Predictors and Complications of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak after Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery: A Single Institution Retrospective Review.

Background The endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) is a commonly used technique for resection of sellar, suprasellar, and anterior fossa masses. One of the most troublesome complications of this technique is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. In this study, we evaluate the risk factors and consequences of CSF leak on surgical outcomes. Methods The current study is a retrospective single-institution cohort study evaluating patients who underwent EEA for sellar and/or suprasellar masses from July 2017 to March of 2020. Risk factors for intraoperative and postoperative CSF leak were evaluated, including sellar defect size, tumor volume and pathology, age, body mass index, prior endoscopic endonasal surgery, lumbar drain placement, nasoseptal and mucosal graft use, year of surgery, and cavernous sinus invasion. Postoperative infection, perioperative antibiotic use, and length of stay were also evaluated. Results Our study included 175 patients. Sellar defect size ( p = 0.015) and intraoperative CSF leak ( p < 0.001) were significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative CSF leak. Patients with nasoseptal flaps were more likely to have a postoperative CSF leak than those with free mucosal grafts ( p = 0.025). Intraoperative CSF leak, Cushing's disease, and lumbar drain placement were associated with an increased length of stay. Conclusion Sellar defect size, intraoperative CSF leak, and nasoseptal flap use were associated with an increased risk of postoperative CSF leak. Intraoperative CSF leak, Cushing's disease, and lumbar drain placement are all associated with an increased length of stay.

Resection of a large thoracolumbar intradural ependymoma: a 2D operative video.

In this video, the authors present the resection of a large thoracolumbar intradural ependymoma in a 33-year-old female. The patient underwent T9-L3 laminectomies, intradural tumor resection, and posterior instrumented fixation and fusion. The surgical procedure aimed to relieve the mass effect, obtain a diagnosis, prevent further neurological decline, and achieve a potential curative resection. The pathology confirmed a myxopapillary ependymoma, a rare tumor with a preference for the conus medullaris, cauda equina, or filum terminale. The video provides insights into the case, surgical steps, clinical outcomes, and background information on myxopapillary ependymomas and treatment options.

Role of Advanced MR Imaging in Diagnosis of Neurological Malignancies: Current Status and Future Perspective.

Lesions of the central nervous system (CNS) can present with numerous and overlapping radiographical and clinical features that make diagnosis difficult based exclusively on history, physical examination, and traditional imaging modalities. Given that there are significant differences in optimal treatment protocols for these various CNS lesions, rapid and non-invasive diagnosis could lead to improved patient care. Recently, various advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques showed promising methods to differentiate between various tumors and lesions that conventional MRI cannot define by comparing their physiologic characteristics, such as vascularity, permeability, oxygenation, and metabolism. These advanced MRI techniques include dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI, Golden-Angle Radial Sparse Parallel imaging (GRASP), Blood oxygen level-dependent functional MRI (BOLD fMRI), and arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI. In this article, a narrative review is used to discuss the current trends in advanced MRI techniques and potential future applications in identifying difficult-to-distinguish CNS lesions. Advanced MRI techniques were found to be promising non-invasive modalities to differentiate between paraganglioma, schwannoma, and meningioma. They are also considered promising methods to differentiate gliomas from lymphoma, post-radiation changes, pseudoprogression, demyelination, and metastasis. Advanced MRI techniques allow clinicians to take advantage of intrinsic biological differences in CNS lesions to better identify the etiology of these lesions, potentially leading to more effective patient care and a decrease in unnecessary invasive procedures. More clinical studies with larger sample sizes should be encouraged to assess the significance of each advanced MRI technique and the specificity and sensitivity of each radiologic parameter.

Clival intraosseous myxoma treated with an endoscopic endonasal approach: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Solitary lesions of the clivus, especially nonchordomatous ones, are exceptionally rare pathologies representing only 0.1%-0.2% of intracranial tumors that may present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Intraosseous myxomas are benign tumors arising from mesenchymal cells with an unknown pathophysiology. OBSERVATIONS: In this article, a 15-year-old male with clival intraosseous myxoma who was treated via an endoscopic endonasal surgical approach is presented. The patient became symptomatic after a baseball struck his head, leading to throbbing headaches and visual difficulties for tracking objects. Examination noted diplopia, cranial nerve VI palsy, and ptosis. After imaging revealed a tumor extending to the left cavernous sinus with bulging of the dorsal clivus against the basilar artery/ventral pons, resection was performed. Postoperatively, the patient noted ocular motility and alignment improvement without further complications. LESSONS: Clival masses present with symptoms from compromised neurovascular structures including visual disturbances and trigeminal sensory deficits. Given the rarity of these entities, patients may postpone further treatment until workup; this patient was misdiagnosed for possible concussion until several weeks passed. A PubMed database review of cranial myxoma cases was conducted to identify solitary clival intraosseous myxoma cases. This case is one of the few in which this pathology was treated through an endoscopic endonasal operative approach without complications, demonstrating its safety and effectiveness.

Lead toxicity due to retained intracranial bullet fragments: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Lead toxicity (plumbism) secondary to retained lead bullet fragments is a rare complication in patients with gunshot wounds. To the authors' knowledge, there has been no definitive case reported of lead toxicity due to retained intracranial bullet fragments. OBSERVATIONS: The authors reported the case of a 23-year-old man who presented after being found down. Computed tomography scanning of the head revealed bullet fragments within the calvaria adjacent to the left transverse sinus. During follow-up, he developed symptoms of plumbism with paresthesias in his bilateral hands and thighs, abdominal cramping, labile mood, and intermittent psychosis. Plumbism was confirmed with sequentially elevated blood lead levels (BLLs). The patient opted for surgical removal of the bullet fragments, which led to reduction in BLLs and resolution of his symptoms. LESSONS: Although rare, lead toxicity from retained intracranial bullet fragments should be considered in patients who have suffered a gunshot wound to the head and have symptoms of lead toxicity with elevated BLLs. For safe and accessible intracranial bullet fragments in patients with plumbism, surgical intervention may be indicated.

Understanding Variable Motor Responses to Direct Electrical Stimulation of the Human Motor Cortex During Brain Surgery.

Direct electrical stimulation of the brain is the gold standard technique used to define functional-anatomical relationships during neurosurgical procedures. Areas that respond to stimulation are considered "critical nodes" of circuits that must remain intact for the subject to maintain the ability to perform certain functions, like moving and speaking. Despite its routine use, the neurophysiology underlying downstream motor responses to electrical stimulation of the brain, such as muscle contraction or movement arrest, is poorly understood. Furthermore, varying and sometimes counterintuitive responses can be seen depending on how and where the stimulation is applied, even within the human primary motor cortex. Therefore, here we review relevant neuroanatomy of the human motor system, provide a brief historical perspective on electrical brain stimulation, explore mechanistic variations in stimulation applications, examine neurophysiological properties of different parts of the motor system, and suggest areas of future research that can promote a better understanding of the interaction between electrical stimulation of the brain and its function.

COVID-19 Testing in the Era of Modern Neurosurgery: Mitigating Risk in Our Vulnerable Patient Populations.

BACKGROUND: The respiratory illness identified as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a pandemic illness that has changed the face of healthcare. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, patients have continued to require neurosurgical interventions, and the endoscopic endonasal approach for surgery has continued to be a mainstay treatment of pituitary tumors and anterior skull base lesions. METHODS: We sought to highlight the current lack of recommendations regarding testing protocols for neurosurgical patients. RESULTS: We implemented a novel testing protocol for our patient populations at increased risk and have proposed a model that can be used at other institutions to mitigate the risk of complications associated with some forms of COVID-19 testing. CONCLUSION: Patients with anterior skull base defects may be at risk with current COVID-19 testing protocols, and may benefit from alternative specimen collection strategies.

Improvement of respiratory symptoms following Heller myotomy for achalasia.

INTRODUCTION: Although patients with achalasia complain mainly of dysphagia, we have observed that they also have a high rate of respiratory problems. We hypothesized that the latter may be due to poor esophageal clearance leading to aspiration. This study examines the effect of Heller myotomy on these symptoms. METHODS: We studied the course of 111 patients with achalasia who underwent Heller myotomy between 1994 and 2008 and who agreed to participate in this study. All patients completed a questionnaire postoperatively assessing the preoperative and postoperative prevalence and severity of symptoms using visual analog scales. Patients were divided into two groups: one that included all those with respiratory symptoms (dyspnea, hoarseness, cough, wheezing, sore throat, and/or a history of asthma or pneumonia) prior to myotomy and one that included those without those symptoms. RESULTS: All patients presented with dysphagia as their primary complaint, and 63 (57%) reported respiratory symptoms or disease prior to surgery. There were no significant differences in preoperative characteristics between those with and without respiratory manifestations. After a median follow-up of 71 months (range 9-186 months), 55 (87%) patients reported durable improvement of dysphagia. The frequency and severity of all respiratory symptoms decreased significantly. Twenty-four of the 29 patients (82%) who reported a history of pneumonia prior to surgery did not experience recurrent episodes after Heller myotomy. CONCLUSIONS: A Heller myotomy is effective in improving esophageal emptying in patients with achalasia. This results in sustained improvement of dysphagia and associated respiratory symptoms/diseases. This suggests that respiratory symptoms/diseases in these patients are likely caused by esophageal retention of food and secretions, and then aspiration.

Trial of labor after cesarean section in twin pregnancies: maternal and neonatal safety.

OBJECTIVE: To assess maternal and perinatal morbidity in patients undergoing a trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC) in twin gestations. METHODS: A retrospective study including all twin pregnancies with a single prior cesarean section was performed. Stratified analysis using a multiple logistic regression model was performed to control for confounders. Patients who had a clear medical indication for a cesarean section (i.e. previous corporeal cesarean section, breech or transverse presentation, placenta previa, placental abruption, and herpes infection) were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: During the years 1988-2007, 134 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 25 patients underwent a trial of labor and the remaining 109 underwent a repeat cesarean delivery. There were no cases of uterine rupture, maternal mortality, or peripartum fever in our population. Higher rates of perinatal mortality were noted in patients undergoing a trial of labor (8% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.042, OR = 4.652, 95% CI = 1.122-19.286). However, a trial of labor was not found to be an independent risk factor for perinatal mortality after controlling for confounders such as gestational age, ethnicity, and fetal malformations (adjusted OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.07-15.95, p = 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: A TOLAC is not associated with an increased risk for maternal morbidity, including uterine rupture. Nevertheless, in our population TOLAC was noted as a risk factor for perinatal mortality, although residual confounding cannot be excluded. Further prospective randomized studies should evaluate the safety of TOLAC in twin gestations to establish appropriate guidelines.