Glioblastoma Adjacent to Radiosurgically Treated Arteriovenous Malformation: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a noninvasive therapy for patients suffering from both benign and malignant intracranial pathologies. While SRS allows for increased precision and efficacy, significant risks have been reported, such as radiation necrosis. Although traditional radiation therapies are associated with a well-understood risk of causing tumors or inducing malignancy, the risks associated with SRS are not well understood. Here, we present the case of a patient who underwent SRS post-Onyx embolization of a Spetzler-Martin grade 4 left parasagittal arteriovenous malformation. Four years later, the patient presented with a high-grade glioma adjacent to where the SRS was targeted. SRS has fundamentally altered the way we treat intracranial pathologies. While the risks for SRS-induced glioma appear to be extremely low, this case illustrates that they ought to be considered. Here, we discuss the details of our case and explore the currently available literature. Knowing these potential risks will further aid physicians and patients balance the associated benefits and risks.

An Analysis of Political Contributions from Neurosurgeons in the United States.

BACKGROUND: As the uncertainty surrounding the future of U.S. health care policy intensifies, political advocacy and campaign contributions have become increasingly relevant. This study describes the trends of political contributions of U.S. neurosurgeons from the years 2003-2019. METHODS: Individual contribution data from 2003-2019 were obtained from the Federal Election Commission website. Contributions were filtered for occupation lines matching either "neurosurg," "neurologic surgeon," or "neurological surgeon." Each contribution is designated to a recipient committee associated with a political candidate or group. The party designations of these committees were used to catalogue donations as "Republican," "Democratic," or "Independent." RESULTS: From 2003-2019 a total of 9242 political donations were made by self-identified neurosurgeons amounting to $8,469,121. Most of these contribution dollars were directed to Independent committees (47.9%). Of all Independent contribution dollars from 2005-2019, 95.9% were directed to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Political Action Committee. The total number of unique contributions increased from 442 contributions in 2003 to 650 in 2019. Democrats experienced the most substantial increase in support, from 4.8% of all contribution dollars in 2003 to 26.3% in 2019. Republican support was noted to be more widespread across the United States compared with Democratic support. CONCLUSIONS: Political contributions from U.S. neurosurgeons have increased steadily over time. Donations were largely Independent but became increasingly partisan in recent years. Overall, this displays an increase in political involvement among the neurosurgeon community. Future studies are warranted into how this involvement translates to representative health policy.

Differences by Practice Year in Numbers of U.S. Female Neurosurgeons.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the proportion and number of female neurosurgeons in the workforce at different stages of practice. METHODS: The Physician Compare National Downloadable File data set was obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for physicians who indicated "neurosurgery" as their primary specialty. Physician duplicates, physicians with no listed medical school graduation year, and physicians expected to be in residency (graduation years 2013-2019) were removed, yielding 4956 neurosurgeons. Five-year intervals were used to measure the number of male and female neurosurgeons by different stages of their careers. For example, graduates from years 2008-2012 were expected to be in their first 1-5 years of practice. RESULTS: There were 405 female (8.2%) and 4551 male (91.8%) neurosurgeons. At 1-5 years of practice, 13.8% (105/760) were women; 6-10 years, 11.5% (94/820) women; 11-15 years, 8.9% (64/720) women; 16-20 years, 8.7% (59/682) women; 21-25 years, 7.4% (46/619) women; 26-30 years, 3.8% (20/520) women; 31-35 years, 3.6% (15/413) women; and 36 years or more, 0.5% women (2/422). The number of female neurosurgeons varied among states, ranging from 0 in Hawaii to 53 in California. The states with the lowest percentage of female neurosurgeons were Hawaii (0%), Oklahoma (3.1%), and Nevada (3.6%). The states with the highest percentage of female neurosurgeons were New Hampshire (20.0%), Vermont (16.7%), and Rhode Island (15.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The number of practicing female neurosurgeons within the United States is increasing, as shown by the growing percentage of women who are earlier in their surgical careers.