bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Treatment of traumatic aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulas of the skull base by using endovascular stents
Authors: Redekop Gary , Marotta Thomas , Weill Alain 
Published: May 2009

Object. The authors describe their preliminary clinical experience with the use of endovascular stents in the treatment of traumatic vascular lesions of the skull base region. Because adequate distal exposure and direct surgical repair of these lesions are not often possible, conventional treatment has been deliberate arterial occlusion. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate the safety and efficacy as well as limitations of endovascular stent placement in the management of craniocervical arterial injuries.
Methods. Six patients with vascular injuries were treated using endovascular stents. There were two arteriovenous fistulas and two pseudoaneurysms of the distal extracranial internal carotid or vertebral arteries resulting from penetrating trauma, and two petrous carotid pseudoaneurysms associated with basal skull fractures. In one patient a porous stent placement procedure was undertaken as well as coil occlusion of an aneurysm, whereas in the remaining five patients covered stent grafts were used as definitive treatment.
There were no procedural complications. One patient in whom there was extensive traumatic arterial dissection was found to have asymptomatic stent thrombosis when angiography was repeated 1 week postoperatively. This was the only patient whose associated injuries precluded routine antithrombotic or antiplatelet therapy. Follow-up examinations in the remaining five patients included standard angiography (four patients) or computerized tomography angiography (one patient), which were performed 3 to 6 months postoperatively, and clinical assessments ranging from 3 months to 1 year in duration (mean 9 months). In all five cases the vascular injury was successfully treated and the parent artery remained widely patent. No patient experienced aneurysm recurrence or hemorrhage, and there were no thromboembolic complications.
Conclusions. The authors' experience demonstrates that endovascular treatment of traumatic vascular lesions of the skull base region is both feasible and safe. The advantages of minimally invasive stent placement and parent artery preservation make this procedure for repair of neurovascular injuries a potentially important addition to existing methods.
Prediction of tissue survival after middle cerebral artery occlusion based on changes in the apparent diffusion of water
Authors: Sakoh Masaharu , Østergaard Leif , Gjedde Albert , Røhl Lisbeth , Vestergaard-Poulsen Peter , Smith Donald F. , Le Bihan Denis , Sakaki Saburo , Gyldensted Carsten 
Published: May 2009

Object. In this study the authors tested the hypothesis that the estimate of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water is a reliable pathophysiological index of the viability of ischemic brain tissue.
Methods. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the cerebral metabolic rates of oxygen and glucose (CMRO2 and CMRglc, respectively) were measured using positron emission tomography (PET) scanning before and after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) or reperfusion in pigs. The ADC value, which was measured using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (DW MR) imaging was compared with physiological variables obtained by PET scanning and with histological findings. After both permanent MCAO and reperfusion, the decrease in the ADC was significantly correlated with decrease in the CMRO2 and CMRglc. The infarction coincided with a CMRO2 threshold of 50% of the value measured on the contralateral side. Thus, an ADC value of 80% or 75% of the contralateral value reflected the CMRO2 threshold after permanent MCAO or reperfusion, respectively. On DW MR images, lesions with ADC values above 80% of the contralateral value are potentially reversible until 6 hours after MCAO, whereas lesions with ADC values below 75% of the contralateral value are irreversible as early as 2 hours after MCAO.
Conclusions. The ADC of water provides a reliable pathophysiological index for tailoring therapy to the condition of individual stroke patients in clinical practice.
Human glioblastoma xenografts overexpressing a tumor-specific mutant epidermal growth factor receptor sensitized to cisplatin by the AG1478 tyrosine kinase inhibitor
Authors: Nagane Motoo , Narita Yoshitaka , Mishima Kazuhiko , Levitzki Alexander , Burgess Antony W. , Cavenee Webster K. , Huang H. J. Su 
Published: May 2009

Object. Activation of signaling by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) through gene amplification or rearrangement is common in human malignancy, especially in a large fraction of de novo glioblastomas multiforme (GBMs). The most common mutant EGFR, (ΔEGFR, also known as de2–7 EGFR and EGFRvIII) lacks a portion of the extracellular domain, enhances tumorigenicity in vivo, and causes resistance to the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin (CDDP). This resistance is due to the suppression of CDDP-induced apoptosis by the constitutively active tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor. The authors have investigated whether inhibition of AEGFR signaling by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, tyrphostin AG1478, could sensitize tumor xenografts to CDDP and, thereby, enhance its therapeutic efficacy in animals.
Methods. Nude mice were inoculated either subcutaneously or intracerebrally with human GBM cells expressing ΔEGFR and were then systemically treated with CDDP and/or AG1478. Tumor volumes were monitored and tumor sections were analyzed by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assays or MIB-1 staining.
Expression of ΔEGFR, but not wild-type EGFR, conferred CDDP resistance to the cells in vivo. Inhibition of receptor signaling by the EGFR-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor, AG1478, sensitized the xenografts to the cytotoxic effects of CDDP. This combined CDDP/AG1478 treatment significantly suppressed growth of subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice in a synergistic manner (p < 0.01 compared with vehicle control) without causing generalized toxicity, whereas treatments with CDDP or AG1478 alone were ineffective. The synergistic growth suppression by the CDDP/AG1478 combination was not observed in xenografts overexpressing wild-type EGFR or kinase-deficient ΔEGFR. The combined CDDP/AG1478 treatment induced tumor growth suppression, which correlated with increased apoptosis and reduced proliferation. This treatment also extended the life span of mice bearing intracerebral xenografts (p < 0.01 compared with controls).
Conclusions. The results of this study may provide the basis for the development of a novel and safe therapeutic strategy for the very aggressive ΔEGFR-expressing GBM.
Foreign body reaction to hemostatic materials mimicking recurrent brain tumor
Authors: Kothbauer Karl F. , Jallo George I. , Siffert Joao , Jimenez Elpidio , Allen Jeffrey C. , Epstein Fred J. 
Published: May 2009

✓ Chemical agents routinely used in neurosurgery to achieve intraoperative hemostasis can cause a foreign body reaction, which appears on magnetic resonance (MR) images to be indistinguishable from recurrent tumor. Clinical and/or imaging evidence of progression of disease early after surgical resection or during aggressive treatment may actually be distinct features of granuloma in these circumstances.
A series of three cases was retrospectively analyzed for clinical, imaging, surgical, and pathological findings, and the consequences they held for further disease management.
All patients were boys (3, 3, and 6 years of age, respectively) and all harbored primitive neuroectodermal tumors. Two tumors were located in the posterior fossa and one was located in the right parietal lobe. Two boys exhibited clinical symptoms, which were unexpected under the circumstances and prompted new imaging studies. One patient was asymptomatic and imaging was performed at planned routine time intervals. The MR images revealed circumscribed, streaky enhancement in the resection cavity that was suggestive of recurrent disease. This occurred 2 to 7 months after the first surgery. At repeated surgery, the resected material had the macroscopic appearance of gelatin sponge in one case and firm scar tissue in the other cases. Histological analysis revealed foreign body granulomas in the resected material, with Gelfoam or Surgicel as the underlying cause. No recurrent tumor was found and the second surgery resulted in imaging-confirmed complete resection in all three patients. Because recurrent disease was absent, the patients continued to participate in their original treatment protocols. All patients remain free from disease 34, 32, and 19 months after the first operation, respectively.
During or after treatment for a central nervous system neoplasm, if unexpected clinical or imaging evidence of recurrence is found, a second-look operation may be necessary to determine the true nature of the findings. If the resection yields recurrent tumor, additional appropriate oncological treatment is warranted, but if a foreign body reaction is found, potentially harmful therapy can be withheld or postponed.
Surgical management and outcomes in patients with median nerve lesions
Authors: Kim Daniel H. , Kam Andrew C. , Chandika Padmavathi , Tiel Robert L. , Kline David G. 
Published: May 2009

Object. One hundred sixty-seven of 250 patients with median nerve (MN) lesions, excluding carpal tunnel syndrome and nerve sheath tumors, at the levels of the arm, elbow, forearm, and wrist, underwent surgical treatment at Louisiana State University Health Sciences over a 30-year period. The most common causes of MN injuries were laceration, fracture-associated stretch and contusion, gunshot wound, compression, and injection injuries. In this study, surgically treated patients were followed and evaluated retrospectively for favorable functional outcomes.
Methods. Lesions not in continuity required primary or secondary end-to-end suture or graft repairs. With the aid of direct intraoperative recording of nerve action potentials (NAPs), MN injuries in which the lesion was in continuity underwent external or internal neurolysis, or resection of the lesion, followed by end-to-end suture or graft repair. A minimum of 12 months follow-up review (mean 18 months) was available in 85% of the surgically treated patients.
For lesions in continuity, a functional recovery of Grade 3 or better was seen in 72 (95%) of 76 patients who underwent neurolysis, 18 (86%) of 21 who received suture repair, and 21 (75%) of 28 who received graft repair. In lesions not in continuity, favorable results (Grade ≥ 3) were seen in 10 (91%) of 11 patients who received primary suture repair, seven (78%) of nine who received secondary suture repair, and 15 (68%) of 22 who received graft repair.
Conclusions. Surgical intervention for MN injuries with complete or severe deficits achieved favorable outcomes.
Surgical resection of intrinsic insular tumors: complication avoidance
Authors: Lang Frederick F. , Olansen Nancy E. , DeMonte Franco , Gokaslan Ziya L. , Holland Eric C. , Kalhorn Christopher , Sawaya Raymond 
Published: May 2009

Object. Surgical resection of tumors located in the insular region is challenging for neurosurgeons, and few have published their surgical results. The authors report their experience with intrinsic tumors of the insula, with an emphasis on an objective determination of the extent of resection and neurological complications and on an analysis of the anatomical characteristics that can lead to suboptimal outcomes.
Methods. Twenty-two patients who underwent surgical resection of intrinsic insular tumors were retrospectively identified. Eight tumors (36%) were purely insular, eight (36%) extended into the temporal pole, and six (27%) extended into the frontal operculum. A transsylvian surgical approach, combined with a frontal opercular resection or temporal lobectomy when necessary, was used in all cases. Five of 13 patients with tumors located in the dominant hemisphere underwent craniotomies while awake. The extent of tumor resection was determined using volumetric analyses. In 10 patients, more than 90% of the tumor was resected; in six patients, 75 to 90% was resected; and in six patients, less than 75% was resected. No patient died within 30 days after surgery. During the immediate postoperative period, the neurological conditions of 14 patients (64%) either improved or were unchanged, and in eight patients (36%) they worsened. Deficits included either motor or speech dysfunction. At the 3-month follow-up examination, only two patients (9%) displayed permanent deficits. Speech and motor dysfunction appeared to result most often from excessive opercular retraction and manipulation of the middle cerebral artery (MCA), interruption of the lateral lenticulostriate arteries (LLAs), interruption of the long perforating vessels of the second segment of the MCA (M2), or violation of the corona radiata at the superior aspect of the tumor. Specific methods used to avoid complications included widely splitting the sylvian fissure and identifying the bases of the periinsular sulci to define the superior and inferior resection planes, identifying early the most lateral LLA to define the medial resection plane, dissecting the MCA before tumor resection, removing the tumor subpially with preservation of all large perforating arteries arising from posterior M2 branches, and performing craniotomy with brain stimulation while the patient was awake.
Conclusions. A good understanding of the surgical anatomy and an awareness of potential pitfalls can help reduce neurological complications and maximize surgical resection of insular tumors.
Negative autoregulation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 expression characterizing cranial development in cases of Apert (P253R mutation) and Pfeiffer (C278F mutation) syndromes and suggesting a basis for differences in their cranial phenotypes
Authors: Britto Jonathan A. , Moore Rachel L. , Evans Robert D. , Hayward Richard D. , Jones Barry M. 
Published: May 2009

Object. Heterogeneous mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 gene (FGFR2) cause a range of craniosynostosis syndromes. The specificity of the Apert syndrome—affected cranial phenotype reflects its narrow mutational range: 98% of cases of Apert syndrome result from an Ser252Trp or Pro253Arg mutation in the immunoglobulin-like (Ig)IIIa extracellular subdomain of FGFR2. In contrast, a broad range of mutations throughout the extracellular domain of FGFR2 causes the overlapping cranial phenotypes of Pfeiffer and Crouzon syndromes and related craniofacial dysostoses.
Methods. In this paper the expression of FGFR1, the IgIIIa/c and IgIIIa/b isoforms of FGFR2, and FGFR3 is investigated in Apert syndrome (P253R mutation)— and Pfeiffer syndrome (C278F mutation)—affected fetal cranial tissue and is contrasted with healthy human control tissues. Both FGFR1 and FGFR3 are normally expressed in the differentiated osteoblasts of the periosteum and osteoid, in domains overlapped by that of FGFR2, which widely include preosseous cranial mesenchyme. Expression of FGFR2, however, is restricted to domains of advanced osseous differentiation in both Apert syndrome— and Pfeiffer syndrome—affected cranial skeletogenesis in the presence of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)2, but not in the presence of FGF4 or FGF7. Whereas expression of the FGFR2-IgIIIa/b (KGFR) isoform is restricted in normal human cranial osteogenesis, there is preliminary evidence that KGFR is ectopically expressed in Pfeiffer syndrome—affected cranial osteogenesis.
Conclusions. Contraction of the FGFR2-IgIIIa/c (BEK) expression domain in cases of Apert syndrome— and Pfeiffer syndrome—affected fetal cranial ossification suggests that the mutant activation of this receptor, by ligand-dependent or ligand-independent means, results in negative autoregulation. This phenomenon, resulting from different mechanisms in the two syndromes, offers a model by which to explain differences in their cranial phenotypes.
Protective effects of glial cell line—derived neurotrophic factor on hippocampal neurons after traumatic brain injury in rats
Authors: Kim Bum-Tae , Raghavendra Rao Vemuganti L. , Sailor Kurt A. , Bowen Kellie K. , Dempsey Robert J. 
Published: May 2009

Object. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether glial cell line—derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) can protect against hippocampal neuronal death after traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Methods. Male Sprague—Dawley rats were subjected to moderate TBI with a controlled cortical impact device while in a state of halothane-induced anesthesia. Then, GDNF or artificial cerebrospinal fluid ([aCSF]; vehicle) was infused into the frontal horn of the left lateral ventricle. In eight brain-injured and eight sham-operated rats, GDNF was infused continuously for 7 days (200 ng/day intracerebroventricularly at a rate of 8.35 ng/0.5 µl/hour). An equal volume of vehicle was infused at the same rate into the remaining eight brain-injured and eight sham-operated rats. Seven days post-injury, all rats were killed. Their brains were sectioned and stained with cresyl violet, and the hippocampal neuronal loss was evaluated in the CA2 and CA3 regions with the aid of microscopy. A parallel set of sections from each brain was subjected to immunoreaction with antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP; astroglia marker). In the aCSF-treated group, TBI resulted in a significant neuronal loss in the CA2 (60%, p < 0.05) and CA3 regions (68%, p < 0.05) compared with the sham-operated control animals. Compared with control rats infused with aCSF, GDNF infusion significantly decreased the TBI-induced neuronal loss in both the CA2 (58%, p < 0.05) and CA3 regions (51%, p < 0.05). There was no difference in the number of GFAP-positive astroglial cells in the GDNF-infused rats in the TBI and sham-operated groups compared with the respective vehicle-treated groups.
Conclusions. The authors found that GDNF treatment following TBI is neuroprotective.
Laser, fibrin glue, or suture repair of peripheral nerves: a comparative functional, histological and morphometric study in the rat sciatic nerve
Authors: Menovsky Tomas , Beek Johan F. 
Published: May 2009

Object. This study was undertaken to evaluate CO2 laser—assisted nerve repair and compare it with nerve repair performed with fibrin glue or absorbable sutures.
Methods. In eight rats, the sciatic nerve was sharply transected and approximated using two 10-0 absorbable sutures and then fused by means of CO2 milliwatt laser welding (power 100 mW, exposure time 1 second per pulse, spot size 320 µm), with the addition of a protein solder (bovine albumin) to reinforce the repair site. The control groups consisted of eight rats in which the nerves were approximated with two 10-0 absorbable sutures and subsequently glued using a fibrin sealant (Tissucol), and eight rats in which the nerves were repaired using conventional microsurgical sutures (four to six 10-0 sutures in the perineurium or epineurium). Evaluation was performed 16 weeks postsurgery and included the toe-spreading test and light microscopy and morphometric assessment. The motor function of the nerves in all groups showed gradual improvement with time. At 16 weeks, the motor function was approximately 60% of the normal function, and there were no significant differences among the groups. On histological studies, all nerves revealed various degrees of axonal regeneration, with myelinated fibers in the distal nerve segments. There were slight differences in favor of the group treated with laser repair, in terms of wound healing at the repair site. In all groups, the number of axons distal to the repair site was higher compared with those proximal, but the axon diameter was significantly less than that in control nerves (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the number, density, or diameter of the axons in the proximal or distal nerve segments among the three nerve repair groups (p < 0.05), although there was a trend toward more and thicker myelinated axons in the distal segments of the laser-repaired nerves.
Conclusions. It was found that CO2 laser—assisted nerve repair with soldering is at least equal to fibrin glue and suture repair in effectiveness in a rodent model of sciatic nerve repair.
Positron emission tomography with injection of methionine as a prognostic factor in glioma
Authors: De Witte Olivier , Goldberg Ilan , Wikler David , Rorive Sandrine , Damhaut Philippe , Monclus Michel , Salmon Isabelle , Brotchi Jacques , Goldman Serge 
Published: May 2009

Object. Positron emission tomography with l-[methyl-11C]methionine (MET-PET) provides information on the metabolism of gliomas. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of MET-PET in the treatment of patients with gliomas.
Methods. Since 1992, 85 patients with a World Health Organization (WHO) classification—verified glioma underwent PET studies in which MET was injected before (74 cases) or after treatment (11 cases). Analysis of PET data was conducted by the same investigator using two scales: a qualitative visual grading scale and a quantitative scale (ratio between tumor uptake and normal brain uptake, classified on a seven-level scale).
Uptake of MET was present in 98% of gliomas. The investigator judged this uptake to be moderate to very high based on visual inspection (qualitative scale). For all grades of gliomas, a visual grade of 3 was statistically associated with a shorter patient survival period (p < 0.005). The tumor/normal brain uptake ratio was significantly influenced by the histological grade of the tumor. A statistically poor outcome was demonstrated when this ratio was higher than a threshold of 2.2 for a WHO Grade II tumor and 2.8 for WHO Grade III tumor. For Grade II and III tumors, oligodendrogliomas had a higher uptake of MET than astrocytomas.
Conclusions. Uptake of MET was present in 98% of the gliomas studied. A high uptake is statistically associated with a poor survival time. The intensity of MET uptake represents a prognostic factor for WHO Grade II and III tumors considered separately.
The influence of hemodynamic stress factors on intracranial aneurysm formation
Authors: Turner Carole L. , Tebbs Susan , Smielewski Piotr , Kirkpatrick Peter J. 
Published: May 2009

Object. Applanation tonometry is a noninvasive method of assessing both peripheral and central arterial blood pressure (BP) profiles. In this study the authors examine whether there are differences in these profiles in patients with intracranial aneurysms when compared with age-matched controls.
Methods. Carotid artery (CA) and derived aortic BP waveforms were obtained using a pulse wave analysis system. The ratio of the pressure wave amplitude above the systolic shoulder to the total systolic BP (augmentation index [AI]) was recorded.
One hundred seventy-three patients with intracranial aneurysms (23 unruptured lesions) and 173 healthy control volunteers were examined. For the patients with aneurysms the right and left CA AIs (mean ± standard deviation) were 125.6 ± 23.1% and 128.3 ± 22.1%, respectively. Corresponding values for the control group were 118.4 ± 22.6% and 119.4 ± 21.8%. The calculated AI for the ascending aorta was 29.8 ± 10.5% and 25.6 ± 12.2% for patients with aneurysms and control volunteers, respectively. Significant asymmetry in CA AI was seen in patients with aneurysms, the left being greater (p = 0.002). No significant differences were seen in mean BP (108 ± 14 mm Hg in patients with aneurysms compared with 106 ± 16 mm Hg in controls; p = 0.2). Multivariate analysis excluded the influence of BP and other potential confounding vascular risk factors for increased AI.
Conclusions. Significant differences in AI, both in magnitude and symmetry, were identified in patients with intracranial aneurysms when compared with matched controls.