The Predictors of Postoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak in Endoscopic Endonasal Pituitary Surgery: The Role of Tumor Volume.

Objectives Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (Po-CSF) leak is still a challenging complication of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery. However, data describing the predictive factors of Po-CSF leak in pure pituitary adenomas is lacking. Aim of this study is to determine the risk factors of Po-CSF leak in a pituitary adenoma group operated via pure transsellar endoscopic approach. Design This is a retrospective cohort study. Setting A single-center academic hospital. Participants Patients operated for a pituitary adenoma between 2015 and 2021 and followed up until June 2022 were included. Main Outcome Measures Demographics, comorbidities, imaging, and outcome were recorded. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors of Po-CSF leak. Results Of the total 170 patients with a mean age of 47.5 ± 13.8 (min: 15; max: 80), 11 (6.5%) had Po-CSF leak. Univariate analysis revealed age, diabetes mellitus (DM), and tumor volume as predictors of Po-CSF leak. According to the receiver operating characteristic analysis, 7.5 cm 3 of tumor volume was found to be a good cutoff value with a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 75%. Hence, multivariable logistic regression model adjusted by age showed that a tumor volume of > 7.5 cm 3 (odds ratio [OR]: 22.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.8-135.9, p = 0.001) and DM (OR: 8.9; 95% CI: 1.7-46.5; p = 0.010) are strong independent risk factors of Po-CSF leak in pure endoscopic endonasal pituitary surgery. Conclusion Besides younger age and DM, a cutoff value for tumor volume > 7.5 cm 3 is the most remarkable risk factor for Po-CSF leak in pure endoscopic pituitary surgery. These patients should carefully be assessed preoperatively and potential preemptive surgical strategies should be taken into consideration to avoid complications.

Evaluation of Craniometric Parameters and Efficacy of Posterior Surgical Intervention Types in Basilar Invagination Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Basilar invagination is one of the most frequently observed abnormalities at the craniovertebral junction, in which the odontoid process of C2 prolapses into the foramen magnum. METHODS: The current study included 27 patients who underwent surgery for basilar invagination between October 2013 and January 2023. The study group was divided into 2 groups according to basilar invagination types; type I (the presence of type A atlantoaxial instability and instability is the main pathology) and type II (the presence of type B and C atlantoaxial instability and skull base dysgenesis is the main pathology). Craniometric parameters included in the study were atlantodental interval, posterior atlantodental interval, Chamberlain's line violation, clivus-canal angle, Welcher's basal angle, and Boogaard angle. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 24.30 ± 14.36 years (5-57 years). Fourteen patients (51.9%) were female, and 13 patients (48.1%) were male. Ten patients (37%) had type I basilar invagination, and 17 patients (63%) had type II basilar invagination. Preoperative and postoperative atlantodental interval and Boogaard angle were significantly higher in type I basilar invagination, as preoperative and postoperative posterior atlantodental interval and clivus-canal angle were significantly higher in type II basilar invagination. There was a positive strong correlation between Chamberlain's line violation and Boogaard angle. Postoperative Chamberlain's line violation was significantly higher in occipitocervical fixation (P = 0.035). C1 lateral mass screw fixation was found more successful in Chamberlain's line violation correction than occipital plates. Occipitocervical fixation was found to be associated with higher postoperative Nurick scores (P = 0.015) and complication rates (P = 0.020). Cages applied to the C1-C2 joint space were found to be associated with higher fusion rates (P = 0.023) and lower complication rates (P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, it was found that C1-C2 fixation was more successful in correcting craniometric parameters and had lower complication rates than occipitocervical fixation. In appropriate patients, it was determined that cage application increased the success rates of the operations.

Analysis of Neurosurgical Injuries and The Lessons Learned After the Catastrophic Double Earthquakes in Turkey.

AIM: To identify the patterns and types of neuorosurgical injuries sustained by victims of the double earthquakes affected ten cities with a population of 15 million in southern and central Türkiye. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this descriptive observational study, we retrospectively analyzed the medical records of a university hospital located in one of the ten cities affected by the earthquake. RESULTS: A total of 1,612 patients with earthquake-related injuries were admitted during the study period, of which 139 (8.6%) had neurosurgical injuries. The mean age of the patients was 42.4 ± 21.1 years (median, 42 years), and 53.2% of them were female. Of the 139 patients with neurosurgical injuries, 41 (29.5%) had craniocerebral injuries, 95 (68.3%) had spinal injuries, and three (2.2%) had both craniocerebral and spinal injuries. A total of 31 surgeries were performed (22.3%) (five [3.6%] for craniocerebral injuries and 26 [18.7 %] for spinal injuries). Ninety-eight patients (70.5%) had concomitant systemic traumas. The overall mortality rate was 5.75%, with crush syndrome (n=4, 50%), being the leading cause of death, followed by neurosurgical pathologies (n=3, 37.5%) and pneumonia with septic shock (n=1, 12.5%). CONCLUSION: Neurosurgical injury is an important cause of post-earthquake mortality and morbidity. To ensure efficient medical rescue and judicious resource allocation, it is essential to recognize the characteristics of earthquake-related neurosurgical injuries. This study provides valuable information regarding the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of neurosurgical injuries in earthquake-affected patients. Our findings highlight the need for prompt diagnosis and management of such injuries, particularly in those with concomitant systemic trauma.

Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma of the Jugular Foramen in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report and Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

INTRODUCTION: Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma of the jugular foramen is a rare clinical entity, especially in the pediatric population. Thus, it can be confused with other pathologies. CASE PRESENTATION: We report an extremely rare case of a 14-year-old female patient with jugular foramen myxoid chondrosarcoma that was completely removed through microsurgical resection. CONCLUSION: The primary purpose of the treatment is gross total resection of the chondrosarcomas. However, adjuvant methods such as radiotherapy should additionally be applied in patients who have high-grade diseases or cannot undergo gross total resection because of anatomic localization.

Impact of Adjuvant Radiotherapy on Recurrence of Surgically Treated Atypical Meningiomas and Retrospective Analysis of Prognostic Factors.

AIM: The role of adjuvant radiotherapy after surgery for atypical meningiomas remains controversial. The present study was designed to investigate the recurrence rate of atypical meningiomas after surgery (with or without adjuvant radiotherapy) and determine which factors were related with recurrence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data obtained from 83 patients who underwent surgery and histopathologically diagnosed with atypical meningioma at a single institution between January 2009 and June 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Then, the patients were divided into two groups: the surgery-only (n = 43) and surgery + adjuvant radiotherapy (n = 40) groups. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 53.5 ± 14.6 years. Among them, 51 (61.4%) were female and 32 (38.6%) were male. The recurrence rates were 30.2% (n = 13) in the surgery-only group and 17.5% (n = 7) in the surgery + adjuvant radiotherapy group. A statistically significant decrease in the recurrence rate was observed after adjuvant radiotherapy application (p = 0.046). Moreover, adjuvant radiotherapy significantly increased progression-free survival (p = 0.042). Peritumoral edema, sinus invasion, brain invasion, subtotal tumor resection, and complications were significant predictors of tumor recurrence, and the main risk factors for the recurrence of atypical meningiomas were brain invasion (p = 0.019) and subtotal tumor resection (p = 0.006). Progression-free survival and overall survival of the study group were 45.50 ± 27.56 and 56.69 ± 28.17 months, respectively. The parameters examined in the study, except for tumor recurrence, did not show a statistically significant influence on overall survival. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the important prognostic factors for tumor recurrence are subtotal tumor resection and brain invasion. Moreover, adjuvant radiotherapy in addition to surgical resection reduces the recurrence rate of atypical meningiomas and improves progression-free survival of the patients. However, adjuvant radiotherapy did not show a significant influence on overall survival.

Extensive Extraneural Metastases of Cerebral Glioblastoma in a Pediatric Patient: An Extreme Case Report and Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

INTRODUCTION: Extraneural metastases of glioblastoma are very rare clinical entities, especially in pediatric patients. Because of their rarity, they can be confused with other pathological processes. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of 16-year-old boy with extensive extraneural metastases of glioblastoma. Lung, liver, cervical lymph nodes, skin, and bone metastases were detected in the patient. CONCLUSION: We describe the presentation, evaluation, and diagnosis of this rare condition with regard to pertinent literature.

Efficacy of prophylactic application of vancomycin powder in preventing surgical site infections after instrumented spinal surgery: A retrospective analysis of patients with high-risk conditions.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of prophylactic use of vancomycin powder against surgical site infections in patients with high-risk conditions who underwent posterior spinal instrumentation. METHODS: Data obtained from 209 patients who underwent posterior spinal instrumentation at a single institution from 2014 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were then divided into two groups: control group, including 107 patients (61 females, 46 males; mean age=54 years; age range=16-85 years), and treatment group, including 102 patients (63 females, 39 males; mean age=53 years; age range=14-90 years). All patients received the same standard prophylactic antibiotic regimen. In addition to the prophylactic antibiotic, vancomycin powder was applied locally to the surgical site in the treatment group. All patients were followed up for at least 90 days postoperatively. Infections were categorized as superficial and deep infections. Subgroup analysis of high-risk patients (Syrian refugees) was also performed. RESULTS: The infection rates were 1.96% (two patients) in the treatment group and 6.54% (seven patients) in the control group. A significant decrease in the infection rates was observed with local vancomycin powder application. Advanced age (>46 years) and prolonged surgical duration (>140 min) were found to be the main risk factors for surgical site infections (p=0.004 and p=0.028, respectively). The infection rates were 3.22% and 8.11% in the treatment and control groups of refugees, respectively. There were three superficial and four deep infections in the control group and one superficial and one deep infection in the treatment group. A dominance of staphylococcus infections was observed in the control group, whereas no significant dominance was observed in the treatment group. Three patients in the control group and one patient in the treatment group received implant removal. CONCLUSION: Evidence from this study has revealed that local application of vancomycin powder reduces the rate of surgical site infections after instrumented spinal surgery. The benefit of vancomycin application may be most appreciated in higher risk populations or in clinics with high baseline rates of infection. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, Therapeutic Study.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1 beta levels in cerebrospinal fluid examination for the diagnosis of ventriculoperitoneal shunt-related ventriculitis.

PURPOSE: Ventriculitis is known to develop after chronic inflammation and bacterial invasion of the ventricular surface with a recurrence of shunt infections. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of elevation in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) together with CSF culture and laboratory test results in the diagnosis of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt-related ventriculitis, which is known to be more problematic than conventional shunt infection. METHODS: The study included a total of 34 patients with a VP shunt due to hydrocephalus, who presented with a headache, fever, and shunt infection at the Emergency Department and had a pre-diagnosis of ventriculitis. Nineteen patients were diagnosed with shunt-related infection or ventriculitis using the CSF obtained from the shunt pump. The IL-1ß and TNF-α levels from the CSF samples of all patients were measured using the Micro ELISA immunoassay method. RESULTS: CSF direct microscopic observation revealed that the mean cell count, IL-1ß level, CRP level, and blood leukocyte level were higher in patients with ventriculitis compared to those diagnosed with shunt infection (p = 0.02, p = 0.009, p = 0.004, and p = 0.009, respectively). The probability of predicting positive culture outcome was 92.7% with 90.9% sensitivity and 82.6% specificity when IL-1ß values exceeded 4.0 pg/ml. TNF-α values did not show a significant, reliable pattern compared to IL-1ß. CONCLUSIONS: IL-1ß is a reliable parameter which shall be used in the diagnosis of ventriculitis by predicting positive culture outcome with high sensitivity and specificity.

Percutaneous Vertebroplasty for the Treatment of Osteoporotic Thoracolumbar Fractures with Posterior Body Involved in Elderly Patients.

AIM: To present the results of vertebroplasty for treating thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurological deficit. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve patients (aged ≥65 years) with thoracolumbar fractures but without neurological deficits underwent vertebroplasty. In all fracture cases, the anterior and middle columns of the vertebrae were affected and the canal was mildly compressed. To assess the clinical symptoms and the effects of the procedure, patient mobility and pain were assessed prior to the procedure and at 1 day and 3 months after the procedure. RESULTS: Improvements in pain and mobility were observed immediately after vertebroplasty in all patients. These results were observed for 3 months. Significant improvements were also noted at 1 day and 3 months after vertebroplasty. Pain was reduced by at least 4 levels after 3 months. No co-morbidities were observed. However, computed tomography revealed polymethylmethacrylate leakage through the endplate fracture site into the disc space or paravertebral space in four vertebrae and minimal intracanal leakage through the fracture line in one patient. CONCLUSION: Vertebroplasty is assumed to be contraindicated in patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures with posterior body involvement. However, this procedure was successfully performed to safely treat such fractures without causing neurological deficits. Percutaneous vertebroplasty may be an alternative method for treating thoracolumbar burst fractures that prevents major surgical complications. Moreover, it helps patients achieve early mobilization and pain relief.

Cervical Myelopathy Caused by Invaginated Laminae of the Axis into the Spinal Canal in a Pediatric Patient.

Cervical myelopathy caused by invaginated laminae of the axis is an extremely rare entity. Advanced imaging techniques are useful to define this rare pathology and site of the spinal canal compression. Surgical removal of the floating laminae is commonly an adequate treatment method. Fusion procedures should be added in the presence of instability. There are few cases of invaginated anomalous laminae of the axis in the literature. In this report, to the best of our knowledge having reviewed the literature, the youngest and first female patient is presented.

The Role of Cine Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Chiari 0 Malformation.

AIM: To define the role of phase-contrast cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in deciding the therapeutic strategy and underlying pathophysiology resulting in syrinx formation in patients with Chiari type 0 malformation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seven patients who were admitted to our clinic with the diagnosis of Chiari 0 malformation from January 2005 to July 2016 were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent a detailed preoperative neurological examination. Entire neuroaxis MRI and phase-contrast cine MRI were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: Seven patients (5 female and 2 male) with Chiari type 0 malformation fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All of the patients had absent cine flow at the craniovertebral junction except two patients. These five patients underwent surgical interventions; suboccipital decompression and duraplasty. All of them showed both clinical and radiological improvement in the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: Cine flow MRI appears to be a useful tool in the management of patients with Chiari 0 malformation. There was a good correlation between the clinical presentation and cine flow preoperatively, and between clinical improvement and cine flow in the postoperative period.

Progressive Kyphosis Associated with Tethered Cord Syndrome Treated by Posterior Vertebral Column Resection in a Pediatric Patient.

Posterior vertebral column resection is a novel surgical approach for the treatment of progressive kyphosis associated with tethered cord syndrome that was first treated with untethering surgery. A patient with tethered cord syndrome associated with kyphosis first underwent untethering surgery, resulting in progressive kyphosis. Posterior vertebral column resection was performed to correct the kyphosis while shortening the spinal column to prevent the spinal cord from stretch injury. Good correction of kyphosis and reduction of tension on the neural elements were achieved without any neurological deficits. In progressive kyphosis associated with tethered cord syndrome, posterior vertebral column resection after untethering surgery represents a safe and efficacious but technically challenging option.

Giant Cavernous Malformations in Childhood: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Cavernous malformations (CMs) of the central nervous system are benign, angiographically occult vascular lesions and are diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Giant CMs do not differ from smaller-sized CMs in their clinical, surgical or histopathological presentation but may be radiologically different. In this paper, we report a 10-year-old male with a giant CM of 8 × 7.5 × 7 cm in diameter that was completely removed by microsurgical treatment. This case addresses important points for practicing neurosurgeons to consider when making a differential diagnosis of large intracranial mass lesions in pediatric patients. In this report, the radiological features of this vascular malformation are described based on a pertinent literature review.

Clinical characterization of unusual cystic echinococcosis in southern part of Turkey.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The incidence of primary extrahepatic cystic echinococcosis (CE) is rare. Generally, radiological and serological findings can help establish the diagnosis of hepatic and pulmonary CE, but a CE in an unusual location with atypical radiological findings may complicate the differential diagnosis. The objective of this study is to present the characteristics of cases with extrahepatic CE in respect of sites of involvement, clinical presentations, radiological findings, serological diagnostic evaluations, and outcomes of infected patients. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: A retrospective analysis of surgically treated CE was conducted between January 1993 and January 2014 in the General Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Urology, Cardiovascular Surgery, Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics departments of University of Cukurova, Faculty of Medicine, Balcal Hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among the 661 patients managed for CE, 134 had unusual sites of involvement. Radiological and serological examinations were used to differentiate CE from alveolar echinococcosis. RESULTS: Of 134 cases with unusual sites of involvement, 32 cases had liver CE (23.9%), 7 cases had lung CE (5.2%), and 2 cases had concomitant liver and lung CE (1.5%). In 93 (69.4%) cases, unusual organ involvement was isolated without any liver or lung involvement. The mean age was 45 years. Abdominal pain was the main symptom and was found in 104 patients. Thirty-one (23.1%) of 134 extrahepatic CE cases were evaluated as negative with indirect hemagglutination (IHA). However, positive results were obtained in 54 cases evaluated with Echinococcus granulosus IgG Western blot (WB), including 10 IHA-negative cases. CONCLUSION: CE with unusual localizations may cause serious problems of diagnostic confusion. The combination of clinical history, radiological findings, and serological test results (especially the WB) are valuable in diagnosing extrahepatic CE.

Effect of neutralization of rat interleukin 6 bioactivity on inducible nitric oxide synthase up-regulation and cerebral ischemic damage.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to investigate whether neutralization of rat interleukin 6 (IL-6) bioactivity attenuates inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) up-regulation and ameliorates cerebral ischemic damage in a model of focal central nervous system (CNS) ischemia. METHODS: Seventy rats were randomly allocated to groups: Group I (n=10) consisted of normal controls; Group II (n=20) underwent surgical exposure of the middle cerebral artery but no cauterization; the remaining 40 rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion. Immediately after occlusion, each of these 40 rats was randomly assigned to either the occlusion-only group (Group III, n=20) or the occlusion plus IL-6 antibody treatment group (Group IV, n=20). Half of the rats from each of Groups II, III and IV were eternized at 24 hours and the other half at 72 hours. The samples were used for iNOS immunohistochemistry and structural analysis. RESULTS: A single dose of the antibody had no effect on structural changes and iNOS at 24 hours after occlusion. However, administering three doses of the antibody resulted in markedly decreased quantitative and qualitative levels of iNOS-positive stained cells and milder subcellular damage compared with the findings in the occlusion-only group at 72 hours after occlusion. DISCUSSION: Our findings prove that IL-6 bioactivity is one of the pathological events that trigger the induction of iNOS in the process of CNS ischemic injury. It appears that there may be therapeutic value in neutralization of IL-6 bioactivity to attenuate iNOS up-regulation and ameliorate cerebral ischemic damage in long-term recovery.

Predicting the probability of meningioma recurrence in the preoperative and early postoperative period: a multivariate analysis in the midterm follow-up.

We reviewed the clinical, radiological, surgical, and histopathological features of patients with meningiomas to identify factors that can predict tumor recurrence after "microscopic total removal," to improve preoperative surgical planning, and to help determine the need for close radiological observation at shorter intervals or the need for radiotherapy as an adjuvant treatment in the early postoperative period. Clinical data, magnetic resonance imaging studies, angiographic data, operative reports, and histopathological findings were examined retrospectively in 137 patients with a meningioma treated microsurgically and with no evidence of residual tumor on postoperative MR images. Based on univariate analysis, tumor size, a mushroom shape, proximity to major sinuses, edema, osteolysis, cortical penetration, signal intensity on T2-weighted MRIs, pial-cortical arterial supply, presence of a brain-tumor interface in surgery, Simpson's criteria, and histopathological classification were significant predictors for recurrence. However, age, gender, location of tumor, dural tail, calcification, signal intensity on T1-weighted images, and histopathologic subtypes in the benign group were not significant predictors. By Cox regression analysis the most important variables related to the time to recurrence were mushroom shape, osteolysis, dural tail, and proximity to major sinuses. Aggressive surgical therapy with wider dural removal should be considered in the presence of the preoperative predictors of a recurrence. Close radiological observation at shorter intervals or radiotherapy should be considered as adjuvant therapy in high-risk patients based on surgical findings predicting recurrence related to the brain-tumor interface, Simpson's criteria, and histopathological findings in the early postoperative period.

Chondromas of the falx cerebri and dural convexity: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Intracranial chondromas usually arise from the base of the skull. They rarely originate from the convexity dura and falx. Here we describe two cases of intracranial chondroma located at the convexity dura and falx, discuss the genesis, radiologic, histologic features and review the literature.

Right pulmonary artery--left atrial communication presenting with brain abscess: a case report.

Direct communication between the right pulmonary artery and left atrium is a very rare vascular malformation. We report a patient with this anomaly. She presented with unexplained cyanosis and brain abscesses. The diagnosis was made with contrast echocardiography and angiography. We treated this anomaly successfully with surgery. Complete cure for this anomaly can be achieved by ligation.

Huge bilateral pulmonary and pleural metastasis from intracranial meningioma: a case report and review of the literature.

A case of recurrent meningioma with atypical features and extracranial metastases is reported. A 34-year-old female was operated in 1996, 2000, and 2002, and frontal parasagittal meningioma was extirpated. Histological diagnoses of all the resected tumors were meningotheliomatous meningioma, WHO Grade I. However, 2 years later, the tumor recurred in the frontal scalp and was removed again totally. Histological diagnosis was reported as an atypical meningioma; meningotheliomatous type; WHO Grade II. She received radiation therapy. But the tumor had metastasized to the lung and pleura. Transthoracic tru-cut biopsy was performed from large mass of the left lung. Cytopathology was consistent with malignant meningioma, metastasis from the patient's known intracranial meningioma. Ki-67 staining index at the primary and metastatic sites of the present cases were 7 and 5%, respectively. We reviewed and discussed the histopathological features and mechanisms of metastasizing meningioma.

Congenital intracranial immature teratoma of the lateral ventricle: a case report and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Congenital intracranial tumors are very rare and only account for 0.5-1.5% of all childhood brain tumors. The most common type of these tumors present at birth is teratomas, which represent 0.5% of all intracranial tumors. Most teratomas are midline tumors located predominantly in the sellar and pineal regions. In this study, we report a neonatal intracranial immature teratoma at the lateral ventricle because of its rare location. CASE REPORT: A 3-day-old female neonate presented with a history of irritability, vomiting, and recurrent generalized clonic seizures since birth. A head computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging disclosed a large tumor filling the right lateral ventricle and extending into the ipsilateral posterior fossa. With right parieto-occipital craniotomy, large grayish-white lobulated vascular mass was encountered and total removal of tumor was performed. Histological examination revealed the diagnosis of immature teratoma. CONCLUSION: The prognosis of congenital intracranial immature teratoma is usually poor because the lesions are extensive when they are identified. Prenatal ultrasonography is necessary for the prenatal diagnosis. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging should be made for the evaluation of intracranial tumor. If the tumor is detected before the 24 week of gestation, termination of the pregnancy should be considered.