bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Retrospective analysis of 400 neuroendoscopic interventions: the Hungarian experience
Authors: Bognar Laszlo , Markia Balazs , Novak Laszlo 
Published: January 2008

Object
The authors present the results of 400 consecutive neuroendoscopic interventions performed by a single surgeon in 373 patients during the last 8 years.

Methods
The study is based on a retrospective analysis of a continuously updated electronic database that includes patient history and radiological files. The success rate of the interventions is calculated.

Conclusions
The underlying pathological condition was hydrocephalus of various origins. The success rate within patient groups is given and the factors leading to successful surgery are emphasized. Recommendations on indications for neuroendoscopic operations are discussed.
Neurofibromatosis-associated nerve sheath tumors
Authors: Murovic Judith A. , Kim Daniel H. , Kline David G. 
Published: January 2008

In this paper the authors describe a patient with neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) who presented with sequelae of this disease. They also review the current literature on NF1 and NF2 published between 2001 and 2005.
The method used to obtain information for the case report consisted of a family member interview and a review of the patient's chart. For the literature review the authors used the search engine Ovid Medline to identify papers published on the topic between 2001 and 2005. Neurofibromatosis Type 1 appears in approximately one in 2500 to 4000 births, is caused by a defect on 17q11.2, and results in neurofibromin inactivation. The authors reviewed the current literature with regard to the following aspects of this disease: 1) diagnostic criteria for NF1; 2) criteria for other NF1-associated manifestations; 3) malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNSTs); 4) the examination protocol for a patient with an NF1-related NST; 5) imaging findings in patients with NF1; 6) other diagnostic studies; 7) surgical and adjuvant treatment for NSTs and malignant PNSTs; and 8) hormone receptors in NF1-related tumors. Pertinent illustrations are included.
Neurofibromatosis Type 2 occurs much less frequently than NF1, that is, in one in 33,000 births. Mutations in NF2 occur on 22q12 and result in inactivation of the tumor suppressor merlin. The following data on this disease are presented: 1) diagnostic criteria for NF2; 2) criteria for other NF2 manifestations; 3) malignant PNSTs in patients with NF2; 4) examination protocol for the patient with NF2 who has an NST; and 5) imaging findings in patients with NF2. Relevant illustrations are included.
It is important that neurosurgeons be aware of the sequelae of NF1 and NF2, because they may be called on to treat these conditions.
Computer-assisted frameless stereotaxy in transsphenoidal surgery at a single institution: review of 176 cases
Authors: Jagannathan Jay , Prevedello Daniel M. , Ayer Vivek S. , Dumont Aaron S. , Jane John A. , Laws Edward R. 
Published: January 2008

Object
In this study the authors address the efficacy and safety of frameless stereotaxy in transsphenoidal surgery.

Methods
One thousand transsphenoidal operations were performed at the authors' institution between June 2000 and July 2005. This series consists of a retrospective review of 176 patients entered in a prospectively obtained database who underwent frameless stereotactic transsphenoidal surgery in which magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, computerized tomography (CT) scanning, or fluoroscopic guidance was used. Of the 176 patients, 104 (59%) had suprasellar extension of their tumor, 70 (40%) had involvement of the visual apparatus, and 65 (37%) had cavernous sinus involvement. All patients underwent detailed pre- and postoperative neurological, endocrinological, radiographic, and ophthalmological follow-up evaluations. Records were reviewed retrospectively for intraoperative and postoperative complications related to the surgical approach.
No instances of visual deterioration, carotid artery (CA) stenosis, or stroke were observed following transsphenoidal surgery. Only one patient sustained damage to the CA intraoperatively, and this was controlled in the operating room. Five patients (3%) required an intensive care unit stay postoperatively. Intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage was encountered in 112 patients (64%) and was more frequently observed in tumors with suprasellar involvement.

Conclusions
Frameless stereotaxy is a safe and effective modality for the treatment of recurrent or invasive sellar masses. All three frameless stereotaxy modalities provided accurate information regarding the anatomical midline and the trajectory to the sella turcica. The MR imaging, CT scanning, and fluoroscopic stereotaxy modalities all have unique advantages as well as specific limitations.
Treatment of lumbar synovial cysts using minimally invasive surgical techniques
Authors: Sehati Nouzhan , Khoo Larry T. , Holly Langston T. 
Published: January 2008

Object
Lumbar synovial cysts are a potential cause of radiculopathy and back pain, and the definitive treatment is the complete excision of the cyst. This report summarizes the authors' preliminary clinical experience with the minimally invasive resection of lumbar synovial cysts.

Methods
Nineteen patients (nine men and 10 women) with symptomatic synovial cysts underwent minimally invasive resection. The mean patient age was 64 years of age (range 43–80 years). The presenting symptom was radiculopathy in 16 patients, low-back pain in two, and lower-extremity weakness in one. There were 16 cases of a cyst located at the L4–5 level, two at L3–4, and one at L5–S1. The mean cyst diameter was 13.7 mm (range 3–30 mm).
The mean follow-up time was 16 months (range 4–29 months). Clinical outcomes were graded, based on the Macnab modified criteria, as excellent, good, fair, or poor. Eighteen patients (95% of cases) reported either excellent (10 patients) or good (eight patients) results, and a fair result was reported by one patient (5% of cases). The mean operative time was 158 minutes (range 75–270 minutes), and the average intraoperative blood loss was 31 ml (range 10–100 ml). Two patients had intraoperative dural tears that resulted in cerebrospinal fluid leaks that resolved following primary closure.

Conclusions
Synovial cysts can be safely and effectively treated using minimally invasive surgical techniques. Long-term follow up is required to determine whether this approach results in less need for fusion than conventional surgical approaches.
Unilateral pedicle screw instrumentation for minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion
Authors: Beringer Will F. , Mobasser Jean-Pierre 
Published: January 2008

Object
Clinical and radiographic results were assessed to determine the clinical outcomes and fusion rate in eight consecutive patients selected for minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) in which a percutaneous pedicle screw system was used unilaterally.

Methods
Eight patients underwent one-level, minimally invasive TLIF in which a percutaneous pedicle screw system was used only on the side where facets were removed for interbody access. Clinical, economic, functional, and radiographic data were recorded preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. The mean 6-month change in the modified Prolo Scale score was 7, and osseous interbody bridging assessed on coronal and sagittal computerized tomography studies was seen in all patients.

Conclusions
The use of unilateral percutaneous pedicle screw instrumentation for the minimally invasive TLIF procedure provides excellent clinical results and is an option in selected patients.
Enhancement of glioblastoma cell killing by combination treatment with temozolomide and tamoxifen or hypericin
Authors: Gupta Vinay , Su Yuzhuang S. , Wang Weijun , Kardosh Adel , Liebes Leonard F. , Hofman Florence M. , Schönthal Axel H. , Chen Thomas C. 
Published: January 2008

Object
The chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide has demonstrated antitumor activity in patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Because responses are not enduring and recurrence is nearly universal, further improvements are urgently needed.

Methods
In an effort to increase the clinical activity of temozolomide, the authors investigated whether its antitumor activity could be enhanced by adding tamoxifen or hypericin, two drugs that are known to inhibit the activity of protein kinase C. Human glioblastoma multiforme cell lines A172 and LA567 were treated with combinations of temozolomide and tamoxifen or hypericin in vitro, and cell survival was analyzed using various methods. Tamoxifen and hypericin were able to greatly increase the growth-inhibitory and apoptosis-stimulatory potency of temozolomide via the downregulation of critical cell cycle–regulatory and prosurvival components. Furthermore, with the use of an in vivo xenograft mouse model, the authors demonstrated that hypericin was able to enhance the antiglioma effects of temozolomide in the in vivo setting as well.

Conclusions
Taken together, analysis of the results indicated that combination therapy involving temozolomide and tamoxifen or hypericin potently inhibited tumor growth by inducing apoptosis and provided an effective means of treating malignant glioma.
The evolution of endovascular treatment for intracranial arteriovenous malformations
Authors: Bristol Ruth E. , Albuquerque Felipe C. , McDougall Cameron G. 
Published: January 2008

✓ Endovascular therapy for arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) remains a relatively new approach. Beginning in the 1960s with the use of flow-directed techniques for selective embolization, hemodynamic alterations have been used to treat these lesions. In every aspect of treatment, technological advances, including catheters, embolic materials, angiography suites, and pharmacological agents, have improved outcomes while lowering the risk to patients.
In this article, the authors review the technical evolution of endovascular AVM therapy. Developments in embolic materials, beginning with foreign bodies and autografts and continuing through to highly engineered contemporary substances, are discussed. Finally, changes in treatment paradigms that have occurred over the years are traced. Within neurosurgery, this specialty has shown some of the fastest growth and development in recent decades. As minimally invasive approaches are embraced in all areas of medicine, it is clear that this treatment modality will continue to be refined.
Intraoperative rupture of brainstem cavernous malformation
Authors: Lekovic Gregory P. , Gonzalez L. Fernando , Khurana Vini G. , Spetzler Robert F. 
Published: January 2008

✓Although cavernous malformations (CMs) are an important cause of intracranial hemorrhage, the natural history of these lesions is controversial. Both retrospective and prospective studies undertaken to define risk factors for hemorrhage from CMs have consistently identified the location of a lesion as a factor that has a significant impact on the rate of rupture, and brainstem CMs consistently have a higher rate of symptomatic hemorrhage than those at other locations. The mechanism underlying this disparity in rupture rates, however, remains obscure. Most authors attribute the difference, at least partially, to the sensitivity of the brainstem to hemorrhage. Regardless, the specific factors that cause a given CM to rupture are unknown.
The authors report their first encounter with an intraoperative rupture of a CM in the brainstem. This case underscores the risks encountered during the surgical approach to brainstem CMs and may provide insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the rupture of these lesions.
Back and neck pain in triathletes
Authors: Villavicencio Alan T. , Burneikienë Sigita , Hernández Theresa D. , Thramann Jeff 
Published: January 2008

Object
As the sport of triathlon has continued to grow, increasing numbers of triathletes have presented in the neurosurgery clinics with various spinal disorders. This epidemiological study was undertaken to establish the lifetime incidence of neck and back pain, to gauge the prevalence of discogenic pain, and to identify risk factors among triathletes in the Boulder, Colorado, area.

Methods
A live online questionnaire was developed that was used to collect information about physical characteristics, training habits, athletic status, number of races completed, and back pain among triathletes. The incidence of cervical and/or lumbar discogenic back pain was defined according to the duration of symptoms for the most recent pain episode.
The lifetime incidence of low-back pain was 67.8%, with 23.7% of cases possibly being discogenic in origin. The number of triathlons in which the respondents had participated and the presence of previous sports-related injuries were predictive of low-back pain (p = 0.02 and p < 0.00001, respectively). The lifetime incidence of neck pain was 48.3%, with 21.4% of cases being consistent with intervertebral disc involvement. The number of previous sports-related injuries was predictive of neck pain (p < 0.00001), and a strong tendency toward neck pain was observed for athletes with more total years of participation in sports (p = 0.06).

Conclusions
The two main risk factors for long-term spinal problems include sports-related injuries and overuse. The study results definitely support the influence of both mechanisms for low-back pain. Neck pain was associated with an injury event, and a strong (although not statistically significant) tendency toward neck pain was observed in respondents with overuse injuries.
Deep brain stimulation for the treatment of various chronic pain syndromes
Authors: Rasche Dirk , Rinaldi Patricia C. , Young Ronald F. , Tronnier Volker M. 
Published: January 2008

Object
Electrical intracerebral stimulation (also referred to as deep brain stimulation [DBS]) is a tool for the treatment of chronic pain states that do not respond to less invasive or conservative treatment options. Careful patient selection, accurate target localization, and identification with intraoperative neurophysiological techniques and blinded test evaluation are the key requirements for success and good long-term results. The authors present their experience with DBS for the treatment of various chronic pain syndromes.

Methods
In this study 56 patients with different forms of neuropathic and mixed nociceptive/neuropathic pain syndromes were treated with DBS according to a rigorous protocol. The postoperative follow-up duration ranged from 1 to 8 years, with a mean of 3.5 years. Electrodes were implanted in the somatosensory thalamus and the periventricular gray region. Before implantation of the stimulation device, a double-blinded evaluation was carefully performed to test the effect of each electrode on its own as well as combined stimulation with different parameter settings.
The best long-term results were attained in patients with chronic low-back and leg pain, for example, in so-called failed–back surgery syndrome. Patients with neuropathic pain of peripheral origin (such as complex regional pain syndrome Type II) also responded well to DBS. Disappointing results were documented in patients with central pain syndromes, such as pain due to spinal cord injury and poststroke pain. Possible reasons for the therapeutic failures are discussed; these include central reorganization and neuroplastic changes of the pain-transmitting pathways and pain modulation centers after brain and spinal cord lesions.

Conclusions
The authors found that, in carefully selected patients with chronic pain syndromes, DBS can be helpful and can add to the quality of life.
Trigeminal and occipital peripheral nerve stimulation for craniofacial pain: a single-institution experience and review of the literature
Authors: Slavin Konstantin V. , Colpan M. Efkan , Munawar Naureen , Wess Christian , Nersesyan Hrachya 
Published: January 2008

Object
Treatment of chronic neuropathic pain in the region of the head and face presents a challenge for pain specialists; patients who do not respond to conventional treatment modalities usually continue to suffer from pain due to the lack of reliable medical and surgical approaches. Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) has been used to treat neuropathic pain for many decades, but only recently has it been applied systematically to the craniofacial region. To advance the study of this treatment option, the authors present their initial experience with this approach, summarize published data on the use of PNS in treatment of craniofacial pain, and discuss some technical details of the craniofacial PNS procedure.

Methods
A review of prospectively collected data in 30 patients who underwent PNS surgery for craniofacial pain was performed. The pain location, duration, cause, and previous treatments were analyzed, along with the surgical details, initial and long-term results, complications, and repeated operations.
Stimulated nerves in this group included supraorbital (seven patients), infraorbital (six), and occipital (21); in 19 patients more than one nerve was stimulated. Twenty-two patients proceeded with implantation of a permanent system after the trial. Of these, at the time of the latest evaluation (mean follow-up duration 35 months), in two patients the devices had been removed because of pain improvement over time, in three the devices were removed due to loss of effectiveness (two cases) or late infection (one), and the rest are enjoying either complete (15 patients) or partial (two patients) pain relief. Three patients underwent repeated operation due to lead erosion, infection, or migration.

Conclusions
Peripheral nerve stimulation appears to be a safe and effective approach in the treatment of craniofacial neuropathic pain. The growing body of literature supports a wider acceptance of this approach in the field of pain surgery.
Clinical outcomes of the Dynesys dynamic neutralization system: 1-year preliminary results
Authors: Welch William C. , Cheng Boyle C. , Awad Tariq E. , Davis Reginald , Maxwell James H. , Delamarter Rick , Wingate Jeffrey K. , Sherman John , Macenski M. Mason 
Published: January 2008

Object
In this study the authors present the preliminary clinical outcomes of dynamic stabilization with the Dynesys spinal system as part of a multicenter randomized prospective Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational device exemption (IDE) clinical trial.

Methods
This study included 101 patients from six IDE sites (no participants were omitted from the analysis) who underwent dynamic stabilization of the lumbar spine with the Dynesys construct. Patient participation was based on the presence of degenerative spondylolisthesis or retrolisthesis (Grade I), lateral or central spinal stenosis, and their physician's determination that the patient required decompression and instrumented fusion for one or two contiguous spinal levels between L-1 and S-1. Participants were evaluated preoperatively, postoperatively at 3 weeks, and then at 3-, 6-, and 12-month intervals. The 100-mm visual analog scale was used to score both lower-limb and back pain. Patient functioning was evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the participants' general health was assessed using the Short Form-12 questionnaire. Overall patient satisfaction was also reported.
One hundred one patients (53 women and 48 men) with a mean age of 56.3 years (range 27–79 years) were included. The mean pain and function scores improved significantly from the baseline to 12-month follow-up evaluation, as follows: leg pain improved from 80.3 to 25.5, back pain from 54 to 29.4, and ODI score from 55.6 to 26.3%.

Conclusions
The early clinical outcomes of treatment with Dynesys are promising, with lessening of pain and disability found at follow-up review. Dynesys may be preferable to fusion for surgical treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis and stenosis because it decreases back and leg pain while avoiding the relatively greater tissue destruction and the morbidity of donor site problems encountered in fusion. However, long-term follow-up care is still recommended.
Placement of subdural electrode grids for seizure focus localization in patients with a large arachnoid cyst
Authors: Kushen Medina C. , Frim David 
Published: January 2008

✓Subdural electrode arrays are placed to localize seizure foci for possible resection. The procedure is usually straightforward when an electrode grid array is placed on the brain convexity but can become complicated if the surface on which the grids are applied is not convex. Arachnoid cysts can be associated with seizures, but their topography presents a challenge to standard techniques for the placement of subdural grids. The authors report on a technique for electrode grid placement that successfully localized seizure foci in the depths of arachnoid cysts in two patients.
Subdural grids were placed to conform to the concave cyst cavity. They were held in place with rolled gelatin foam padding, which filled the arachnoid cyst. The padding was removed before removing the electrode grids and resecting the seizure focus.
Although arachnoid cysts present a technical challenge when seizure foci are located within the cyst cavity, the technique of packing the cyst cavity with gelatin foam provides good electrode contact on the concave cyst wall, allowing adequate seizure focus localization.
A review of progress in understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of brain edema
Authors: Marmarou Anthony 
Published: January 2008

Object
Brain edema resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI) or ischemia if uncontrolled exhausts volume reserve and leads to raised intracranial pressure and brain herniation. The basic types of edema—vasogenic and cytotoxic—were classified 50 years ago, and their definitions remain intact.

Methods
In this paper the author provides a review of progress over the past several decades in understanding the pathophysiology of the edematous process and the success and failures of treatment. Recent progress focused on those manuscripts that were published within the past 5 years.

Results
Perhaps the most exciting new findings that speak to both the control of production and resolution of edema in both trauma and ischemia are the recent studies that have focused on the newly described “water channels” or aquaporins. Other important findings relate to the predominance of cellular edema in TBI.

Conclusions
Significant new findings have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of brain edema; however, less progress has been made in treatment. Aquaporin water channels offer hope for modulating and abating the devastating effects of fulminating brain edema in trauma and stroke.