Simultaneous Closure of Bilateral Cranial Defects Using Custom-Made 3D Titanium Implants: A Single Institution Series.

AIM: To investigate the outcomes of the simultaneous closure of bilateral cranial defects using custom-made three-dimensional (3D) titanium implants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Demographic data of 26 patients with bilateral cranial defects who underwent cranioplasty using the 3D custom-made titanium implants in our clinic between 2017 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Data on the area of cranium defect, the time interval between last cranial surgery and cranioplasty, postoperative complications, etiology of the cranium defect, and hospitalization of the patient were statistically evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of bilateral cranioplasty was 19.11%. The gender distribution of patients was 4 (15.4%) female and 22 (84.6%) male, with a mean age of 29.08 ± 14.65 years. The mean defect area was 35.0 ± 19.03 and 29.24 ± 22.51 cm2 on the right and left sides, respectively. The etiology of the cranium defect was gunshot wounds in 12 patients, and 14 patients had a history of trauma-related injuries such as falls and vehicle accidents. Eight patients had a history of failed cranioplasty with autologous bone. Postoperative complications were wound dehiscence in two patients and diffuse cerebral edema in one patient. No mortality was recorded. CONCLUSION: The custom-made cranioplasty is feasible for simultaneous closure of bilateral cranial defects. Many complications can be prevented by careful preoperative evaluation before surgery and an appropriate implant selection for the patient.

Endoscopic endonasal approach to the cavernous sinus Epstein-Barr virus-positive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in a child: case report.

Cavernous sinus (CS) lymphoma without paranasal sinuses involvement is extremely rare in pediatric population and remains a diagnostic challenge due to its similarity to other tumors located in this area. An 8-year-old boy presented with a 6-day history of gradually developing ptosis in the right eyelid. After admission, his symptoms progressed within 24 h to include right-sided ophthalmoplegia consisting of oculomotor and abducens nerve palsies. Endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) was performed urgently to decompress the CS and to obtain a diagnosis. The postoperative course was uneventful, and there was no complication related to the surgical approach. No immunodeficiency was identified. The histopathological diagnosis was an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive high-grade mature B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was initiated chemotherapy according to COG ANHL01P1 protocol. Two months after surgery, the third and sixth nerve palsies had resolved completely. Currently, he is well and has no clinical or radiological recurrence. This is the first pediatric case with EBV-positive CS lymphoma that underwent EEA for the diagnosis and decompression. In the pediatric population, EEA enables minimally invasive access to the CS and can play an alternative role in the management of CS lesions, either through biopsy or debulking.

Resection of intra- and paraventricular malignant brain tumors using fluorescein sodium-guided neuroendoscopic transtubular approach.

BACKGROUND: The requirement of brain retraction and difficulty in distinguishing the tumor demarcation are challenging in conventional approaches to intra- and paraventricular malignant tumors (IV-PVMTs). Tubular retractors can minimize the retraction injury, and fluorescein-guided (FG) surgery may promote the resection of tumors. Our aim is to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of fluorescein-guided endoscopic transtubular surgery for the resection of IV-PVMTs. METHODS: Twenty patients with IV-PVMTs underwent FG endoscopic transtubular tumor resection. Fluorescein sodium was administered before the dural opening. The intraoperative fluorescence staining was classified as "helpful" and "unhelpful" based on surgical observation. Extent of resection was assessed using postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score was used to evaluate the general physical condition of patients. RESULTS: There were 9 glioblastomas, 4 anaplastic astrocytomas and 7 metastatic tumors. "Helpful" fluorescence staining was observed in 16(80%) of 20 patients. Gross total resection was achieved in 16(80%) cases, near-total in 3(15%) cases, and subtotal in 1 (5%) case. No intra- or postoperative complications related to the fluorescein sodium occurred. The median preoperative KPS score was 83, and the median KPS score 3-month after surgery was 88. CONCLUSION: FG endoscopic transtubular surgery is a feasible technique for the resection of IV-PVMTs. It may be a safe and effective option for patients with these tumors. Future prospective randomized studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these preliminary data.

Fluorescein Sodium-Guided Neuroendoscopic Resection of Deep-Seated Malignant Brain Tumors: Preliminary Results of 18 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Deep-seated intracranial lesions are challenging to resect completely and safely. Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) promotes the resection of malignant brain tumors (MBTs). Classically, FGS is performed using microscope equipped with a special filter. Fluorescence-guided neuroendoscopic resection of deep-seated brain tumors has not been reported yet. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of the fluorescence-guided neuroendoscopic surgery in deep-seated MBTs. METHODS: A total of 18 patients with high-grade glioma (HGG) and metastatic tumor (MT) underwent fluorescein sodium (FS)-guided neuroendoscopic surgery. Tumor removal was carried out using bimanual microsurgical techniques under endoscopic view. The degree of fluorescence staining was classified as "helpful" and "unhelpful" based on surgical observation. Extent of resection was determined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score was used for evaluation of general physical performances of patients. RESULTS: A total of 11 patients had HGG, and 7 had MT. No technical difficulty was encountered regarding the use of endoscopic technique. "Helpful" fluorescence staining was observed in 16 patients and fluorescent tissue was completely removed. Postoperative MRI confirmed gross total resection (88.9%). In 2 patients, FS enhancement was not helpful enough for tumor demarcation and postoperative MRI revealed near total resection (11.1%). No complication, adverse events, or side effects were encountered regarding the use of FS. KPS score of patients was improved at 3-mo follow-up. CONCLUSION: FS-guided endoscopic resection is a feasible technique for deep-seated MBTs. It is safe, effective, and allows for a high rate of resection. Future prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm these preliminary data.

Sellar Defect Reconstruction with Vascularized Superior Turbinate Mucosal Flaps in Endonasal Endoscopic Transsellar Approach.

BACKGROUND: The pedicled nasoseptal flap (NSF) constitutes the primary reconstructive option for most skull base defects in endonasal endoscopic approaches. The superior nasal turbinate (ST) has received little attention. We report our preliminary experience with the use of the ST mucosal flap in selected cases. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent endonasal endoscopic approaches and identified 9 patients who were reconstructed with vascularized ST mucosal flaps as part of a double-layer or triple-layer reconstruction. When there was no intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, we used a double-layer technique. If there was an intraoperative CSF leak, regardless of the quality of leakage, we preferred a triple-layer repair technique. In patients with high-flow leaks, triple-layer repair was performed using only autologous tissue grafts and flaps. RESULTS: Intraoperative CSF leaks were noted in 7 of 9 patients. Among them, 4 patients had low-flow CSF leaks (grade 1 and 2) and 3 patients had high-flow CSF leaks (grade 3). All reconstructions had complete defect coverage with the ST flaps and NSFs were preserved. All the flaps were viable at 4 weeks without a CSF leak or complication at the reconstruction site. There was no contraction or partial loss of the flap. After a mean follow-up period of 9 months, none of the patients required a flap revision, developed a mucocele, infection, or other complication. CONCLUSIONS: An ST flap can be used for the vascularized reconstruction of sellar defects if it is bilaterally available. This option should not be overlooked and wasted.

Intracranial infections: lessons learned from 52 surgically treated cases.

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial infections are serious and life-threatening health problems. They may present as subdural empyemas or intracerebral abscesses. Surgical drainage and subsequent antibiotic treatment is the main technique for a satisfactory clinical outcome. The aims of this study were to present a 10-year intracranial infection series and discuss the surgical characteristics in the light of literature. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with intracranial infection underwent surgical treatment between 2008 and 2018. Eleven patients were female and 41 patients were male. The mean age was 40.46 years (range 10-75 years). Eighteen patients had intracerebral abscesses, and 34 had subdural empyemas. All patients underwent surgical treatment as well as an antibiotic regimen. RESULTS: No etiological agent was isolated in 29 (56%) cases. Bacterial agents were detected in 20 cases, while fungi were observed in 3 cases. Staphylococci species were the most common agents and were isolated in 8 (15%) cases. Endoscopic aspiration was performed in 3 cases, while surgical drainage and capsule resection via craniotomy was performed in 49 cases. An associated intracranial tumor was diagnosed in 2 patients with brain abscesses. Four (8%) patients died despite surgical and medical treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment via craniotomy is an older method, but it is still the best to treat the intracranial infections not only for decompression of the brain but also to attain an accurate diagnosis. The abscess wall should always be histologically examined after surgery to rule out any intracranial tumor.

Extended endoscopic endonasal approach to the ventral skull base lesions.

OBJECTIVE: With the use of multiple endoscopic endonasal surgical corridors, extended endoscopic endonasal approaches (EEEAs) are now being used to treat a wide range of ventral skull base lesions. Our aim was to present our experience with EEEAs to the ventral skull base lesions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 106 patients (57 men and 49 women) who underwent surgery for skull base lesions using EEEAs from 2010 to 2017. The EEEA was most commonly used for giant pituitary macroadenomas, sinonasal malignancies, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas, and fibro-osseous lesions. Four different approaches were used including transtuberculum-transplanum, transethmoidal-transcribriform, transclival, and transmaxillary-transpterygoidal. RESULTS: The overall gross total resection (GTR) rate for these diverse pathologies was 75.0% in 88 patients (excluding the operations performed for non-neoplastic pathologies). GTR was achieved in 100%, 77.8%, 75%, 75%, 72.2%, 62.5%, 60% of fibro-osseous lesions, giant/large pitutary adenomas, meningiomas, esthesioneuroblastomas, sinonasal malignancies, craniopharyngiomas, and chordomas, respectively. The overall rate of improvement in visual fields was 86%. The overall rate of CSF leak was 8.4%. Other surgical complications included intracerebral hematoma and tension pneumocephalus. The mortality rate was 0.9%. CONCLUSION: EEEA is a safe, well-tolerated and effective surgical treatment modality in the management of ventral skull base lesions. It should be performed with close interdisciplinary collaboration. Appropriate case selection is mandatory. However, despite improved reconstruction techniques, postoperative CSF leakage still remains a challenge.

Comparison of Electrophysiological Outcomes of Tethered Cord Syndrome and Spinal Intradural Tumors: A Retrospective Clinical Study.

AIM: Electrophysiological evaluation of the outcomes of spinal procedures is important for neurosurgeons. Somatosensorial evoked potentials (SSEPs) are used for electrophysiological evaluation of tethered cord syndrome (TCS) and spinal intradural tumors (SIT). The aim of this study was to document the electrophysiological outcomes of surgery for TCS and SIT and to compare the results based on the preoperative diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of 30 patients, who were operated for TCS and SIT between 2011 and 2013, were reviewed retrospectively. Surgical release of the spinal cord was performed for TCS and tumor removal was performed for SIT. Median and tibial nerve SSEPs at the left and right sides were measured at preoperative, early and late postoperative periods and compared statistically based on the diagnosis and the time of electrophysiological assessment. RESULTS: The diagnosis was TCS in 12 (40%) patients and SIT in 18 (60%) patients. There was a significant difference between preoperative, and early and late postoperative SSEPs values. Tibial nerve latencies were prolonged in the early postoperative, but shortened in the late postoperative period. In contrast, median nerve latencies were shortened in the early postoperative, but prolonged in the late postoperative period. There was no significant difference between the TCS and SIT groups based on the surgical intervention. CONCLUSION: Tibial nerve latency may be prolonged in the early postoperative period of TCS and SIT patients. However, electrophysiological changes were not predictive for these patients. Further studies with more patients are needed for other spinal lesions.

Endoscopic Removal of Suprasellar Colloid Cyst with Interpeduncular and Prepontine Cisterns Extension.

BACKGROUND: Colloid cysts (CCs) are rarely found in the sellar-suprasellar region. Differential diagnosis of CCs is more challenging in this region because many other cystic lesions may locate or invade sellar or suprasellar structures. We present a large and unusual case of sellar-suprasellar CC with extension into the suprasellar, interpeduncular, and prepontine cisterns. This is the first case of sellar-suprasellar CC treated with an endoscopic transsphenoidal approach. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 33-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of recurrent headaches. Her headaches had been unresponsive to medical treatment for the last 2 weeks. She had normal neurologic and ophthalmologic examinations. Neuroradiologic studies showed a large cystic sellar lesion with extension into the suprasellar, interpeduncular, and prepontine cisterns. The lesion did not show any enhancement, not even in the cyst wall. Her hormonal status was also normal. The cystic lesion was totally resected via a purely endoscopic endonasal approach. There were no complications, and the patient was recovered completely with improvement of her headache. Pathology was consistent with a CC. At 6-month follow-up, magnetic resonance imaging did not show any evidence of the residual or recurrent lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Although rarely found in this location, CC should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients who present with a sellar-suprasellar cystic lesion. Additionally, sellar-suprasellar CC would be a good candidate for the endoscopic endonasal approach.

Fully Endoscopic Resection of Intra-Axial Brain Lesions Using Neuronavigated Pediatric Anoscope.

AIM: To present a new simple disposable tubular retractor which provides fully endoscopic resections of the intraaxial brain lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 13 patients underwent surgical resection of an intraaxial brain lesion larger than 3 cm with a fully endoscopic approach using the navigation-guided pediatric anoscope. The anoscope was adapted to serve as a tubular retractor. All lesions were resected under endoscopic visualization and navigation guidance. There were 7 men and 6 women with a mean age of 49.6 years (range, 19-76 years). Lesion location was as follows: frontal (n=4), parietal (n=1), frontoparietal (n=2), temporal (n=2), and intraventricular (n=4). RESULTS: With the use of this technique, preoperative goals of surgery were met in all patients. Gross total resection of the lesions was achieved in 7 of 13 patients (53.8%), near-total resection in 3 patients (23.1%) and subtotal resection in 3 (23.1%) patients. The histological diagnosis included 2 metastases, 5 (38.5%) glioblastomas, 3 meningiomas, 2 low grade gliomas and one oligodendroglioma. There were no complications related to the surgical procedure. Duration of surgery ranged from 60 to 110 minutes, with an average 90 minutes. The average postoperative hospital stay was 2.7 days. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic resection of deep-seated brain lesions with the neuronavigated tubular retractor is a safe and an effective technique and may be a feasible alternative to conventional microsurgical or endoscope-assisted methods in selected patients. The modified transparent plastic pediatric anoscope can be used as a tubular retractor and it is easy to apply, simple, lightweight, inexpensive and effective.

Endoscope-Assisted Microsurgical Removal of an Intraventricular Ependymal Cyst That Manifested with Tremor.

BACKGROUND: Intraventricular ependymal cysts (ECs) are rare, histologically benign neuroepithelial cysts. Most of these cysts are clinically silent and discovered incidentally. Rarely, they become symptomatic, leading to obstruction of the cerebrospinal fluid circulation. ECs located inside the ventricles may manifest with signs of increased intracranial pressure. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 32-year-old woman presented with a 6-year history of tremor affecting her left hand. In the last month, she had been experiencing headache as well, and the tremor of the left hand was affecting her quality of life. The patient demonstrated a fine resting and intention tremor of the left hand and a voice tremor. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large cystic, nonenhancing lesion within the right lateral ventricle. The fluid within the cyst was isointense to cerebrospinal fluid on all sequences. Because of the rapid progression of her symptoms and no response to medication, surgical decompression of the cyst was considered. The cyst was removed by an endoscope-assisted microsurgical technique. Her postoperative course was uneventful. A marked reduction in her tremor was noted in the immediate postoperative period. Histopathologic diagnosis was of an EC. During the follow-up period, the patient's tremor, although still present, had improved dramatically. At 6 months postoperatively, she could hold a drinking glass without spilling. CONCLUSIONS: This is a unique case of an intraventricular EC that manifested with tremor, which improved by endoscope-assisted microsurgical removal of the cyst. This case also supports the important role of endoscopic surgery in the treatment of intraventricular cystic lesions.

The effects of different types of hair shaving on the body image and surgical site infection in elective cranial surgery.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of different types of shaving on body image and surgical site infection in elective cranial surgery. BACKGROUND: Hair shaving before cranial surgery is commonly performed in many countries. However, the impact of shaving on the patients' body image and surgical site infection is not, as yet, well investigated. DESIGN: A randomised-controlled design was used in this study. METHODS: The sample comprised 200 patients who underwent elective cranial surgery between March 2013-August 2014. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention criteria were applied for the preoperative preparation of patients and for the follow-up of surgical site infection. Wound swab cultures were obtained four times from all patients. The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale was used to assess changes in the body image of patients. FINDINGS: The rate of surgical site infection was 1% for each group and for all patients. There was no difference between the groups of surgical site infection. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus epidermidis were mostly isolated in the swab cultures. The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale score decreased in patients who underwent strip shaving and increased in patients with regional shaving. CONCLUSION: There is no difference between strip shaving and regional shaving in the development of surgical site infection after cranial surgery. In addition, regional hair shaving negatively affects the patients' body image. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Findings of this study provide useful evidence-based information for healthcare professionals. The development and implementation of effective interventions result in the prevention of surgical site infection and improvement of the patients' body image in elective cranial surgery.

Evaluation and Management of Lumbosacral Myelomeningoceles in Children.

OBJECTIVE: Myelomeningoceles are the common form of open neural tube defects that are usually associated with neurological deficits. Many techniques of repair and methods of prevention have been proposed with respect to the size of defect and the neurological condition of patient. The aim of this study was to report our experience on the management of lumbosacral myelomeningoceles in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the data of 36 paediatric cases of surgically lumbosacral myelomeningocele treated in our department between 1998 and 2013. Twenty (56%) patients were female and sixteen were male, with a mean age of 4 months (ranged between 0 and 24 months). All patients had neurological deficits in the preoperative period. Computed tomography was performed in 33 (92%) patients and magnetic resonance imaging in 15 (42%) patients in the preoperative period. Repair of the myelomeningocele and closure of the skin defect were performed in all patients. The mean follow-up period was 36 months. RESULTS: Thirty (83%) patients were operated for hydrocephalus and 10 (28%) patients were re-operated for tethered cord syndrome during the follow-up period. Neurological worsening was not observed in any patient while cerebrospinal fluid fistula was detected in 2 patients. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment using appropriate microsurgical techniques is crucial for lumbosacral myelomeningoceles in children. Early surgical intervention with close follow-up will improve the neurological condition of the patients.

Computer-based surgical planning and custom-made titanium implants for cranial fibrous dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: The procedure of reconstruction after the removal of cranial fibrous dysplasia (FD) must be precise to achieve good functional and aesthetic results. Intraoperative modeling of implants is difficult and may cause cosmetic disturbances. OBJECTIVE: To present our experience with the treatment of cranial FD using preoperative computer-based surgical planning of tumor removal with reconstruction of the cranium with custom-made titanium implants. METHODS: Four patients underwent surgical treatment for cranial FD over a 2-year period. All patients were male with a mean age of 25.25 years and had monostotic-type FD. Computed tomography (CT) with 0.5-mm slices was obtained preoperatively. Computer-based planning of the tumor removal was performed, and a template was created by the computer to determine the margins of tumor removal. After this procedure, the preoperative computer-based construction of the titanium implant was performed. The patients underwent surgical treatment, and the tumor was removed with the use of this template. Then, the titanium implant was inserted onto the bone defect and fixed with mini-screws. Patients were followed up by periodic CT scans. RESULTS: The histological diagnosis of all patients was FD. No intraoperative or postoperative complications have occurred. Postoperative CT scans showed complete tumor removal and confirmed appropriate cosmetic reconstruction. The mean follow-up period was 15.25 months. CONCLUSION: Computer-based surgical planning associated with the production of custom-made titanium implants is a highly promising method for the treatment of cranial FD. Better radiological and cosmetic outcomes could be obtained by this technique with interdisciplinary work with medical designers.

Surgical strategies for the removal of sphenoorbital meningiomas.

AIM: Surgical removal of sphenoorbital meningiomas is challenging for neurosurgeons. The aim of study is to share our experience on sphenoorbital meningiomas and to provide a picture of the current state of the art in surgical treatment of these tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of 13 cases of sphenoorbital meningioma who were operated between 2006 and 2013 was reviewed retrospectively. Intraorbital extension was present in 10 cases while sphenoid bone invasion was detected in 9 cases. All patients underwent surgical treatment after the radiological evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. The degree of resection and the clinical outcome of all patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Extended pterional approach with a large frontotemporal craniotomy was performed in all cases. Simpson's grade I and II excision was achieved in 4 (31%) cases while subtotal excision (Simpson's grade III or higher) was performed in 9 cases. The main reason for subtotal excision was the cavernous sinus invasion. Optic canal decompression was performed in patients with intraorbital invasion. CONCLUSION: Although total removal is the main objective of surgery, the sphenoorbital meningiomas are difficult to resect especially with cavernous sinus invasion. But in the meantime, it is not recommended to take any excessive risks to achieve a greater degree of resection for a benign tumor. Endoscopic approach is an option for inferomedial orbital parts of these tumors.

The use of neuronavigation and intraoperative imaging systems in the surgical treatment of orbital tumors.

AIM: We aimed to show the effects of neuronavigation and intraoperative imaging systems on the surgical outcomes of orbital tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventeen patients who underwent surgical treatment for orbital tumors by transcranial and transnasal approaches between 2008 and 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Twelve of them were male and 5 were female. The mean age was 41.6 years. Neuronavigation systems were used in all cases. Four patients were operated using intraoperative imaging systems. RESULTS: The transcranial approach was used in 9 (53%) patients, endoscopic medial orbital approach in 4 (23.5%), endoscopic inferolateral approach in 1 (6%), cranioorbitozygomatic approach in 1, lateral approach in 1, and the combined (medial endoscopic and lateral) approach in 1 patients. Total resection was achieved in 5 patients, gross total excision in 2, subtotal in 9 and partial in 1 patients. CONCLUSION: Modern technology has made a significant contribution to the treatment of orbital tumors. Although technological equipments facilitate the excision of tumors, the level of resection is mainly determined by the nature of tumor and adhesion to the adjacent neurovascular structures. It should not be forgotten that advanced technology never replaces a good anatomical knowledge and surgical experience, but has a complementary role.

Central nervous system involvement of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia diagnosed with stereotactic brain biopsy: case report.

Prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) is a generalized malignancy of the lymphoid tissue characterized by the accumulation of monoclonal lymphocytes, usually of B cell type. Involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is an extremely rare complication of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL). We describe a case of T-PLL presenting with symptomatic infiltration of the brain that was histopathologically proven by stereotactic brain biopsy. We emphasize the importance of rapid diagnosis and immediate treatment for patients presenting with CNS involvement and a history of leukemia or lymphoma.

The use of a simple self-retaining retractor in the endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach to the pituitary macroadenomas: technical note.

BACKGROUND: During tumor removal in the endoscopic endonasal approach to pituitary adenomas with a significant suprasellar extension, the early descent of diaphragma sellae obscuring the visualization of the surgical field is a surgical challenge. OBJECTIVE: To describe a simple diaphragma retraction technique to eliminate this problem. METHODS: A transparent flexible material (a strip of polypropylene) was used as a self-retaining retractor to elevate the redundant diaphragma and to maintain the diaphragma elevation. This technique was performed in 3 patients who had pituitary adenoma with suprasellar extension. The degree of tumor removal was determined by a combination of surgeon's intraoperative impression and the postoperative magnetic resonance imaging obtained 3 months later. RESULTS: The technique was performed very easily and no complication was observed owing to this technique and self-retaining retractor. Total tumor removal was achieved in 2 patients with this technique and subtotal removal in 1 patient. CONCLUSION: This technique was effective and practicable to elevate the diaphragma sellae during the tumor removal phase of transsphenoidal surgery. This simple self-retaining retractor may support the neurosurgeon's skill by providing control of the entire surgical field and adequate working space. It may also eliminate the risks of blind curettage during surgery.

Concomitant tubercular and fungal cerebellar abscess in an immunocompromised girl.

Concomitant tubercular and fungal cerebellar abscess is rare and we report the first concomitant recurrent multi-lobulated tubercular and fungal cerebellar abscess in an immunocompromised girl with Histiocytosis-X. She presented with cerebellar abscess history diagnosed during the ongoing treatment for tuberculous meningitis. The abscess was drained. Upon the detection of cerebellar abscess recurrence and pulmonary infection, she was referred to our clinic five weeks after the first surgical intervention. Patient was conscious, co-operating but confused. She had severe cachexia, stiff neck and fever. Fundus examination showed bilateral papilledema. Cranial MR images revealed multiple lobulated lesions. Suboccipital craniectomy was performed and abscess was evacuated in toto. Lesion was multi-lobulated. Thick, yellow-gray purulent material was drained. Histopathological examinations yielded Langhans giant cells,budding and branching fungal structures. Fungal infection was identified. We emphasize that posterior decompression and total resection should be considered first in the management of lesions with mass effect in the posterior fossa. Also the presence of concomitant fatal fungal abscess highlights that although the clinic and former diagnoses of the patient may direct the clinician to a certain pathogen, unusual resistant organisms should not be.

The effects of Diesel exhaust particles on neural tube development in the early stage chicken embryo.

AIM: Particulate matter is an important air-pollutant and its toxicity has been reported. Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) constitute a large portion of particulate matter. Therefore, we established our study to investigate the effects of DEP on neural tissue in early stage chicken embryos. MATERIAL and METHODS: Four study groups and one control group, each of which included 24 objects were designed. Eggs were incubated for 30 hours. Solutions of DEP containing 10, 50, 100, and 200 µg/0.1 ml were prepared with serum saline. At the end of thirty hours diesel exhaust particle solutions were administered under the embryonic discs. After 72nd hour of the incubation, embryos were excised and evaluated macroscopically and histopathologically. RESULTS: The difference between the embryos that were defined as poorly and well developed, was found statistically significant (p < 0.05). Neural tube defects were detected in 16 of 104 embryos. Statistically significant association between the administration of DEP and development of neural tube defect was identified (p=0.037). CONCLUSION: Thus, the direct neurotoxic effects of DEP, which the whole population encounters inevitably, have been shown in the early stages of embryonic development. Further studies are needed to identify the effects of these particles in the later stages of embryonic development.