Journal of Neurological Surgery Part B: Skull Base最新文献

Background: Lateral temporal bone encephaloceles incidence is increasing with obesity rates. Middle fossa (MF) craniotomy, transmastoid (TM), or combined MF + TM access can be used for repair.

Methods: Retrospective review of MF or MF + TM repair with an intradural graft. Sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) were collected. Pre/postoperative audiometric results were included. Postoperative complications were reported.

Results: A total of 49 patients (50 repairs) were included. In addition, 74% were women ( p  < 0.05). Ten patients had a history of chronic otitis media and surgery. Average BMI was 35.8, and average age was 59. Furthermore, 54% had multiple skull base defects; 18 (36%) patients had a MF approach. In total, 32 (64%) patients had a MF + TM approach for repair; 13 (40.1%) of these patients had a concurrent tympanoplasty. Hearing improved for 74%. Air conduction pure-tone average improved by an average of 5 dB (p 0.27). No differences in hearing outcomes were observed between the MF and MF + TM groups. Two patients (6%) had hearing decline. Eight complications were reported (1 (2%) skin infection, 4 (8%) recurrent/persistent cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] leaks requiring lumbar drain or shunt, and 3 (6%) episodes of aphasia or mental status change). Age >65 years was not associated with risk of postoperative complication.

Conclusion: Intradural repair of encephalocele and CSF leak is a safe and effective surgical approach. Intradural reinforcement along the entire MF floor is beneficial for multiple areas of dehiscence and thin dura. Complication rates including recurrent/persistent CSF leak and aphasia related to temporal lobe retraction were similar to previously published reports and not associated with older patient age. Hearing was stable or improved in 94% with no difference noted between MF and MF + TM repair.

Objective: Postoperative constipation in endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS) may provoke undesired straining, which, in theory, may create intracranial pressure shifts and impact skull base reconstruction. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence and contributing factors to postoperative constipation after ESBS, and whether this impacts reconstructive outcomes.

Methods: Patients undergoing ESBS between July 2018 and December 2022 at a single-center, tertiary academic skull base surgery program were retrospectively reviewed. Chart reviews were performed to identify average bowel movements per day, indication for surgery, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), history of chronic pain, length of postoperative bedrest, length of stay (LOS), and postoperative use of opioid analgesics. Additionally, use of a standing stool bowel regimen, as-needed (PRN) stool softeners/laxatives, and enemas were recorded. Constipation was defined as greater than 48 hours without a bowel movement.

Results: In total, 213 patients (115 with intradural pathologies) were identified, of which 146 (69%) patients had postoperative constipation. Postoperative constipation was associated with longer bedrest (1.86 ± 0.20 vs. 1.06 ± 0.12 days; p  = 0.011); increased morphine equivalent dose (MED) during postoperative days 2, 3, 5, and 6 (all p  < 0.05); and total postoperative MED (106.70 ± 14.01 vs. 46.88 ± 8.44 mg; p  < 0.001). Additionally, postoperative constipation was an independent predictor of LOS ( p  = 0.009). There were no differences in postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak between the groups ( p  = 0.622).

Conclusion: Postoperative constipation rates were high after ESBS and likely causative factors include increased immobilization and postoperative opioid use. Standing bowel regimens should be considered in ESBS patients. However, there was no increased rate of postoperative CSF leaks.

Introduction: Multiple minicraniotomies (Mct) have been proposed as alternatives to standard pterional craniotomy (Pct) for intracranial aneurysm treatment. These approaches offer limited surgical corridors and distinct working angles, posing challenges in addressing all aneurysm types with one method. We suggest a tailored Mct technique, comprising three minimally invasive approaches targeting anterior circulation aneurysm sites (middle cerebral artery, internal carotid artery, anterior communicating artery).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, case-control study at a single center comparing Pct and Mct outcomes for ruptured and unruptured aneurysms. Parameters evaluated included conversion rates to Pct or decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC), intraoperative rupture (IOR), surgical complications, complete aneurysm exclusion, 6-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores, and aesthetic outcomes using a visual analog scale. A total of 146 patients were included, with 103 in the Mct group and 43 in the Pct group, comparable in mean age, sex, and aneurysm topography. Hunt-Hess scores and Fisher grades were lower in the Mct group initially.

Results: No cases required conversion from Mct to Pct or DHC. No significant differences were observed in IOR, surgical complications, and aneurysm exclusion rates between groups. The Mct group demonstrated better 6-month mRS scores and aesthetic outcomes.

Conclusion: Our study indicates that tailored Mct is as safe and effective as standard Pct for intracranial aneurysms, with significant cosmetic benefits. Thus, tailored Mct can be considered a valuable alternative not only to Pct but also to other minimally invasive surgical methods for these aneurysms.

Objective: The inferior temporal arteries (ITAs), branches of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA), are critical vascular structures encountered during subtemporal surgical approaches. Anatomical data based on multiphase postmortem computed tomography angiography (MPMCTA) are provided as a tool for preoperative surgical planning to lower the risk of ITA injury.

Methods: Adult (≥18 years) cases that underwent MPMCTA during 2015 to 2023 and whose cause of death did not involve the cerebral circulation were included in the study. Standardized measurements on four predefined coronal slices in relation to the posterior clinoid process (PCP) were established with references to projections in axial and sagittal planes. The main aim was to assess the presence, width, and course of anterior ITA (AITA), middle ITA (MITA), and posterior (PITA) particularly within the individual established quadrants of the middle cranial fossa.

Results: A total of 74 hemispheres were studied among 37 patients with the mean age of 52 ± 20.2 years. PITA was present in 98.7% of studied hemispheres, followed by MITA in 90.7% and AITA in 89.2%. The course of PITA was straight (65.8%) or oblique (34.3%), with significant difference in mean width ( p  = 0.050), branching angle ( p  < 0.001), distance to tentorial hiatus ( p  < 0.001), and superior petrosal sinus ( p  < 0.001). A pattern of PITA loop was defined as a twisting of its course within the collateral sulcus. Significant relationship between the presence of AITA and MITA ( p  < 0.001) along with the co-presence of AITA and PITA ( p  = 0.029) was found.

Conclusion: Knowledge of ITA characteristics and their relationship to surrounding anatomical structures is vital in subtemporal neurosurgical interventions. Preoperative inspection of the collateral sulcus and its relation to the surgical trajectory is critical to prevent PITA injury.

Background: Advances in endoscopic orbital surgery have sparked discussion regarding reconstructive procedures for medial orbital wall defects following tumor removal. This study describes an innovative orbital periosteal suturing technique that addresses the functional and aesthetic concerns created by orbital surgery.

Objective: Comprehensive clinical evaluation of a novel orbital periosteal suturing technique for endoscopic medial orbital wall reconstruction.

Methods: A retrospective chart review identified five patients who underwent endoscopic transnasal resection and subsequent orbital periosteal suturing for reconstruction. The surgical approach involved a binostril transseptal technique to create a broad surgical corridor. The postoperative follow-up was 13.4 ± 1.8 months.

Results: In the five patients, the mean age was 47.6 ± 13.0 years and the lesions were predominantly distributed on the left side (60%). Reconstruction time with the orbital periosteal suture procedure averaged 47.2 ± 6.6 minutes, employing four to five stitches. No patients experienced short-term complications such as visual acuity defect, new or exacerbated diplopia, or cranial nerve palsy within 2 weeks, and no long-term complications such as enophthalmos or prolonged diplopia were observed.

Conclusion: Orbital periosteal suturing is an effective and resource-efficient technique for endoscopic reconstruction of the medial orbital wall. Surgeons may consider this method among the available options for orbital reconstruction, representing a novel advancement in the field.

Introduction: Rigid endoscopes have allowed surgeons to safely perform endoscopic sinus surgery. However, their rigid nature creates inherent visualization limitations. The study herein looks to assess the visualization potential of a novel articulating rigid-flexible endoscope when compared with traditional rigid and flexible nasal endoscopes.

Methods: A new articulating endoscope capable of bending its distal tip and extending beyond the point of angulation was compared with 0- and 30-degree 4.0-mm rigid endoscopes, and a 3.7-mm flexible nasopharyngoscope in their ability to visualize predefined anatomic landmarks within the maxillary, sphenoid, and frontal sinuses. Visible markers were placed at applicable landmarks using image guidance in a total of five cadaveric heads. The ability to visualize these intrasinus anatomic landmarks was recorded for each scope.

Results: When inspecting the surgically naive anatomy of all sinus ostia and predefined anatomic landmarks, the articulating endoscope had superior visualization ( p  < 0.01) compared with the 0-degree, 30-degree, and flexible endoscopes throughout all sinuses (maxillary sinus: 62.5, 0, 5, and 0%, respectively; sphenoidal sinus: 92.5, 27.5, 37.5, and 40%, respectively; frontal sinus: 51.4, 5.7, 20, and 37.1%, respectively). After performing a Draf IIa, the articulating endoscope was able to visualize 100% of the predefined frontal sinus landmarks compared with 22.9, 45.7, and 65.7% for the 0-degree, 30-degree, and flexible endoscopes, respectively ( p  < 0.001).

Conclusion: The articulating rigid-flexible endoscope is superior in reaching and visualizing anatomic landmarks within the paranasal sinuses, compared with standard endoscopes.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with recurrent and metastatic sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) and evaluate the current treatment strategies to help guide future management.

Design: This is a retrospective cohort study.

Setting: The study was conducted at six international tertiary treatment centers.

Participants: Patients with documented diagnoses of recurrent or metastatic SNUC since 1983 were included in the study.

Main outcome measures: Patient demographics and clinical characteristics were collected. Primary outcome measures included disease-specific survival (DSS), overall survival (OS), and time to recurrence (TTR) following initial treatment. Further univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to assess for prognostic factors.

Results: A total of 97 patients with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 52.4 (15.6) were identified, 15 of whom presented with metastatic SNUC and 90 of whom developed recurrence. Management in both populations was widely variable. For patients with metastatic disease, the 1-year DSS probability was 33.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.8-100%). For patients with recurrent SNUC, the 1- and 5-year DSS probabilities were 45.7% (95% CI, 31.9-65.6%) and 8.6% (95% CI, 2.9-25.3%), respectively. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) TTR was 8 months (3-18.5 months). Multivariable analyses revealed a significant association between orbital involvement on initial presentation and TTR (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.28; 95% CI, 1.45-7.42; p  = 0.004).

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study addressing metastatic and recurrent SNUC based on a large patient cohort. Orbital extension of the primary SNUC may predict a higher probability of recurrence following treatment, suggesting the possible utility of a more aggressive treatment in this subgroup of patients. A heterogenous patient population and wide variability in management emphasize the challenges in standardizing care; however, dismal survival rates demonstrate the necessity for further evaluation of current approaches to improve evidence-based recommendations.

Objectives: The two histologic subtypes of craniopharyngiomas (CPs), papillary and adamantinomatous, harbor mutually exclusive mutations of BRAF V600E and CTNNB1, respectively. Studies suggest that subtotal resection (STR) plus adjuvant radiation therapy (XRT) may result in similar progression-free survival (PFS) as gross total resection (GTR). We hypothesized that STR ± XRT and GTR result in similar PFS for both BRAF and β-catenin-mutated CPs.

Design: Patients who were surgically treated for a primary CP between 2001 and 2023 at a single institution were included. Immunohistochemical studies were performed retrospectively using BRAF and β-catenin antibodies. Patients with missing immunohistochemistry (IHC) diagnosis were excluded. Differences in PFS for STR ± XRT and GTR groups were assessed with a log-rank test, stratified by BRAF and β-catenin IHC status.

Results: A total of 77 patients with CP were screened. IHC data were available for 50 patients; 20 had a BRAF mutation, and 30 had a β-catenin mutation. Among BRAF patients, 11 underwent GTR; 9 had STR, and 5 had adjuvant XRT. Among β-catenin patients, 14 underwent GTR; 16 had STR, and 6 had adjuvant XRT. For BRAF patients with GTR, the median PFS was not reached; for BRAF patients with STR ± XRT, the median PFS was 150 days ( p  < 0.01, log-rank test). For β-catenin patients with GTR, the median PFS was 1,813 days; for β-catenin patients with STR ± XRT, the median PFS was not reached ( p  = 0.80, log-tank test).

Conclusions: Both GTR and STR ± XRT seemed to offer similar PFS outcomes only for patients with β-catenin-mutated CP. For patients with BRAF-mutated CP, a greater extent of resection was significantly associated with prolonged PFS.

Objective: The study objective was to compare the length of stay (LOS) and the proportion of one-night admissions before and after the implementation of an endocrine monitoring protocol following endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) for pituitary adenoma.

Methods: Patients who underwent transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma resection between July 1, 2018, and September 9, 2022, were identified, and divided into two cohorts before and after the implementation of the monitoring protocol. The overall LOS and number of nights of admission were recorded. Readmission within 30 days after surgery was also recorded. The number of outpatient laboratory tests performed and the time to the first test were also noted.

Results: Thirty patients were identified in the preprotocol group and 60 in the postprotocol group. The average admission length in the preprotocol group was significantly longer than the average admission length in the postprotocol group (2.4 vs. 1.7 days, p  = 0.004). The percentage of one-night admissions increased from 13 to 57% ( p  < 0.001). There were no significant differences in readmission rates between the two groups ( p  = 0.681). The number of laboratory encounters increased from a mean of 1.38 to 2.40 ( p  = 0.030), while the time to the first test decreased from a mean of 3.43 to 2.36 days ( p  = 0.049).

Conclusion: Patients admitted after ETSS for pituitary adenoma had shorter hospital stay and greater proportion of one-night admission with the implementation of an endocrine monitoring protocol. The all-cause readmission rate was not statistically different between the two groups. Through aggressive outpatient laboratory monitoring, one-night admission for ETSS may be feasible.

Objectives To characterize treatment and hearing outcomes for cerebellopontine angle (CPA) meningiomas with inherent risks of hearing loss and identify predictors of hearing loss for surgically treated lesions.

Design Retrospective chart review.

Setting Tertiary care medical center.

Participants Adult patients with CPA meningiomas impinging upon cranial nerve VIII and/or pretreatment hearing loss managed with microsurgery or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with Gamma Knife at our center between 2012 and 2023.

Main Outcome Measures Hearing preservation rate was determined from analysis of patients with pretreatment serviceable hearing for whom hearing-preserving treatment was attempted. Surgical patients were further analyzed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models to identify factors predictive of postoperative hearing loss.

Results We identified 80 patients with CPA meningiomas meeting inclusion criteria who were managed with either microsurgery (43, 54%) or radiosurgery (37, 46%). Following SRS, hearing was preserved in 88% of cases. Following microsurgery, hearing was preserved in 71% of patients—all patients who lost hearing had tumors involving the internal auditory canal (IAC). Among surgical patients only, multivariable analysis accounting for preoperative hearing, recurrence status, lesion size, and patient age, the preoperative imaging finding that the CPA meningioma surrounded the vestibulocochlear nerve was significantly associated with hearing loss (hazard ratio: 10.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.3–81.4, p = 0.02).

Conclusion Most patients with meningiomas of the CPA can experience preservation of hearing, even when there is risk of hearing loss based on pretreatment evaluation. IAC invasion and surrounding of eighth nerve by tumor may portend poorer hearing outcomes in surgically managed patients.