Minimally invasive anterior approach for kyphoplasty of the first thoracic vertebra in a patient with multiple myeloma.

A vertebral body collapse of the first thoracic vertebra (T1) was diagnosed after radiological investigation in an adult male suffering for severe dorsal pain due to suspected multiple myeloma (MM). According to the principles of minimally invasive neurosurgery and the aesthetic needs of the patient, an open T1 kyphoplasty was performed by means of a right anterior approach through the inferior brow of the neck, generally utilized for the anterior approaches to the cervical spine. The histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of MM and the postoperative radiological investigation showed a good vertebral body (VB) restoration. No gross neurological deficit was noted and the patient was discharged within a few days after a good recovery. Kyphoplasty is a percutaneous technique utilized by means of a posterior approach for VB restoration from T4 to the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) in patients with vertebral body compression fractures (VCFs) of osteoporotic, traumatic and neoplastic origin. Anatomic obstacles make the performance of posterior kyphoplasty from T1 to T4 very difficult. To the best of our knowledge no anterior approach for T1 kyphoplasty has been reported in the literature. Our experience gives us the opportunity to emphasize this approach and this technique for the minimally invasive treatment of the VCFs of this segment of the spine.

Unilateral supraorbital keyhole approach in patients with middle cerebral artery (M1-M2 segment) symmetrical aneurysms.

A left middle cerebral artery aneurysm at the bifurcation (M1-M2 segment) and a right smaller aneurysm, symmetrical to the previous one were diagnosed in a 69-year-old female after angiographic examination for subarachnoid hemorrhage. The preoperative radiological study did not enable us to identify the bleeding aneurysm so a left supraorbital keyhole approach was performed to operate on the bigger aneurysm. In the same surgical session, using the same way of approach, we decided to attack also the right aneurysm which then revealed itself as being responsible for bleeding. The postoperative angiograms confirmed the complete exclusion of both aneurysms and the patient was discharged after good recovery. Although there are remarkable controversies about the surgical strategies for multiple aneurysms, our experience gives us the opportunity to emphasize the supraorbital keyhole approach and to reconsider the "timing" of multiple/bilateral aneurysms.

Tapping of a type II Sylvian fissure arachnoid cyst: technical note.

A 28-year-old man with a large Sylvian fissure cyst was treated by making a small pre-coronal burr hole, and subsequently, under a direct view its wall was fenestrated with a Cushing's needle and the cyst fluid was tapped. The patient had complete neurological recovery. The follow-up was of 90 months.

Laparoscopic removal of two dislocated ventriculoperitoneal catheters: case report.

In a child two previously migrated abdominal catheters from ventriculoperitoneal shunts were removed from the abdominal cavity by use of laparoscopy. Avoiding the usually longitudinal laparatomy, two small incisions were necessary to insert the laparoscope (sub-umbilical incision) and grasping forceps (left iliac pit incision). Laparoscopy allowed for identification of a working ventriculoperitoneal shunt, that was correctly in place, and for removal of two old migrated catheters. The child was mobilized the same day and the post-operative course was uneventful.