insufficient emergency care, limited imaging modalities, inadequate operative equipment, and ineffective political and administrative policies. ⋯ Other approaches include expanding training capacity, particularly in rural areas, implementing a uniform match system for residency, addressing gender disparities, and utilizing dual practice to ensure adequate compensation for neurosurgeons. Furthermore, stakeholders should develop subspecialization programs in areas such as neurovascular, neuro-oncology, pediatric neurosurgery, and minimally invasive neurosurgery to expand service scope. To transform the neurosurgical research landscape, efforts should be made to establish electronic medical databases, foster international collaborations to ensure funding, and make research mandatory for accreditation renewal to ensure continuous academic contribution.
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To evaluate the long-term success rate of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) in the treatment of hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis in the pediatric population. ⋯ ETV is highly effective in treating hydrocephalus in pediatric patients with aqueductal stenosis, with a 91% success rate at 6 months and 3 years. Although the success rate drops slightly to 89% at 5 years, it still demonstrates durability. Late failures are usually characterized by symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. While patients with a confirmed successful ETV at 6 months may be considered for reduced follow-up frequency, it is critical to educate them about the symptoms of intracranial hypertension and the importance of seeking medical attention promptly if such symptoms occur.
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Glioblastomas are among the most malignant tumors which, despite aggressive treatment, currently have an abysmal prognosis. These lesions are known to cause local and systemic perturbations in the coagulation system, leading to neoangiogenesis and a high risk of venous thromboembolism. Indeed, there have been multiple proposals of the coagulation system being a possible target for future treatment of these patients. However, nonselective anticoagulant therapy has proven suboptimal and leads to a significant increase of intracranial hemorrhage. Thus, recognizing factors that lead to hypercoagulation is considered paramount. Hyperglycemia is a well-known prothrombotic factor, a fact that has received little attention in neuro-oncology. We previously hypothesized that patients with brain tumors could be highly susceptible to iatrogenic glycemia dysregulation. Here, we analyzed the connection between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and the routine coagulation markers (D-dimers, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time [aPTT]) in patients with de novo intracranial glioblastomas. ⋯ Our results suggest that patients with hyperglycemia, with a more proliferative glioblastoma, could in fact have their coagulation profile significantly disrupted, primarily through the intrinsic coagulation pathway. Such findings could have great clinical importance. Further research in this area could help to elucidate the vicious connection between glioblastomas and coagulation and to combat this deadly disease.
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Neurosurgery is one of the most competitive specialties, and navigating the match process is often challenging for aspiring applicants. Here, we analyze insights from the National Resident Matching Program Director Surveys, illustrating evolving trends in applicant selection for interviews and for the ranking process, and providing a comparison with other specialties. ⋯ Our analysis revealed the pervasive importance of specialized endorsements and academic achievements when screening applicants for the interview process. A shift in emphasis toward the USMLE Step 2 became apparent. Personal characteristics, on the other hand, seemed crucial to make a match and rank high among the pool of interviewed applicants. We uncovered difficulties in assessing these characteristics through virtual interviews.
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Raman Spectroscopy and Machine-Learning-Based Identification of Glioma Tissue.
Intraoperative Raman spectroscopy (RS) has been identified as a potential tool for surgeons to rapidly and noninvasively differentiate between diseased and normal tissue. Since the previous meta-analysis on the subject was published in 2016, improvements in both spectroscopy equipment and machine learning models used to process spectra may have led to an increase in RS efficacy. Therefore, we decided to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of RS when differentiating between glioma tissue and normal brain tissue. ⋯ Finally, meta-analysis for sensitivity and specificity of RS for glioma tissue showed high heterogeneity (I2 = 99.37% and 98.21%, respectively) and yielded an overall sensitivity of 95.3% (95% confidence interval: 91.0%-99.6%) and an overall specificity of 71.2% (95% confidence interval: 54.8%-87.6%). Calculation of a summary receiver operating curve yielded an overall area under the curve of 0.9265. Raman spectroscopy represents a promising tool for surgeons to quickly and accurately differentiate between healthy brain tissue and glioma tissue.