Compound elevated skull fracture with occlusion of the superior sagittal sinus. A case report.

This is a case report of compound elevated skull fracture. This is a very rare variant of skull fractures. A CT angiogram demonstrated occlusion in the mid 1/3rd of superior sagittal sinus. Only few cases have been reported before. This patient was managed by the Neurosurgery department of Square Hospitals Ltd. Dhaka who had a history of assault and diagnosed as compound elevated fracture. He was managed surgically and was discharged without any intracranial complication. Etiology, clinical findings and operatives findings had a similarity with other published cases.

Endoscopic management of thalamic gliomas.

The management of thalamic gliomas is extremely variable, ranging from radical excision in some cases to more conservative therapy such as a biopsy and radiation. There is a high incidence of associated hydrocephalus. The principles of management are, therefore, histological diagnosis, CSF diversion and adjuvant therapy. Endoscopy appears to offer a new approach to achieve histology and CSF diversion. The various goals achieved with the use of endoscopy in the management of 4 patients with thalamic gliomas are described. With the endoscope we achieved histological diagnoses and CSF diversion was facilitated in all these cases. There were no complications. The advantages of endoscopy in the management of thalamic masses are discussed. Endoscopic intervention appears to offer a modular approach to these lesions.

Brainstem glioma: comparative study of clinico-radiological presentation, pathology and outcome in children and adults.

Although the clinical and imaging features and behaviour of brain stem gliomas in children are well documented, similar data are not available, for adults. We have carried out a retrospective study, on 101 consecutive patients (71 children and 30 adults) with a histologically verified brain stem glioma. Duration of symptoms, clinical features, imaging characteristics, histopathology and outcome were specifically compared in children and adults with brain stem glioma. Peak incidence was in the first decade in children and in the third and fourth decades in adults. Mean duration of symptoms before admission was 9.7 months in adults and 3.6 months in children (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the clinical features between adults and children. Imaging characteristics revealed no major differences except that diffuse hypodense lesions involving the whole brainstem accounted for 41.2% of the lesions in children and only 11.1% of adults (P < 0.001). A stereotactic biopsy was performed in 92 patients and an open biopsy or partial excision in 9 patients. Histopathological examination showed that the majority of gliomas were diagnosed as grade II astrocytomas in both groups. Survival was significantly shorter in children when compared to adults (P < 0.01). While the tumour grade was a significant factor in predicting survival in adults, in children it did not correlate with outcome. Therefore, determination of the grade of a brain stem glioma may be of prognostic significance in adult patients.

Penetrating intracranial wooden object: case report and review of CT morphology, complications, and management.

BACKGROUND: Penetrating intracranial wooden fragments after vehicular accidents are uncommon. The CT morphology, complications, and management in such cases are quite variable. CASE REPORT: A 27-year-old male was seen with a "twig" from a tree embedded firmly just below the right medial canthus after a motorcycle accident. Diagnosis of intracranial penetrating wooden object was made on CT scanning. The wooden stick, which had splintered into two, was extricated through a craniotomy in two operative sessions. However the patient succumbed to septicemia and meningitis on the twelfth day after the accident. CONCLUSIONS: The need for prompt extrication of these objects and the causes of high mortality in this condition are discussed. The importance of imaging the intracranial compartment in injuries involving the periorbital region is emphasized.

Sacral nerve root cysts: A review on pathophysiology.

Nerve root cysts of the sacral region are generally asymptomatic but are known to cause neurogenic claudication. In this paper we present an elderly lady who presented with claudication, whose MR imaging showed a sacral cyst. She underwent lumbo-sacral laminectomy, partial excision of the cyst wall with plication. A review of the possible pathophysiology of such a lesion is discussed.

Predictive value of computed tomography-based diagnosis of intracranial tuberculomas.

The need to obtain histological diagnoses of intracranial tuberculomas, before initiating therapy, is not universally accepted, because some clinicians believe that an image-based diagnosis is fairly accurate in patients from endemic regions. To evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of computed tomography (CT)-based diagnosis of an intracranial tuberculoma, we prospectively compared the preoperative imaging diagnoses with histological diagnoses in 105 consecutive patients with intracranial masses. CT differential diagnoses (first or second) of tuberculomas were considered in 21 patients. Seven of them were histologically confirmed to have tuberculomas (true-positive results); 14 had other diseases (false-positive results). The 14 false-positive cases included 6 cases of astrocytomas, 5 of metastases, and 3 with miscellaneous diagnoses. All tuberculomas were correctly diagnosed on the CT scans (5 by both surgeons and 2 by one surgeon). During the study period, we encountered 11 patients who were referred by other clinicians with diagnoses of tuberculomas on the basis of their CT scans. We concurred with their CT diagnoses in 5 of them, but only 1 patient had a histologically verified tuberculoma. Astrocytomas (4 patients), metastases (3 patients), and solitary cysticercus granulomas (3 patients) were the causes of misdiagnosis in this group of patients. Although the sensitivity of CT in the diagnosis of intracranial tuberculomas is 100%, and its specificity is 85.7%, the positive predictive value is only 33% (confidence limits, 24-42%). The negative predictive value is 100%. The low positive predictive value for a diagnosis of intracranial tuberculoma on CT alone indicates the need for a confirming histological diagnosis.

Mucoceles: a neurosurgical perspective.

The neurosurgical manifestations in three patients with sphenoid sinus mucoceles and two others with fronto-ethmoidal mucoceles are presented. In two patients, sphenoid sinus mucoceles produced visual loss while in the other severe headache was the only symptom. Both patients with fronto-ethmoidal mucoceles presented with proptosis. All patients had surgical treatment. While other symptoms were relieved following treatment, visual loss remained unchanged in both patients in whom it was present. We recommend a high level of suspicion for mucoceles as a cause of sudden or progressive visual loss. Prompt surgical therapy is needed to achieve good visual outcome.

Tuberculous granuloma of the clivus.

We report the clinical features of a middle-aged man who presented with multiple cranial nerve dysfunction and who, on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, proved to have a lesion of the clivus extending down to the body of the axis. Biopsy and limited excision showed this to be a tuberculous granuloma which grew M. tuberculosis on culture.