Pediatric head injuries: particularities and neurosurgical experience in a lower-middle income country.

PURPOSE: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study conducted in Tunisia on the neurosurgical management of child cranial trauma. The objectives of the present work were to identify the causes of pediatric head injuries, explore epidemiological and clinical specificities, and analyze the short- and long-term postoperative evolution. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on one hundred children with head injuries over a five-year period at one of the largest neurosurgery departments in Tunisia. The collected data encompassed demographic information, clinical presentation features, neuroimaging characteristics, surgical management, complications, and outcomes. RESULTS: Over a five-year period, we have found 118 children who have undergone surgery, representing an annual incidence of twenty-four children per year. The average age was 10 years. Falls emerged as the primary cause of childhood head injuries in our series, followed by road traffic accidents. The most frequently encountered initial sign was the loss of consciousness (52%), followed by headaches (28%), vomiting (25%), and seizures (8%). The average time between the accident and admission to the operating unit was 10 h. Various neurosurgeries were performed, with the evacuation of an epidural hematoma being the most common procedure. At a median follow-up of 24 months, the outcomes were favorable in 88% of cases. CONCLUSION: The main prognostic factors for head trauma in children included age, circumstances of the accident, association with polytrauma, the initial Glasgow Coma Scale, the nature of the initial cerebral lesions, and the timeliness and quality of initial management.

Apoplexy in pituitary metastasis revealing a lung carcinoma.

Pituitary metastasis (PM) is an uncommon manifestation of systemic malignant tumours. It is the least common site of intracranial metastases. As PM has no clinical or radiological pathognomonic features, their diagnosis is challenging. Herein, we present a rare case of a PM unveiling lung cancer. A 60-year-old male with no medical history of malignancy was admitted with a sudden headache, retro-orbital pain, and a severe loss of both eyes' visual acuity. After proper investigations and endoscopic resection of the sellar mass, the diagnosis was confirmed to be pituitary metastasis of lung carcinoma. PM can be the initial presentation of an otherwise unknown malignancy. Their diagnosis and management are complex and depend on many factors. Endoscopic surgical resection provides histopathological proof, helps with symptomatic relief, and improves the quality of life but has no effect on survival.

Surgical management of pituicytomas: a single-center case series.

OBJECTIVE: Pituicytomas (PT) are rare benign sellar and/or supra sellar tumors which surgical treatment might be challenging, owing to the hypervascularity of the tumor. Here, we report our experience with PTs, describe their clinical and radiological features, and propose an optimal therapeutic strategy. METHODS: This is a retrospective single-center study, reporting the clinical manifestations, radiological characteristics, histopathological features, treatment strategies and long-term outcomes of four patients who have been treated for a PT at Bicêtre University Hospital in Paris, France, over the past 7 years. RESULTS: Four patients were operated mean age at presentation was 60.25 years. Main symptoms, which tended to be progressive, included visual field defects and pituitary-hypothalamic dysfunction. Radiologically, all our cases resented with sellar and suprasellar localization with cavernous invasion in 75% of cases. Endoscopic transphenoidal approach was performed as first surgery for all cases. Transcranial route was done in one case. During surgery, important bleeding was observed in all cases. Gross total resection was obtained with a single surgery in two cases and a second surgery was necessary in the two remaining cases. Pathological diagnosis was confirmed in all cases. No recurrences were noted after an average follow-up of 3.6 years. CONCLUSIONS: PT is a rare differential diagnosis of sellar and/or parasellar tumors, whose hemorrhagic nature can become a challenge during surgery. We added four more cases to the literature to make physicians establish Piticytomas at suspicion diagnosis for sellar and/or suprasellar masses. Knowing the diagnosis, a preparation should be made preoperatively to avoid possible complications peroperatively.

Spinal clear cell meningioma without dural attachment: a case report and literature review.

Clear cell meningiomas (CCM) are a very rare histologic subtype of meningioma usually affecting younger patients. The reported data on spinal CCM are extremely rare. Until today, only 89 cases have been reported. Furthermore, CCM without dural attachment is even rarer since only 19 cases have been reported in English literature. In this article, we present the twentieth case of a spinal CCM without dural attachment. Our patient was a 58-year-old female who was presented with pain in her lower back and bilateral sciatica for 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an intra-dural well-demarcated lesion at L3. Via a posterior approach, total resection was possible due to the lack of dural adhesion of the tumor. Histologic diagnosis was clear cell meningioma.

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage after the evacuation of a subdural hematoma: a case report.

Remote intracranial hemorrhage is postoperative bleeding that occurs away from the surgical site. Remote cerebellar hemorrhage (RCH) is a cerebellar hemorrhage that may occur in 0.04-0.8% of cases after supratentorial and spinal procedures. We report a case of a 73-year-old male who developed signs of increased intracranial pressure two days after the evacuation of a subdural hematoma. Brain computed tomography showed RCH with the "zebra sign" and triventricular hydrocephalus that indicated the placement of external ventricle drain in emergency. Therefore, surgeons must pay special attention to this rare postoperative complication because it can be devastating in terms of patient outcome especially due to its possible complications requiring surgical treatment.

Hydatid cyst in the third ventricle of the brain: case report of an exceptionally rare condition.

Hydatid disease is an endemic zoonotic disease caused by the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus. Intra-ventricular hydatid cysts are extremely rare. Even more rarely, and to the best of our knowledge, only three cases of third ventricle involvement have been reported. Herein, we present the fourth case of an intraventricular hydatid cyst in a pediatric patient located in the third ventricle. It is about a 7-year-old girl, of a rural origin, admitted for intracranial hypertension, deterioration of the general status, and weakness on the right side of her body. A cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed the presence of a rounded cystic formation in the third ventricle. The patient was operated through a transfrontal transventricular approach, and the cyst was removed. Postoperative course was uneventful. Hydatid disease should be considered part of the differential diagnosis for cystic lesions of the central nervous system, especially in endemic regions. Total removal of the cysts without rupture is a challenge, but best treatment remains an active nationwide prevention.

Dumbbell-shaped solid-cystic hypoglossal schwannoma: An unusual case report.

Hypoglossal Schwannomas are extremely rare benign slow-growing neoplasms, which originate from the 12th cranial nerve. To date, and to the best of our knowledge, only 40 cases of dumbbell-shaped Hypoglossal Swchannomas have been published in the world literature. We report our experience with a 66 years old male patient, who was diagnosed with a solido-cystic lesion at the right cerebello-pontine angle arising from XIIth cranial nerve. He was treated with surgery via midline suboccipital approach which led to sub-total removal of the tumor and improvement of the symptoms within 3 months. This case highlights the importance of an accurate suspicion diagnosis of hypoglossal schwannoma as well as the treatment options including surgery and radiosurgery.

Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the orbit: A rare clinical entity.

Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma is an exceptionally rare neoplasm with a propensity for local recurrence and metastasis. We report the second case in the world literature of a primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the orbit in a 66-year-old man suffering from pain, progressive protrusion of left eye, and a deep drop in vision on the left for several weeks. His first external examination revealed significant proptosis with downward displacement of the left globe with no signs of lagophthalmos. A limitation of abduction was also noted. A CT of the orbit with and without contrast showed intra- and extra-conical solid expansive process. MRI of the orbit with contrast and without contrast has shown a process of the supero-internal angle of the left orbit. The patient was operated via a combined approach, and complete enucleation was done. The final pathologic diagnosis was mucinous adenocarcinoma of the orbit. The postoperative neuroimaging showed a complete resection of the tumor. The patient is referred for adjuvant radiotherapy. A CT of the orbit was made 3 months postoperatively and did not show any local recurrence.