Gamma knife surgery for cavernous hemangiomas in the cavernous sinus.

BACKGROUND: Cavernous hemangioma in the cavernous sinus (CS) is a rare vascular tumor. Direct microsurgical approach usually results in massive hemorrhage. Radiosurgery has emerged as a treatment alternative to microsurgery. OBJECTIVE: To further investigate the role of Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) in treating CS hemangiomas. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 7 patients with CS hemangiomas treated by GKS between 1993 and 2008. Data from 84 CS meningiomas treated during the same period were also analyzed for comparison. The patients underwent follow-up magnetic resonance imaging at 6-month intervals. Data on clinical and imaging changes after radiosurgery were analyzed. RESULTS: Six months after GKS, magnetic resonance imaging revealed an average of 72% tumor volume reduction (range, 56%-83%). After 1 year, tumor volume decreased 80% (range, 69%-90%) compared with the pre-GKS volume. Three patients had > 5 years of follow-up, which showed the tumor volume further decreased by 90% of the original size. The average tumor volume reduction was 82%. In contrast, tumor volume reduction of the 84 cavernous sinus meningiomas after GKS was only 29% (P < .001 by Mann-Whitney U test). Before treatment, 6 patients had various degrees of ophthalmoplegia. After GKS, 5 improved markedly within 6 months. Two patients who suffered from poor vision improved after radiosurgery. CONCLUSION: GKS is an effective and safe treatment modality for CS hemangiomas with long-term treatment effect. Considering the high risks involved in microsurgery, GKS may serve as the primary treatment choice for CS hemangiomas.

Primary intradural hemangiopericytoma with intramedullary invasion.

Hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is a rare tumor of the central nervous system and is usually found intracranially. Intraspinal HPCs are very rare and mostly involve the extradural bony structures. Primary intradural HPC has only been reported in 10 cases, all of which occurred in the extramedullary region. Intramedullary invasion has never been reported. Here, we describe a case of primary intradural HPC of the thoracic spine that presented initially with paresthesia and paraplegia of both legs. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic spine showed an intradural dumbbell-shaped tumor at the T10 level. The initial impression was neurogenic tumor, meningioma, or metastasis. During operation, the tumor was found to have obvious intramedullary invasion. Gross-total removal was done, and the patient's neurological function improved; there was no recurrence at the 3-year follow-up. There is no consensus as to what constitutes the optimal treatment of HPC, but most neurosurgeons will advocate gross-total resection. A comparative analysis between intradural and extradural HPCs showed a higher chance of gross-total resection for intradural HPCs, while the recurrence rates showed no difference. The role of adjuvant radiotherapy remains uncertain. Due to the high risk of recurrence and metastasis of HPCs, close follow-up for a long period is mandatory.

Occult occipital condyle fracture with normal neurological function and torticollis.

Occipital condyle fracture is a rare and easily neglected fracture. We describe a case of type III fracture with torticollis and normal neurological function. A young woman who had experienced a head injury was suffering from neck pain. Torticollis developed several days later and a CT scan of the cervical spine revealed a type III left occipital condyle fracture. She had no neurological deficits. External cervical traction and 3 months of halo vest immobilization were applied. A follow-up CT scan showed good healing and re-attachment of the bony fragment. The patient recovered well without adverse sequelae. We conclude that physicians should be alert to the possibility of occipital condyle fracture in trauma patients.

Heart rate variability measures as predictors of in-hospital mortality in ED patients with sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive capability of heart rate variability (HRV) measures of patients with sepsis in the ED for in-hospital death. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational study. A consecutive cohort of patients visiting the ED of a university teaching hospital who met the criteria of sepsis over a 6-month period were enrolled in this study. General demographics, vital signs, laboratory data, and Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis score were obtained in the ED; the in-patient medical record was reviewed; and a series of continuous 10-minute electrocardiographic signals were recorded for off-line HRV analysis to assess the in-hospital mortality of the patients. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-two patients aged 27 to 86 years who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. According to the in-hospital outcome, the patients were categorized into 2 groups: nonsurvivors (n = 10) and survivors (n = 122). The baseline HRV measures, including SDNN, TP, VLFP, LFP, and LFP/HFP ratio, of nonsurvivors were significantly lower, whereas the nHFP was significantly higher, than those of survivors. Multiple logistic regression model identified SDNN and nHFP as the significant independent variables in the prediction of in-hospital mortality for ED patients with sepsis. The receiver operating characteristic area for SDNN and nHFP in predicting the risk of death was 0.700 and 0.739, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Heart rate variability measures, especially the SDNN and nHFP, may be used as valuable predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with sepsis attending the ED.

Sensory and motor recovery after repairing transected cervical roots.

BACKGROUND: Adult mammal sensory axons avulsed through spinal dorsal root traction injuries, especially of the brachial plexus or cauda equina, cannot normally regenerate through axonal outgrowth from the DRG into the spinal cord, thus causing clinical conditions that require neuronal regeneration for sensory recovery and for which no successful treatment has yet been reported. METHODS: To evaluate the sensory recovery of the forelimb after transection of their left cervical dorsal and ventral roots (C6-C8) at their spinal cord junctions, 22 SD rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups: transection only (control 1); transection followed by repair using intercostal nerve grafts and fibrin glue (control 2); transection, repair, and application of aFGF and fibrin glue (experimental group). The following tests were reperformed after retransecting the repaired nerve roots to discount collateral innervation from adjacent nerve roots: motor function (grasping power), mechanical sensitivity to pain and touch (foot-withdrawal response to mechanical stimuli), temperature sensitivity (foot-withdrawal response to cold stimulus), and electrophysiologic sensory responses (measurement of cortical SEP). RESULTS: After transection and repair, the experimental group rats showed recovery in both motor (grasping power) and sensory (touch, pain, and temperature sensation) nerve functions. Neuronal regeneration was confirmed by the reappearance of cortical SEP and by its disappearance after retransection of the repaired cervical nerve roots. CONCLUSION: Using our strategy for repairing transected cervical nerve roots, motor and sensory recovery was achieved in adult rats. The success of our study highlights possible treatment options for humans with avulsion injuries of the dorsal roots from the spinal cord.

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome with infiltration of cerebrospinal fluid by immature eosinophils: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is characterized by persistent hypereosinophilia with end organ damage and no definite underlying cause. It has been recognized that eosinophils can induce varying degrees of neural damage. There are only a few reports in the literature regarding CSF by eosinophils, and the relationship between hypereosinophilic syndrome and eosinophilic leukemia remains unclear. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report a case of IHS with CSF infiltration by immature eosinophils and significant subdural effusion with underlying brain parenchyma compression. He was treated by inserting a subdural-peritoneal shunt with improvement. Respiratory distress and pulmonary infiltration with eosinophils developed. Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) was added with improvement, and subsequent CSF study showed normalization of CSF cytology analysis. However, re-collection of subdural fluid developed later and resulted in consciousness disturbance, and the patient died thereafter. CONCLUSION: Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome remains a serious condition with a poor prognosis for most patients. Cerebrospinal fluid infiltration by immature eosinophils is a rare condition in IHS and may lead to poor prognosis, as observed in this patient, despite improved medical management (steroid and imatinib mesylate) and adequate surgical shunting for the subdural effusion.

Posterior inferior cerebellar artery with extracranial origin harboring an extracranial aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: We report on a rare case of a saccular aneurysm on the TM segment of the right PICA. The aneurysm was located at the nonbifurcation region of the PICA. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient underwent a brain CT scan that revealed a diffuse SAH and an IVH in the fourth ventricle with obstructive hydrocephalus. After external ventricular drainage to relieve the hydrocephalus, the aneurysm was demonstrated by cerebral digital subtraction angiography. CONCLUSIONS: The origin of the PICA aneurysm was extracranial and intradural, illustrating a rare location of such type of aneurysm.

Cervical spinal stenosis and myelopathy due to atlas hypoplasia.

This paper describes a patient who presented at our hospital with neurologic symptoms due to congenital cervical spinal stenosis at the atlas level. Congenital atlantal stenosis is usually due to hypoplasia of the posterior arch of the atlas. It is a rare cause of spinal stenosis, and only 12 symptomatic patients with isolated atlantal stenosis have been reported. Current treatment is surgical decompression, and all reported patients receiving surgical treatment improved to some degree.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for intracranial mature teratoma--long-term results and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this report is to present long-term outcomes of gamma knife radiosurgery for intracranial mature teratoma after debulking surgery. METHODS: Three patients with intracranial mature teratoma had initial target volumes of 5.4, 18.7, and 5.1 cm(3), respectively, and were treated by gamma knife radiosurgery between 1993 and 2004. Marginal doses of 17, 12.5, and 13.5 Gy, respectively, were delivered to the tumors at isodose levels of 50%, 50%, and 62%, respectively. The first patient received radiosurgery after surgical removal and conventional radiotherapy. The second patient received similar management, including surgery and radiotherapy, with tumor recurrence. Two additional operations and subsequent radiosurgery were performed on this patient. Based on the favorable results of the first 2 patients, we performed radiosurgery instead of conventional radiotherapy after subtotal surgical removal in the last patient. By reviewing literatures concerning the therapeutic modalities and the long-term results of our 3 patients, we discuss the role of radiosurgery in treating intracranial mature teratoma. RESULTS: A follow-up period of 121, 89, and 31 months, respectively, demonstrated tumor volume reduction rates of 70%, 89%, and 48%, respectively. No evidence of further tumor progression and no radiosurgery-related complication or morbidity was noted. The school performances of the affected children are all above average. CONCLUSIONS: Gamma knife radiosurgery provides a safe and effective alternative as the adjuvant treatment of intracranial mature teratoma after surgical debulking. Previous conventional radiotherapy does not alter final tumor control. Radiosurgery should be considered when residual tumor growth continues with no related symptoms or evaluations of tumor markers during follow-up.

Malignancy of intracerebral lesions evaluated with 11C-methionine-PET.

Positron emission tomography (PET) allows examination of a variety of physiological parameter, including blood flow, glucose, amino acid and oxygen metabolism. However, correlation of PET scan findings and the degree of malignancy of intracerebral tumors continues to be controversial. Nine patients with primarily diagnosed intraparenchymal brain tumors were included in this study. We performed 11C-methionine-PET (met-PET) prior to surgical treatment and the differential absorption ratio (DAR) was calculated. All patients underwent open or stereotactic surgery and specimens for pathological diagnosis were obtained. The biological activity of each tumor was determined by calculation of the proliferation index from MIB-1 immunohistochemistry. The DAR of met-PET for individual tumors correlated with the histological diagnosis and degree of malignancy and this was further confirmed by good correlation with the MIB-1 proliferation index. We conclude that met-PET may be a reliable and effective preoperative evaluation to determine the type and malignancy of intraparenchymal brain lesions.

Navigator system-assisted endoscopic fenestration of a symptomatic cyst in the septum pellucidum--technique and cases report.

Expanding cysts of the septum pellucidum are rare and frequently manifest as intermittent headaches. Although the technique of endoscopic fenestration has been used since 1999, only a limited number of cases have been reported. We have added the use of a navigator system to guide keyhole creation and endoscopic access. To provide experience in navigator endoscopic treatment of symptomatic cyst of septum pellucidum and long-term follow-up of the surgical result. Under the guidance of the navigator system, a burr hole was made and rigid endoscope was inserted into the lateral ventricle through a working sheath. With direct visualization, only one side of the lateral wall of the cyst was fenestrated. And a grasping basket was used to further dilate the perforated hole. Patient A, a 14-year-old male adolescent, had an acute onset of severe headache with increased intracranial pressure. Patient B was a 37-year-old woman with a diagnosis of medically intractable migraine. Both patients experienced dramatic symptomatic relief after surgery at 4.5- and 2-year follow-up exams, respectively. The technique of navigator-assisted endoscopic fenestration in the treatment of a symptomatic cyst of the septum pellucidum might be a safe and effective method. It achieved satisfactory results in our two patients.

Differential generators for N20m and P35m responses to median nerve stimulation.

To study the spatial and behavioral dynamics of cortical sources for N20m and P35m at varying stimulus intensities, we measured neuromagnetic cortical responses to left electric median nerve stimulation at the wrist in 17 male healthy adults. The stimulus intensity levels were individually determined according to sensory threshold (ST) for perceiving electric pulses. Using equivalent current dipole (ECD) modeling, we analyzed the peak latencies, amplitudes, and locations of ECDs from 14 subjects for N20m and P35m elicited at 2 ST, 3 ST, and 4 ST. Compared with N20m, P35m was localized 3.3 +/- 0.6 mm more superiorly at 2-4 ST, and 2.9 +/- 1.2 mm more medially at 3-4 ST. Superimposed over subjects' own MR images, N20m ECDs were localized in the area of 3b contralateral to stimulus side in all 17 subjects at 3 ST, whereas P35m ECDs were localized either in the postcentral (in 14 subjects) or in the precentral areas (in 3 subjects). We found no clear correlation between N20m and P35m in terms of peak latencies as well as the corresponding growth of activation strengths along with stepwise increase in stimulus intensity. Our results imply that the two early SEF components, N20m and P35m, have differential cortical generators, with distinctive neurophysiological behaviors in response to varying stimulus intensity levels.

Repair of multiple cervical root avulsion with sural nerve graft.

To obtain easier access to avulsed roots in the intradural space for patients suffering cervical root avulsion, the authors of this study developed a novel repair method. This involves using nerve grafts to bridge corresponding segments of the spinal cord and the trunk or cord level of the plexus, respectively, in two surgical stages. All eight patients admitted to this study received pre- and post-operative workups of electrophysiological evaluations and muscle power grading through Medical Research Council (MRC) scores. The degrees of impairment were also graded according to a modified version of Dumitru's and Wilbourn's scale (mild = 1; moderate = 2; severe = 3). The preoperative versus post-operative differences in the severity of the injuries and in the grading of the target muscle power were calculated according to the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The preoperative degree of the severity of the injuries, as measured by electromyography (EMG), was 3.00 +/- 0.00 (mean +/- S.D.). The post-operative result was 2.125 +/- 0.641. Significant change took place after repair (P = 0.0313). Moreover, although little improvement was observed in the triceps, brachioradialis (BR), extensor carpi radialis (ECR), flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) and intrinsic hand muscles, the MRC grading showed significant yet not prominent motor recovery in the deltoid and biceps brachii (both P = 0.0313). We were impressed that the initial significant statistical results of differences in pre- and post-operative severity of the injuries and muscle power grading, demonstrated that regeneration does occur with this repair strategy.

Health-related quality of life among urban, rural, and island community elderly in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There are published norms of the 36-item short form of the Medical Outcomes Study Questionnaire (SF-36) for many countries, but few such studies have been conducted in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to provide the norms for the SF-36 health status measure in urban, rural, and remote island community elderly populations, and to explore the relation between demographic or characteristic factors and the SF-36. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was used for door-to-door data collection in this survey of an urban, a rural, and a remote population (Shihpai, Yuli, and Kinmen, respectively, in Taiwan). Interviewers also collected information on subjects' demographics, medical history, use of health services, and health-related quality of life using the SF-36. A total of 6503 subjects who were at least 65 years of age were invited, and 4424 (73.1%) participated in the survey. RESULTS: The urban norms were significantly higher than the rural norms in seven scales of the SF-36 and significantly higher than the remote island norms in 4 scales, including physical functioning (84.6 vs 77.1), role limitations due to physical problems (77.8 vs 70.2), general health perceptions (70.5 vs 65.5), and role limitations due to emotional problems (90.6 vs 85.2). Remote island norms were significantly higher than urban and rural norms in vitality and mental health scales. In the multivariate analyses, women had significantly poorer scores in all scales of the SF-36 than men (p < 0.05), except for social functioning. Higher education was significantly associated with increased scores in all scales, except for vitality/energy and mental health scales. Scores of all scales were significantly reduced according to the number of chronic diseases a subject had. The need for domestic services and utilization of inpatient and outpatient health services were associated with lower scales (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences between urban, rural, and remote island elderly populations in most scales of the SF-36. The urban elderly population had the greatest health-related quality of life on most scales, particularly on the physical health scales. The remote island elderly population had the highest scores on the vitality and mental health scales, whereas the rural elderly population had the poorest health-related quality of life, particularly rural women.

Posterior transarticular screw fixation for chronic atlanto-axial instability.

Treatment for chronic atlanto-axial instability remains problematic despite recent innovations in new surgical techniques and instrumentation. Our team reviewed a series of 23 cases of patients with chronic atlanto-axial instability who underwent posterior transarticular screw fixation operations between May 1998 and September 2002. Etiologies of these patients included failed prior surgery, rheumatoid arthritis, congenital anomalies and old odontoid fractures. The clinical presentations were nuchal pain and cervical myelopathy or radiculopathy, with sensory and/or motor deficits that persisted for more than 3 months. We routinely used external reduction to realign the C1-C2 axis prior to operating, and operated on patients using halo-vest fixation. After surgery, the halo-vest was replaced by a collar. In the post-operative follow-up, 22 of the 23 patients (96%) were found to have achieved solid, bony or fibrous union of the C1-C2 axis. Eleven of the 14 (79%) patients with pre-operative neck pain experienced immediate relief or significant improvement. Thirteen of the 20 patients (65%) with myelo-radiculopathy demonstrated improvement of previous motor deficits. Major morbidity included a vertebral artery (VA) injury and a malpositioned screw. No cases of mortality or neurological complications occurred in this series. Posterior transarticular C1-C2 screw fixation results in a high fusion rate without the additional need for rigid external immobilization. It allows good neurological recovery in cases of chronic atlanto-axial instability. Judicious pre-surgical planning and meticulous operative technique may avoid neurological complications and vertebral artery injury.

Acidic FGF enhances functional regeneration of adult dorsal roots.

It has been well documented that the regeneration of sensory axons severed in the dorsal roots into the spinal cord is largely inhibited in adult mammals. We investigated whether peripheral nerve grafts combined with acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) could induce the regeneration of transected dorsal roots in adult rats, as evaluated by cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). Median nerve (forelimb) stimuli produced consistent responses in the primary somatosensory cortex of normal rats, but these were completely eliminated after the transection of cervical 6th - 8th roots. The dorsal root stumps were immediately anastomosed to the cord with intercostal nerve grafts. Subsequently, aFGF in fibrin glue was administered to the grafted area. Four to twenty weeks after rhizotomy, six of the seven rats receiving such reconstruction had recovery of SEPs. The reappearing SEPs typically showed similar waveforms and latencies as normal ones. They were eliminated by retransection of the repaired roots, thus verifying their source as the regenerated roots. We present here substantial evidence that aFGF enhances the functional restoration of cut dorsal roots. Cortical SEPs is considered a useful tool in evaluating such regeneration. These results may offer therapeutic potential in the treatment of dorsal root injuries.

Cervical root repair in adult rats after transection: recovery of forelimb motor function.

Functional recovery was achieved in rats after repairing the transected left sixth and seventh cervical roots. Intercostal nerves were used for reanastomosis between the transected roots and the spinal cord, and acidic fibroblast growth factor with fibrin glue was applied. Experimental rats showed relevant functional recovery of gait and grooming reflexes. Electromyography demonstrated less denervation and more regeneration. Horseradish peroxidase retrograde axonal tracing disclosed a statistically significant increase of motor neuron survival, suggesting that motor neuron survival was significantly correlated with functional recovery. It is our belief that this novel treatment strategy may help patients with similar injuries in the future.

Forelimb muscle activity following nerve graft repair of ventral roots in the rat cervical spinal cord.

Current research on the cellular mechanisms of nerve regeneration suggests the application of nerve growth factors at the repair sites to be beneficial. To test the effectiveness of this approach, we performed transections of the C6 and C7 ventral rootlets from their original sites in the spinal cord of 18 rats. We investigated the electrophysiological changes in three groups of rats operated on by different repair strategies. Six rats comprised the control group (G1). In the other 12 rats, 24 rootlets were implanted into the spinal cord by means of an intercostal nerve graft through the pia mater immediately after transection. Six rats (G2) had fibrin glue applied at the incision. The last 6 rats (G3) had grafts with acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) added to the fibrin glue. The rats' functional recovery was evaluated electrophysiologically at 6 weeks and 6 months after the operation. Needle electromyography showed profound fibrillation potentials (Daube's scoring system) in the deltoid, biceps, and triceps of the operated forelimbs in all groups 6 weeks after the operation. After 6 months, there was a significant decrease in the amount of fibrillation potentials in all groups (G1, G2 and G3, p < 0.0001, 0.0001, 0.0009, respectively, generalized estimating equation, repeated measures) and a significantly high probability for motor units present in sampled muscles of G2 and G3 as compared to G1 (log odds ratio in G2 = 51.8316, G3 = 57.4262, generalized estimating equation). We conclude that several cervical roots can regenerate through intercostal nerve grafts applied using fibrin glue. Adding aFGF may increase the efficacy of sprouting.