bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Incidence, classification, and treatment of angiographically occult intracranial aneurysms found during microsurgical aneurysm clipping of known aneurysms
Authors: Burkhardt Jan-Karl , Chua Michelle H. , Winkler Ethan A. , Rutledge W. Caleb , Lawton Michael T. 
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVEDuring the microsurgical clipping of known aneurysms, angiographically occult (AO) aneurysms are sometimes found and treated simultaneously to prevent their growth and protect the patient from future rupture or reoperation. The authors analyzed the incidence, treatment, and outcomes associated with AO aneurysms to determine whether limited surgical exploration around the known aneurysm was safe and justified given the known limitations of diagnostic angiography.METHODSAn AO aneurysm was defined as a saccular aneurysm detected using the operative microscope during dissection of a known aneurysm, and not detected on preoperative catheter angiography. A prospective database was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients with AO aneurysms treated microsurgically over a 20-year period.RESULTSOne hundred fifteen AO aneurysms (4.0%) were identified during 2867 distinct craniotomies for aneurysm clipping. The most common locations for AO aneurysms were the middle cerebral artery (60 aneurysms, 54.1%) and the anterior cerebral artery (20 aneurysms, 18.0%). Fifty-six AO aneurysms (50.5%) were located on the same artery as the known saccular aneurysm. Most AO aneurysms (95.5%) were clipped and there was no attributed morbidity. The most common causes of failed angiographic detection were superimposition of a large aneurysm (type 1, 30.6%), a small aneurysm (type 2, 18.9%), or an adjacent normal artery (type 3, 36.9%). Multivariate analysis identified multiple known aneurysms (odds ratio [OR] 3.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.16–5.49, p < 0.0001) and young age (OR 0.981, 95% CI 0.965–0.997, p = 0.0226) as independent predictors of AO aneurysms.CONCLUSIONSMeticulous inspection of common aneurysm sites within the surgical field will identify AO aneurysms during microsurgical dissection of another known aneurysm. Simultaneous identification and treatment of these additional undiagnosed aneurysms can spare patients later rupture or reoperation, particularly in those with multiple known aneurysms and a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Limited microsurgical exploration around a known aneurysm can be performed safely without additional morbidity.
The temporoinsular projection system: an anatomical study
Authors: Nachtergaele Pieter , Radwan Ahmed , Swinnen Stijn , Decramer Thomas , Uytterhoeven Mats , Sunaert Stefan , van Loon Johannes , Theys Tom 
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVEConnections between the insular cortex and the amygdaloid complex have been demonstrated using various techniques. Although functionally well connected, the precise anatomical substrate through which the amygdaloid complex and the insula are wired remains unknown. In 1960, Klingler briefly described the “fasciculus amygdaloinsularis,” a white matter tract connecting the posterior insula with the amygdala. The existence of such a fasciculus seems likely but has not been firmly established, and the reported literature does not include a thorough description and documentation of its anatomy. In this fiber dissection study the authors sought to elucidate the pathway connecting the insular cortex and the mesial temporal lobe.METHODSFourteen brain specimens obtained at routine autopsy were dissected according to Klingler’s fiber dissection technique. After fixation and freezing, anatomical dissections were performed in a stepwise progressive fashion.RESULTSThe insula is connected with the opercula of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes through the extreme capsule, which represents a network of short association fibers. At the limen insulae, white matter fibers from the extreme capsule converge and loop around the uncinate fasciculus toward the temporal pole and the mesial temporal lobe, including the amygdaloid complex.CONCLUSIONSThe insula and the mesial temporal lobe are directly connected through white matter fibers in the extreme capsule, resulting in the appearance of a single amygdaloinsular fasciculus. This apparent fasciculus is part of the broader network of short association fibers of the extreme capsule, which connects the entire insular cortex with the temporal pole and the amygdaloid complex. The authors propose the term “temporoinsular projection system” (TIPS) for this complex.
Gastrostomy tube placement increases the risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection: a multiinstitutional study
Authors: Al-Holou Wajd N. , Wilson Thomas J. , Ali Zarina S. , Brennan Ryan P. , Bridges Kelly J. , Guivatchian Tannaz , Habboub Ghaith , Krishnaney Ajit A. , Lanzino Giuseppe , Snyder Kendall A. , Flanders Tracy M. , Than Khoi D. , Pandey Aditya S. 
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVEGastrostomy tube placement can temporarily seed the peritoneal cavity with bacteria and thus theoretically increases the risk of shunt infection when the two procedures are performed contemporaneously. The authors hypothesized that gastrostomy tube placement would not increase the risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. The object of this study was to test this hypothesis by utilizing a large patient cohort combined from multiple institutions.METHODSA retrospective study of all adult patients admitted to five institutions with a diagnosis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage between January 2005 and January 2015 was performed. The primary outcome of interest was ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. Variables, including gastrostomy tube placement, were tested for their association with this outcome. Standard statistical methods were utilized.RESULTSThe overall cohort consisted of 432 patients, 47% of whom had undergone placement of a gastrostomy tube. The overall shunt infection rate was 9%. The only variable that predicted shunt infection was gastrostomy tube placement (p = 0.03, OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.07–4.08), which remained significant in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.04, OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.04–3.97). The greatest proportion of shunts that became infected had been placed more than 2 weeks (25%) and 1–2 weeks (18%) prior to gastrostomy tube placement, but the temporal relationship between shunt and gastrostomy was not a significant predictor of shunt infection.CONCLUSIONSGastrostomy tube placement significantly increases the risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection.
Contralateral progression after unilateral evacuation of bilateral chronic subdural hematomas: the volume relation ratio as prognostic factor?
Authors: Scheichel Florian , Popadic Branko , Ungersboeck Karl , Marhold Franz 
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVEUnilateral evacuation of bilateral chronic subdural hematomas (bcSDHs) is associated with higher retreatment rates than an initial bilateral intervention. One reason for that is a possible progression in the size of the contralateral side after unilateral treatment. Thus, the authors focused their study on finding predictors of the need for contralateral retreatment.METHODSAll patients who had undergone unilateral or bilateral evacuation of bcSDHs in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital of St. Poelten during a 5-year period (7/2012 to 6/2017) were retrospectively identified. The preoperative hematoma volume was calculated using the XYZ/2 method.RESULTSOf a total of 103 patients with bcSDHs, 61 patients underwent bilateral evacuation and 42 patients underwent unilateral evacuation. The retreatment rate after bilateral evacuation was significantly lower than that after unilateral evacuation (14.8% vs 31%, respectively; p = 0.049). Contralateral retreatment after unilateral evacuation was necessary in 9 patients (21.4%). The preoperative contralateral hematoma volume was significantly higher in those patients who needed contralateral retreatment after initial unilateral evacuation (68.4 cm3 vs 27.4 cm3, respectively; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the so-called volume relation ratio created by dividing the smaller by the larger hematoma volume was significantly higher when contralateral retreatment became necessary (0.56 vs 0.21, respectively; p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONSPatients needing evacuation of bcSDHs should be considered for primary bilateral evacuation if the hematoma volume on the smaller side is greater than 40 cm3 and the subsequent volume relation ratio is greater than 0.4.
Emergency endoscopic third ventriculostomy for blocked shunts? Univariate and multivariate analysis of independent predictors for failure
Authors: Chan David Y. C. , Tsang Anderson C. O. , Ho Wilson W. S. , Cheng Kevin K. F. , Li Lai F. , Tsang Frederick C. P. , Taw Benedict B. T. , Pu Jenny K. S. , Leung Gilberto K. K. , Lui Matthew W. M. 
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVEHydrocephalus with a blocked ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is a life-threatening condition. Emergency endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is a potential treatment option. The aim of the study was to identify independent risk factors associated with failure of ETV in treating patients with blocked shunts.METHODSThe authors retrospectively reviewed data from consecutive patients admitted for blocked shunt treated by ETV during the study period from 2000 to 2016. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent factors associated with failed ETV for blocked shunts, such as age, sex, history of CNS infection, number of previous shunt revisions, operations performed as an emergency or elective, number of specialists, and other factors.RESULTSIn total, 121 patients underwent ETV during the study period. Of these, 31 patients (25.6%) had ETV for treatment of a blocked shunt. In 25 (80.6%) of 31 ETV was performed as an emergency procedure. There was no significant difference in the success rate of ETV depending on whether it was performed as an emergency procedure (64% [16/25]) or an elective procedure (66.7% [4/6]; OR 0.062, 95% CI 0.001–2.708; p = 0.149). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified that history of a CNS infection was an independent risk factor for failure of ETV in treating patients with a blocked shunt (OR 0.030, 95% CI 0.001–0.888; p = 0.043).CONCLUSIONSEmergency ETV had a comparable success rate as elective ETV. A history of CNS infection is an independent predictor of ETV failure in treating patients with blocked shunts.
Neuroendoscopic fenestration of glioependymal cysts to the ventricle: report of 3 cases
Authors: Alvarado Anthony M. , Smith Kyle A. , Chamoun Roukoz B. 
Published: February 2019

Glioependymal cysts are rare congenital lesions of the central nervous system. Reported surgical treatments of these lesions have varied and yielded mixed results, and the optimal surgical strategy is still controversial. The authors here report the clinical and surgical outcomes for three adult patients successfully treated with neuroendoscopic fenestration into the ventricular system. The patients had presented with symptomatic glioependymal cysts in the period from 2013 to 2016 at the authors’ institution. All underwent minimally invasive neuroendoscopic fenestration of the glioependymal cyst into the lateral ventricle via a stereotactically guided burr hole. Presenting clinical and radiological findings, operative courses, and postintervention outcomes were evaluated.All three patients initially presented with symptoms related to regional mass effect of the underlying glioependymal cyst, including headaches, visual disturbances, and hemiparesis. All patients were successfully treated with endoscopic fenestration of the cyst wall into the lateral ventricle, where the wall was thinnest. Postoperatively, all patients reported improvement in their presenting symptoms, and neuroimaging demonstrated decompression of the cyst. Clinical follow-up ranged from 4 months to 5 years without evidence of reexpansion of the cyst or shunt requirement.Compared to open resection and shunting of the cyst contents, minimally invasive endoscopic fenestration of a glioependymal cyst into the ventricular system is a safe and effective surgical option. This approach is practical, is less invasive than open resection, and appears to provide a long-term solution.
Neurochemical effects of motor cortex stimulation in the periaqueductal gray during neuropathic pain
Authors: de Andrade Emerson Magno , Martinez Raquel C. R. , Pagano Rosana L. , Lopes Patricia S. S. , Auada Aline V. V. , Gouveia Flavia V. , Antunes Geiza F. , Assis Danielle V. , Lebrun Ivo , Fonoff Erich T. 
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVEMotor cortex stimulation (MCS) is a neurosurgical technique used to treat patients with refractory neuropathic pain syndromes. MCS activates the periaqueductal gray (PAG) matter, which is one of the major centers of the descending pain inhibitory system. However, the neurochemical mechanisms in the PAG that underlie the analgesic effect of MCS have not yet been described. The main goal of this study was to investigate the neurochemical mechanisms involved in the analgesic effect induced by MCS in neuropathic pain. Specifically, we investigated the release of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and glutamate in the PAG and performed pharmacological antagonism experiments to validate of our findings.METHODSMale Wistar rats with surgically induced chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve, along with sham-operated rats and naive rats, were implanted with both unilateral transdural electrodes in the motor cortex and a microdialysis guide cannula in the PAG and subjected to MCS. The MCS was delivered in single 15-minute sessions. Neurotransmitter release was evaluated in the PAG before, during, and after MCS. Quantification of the neurotransmitters GABA, glycine, and glutamate was performed using a high-performance liquid chromatography system. The mechanical nociceptive threshold was evaluated initially, on the 14th day following the surgery, and during the MCS. In another group of neuropathic rats, once the analgesic effect after MCS was confirmed by the mechanical nociceptive test, rats were microinjected with saline or a glycine antagonist (strychnine), a GABA antagonist (bicuculline), or a combination of glycine and GABA antagonists (strychnine+bicuculline) and reevaluated for the mechanical nociceptive threshold during MCS.RESULTSMCS reversed the hyperalgesia induced by peripheral neuropathy in the rats with chronic sciatic nerve constriction and induced a significant increase in the glycine and GABA levels in the PAG in comparison with the naive and sham-treated rats. The glutamate levels remained stable under all conditions. The antagonism of glycine, GABA, and the combination of glycine and GABA reversed the MCS-induced analgesia.CONCLUSIONSThese results suggest that the neurotransmitters glycine and GABA released in the PAG may be involved in the analgesia induced by cortical stimulation in animals with neuropathic pain. Further investigation of the mechanisms involved in MCS-induced analgesia may contribute to clinical improvements for the treatment of persistent neuropathic pain syndromes.
Incidence of the initiation of comfort care immediately following emergent neurosurgical and endovascular procedures
Authors: Linzey Joseph R. , Burke James F. , Nadel Jeffrey L. , Williamson Craig A. , Savastano Luis E. , Wilkinson D. Andrew , Pandey Aditya S. 
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVEIt is unknown what proportion of patients who undergo emergent neurosurgical procedures initiate comfort care (CC) measures shortly after the operation. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the proportion and predictive factors of patients who initiated CC measures within the same hospital admission after undergoing emergent neurosurgery.METHODSThis retrospective cohort study included all adult patients who underwent emergent neurosurgical and endovascular procedures at a single center between 2009 and 2014. Primary and secondary outcomes were initiation of CC measures during the initial hospitalization and determination of predictive factors, respectively.RESULTSOf the 1295 operations, comfort care was initiated in 111 (8.6%) during the initial admission. On average, CC was initiated 9.3 ± 10.0 days postoperatively. One-third of the patients switched to CC within 3 days. In multivariate analysis, patients > 70 years of age were significantly more likely to undergo CC than those < 50 years (70–79 years, p = 0.004; > 80 years, p = 0.0001). Two-thirds of CC patients had been admitted with a cerebrovascular pathology (p < 0.001). Admission diagnosis of cerebrovascular pathology was a significant predictor of initiating CC (p < 0.0001). A high Hunt and Hess grade of IV or V in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage was significantly associated with initiation of CC compared to a low grade (27.1% vs 2.9%, p < 0.001). Surgery starting between 15:01 and 06:59 hours had a 1.70 times greater odds of initiating CC compared to surgery between 07:00 and 15:00.CONCLUSIONSInitiation of CC after emergent neurosurgical and endovascular procedures is relatively common, particularly when an elderly patient presents with a cerebrovascular pathology after typical operating hours.
The effect of ICP monitoring in severe traumatic brain injury: a propensity score–weighted and adjusted regression approach
Authors: Rønning Pål , Helseth Eirik , Skaga Nils-Oddvar , Stavem Knut , Langmoen Iver A. 
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVEThe use of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring has been postulated to be beneficial in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), although studies investigating this hypothesis have reported conflicting results. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of inserting an ICP monitor on survival in patients with severe TBI.METHODSThe Oslo University Hospital trauma registry was searched for the records of all patients admitted between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2013, who fulfilled the Brain Trauma Foundation criteria for intracranial hypertension and who survived at least 24 hours after admission. The impact of ICP monitoring was investigated using both a logistic regression model and a multiple imputed, propensity score–weighted logistic regression analysis.RESULTSThe study involved 1327 patients, in which 757 patients had an ICP monitor implanted. The use of ICP monitors significantly increased in the study period (p < 0.01). The 30-day overall mortality was 24.3% (322 patients), divided into 35.1% (200 patients, 95% confidence interval [CI] 31.3%–39.1%) in the group without an ICP monitor and 16.1% (122 patients, 95% CI 13.6%–18.9%) in the group with an ICP monitor. The impact of ICP monitors on 30-day mortality was found to be beneficial both in the complete case analysis logistic regression model (odds ratio [OR] 0.23, 95% CI 0.16–0.33) and in the adjusted, aggregated, propensity score–weighted imputed data sets (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.15–0.35; both p < 0.001). The sensitivity analysis indicated that the findings are robust to unmeasured confounders.CONCLUSIONSThe authors found that the use of an ICP monitor is significantly associated with improved survival in patients with severe head injury.
Subcostal nerve injury after laparoscopic lipoma surgery: an unusual culprit for an unusual complication
Authors: Abou-Al-Shaar Hussam , Mahan Mark A. 
Published: February 2019

Endoscopic surgery has revolutionized the field of minimally invasive surgery. Nerve injury after laparoscopic surgery is presumably rare, with only scarce reports in the literature; however, the use of these techniques for new purposes presents the opportunity for novel complications. The authors report a case of subcostal nerve injury after an anterior laparoscopic approach to a posterior abdominal wall lipoma.A 62-year-old woman presented with a left abdominal flank bulge (pseudohernia) that developed after laparoscopic posterior flank wall lipoma resection. Imaging demonstrated frank ballooning of the oblique muscles; denervation atrophy and thinning of the external oblique, internal oblique, and transverse abdominis muscles; and thinning of the rectus abdominis muscle. The patient underwent subcostal nerve repair and removal of a foreign plastic material from the laparoscopic procedure. At 8 months, she has regained substantial improvement in abdominal wall strength.Although endoscopic procedures have resulted in significant reduction in morbidity, “minimally invasive” approaches should not be confused with “low risk” when approaching novel pathology. The subcostal nerve is at risk of injury in posterior abdominal wall surgery, whether laparoscopic or not. With the pseudohernia and abdominal bulge after this surgery, the cosmetic appeal of laparoscopic incisions was definitively undone. Selecting an approach based on the anatomy of adjacent structures may lead to a better functional result.
Resection and permanent intracranial brachytherapy using modular, biocompatible cesium-131 implants: results in 20 recurrent, previously irradiated meningiomas
Authors: Brachman David G. , Youssef Emad , Dardis Christopher J. , Sanai Nader , Zabramski Joseph M. , Smith Kris A. , Little Andrew S. , Shetter Andrew G. , Thomas Theresa , McBride Heyoung L. , Sorensen Stephen , Spetzler Robert F. , Nakaji Peter 
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVEEffective treatments for recurrent, previously irradiated intracranial meningiomas are limited, and resection alone is not usually curative. Thus, the authors studied the combination of maximum safe resection and adjuvant radiation using permanent intracranial brachytherapy (R+BT) in patients with recurrent, previously irradiated aggressive meningiomas.METHODSPatients with recurrent, previously irradiated meningiomas were treated between June 2013 and October 2016 in a prospective single-arm trial of R+BT. Cesium-131 (Cs-131) radiation sources were embedded in modular collagen carriers positioned in the operative bed on completion of resection. The Cox proportional hazards model with this treatment as a predictive term was used to model its effect on time to local tumor progression.RESULTSNineteen patients (median age 64.5 years, range 50–78 years) with 20 recurrent, previously irradiated tumors were treated. The WHO grade at R+BT was I in 4 (20%), II in 14 (70%), and III in 2 (10%) cases. The median number of prior same-site radiation courses and same-site surgeries were 1 (range 1–3) and 2 (range 1–4), respectively; the median preoperative tumor volume was 11.3 cm3 (range 0.9–92.0 cm3). The median radiation dose from BT was 63 Gy (range 54–80 Gy). At a median radiographic follow-up of 15.4 months (range 0.03–47.5 months), local failure (within 1.5 cm of the implant bed) occurred in 2 cases (10%). The median treatment-site time to progression after R+BT has not been reached; that after the most recent prior therapy was 18.3 months (range 3.9–321.9 months; HR 0.17, p = 0.02, log-rank test). The median overall survival after R+BT was 26 months, with 9 patient deaths (47% of patients). Treatment was well tolerated; 2 patients required surgery for complications, and 2 experienced radiation necrosis, which was managed medically.CONCLUSIONSR+BT utilizing Cs-131 sources in modular carriers represents a potentially safe and effective treatment option for recurrent, previously irradiated aggressive meningiomas.