ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of burrhole craniostomy with and without a postoperative course of dexamethasone on recurrence rate of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). METHODS: The study was conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, from September 2017 till May 2018. Adult patients diagnosed with CSDH and advised burrhole craniostomy were enrolled in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomized into Group-1 (receiving two weeks dexamethasone), and Group-2 (no dexamethasone). Clinical assessment and Brain CT were done preoperatively, second postoperative day, sixth and twelfth postoperative week, with outcome assessed at twelfth postoperative week. Complications of treatment and recurrence rate were recorded. RESULTS: Ninety-two (n=92, 46 in each group) patients were enrolled. Improvement in neurological (95.7% vs 93.5%; P=0.646) and radiological outcome (95.7% vs 93.5%; P=0.646) was similar in both groups. Complication rate was higher in Group-1 but not significantly different (58.7% vs 43.5%; P=0.535). Most frequent complication was pneumocephalus, with mortality rate equal (n=one). Recurrence was observed in 2.2% (n=1/46) patients in Group-1 and 4.3% (n=2/46) in Group-2 (P=0.557), which was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Neurological and radiological outcome, and mortality rates were similar in both groups. The recurrence rate was lower and complications slightly higher in Group-1 but these were not statistically significant.
ABSTRACT
Portal hypertensive biliopathy is described as abnormalities of the walls of the biliary tree secondary to portal hypertension. In literature it has also been named as "Cholangiopathy associated with portal hypertension", "Portal biliopathy" and "Portal cavernoma associated cholangiopathy". It is usually asymptomatic and found incidentally, but rarely patients do present with symptoms of abdominal pain, jaundice, asthenia and fever. Treatment is warranted in symptomatic cases only, and is dictated by the clinical manifestations and complications of the disease process. Due to presence of underlying severe portal hypertension, endoscopic biliary intervention is usually the first line of management, and is relatively safe and often sufficient. When surgery is resorted to, a porto-systemic shunt prior to biliary bypass procedure provides early relief of obstructive biliary symptoms and often precludes the need for a biliary bypass surgery. This review describes the pathophysiology, presentation, progression and management approaches to portal biliopathy.
