Liver histopathology in scope of hematological disorders.

Liver involvement is commonly seen in various haematological disorders. They present clinically with elevation of liver enzymes and organomegaly, with or without mass lesions. However, liver involvement may be silent in many hematological disorders or there may be specific findings in liver biopsy that can lead to the diagnosis of clinically inapparent hematological disorders. Present review highlights features of hepatic manifestations in various hematological diseases with special emphasis on histopathological findings. Among RBC disorders, secondary hemochromatosis is the commonest among patients with hemolytic anemia; whereas Sickle Cell Hepatopathy is a well known complication in Sickle Cell Disease, characterised by sequestration of sickled RBCs in sinusoids. Vascular complications such as Budd Chiari syndrome and portal venopathy with portal vein thrombosis are seen in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms. However, sometimes primary hematological disease may remain occult. Various lymphomas show characteristic pattern of hepatic involvement, most common being sinusoidal and portal infiltration. Pattern of infiltration may give clues to different types of lymphomas. Amongst all lymphomas, Diffuse large B cell lymphoma is the most common lymphoma involving liver. Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a fatal systemic condition and liver involvement by widespread fibrin thrombi, is not an exception. Assessing liver histopathology in context of hematological conditions makes better understanding of pathophysiology and progress of these diseases. It is important for hematologists and hepatologist to be aware of possible liver involvement in various hematological diseases presenting with elevated LFTs and have a logical approach to abnormal LFTs.

High-Flow Bypass and Clip Trapping of a Giant Fusiform Middle Cerebral Artery (M1) Aneurysm: Technical Case Instruction.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Giant intracranial aneurysms have a poor natural history with mortality rates of 68% and 80% over 2-year and 5-year, respectively. Cerebral revascularization can provide flow preservation while treating complex aneurysms requiring parent artery sacrifice. In this report, we describe the microsurgical clip trapping and high-flow bypass revascularization for a giant middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 19-year-old man was diagnosed with a giant left MCA aneurysm after he suffered a left hemispheric capsular stroke 6 months ago. Since then, the patient recovered from the right hemiparesis and dysarthria with residual symptoms. Neuroimaging demonstrated a giant fusiform aneurysm encompassing the entire M1 segment. The bilobed aneurysm measured 37 × 16 × 15 mm. Endovascular treatment options included partial coiling of the aneurysm followed by deployment of flow-diverting stent spanning from the M2 branch-through the aneurysm neck-into the internal carotid artery. Because of the high risk of lenticulostriate artery stroke with endovascular treatment, the patient opted for microsurgical clip trapping and bypass. The patient consented to the procedure. High-flow bypass from internal carotid artery to M2 MCA was performed using radial artery graft, followed by aneurysm clip trapping using 3 clips. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate the successful microsurgical treatment for a complex case of giant M1 MCA aneurysm with fusiform morphology. High-flow revascularization using radial artery graft helped in achieving good clinical outcome with complete aneurysm occlusion with flow preservation despite the challenging morphology and location. Cerebral bypass continues to be a useful tool to tackle complex intracranial aneurysms.

Intraoperative neuromonitoring for pediatric Chiari decompression: when is it useful?

OBJECTIVE: Surgical treatment for symptomatic Chiari I malformation involves surgical decompression of the craniovertebral junction. Given the proximity of critical brainstem structures, intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is employed for safe decompression in some institutions. However, IONM adds time and cost to the operation, and the benefit to the patient has not been defined. Given the diversity in surgical practices, there is no evidence-based standard of care regarding when to use IONM and which modalities are most helpful. The purpose of this study was to review a single-surgeon experience with IONM in order to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of various IONM modalities routinely used in pediatric Chiari I decompression; to examine the associations between patient, clinical, and radiographic characteristics and IONM alerts; and to obtain data regarding the usefulness of these modalities during the surgical process to improve patient outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed for 300 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent suboccipital craniectomy and C1 laminectomy for Chiari decompression performed by a single surgeon over a 15-year period. Clinical, radiographic, and IONM data were collected. Radiographic measurements of the skull base morphological abnormalities, including clival angle, Chamberlain's line, and Grabb-Oakes line, were compared between patients with and without true IONM signal changes. RESULTS: A total of 291 cases were included, with an age range of 6 months to 19 years. Among 291 cases, somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) were monitored in 291, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in 209, cranial nerve spontaneous electromyography (sEMG) in 290, and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) in 110. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, respectively, were as follows: 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, and 1.00 for SSEPs; 1.00, 0.99, 0.67, and 1.00 for MEPs; 0.00, 0.88, 0.00, and 1.00 for sEMG; and not appliable, 1.00, not applicable, and 1.00 for BAEPs. Six patients had true IONM signal changes. These patients had radiographic evidence of more severe concomitant craniocervical instability and basilar invagination, with steeper clival angles (124° vs 146°, p = 0.02) and larger Grabb-Oakes lines (10.1 mm vs 6.7 mm, p = 0.02), when compared with the patients without any true IONM changes. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative neuromonitoring may be best utilized for patients who show radiographic features of abnormal skull base morphology, defined as a clival angle < 135° or Grabb-Oakes line > 9 mm. When IONM is employed, SSEP and MEP monitoring are the most useful modalities.

Clopidogrel hyper-response increases peripheral hemorrhagic complications without increasing intracranial complications in endovascular aneurysm treatments requiring dual antiplatelet therapy.

Clinical significance of increased clopidogrel response measured by VerifyNow P2Y12 assay is unclear; management guidelines are lacking in the context of neuroendovascular intervention. Our objective was to assess whether increased clopidogrel response predicts complications from endovascular aneurysm treatment requiring dual antiplatelet therapy. A single-institution, 9-year retrospective study of patients undergoing endovascular treatments for ruptured and unruptured aneurysms requiring aspirin and clopidogrel was conducted. Patients were grouped according to preoperative platelet inhibition in response to clopidogrel measured by the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay (VNP; P2Y12 reactivity units, PRU). Demographic and clinical features were compared across groups. Hemorrhagic complication rates (intracranial, major extracranial, minor extracranial) and thromboembolic complications (in-stent stenosis, stroke/transient ischemic attack) were compared, controlling for potential confounders and multiple comparisons. Data were collected from 284 patients across 317 procedures. Pre-operative VNP assays identified 9 % Extreme Responders (PRU ≤ 15), 13 % Hyper-Responders (PRU 16-60), 62 % Therapeutic Responders (PRU 61-214), 16 % Hypo-Responders (PRU ≥ 215). Increased response to clopidogrel was associated with increased risk of any hemorrhagic complication (≤60 PRU vs > 60 PRU; 39 % vs 24 %, P = 0.050); all intracranial hemorrhages occurred in patients with PRU > 60. Thromboembolic complications were similar between therapeutic and subtherapeutic patients (<215 PRU vs ≥ 215 PRU; 15 % vs 16 %, P = 0.835). Increased preoperative clopidogrel response is associated with increased rate of extracranial hemorrhagic complications in endovascular aneurysm treatments. Hyper-responders (16-60 PRU) and Extreme Responders (≤15 PRU) were not associated with intracranial hemorrhagic or thrombotic complications. Hypo-responders who underwent adjustment of antiplatelet therapy and neurointerventions did not experience higher rates of complications.

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 and proliferative marker ki67 in colonic carcinoma.

Objective: Tumor grade employed for colorectal cancer has long been based on the degree of differentiation, which is difficult to judge objectively. The aim of this study was to assess the immunohistochemical expression of p21 and ki67 and their correlation with the histological grading of colorectal carcinoma. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 biopsy specimens of colorectal cancer were pathologically reviewed and correlation of grade and differentiation of tumor was performed with immunostaining. Results: Ki 67 and p21 markers showed inverse relationship. An inverse relationship of p21 was found with tumor grade, differentiation, Dukes staging and lymph node status, whereas no correlation could be found between these parameters and ki67 expression. Conclusion: We found that p21 can be used to assess the grading and metastatic potential of colorectal carcinoma whereas increased Ki67 expression can help us in the diagnosis of malignancy.

De novo epilepsy after microsurgical resection of brain arteriovenous malformations.

OBJECTIVE: Seizures are the second most common presenting symptom of brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs) after hemorrhage. Risk factors for preoperative seizures and subsequent seizure control outcomes have been well studied. There is a paucity of literature on postoperative, de novo seizures in initially seizure-naïve patients who undergo resection. Whereas this entity has been documented after craniotomy for a wide variety of neurosurgically treated pathologies including tumors, trauma, and aneurysms, de novo seizures after bAVM resection are poorly studied. Given the debilitating nature of epilepsy, the purpose of this study was to elucidate the incidence and risk factors associated with de novo epilepsy after bAVM resection. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who underwent resection of a bAVM over a 15-year period was performed. Patients who did not present with seizure were included, and the primary outcome was de novo epilepsy (i.e., a seizure disorder that only manifested after surgery). Demographic, clinical, and radiographic characteristics were compared between patients with and without postoperative epilepsy. Subgroup analysis was conducted on the ruptured bAVMs. RESULTS: From a cohort of 198 patients who underwent resection of a bAVM during the study period, 111 supratentorial ruptured and unruptured bAVMs that did not present with seizure were included. Twenty-one patients (19%) developed de novo epilepsy. One-year cumulative rates of developing de novo epilepsy were 9% for the overall cohort and 8.5% for the cohort with ruptured bAVMs. There were no significant differences between the epilepsy and no-epilepsy groups overall; however, the de novo epilepsy group was younger in the cohort with ruptured bAVMs (28.7 ± 11.7 vs 35.1 ± 19.9 years; p = 0.04). The mean time between resection and first seizure was 26.0 ± 40.4 months, with the longest time being 14 years. Subgroup analysis of the ruptured and endovascular embolization cohorts did not reveal any significant differences. Of the patients who developed poorly controlled epilepsy (defined as Engel class III-IV), all had a history of hemorrhage and half had bAVMs located in the temporal lobe. CONCLUSIONS: De novo epilepsy after bAVM resection occurs at an annual cumulative risk of 9%, with potentially long-term onset. Younger age may be a risk factor in patients who present with rupture. The development of poorly controlled epilepsy may be associated with temporal lobe location and a delay between hemorrhage and resection.

Frailty Predicts Postoperative Functional Outcomes After Microsurgical Resection of Ruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations in Older Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of the modified Frailty Index-5 (mFI-5) in predicting postoperative functional outcome after microsurgical resection of ruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs). METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of patients undergoing microsurgical resection of acutely ruptured bAVMs. Demographics, bAVM characteristics, mFI-5, Ruptured Arteriovenous Malformation Grading Scale (RAGS) score, and Spetzler-Martin (S-M) grade were recorded. Predictive ability of mFI-5 for postoperative functional outcome measured by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was assessed with univariate and multivariate logistic and linear regression. RAGS score and S-M grade alone were compared with adding mFI-5 to either RAGS score or S-M grade using area under the curve (AUC) analysis. RESULTS: In total, 109 patients were included. For every 1-point increase in mFI-5, there was a lower likelihood of good functional outcome (mRS score ≤2; odds ratio [OR], 0.33; confidence interval [CI], 0.15-0.60; P = 0.011). Healthy patients (mFI-5 = 0) were more likely to have good postoperative outcomes versus frail patients (mFI-5 ≥1) (OR, 3.32; CI, 1.24-8.97; P = 0.017). In multivariate analysis controlling for RAGS score, for every 1-point mFI-5 increase, there was a decreased likelihood of postoperative good functional outcome (OR, 0.32; CI, 0.14-0.63; P = 0.0026) and mFI-5 did not significantly predict secondary outcomes. S-M grade with mFI-5 showed better discrimination for postoperative good functional outcome (AUC 0.616), compared with S-M grade alone (AUC 0.544). RAGS score with mFI-5 showed the best discrimination for postoperative good functional outcome (AUC 0.798), compared with RAGS score alone (AUC 0.721). CONCLUSIONS: Measuring frailty with mFI-5 additive to established bAVM grading systems may improve assessment of individual patient likelihood of postoperative good functional outcome after hemorrhagic bAVM resection.

Post hysterectomy mesonephric carcinoma: A case report and literature review.

Mesonephric carcinoma is a rare type of carcinoma seen in the female genital tract. It arises from the mesonephric remnants situated in the broad ligament, lateral wall of the cervix, vagina, and uterine corpus. Very few cases of mesonephric carcinoma have been reported so far in the literature. The sites mentioned in various literatures include the cervix, vagina, or uterus, but we could not find any literature that mentions posthysterectomy vault as a site for mesonephric carcinoma. Here, we report a case of 40-years-old hysterectomised female who presented in the hospital with nodular growth on the vault and complaints of bleeding per vaginum. Microscopy of the lesion did not show typical morphology of mesonephric carcinoma, but immunohistochemistry played a vital role in the diagnosis of this rare tumor.

Concurrent decompression and resection versus decompression with delayed resection of acutely ruptured brain arteriovenous malformations.

OBJECTIVE: Brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs) most commonly present with rupture and intraparenchymal hemorrhage. In rare cases, the hemorrhage is large enough to cause clinical herniation or intractable intracranial hypertension. Patients in these cases require emergent surgical decompression as a life-saving measure. The surgeon must decide whether to perform concurrent or delayed resection of the bAVM. Theoretical benefits to concurrent resection include a favorable operative corridor created by the hematoma, avoiding a second surgery, and more rapid recovery and rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to compare the clinical and surgical outcomes of patients who had undergone concurrent emergent decompression and bAVM resection with those of patients who had undergone delayed bAVM resection. METHODS: The authors conducted a 15-year retrospective review of consecutive patients who had undergone microsurgical resection of a ruptured bAVM at their institution. Patients presenting in clinical herniation or with intractable intracranial hypertension were included and grouped according to the timing of bAVM resection: concurrent with decompression (hyperacute group) or separate resection surgery after decompression (delayed group). Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Groups were compared in terms of the primary outcomes of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) lengths of stay (LOSs). Secondary outcomes included complete obliteration (CO), Glasgow Coma Scale score, and modified Rankin Scale score at discharge and at the most recent follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 35/269 reviewed patients met study inclusion criteria; 18 underwent concurrent decompression and resection (hyperacute group) and 17 patients underwent emergent decompression only with later resection of the bAVM (delayed group). Hyperacute and delayed groups differed only in the proportion that underwent preresection endovascular embolization (16.7% vs 76.5%, respectively; p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the hyperacute and delayed groups in hospital LOS (26.1 vs 33.2 days, respectively; p = 0.93) or ICU LOS (10.6 vs 16.1 days, respectively; p = 0.69). Rates of CO were also comparable (78% vs 88%, respectively; p > 0.99). Medical complications were similar in the two groups (33% hyperacute vs 41% delayed, p > 0.99). Short-term clinical outcomes were better for the delayed group based on mRS score at discharge (4.2 vs 3.2, p < 0.05); however, long-term outcomes were similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Ruptured bAVM rarely presents in clinical herniation requiring surgical decompression and hematoma evacuation. Concurrent surgical decompression and resection of a ruptured bAVM can be performed on low-grade lesions without compromising LOS or long-term functional outcome; however, the surgeon may encounter a more challenging surgical environment.

Severe, Intolerable Fatigue Associated with Hyperresponse to Clopidogrel.

OBJECTIVE: Clopidogrel is a commonly used antiplatelet agent for the prevention of thromboembolic complications following neuroendovascular procedures, but anecdotal data have raised concern for the possibility that clopidogrel may induce severe, intolerable fatigue. The purpose of this study is to systematically investigate this phenomenon. METHODS: We performed a dual-institution, 9-year, retrospective study of patients undergoing clopidogrel therapy for neuroendovascular procedures. Patients were included only if their response to clopidogrel was assessed by platelet function testing using the VerifyNow P2Y12 (VNP) assay. Hyperresponse to clopidogrel was defined as P2Y12 reaction units ≤60. Patients were considered to have had clopidogrel-induced severe fatigue if the onset of symptoms followed the initiation of clopidogrel therapy; symptoms improved following a reduction in the dose of clopidogrel; and symptoms could not be attributed to any other medical explanation. RESULTS: Data were collected on 349 patients. Five patients (1.4%) met criteria for clopidogrel-induced severe fatigue. All 5 patients were female, ages 39-68. VNP assessments obtained while patients were symptomatic revealed hyperresponse to clopidogrel (0-22 P2Y12 reaction units). Symptoms improved in all 5 patients when the dose of clopidogrel was reduced by half. Notably, 30% of patients (n = 103) demonstrated a hyperresponse to clopidogrel on at least 1 VNP assessment, but 98 of these patients did not suffer from severe fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: A syndrome of severe fatigue and other constitutional symptoms is a rare but clinically significant side effect of hyperresponse to clopidogrel in patients undergoing neuroendovasular intervention.

Histomorphological and Morphometric Evaluation of Microvessel Density in Nodal Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Using CD34 and CD105.

Background Expression of angiogenic markers determined by microvessel density (MVD) could be used as a reliable predictor of prognosis and as a potential target for antiangiogenic therapy in different categories of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate MVD using immunohistochemical methods and computer-assisted quantitative image analysis in nodal NHL patients and compare CD34 and CD105 expression in lymph nodes of NHL patients. Materials and Methods The present study was conducted on 60 lymph node biopsies received in the Department of Pathology at our tertiary care center for histopathological examination. Representative paraffin-embedded tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin along with immunohistochemical stains for CD34 and CD105. MVDs were analyzed at 400× using automated image analyzer by two investigators independently. Statistical Analysis Data were calculated, tabulated, and statistically analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Studies) statistical program version 18. The values entered were mean of morphometric parameters. In all tests, p -values below 0.05 were regarded as significant. Results MVD was determined by CD34 and CD105 antibody highly correlated with different categories of NHL. Higher MVD was observed in cases of aggressive NHL as compared with indolent NHL and the difference was statistically significantly. MVD using CD105 was correlated more strongly as compared to CD34 with different categories of NHL. Conclusion The present study concluded that NHL exhibits potent angiogenic activity that increased significantly with increasing aggressiveness. The study also demonstrated that CD105 is more specific than CD34 as a marker of neoangiogenesis in NHL.

Re-examining decompressive craniectomy medial margin distance from midline as a metric for calculating the risk of post-traumatic hydrocephalus.

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a life-saving procedure in severe traumatic brain injury, but is associated with higher rates of post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH). The relationship between the medial craniectomy margin's proximity to midline and frequency of developing PTH is controversial. The primary study objective was to determine whether average medial craniectomy margin distance from midline was closer to midline in patients who developed PTH after DC for severe TBI compared to patients that did not. The secondary objective was to determine if a threshold distance from midline could be identified, at which the risk of developing PTH increased if the DC was performed closer to midline than this threshold. A retrospective review was performed of 380 patients undergoing DC at a single institution between March 2004 and November 2014. Clinical, operative and demographic variables were collected, including age, sex, DC parameters and occurrence of PTH. Statistical analysis compared mean axial craniectomy margin distance from midline in patients with versus without PTH. Distances from midline were tested as potential thresholds. No significant difference was identified in mean axial craniectomy margin distance from midline in patients developing PTH compared with patients with no PTH (n = 24, 12.8 mm versus n = 356, 16.6 mm respectively, p = 0.086). No significant cutoff distance from midline was identified (n = 212, p = 0.201). This study, the largest to date, was unable to identify a threshold with sufficient discrimination to support clinical recommendations in terms of DC margins with regard to midline, including thresholds reportedly significant in previously published research.

--Immunophenotypic Aberrancies in Acute Leukemia: A Tertiary Care Centre Experience.

OBJECTIVES: Acute leukemias (AL) are a heterogeneous group of hematological malignancies with the presence of 20% or more blasts in the peripheral blood or bone marrow. Malignant cells display characteristic patterns of surface antigenic expression. Aberrant phenotypes are defined as patterns of antigen expression on neoplastic cells different from the process of normal hematopoietic maturation. We sought to evaluate the occurrence of aberrant phenotypes in newly diagnosed cases of AL. METHODS: The study included 100 patients in whom both bone marrow aspiration and flow cytometry were performed. Patients with blasts > 20% of all ages were included in the study. Flow cytometric analysis was done using the monoclonal antibody panel of peripheral blood/bone marrow. RESULTS: Out of 100 cases, 53 were categorized as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 43 as acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), and four cases of mixed phenotypic acute leukemia (MPAL). ALL were subcategorized based on immunophenotyping into B-ALL and T-ALL, which comprised 88.4% and 11.6%, respectively, of total ALL (43.0%) cases. Cluster of differentiation 33 (CD33) and CD13 were the most commonly expressed antigens in AML, with CD7 being the most common aberrancy. CD19 was expressed in all B-ALL cases followed by cCD79a, CD10, Tdt (86.8%) with CD13 being the most common aberrancy. cCD3, CD7, and CD5 were expressed in all T-ALL cases with aberrant antigen expression in 80.0% of T-ALL cases. MPAL cases showed expression of B/myeloid antigens. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis and classification of leukemia rely on the simultaneous application of cytomorphology, cytochemistry, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, and molecular techniques. Flow cytometry is of great help in the diagnosis of AL, particularly in ALL for lineage assignment and in classifying MPAL. It also helps in detecting aberrant antigen expression and assisting in minimal residual disease detection.

Optimal panel of immunohistochemistry for the diagnosis of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma using bone marrow biopsy: a tertiary care center study.

BACKGROUND: Morphological diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is usually based on lymph node biopsy. Bone marrow biopsy (BMB) is important for staging, and morphology alone can be challenging for subtyping. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) allows a more precise diagnosis and characterization of NHL using monoclonal antibodies. However, there is a need for a minimal panel that can provide maximum information at an affordable cost. METHODS: All newly diagnosed cases of B-cell NHL with bone marrow infiltration between 2017 and 2019 were included. BMB was the primary procedure for diagnosing B-cell NHL. Subtyping of lymphomas was performed by immunophenotyping using a panel of monoclonal antibodies on IHC. The primary diagnostic panel of antibodies for B-cell NHL included CD19, CD20, CD79, CD5, CD23, CD10, Kappa, and Lambda. The extended panel of antibodies for further subtyping included CD30, CD45, CD56, Cyclin D1, BCL2, and BCL6. RESULTS: All cases of B-cell NHL were classified into the chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-CLL groups based on morphology and primary IHC panel. In the CLL group, the most significant findings were CD5 expression, CD23 expression, dim CD79 expression, and weak surface immunoglobulin (Ig) positivity. In the non-CLL group, they were CD5 expression, positive or negative CD23 expression, strong CD79 expression, and strong surface Ig expression. An extended panel was used for further subtyping of non-CLL cases, which comprised CD10, Cyclin D1, BCL2, and BCL6. CONCLUSION: We propose a two-tier approach for immunophenotypic analysis of newly diagnosed B-cell NHL cases with a minimum primary panel including CD5, CD23, CD79, Kappa, and Lambda for differentiation into CLL/non-CLL group and Kappa and Lambda for clonality assessment. An extended panel may be used wherever required for further subtyping of non-CLL.

Segmentation of Chronic Subdural Hematomas Using 3D Convolutional Neural Networks.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic subdural hematomas (cSDHs) are an increasingly prevalent neurologic disease that often requires surgical intervention to alleviate compression of the brain. Management of cSDHs relies heavily on computed tomography (CT) imaging, and serial imaging is frequently obtained to help direct management. The volume of hematoma provides critical information in guiding therapy and evaluating new methods of management. We set out to develop an automated program to compute the volume of hematoma on CT scans for both pre- and postoperative images. METHODS: A total of 21,710 images (128 CT scans) were manually segmented and used to train a convolutional neural network to automatically segment cSDHs. We included both pre- and postoperative coronal head CTs from patients undergoing surgical management of cSDHs. RESULTS: Our best model achieved a DICE score of 0.8351 on the testing dataset, and an average DICE score of 0.806 ± 0.06 on the validation set. This model was trained on the full dataset with reduced volumes, a network depth of 4, and postactivation residual blocks within the context modules of the encoder pathway. Patch trained models did not perform as well and decreasing the network depth from 5 to 4 did not appear to significantly improve performance. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully trained a convolutional neural network on a dataset of pre- and postoperative head CTs containing cSDH. This tool could assist with automated, accurate measurements for evaluating treatment efficacy.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of cervical lymph nodes: Comparison of liquid based cytology (SurePath) and conventional preparation.

BACKGROUND: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the first diagnostic step in patient with cervical lymphadenopathy because of its simplicity, safety and early availability of the results. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is an alternative processing method which is used for both gynecological and nongynecological samples. Literature reviewed show few studies comparing LBC with conventional preparation (CP). AIM: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of LBC and comparison of LBC and CP in cervical lymphadenopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, a total of 75 cases of FNAC with cervical lymphadenopathy were included. The first pass was used for CP followed by LBC with the use of SurePath (SP) technique. Both the smears were compared for cellularity, background containing blood, cell debris, lymphoglandular bodies, stromal fragments, cytoarchitectural pattern, etc., by semiquantitative scoring system. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in the cellularity, cell architecture, and monolayer cells (P > .05). On the basis of background containing blood, cell debris, lympho-glandular bodies, stromal fragments (P < .001), nuclear, and cytoplasmic details (P < .05), LBC was found to be superior to CP. CONCLUSION: LBC is a relatively simple technique and superior to CP in respect of better nuclear and cytoplasmic details with loss of background blood and debris. It has a diagnostic accuracy equivalent to that of CP. However, use of both LBC and CP can result in better diagnostic accuracy.

Issues of consent and assent in pediatric neurosurgery.

BACKGROUND: Consent and assent are important concepts to understand in the care of pediatric neurosurgery patients. Recently it has been recommended that although pediatric patients generally do not have the legal capacity to make medical decisions, they be encouraged to be involved in their own care. Given the paucity of information on this topic in the neurosurgery community, the objective is to provide pediatric neurosurgeons with recommendations on how to involve their patients in medical decision-making. METHODS: We review the essential elements and current guidelines of consent and assent for pediatric patients using illustrative neurosurgical case vignettes. RESULTS: The pediatric population ranges widely in cognitive and psychological development making the process of consent and assent quite complex. The role of the child or adolescent in medical decision-making, issues associated with obtaining assent or dissent, and informed refusal of treatment are considered. CONCLUSION: The process of obtaining consent and assent represents a critical yet often overlooked aspect to care of pediatric neurosurgical patients. The pediatric neurosurgeon must be able to distill immensely complex and high-risk procedures into simple, understandable terms. Furthermore, they must recognize when the child's dissent or refusal to treatment is acceptable. In general, allowing children to be involved in their neurosurgical care is empowering and gives them both identity and agency, which is the vital first step to a successful neurosurgical intervention.

Developing microsurgical milestones for psychomotor skills in neurological surgery residents as an adjunct to operative training: the home microsurgery laboratory.

OBJECTIVE: A variety of factors contribute to an increasingly challenging environment for neurological surgery residents to develop psychomotor skills in microsurgical technique solely from operative training. While adjunct training modalities such as cadaver dissection and surgical simulation are embraced and practiced at our institution, there are no formal educational milestones defined to help residents develop, measure, and advance their microsurgical psychomotor skills in a stepwise fashion when outside the hospital environment. The objective of this report is to describe an efficient and convenient "home microsurgery lab" (HML) assembled and tested by the authors with the goal of supporting a personalized stepwise advancement of microsurgical psychomotor skills. METHODS: The authors reviewed the literature on previously published simulation practice models and designed adjunct learning modules utilizing the HML. Five milestones were developed for achieving proficiency with each graduated exercise, referencing the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines. The HML setup was then piloted with 2 neurosurgical trainees. RESULTS: The total cost for assembling the HML was approximately $850. Techniques for which training was provided included microinstrument handling, tissue dissection, suturing, and microanastomoses. Five designated competency levels were developed, and training exercises were proposed for each competency level. CONCLUSIONS: The HML offers a unique, entirely home-based, affordable adjunct to the operative neurosurgical education mandated by the ACGME operative case logs, while respecting resident hospital-based education hours. The HML provides surgical simulation with specific milestones, which may improve confidence and the microsurgical psychomotor skills required to perform microsurgery, regardless of case type.