Journal of neurological surgery. Part A, Central European neurosurgery最新文献

Background: Hemimasticatory spasm (HMS) is an uncommon movement disorder of the trigeminal motor rootlet characterized by unilateral, involuntary, and paroxysmal contractions of the muscles of mastication. The mechanisms for HMS are still unclear, and an efficient treatment strategy still needs to be developed. This study aims to investigate the clinical features and surgical treatment of HMS.

Methods: 12 patients with HMS were included in our study. The patient data regarding clinical characteristics, neuroimaging presentations, intraoperative findings and treatment outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. Highly selective trigeminal motor root rhizotomy (HSTR) combined with microvascular compression was performed in 9 cases with neurovascular conflict, while 3 patients without vascular compression underwent HSTR only.

Results: Intraoperative findings showed that there is one patient with 6 branches of the trigeminal motor roots, 3 patients with 2 trigeminal motor roots, and the remaining patients have 3-4 trigeminal motor roots. Seven patients had 2 motor branches severed, 3 patients had 1 motor branch severed, and 2 patients each had 3 motor branches severed. 9 patients recovered uneventfully and showed no signs of spasms, and the remaining 2 patients experienced complete disappearance of symptoms within 3 months after surgery. One patient relived immediately postoperatively but recurred 2 years later.

Conclusion: The surgical procedures of HSTR can significantly alleviate the clinical symptoms of patients with masseter spasms without bringing serious complications to patients.

Background:  Opioids are medications frequently used in patients with moderate and severe chronic pain. Their pharmacologic profile allows their use in acute severe postoperative pain. However, due to their highly addictive profile, opioid misuse is considered a public health issue. Vertebral spine fusion, decompression, and instrumentation are often associated with acute, severe postoperative pain. The present study aims to compare postoperative opioid consumption in a group of patients who underwent open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (OTLIF) against a similar group of patients who underwent minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MTLIF).

Methods:  We present a quantitative, observational, analytical, and historical cohort study. After convenience sampling, we identified 45 patients, 34 of whom underwent OTLIF and 11 underwent MTLIF. The analysis was made after measuring the following variables: demographics, type of surgery, length of stay, pain control, opioid type, and opioid dose. Statistical methods were implemented according to the origin and behavior of the variable.

Results:  We found a difference between significant and nonsignificant pain among the groups with less opioid consumption in the MTILF group. This difference was seen in the frequency and dosage during all observation periods. However, in the postoperative observation, the frequencies and dosages were equal between groups. According to linear regression, the type of surgery, radiculopathy, and radiculitis explain the significant postoperative pain in up to 50% of cases.

Conclusion:  Our study reveals a significant difference in opioid consumption between patients undergoing different surgical techniques. While these findings are valid for the studied population, the limitation in sample size highlights the need for further research. The implications of our findings on postoperative pain management and opioid use in spinal surgeries are significant and warrant continued investigation.

Background:  A choristoma is defined as the accumulation of normal tissue in an abnormal location. Salivary gland choristomas are a rare entity that is most frequently described in the middle ear. However, there are a few reported cases of salivary gland choristomas in other locations like the pituitary gland and the optic nerve dural sheath. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first case of a patient with an intraconal salivary gland choristoma. A brief but comprehensive review of literature is offered, additionally.

Methods:  A 19-year-old male patient presented with disturbance of ocular motility, ptosis, and exophthalmos of the right eye. The subsequent imaging by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated an intraconal lesion that infiltrated the lateral and medial rectal muscles of the right eye. The lesion showed intensive gadolinium enhancement in T1-weighted sequence and the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence showed no intracranial edema. The interdisciplinary neuro-oncologic tumor board recommended a biopsy and partial removal of the lesion.

Results:  Partial resection of the choristoma was successfully performed via lateral orbitotomy. No new neurologic or visual deficits occurred postoperatively. During the 2-week follow-up examination, the exophthalmos had completely regressed and the patient only reported a slight retrobulbar pressure sensation. The histopathologic examination of the tissue revealed seromucous glandular tissue.

Conclusion:  Salivary gland choristomas have been occasionally described intracranially before, but this is the first case of an intraconal accumulation of salivary gland tissue. Partial resection was achieved, resulting in complete recovery of the ophthalmologic symptoms.

Background:  Pituitary apoplexy is an acute clinical syndrome constituted by headache, visual impairment, ophthalmoplegia, and altered mental status. Abducens nerve palsy due to pituitary apoplexy is a significant clinical manifestation in pituitary apoplexy cases.This study aims to investigate the rare occurrence of isolated sixth cranial nerve palsy in patients with pituitary apoplexy, a condition characterized by sudden hemorrhagic or ischemic infarction of the pituitary gland.

Methods:  A search was conducted on major databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, to identify cases of isolated sixth cranial nerve palsy in patients with pituitary apoplexy. Only six cases were found in the available literature. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and relevant clinical features were compared between the cases.

Results:  Among the six identified cases, isolated sixth cranial nerve palsy in patients with pituitary apoplexy predominantly affected middle-aged adults, with a prominent male preponderance. Clinical manifestations included acute-onset diplopia and headache, with the most common radiologic finding being pituitary gland enlargement or hemorrhage. Laboratory investigations revealed hormonal dysregulation in some cases. Treatment approaches varied and included conservative management and surgical intervention. Outcomes were generally favorable, with most patients experiencing partial or complete resolution of their cranial nerve palsy.

Conclusion:  Isolated sixth cranial nerve palsy in patients in the context of pituitary apoplexy is an exceptionally rare occurrence, with only six documented cases in the available literature. Further research and case reporting are essential to better understand this rare clinical entity and guide optimal management strategies.

Background:  Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most severe complications of spinal fusion surgery that lead to increased morbidity and mortality rates. Prophylactic antibiotic usage is one of the methods that reduce the possibility of SSI in this procedure. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of local subfascial teicoplanin usage on radiologic and functional outcomes and compare it to the effect of vancomycin on surgical outcomes in patients who underwent decompression with posterior instrumentation (DPI) for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).

Methods:  Medical charts of patients with LSS who received DPI and met the study criteria were divided into three groups: the teicoplanin group included patients who underwent DPI with local teicoplanin before closure, the vancomycin group included patients who underwent DPI with local vancomycin, and the control group included patients who underwent DPI without any local prophylactic antibiotics.

Results:  A total of 101 patients were included in the study. No significant differences were found among groups regarding demographics, follow-up, and clinical and functional outcomes. No significant differences were observed among groups regarding postoperative improvements in SF-36-MCS, SF-36-PCS, Oswestry Disability Index, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS; p > 0.05). In the teicoplanin and vancomycin groups, the SSI rate was lower than that in the control group (2/35, 1/34, and 5/32, respectively, p = 0.136) without statistical significance; however, the postoperative fusion volume was significantly higher in the teicoplanin group when compared to the other groups (3.35 ± 1.08, 2.68 ± 1.17, and 2.65 ± 1.28 cm³, respectively, p = 0.007).

Conclusions:  Although its cost is relatively higher, teicoplanin was a good alternative to vancomycin in preventing SSIs with a higher fusion rate, but no superiority was observed regarding other outcomes.

Background:  We explore a minimally invasive method (combined ultrasound detection, electrode placement and electrophysiologic nerve examination) to evaluate the early-stage quality of a nerve suture site.

Methods:  Ten patients with median and/or ulnar nerve injuries who had undergone nerve suture were recruited. Postoperative ultrasound examination found that the nerve injury was sutured. Then, a stimulating electrode and recording electrode were located beside the nerve proximal and distal to the suture site guided by ultrasound. Measurement of nerve action potentials (NAP) were performed with these electrodes, followed by surgical exploration. The pre- and intraoperative electrophysiologic findings were compared, together with amplitude, latency, and wave shape of NAP.

Results:  Of the 10 patients, 3 patients were diagnosed with median nerve injury, 2 with ulnar nerve injury, and 5 with the median nerve and ulnar nerve injury. NAP could not be detected pre- and intraoperatively in three median nerves from three patients and in two ulnar nerves from two patients. NAP was detected in 10 nerves from the remaining 5 patients. The pre- and intraoperative NAP results showed consistent results concerning the status of the nerve suture. Wilcoxon's signed-rank test indicated no significant difference in the amplitude and latency detected via sonographically placed electrodes and during surgical exploration. The number of negative-phase waves were equally distributed.

Conclusion:  Ultrasound-guided electrode placement and NAP detection can substitute surgery and serve as a minimally invasive approach to evaluate the regeneration of a sutured nerve.

Background:  Cranioplasty can be a challenging procedure in certain patients, such as those with scalp necrosis, or when performed after multiple surgical procedures. Herein, we present a patient in whom a part of the skull was placed inside out in a setting where the scalp wound could not be simply sutured because of multiple previous operations.

Methods:  A 66-year-old patient with a history of multiple craniotomies to resect an intracranial tumor suffered significant skin flap necrosis after harvesting the superficial temporal artery for a bypass intending to ligate the internal carotid artery. He subsequently underwent a one-stage reconstruction surgery, in which the central part of the bone was excised, turned over, and fixed at the inner plate of the bone flap on the outside, and the outer plate on the inside.

Results:  This technique reduced the skin tension and reduced the epidural dead space, allowing skin flap healing with acceptable cosmetic results.

Conclusion:  "Inside out cranioplasty" is a valid option for one-stage reconstruction in the cases with scalp necrosis.

Background:  There is some evidence indicating that inflammation of the aneurysmal wall is related to aneurysmal growth and rupture. The presence of CD68 may indicate greater inflammatory activity. The objective of this study is to evaluate CD68 immunoexpression in surgically resected brain aneurysms and its association with smoking.

Methods:  The resected brain aneurysmal walls after microsurgical clipping were envoyed to immunohistochemistry investigation. The objective was to evaluate the expression of CD68 and CD34 antibodies. The associations between inflammatory markers, smoking, and rupture were tested using Fischer's exact test.

Results:  CD68 immunoexpression in the tunica media was associated with larger aneurysms: 7.0 mm (7.0-9.0 mm) versus 5.0 mm (3.5-5 mm; p = 0.011). There was no statistically significant association between smoking and CD68 expression in the tunica media (p = 0.234) or in either the tunica media or the tunica intima (p = 0.628). There was also no statistically significant association between hemorrhagic presentation of the aneurysm and CD68 expression in the tunica media (p = 0.689) or in either the tunica media or the tunica intima (p = 0.348). Therefore, the presence of CD68-positive cells in the aneurysmal walls indicates an association with size, especially if the tunica media is exclusively compromised (p = 0.011).

Conclusion:  Immunohistochemistry investigation for CD68 antibodies was used to determine histiocytic infiltration. Adequately powered studies are necessary to further investigate the association between CD68-positive cells and both smoking history and hemorrhagic presentation of aneurysms.

Background:  The event of extradural hematoma in the absence of head trauma is a rare central nervous system complication of sickle cell disease. We report here a case of spontaneous extradural hematoma in a patient being treated for sickle cell vasoocclusive crisis complicated by hyperinflammation and thrombotic microangiopathy. The significance of inflammation as an integral component of the pathomechanism of vasoocclusive crisis in patients with sickle cell disease and the role of heme in activating the complement system's alternative pathway are highlighted in this case report.

Case presentation:  A teenage patient with sickle cell disease developed a spontaneous right parietal extradural hematoma while receiving treatment for sickle cell vasoocclusive crisis. The concurrent events of hyperinflammation, disseminated intravascular coagulation, hyperhemolysis syndrome, thrombotic microangiopathy, and refractory postoperative bleeding complicated this patient's clinical course after surgical evacuation of extradural hematoma. This patient was subsequently treated with eculizumab and improved in the days following.

Conclusion:  Treatment with the anti-C5 monoclonal antibody eculizumab, which targets and inhibits terminal complement system activation, reversed the deleterious cascade of events in this patient with sickle cell disease.