Endoscopic endonasal transclival approach for resection of a pontine cavernous malformation.

Symptomatic cavernous malformations in the ventral region of the pons are difficult to access surgically. The authors present a case of a 46-year-old woman with a 10-year history of sudden and transitory diplopia and right hemiparesis, followed by five more episodes of mild right hemiparesis. Brain MRI showed a 2.6-cm cavernous malformation in the pons with an exophytic portion in the prepontine cistern. The patient underwent an endoscopic endonasal transclival approach for a complete resection of the lesion. CSF leak was noted and corrected on the sixth postoperative day. The patient progressed with complete motor deficit recovery. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/ePgpyij2Wpo.

Prevalence of Cognitive Impairments in Patients with Good Functional Outcome in Late Phase Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Prevalência de alterações cognitivas em pacientes com bom desfecho funcional na fase tardia da hemorragia subaracnóidea

Prior studies have shown high prevalence of neuropsychological deficits after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage; however, few studies detect cognitive impairments in patients with good functional outcome, measured whith Rankin Modified Scale, in the late phase of subarachnoid hemorrhage. We confirmed a high prevalence of alterations in neuropsychological tests in 44 patients with Rankin Modified 2.We proposed the application of simple and fast tests that allowed us to detect impairments with precision similar to that of complex cognitive batteries used in previous studies. We also attempt to confirm statistical association between factors that could be related to poor cognitive outcome, like Hunt-Hess scale classification, bleeding intensity measured with Fisher scale, therapeutic type (microsurgery ou embolization), and aneurysm localization; however, there was no significance.

Estudos anteriores mostraram que a prevalência de déficits neuropsicológicos após hemorragia subaracnóide aneurismática é alto,mas poucos estudos detectaram alterações cognitiva sem pacientes com bom desfecho funcional,medido através da escada de Rankin Modificada, na fase tardia da hemorragia subaracnóide. O estudo confirmou em 44 pacientes com RankiN Modificado 2 a alta prevalência de alterações em testes neuropsicológicos. Propusemos a aplicação de testes simples e rápidos, capazes de detectar alterações, com precisão semelhante a baterias cognitivas complexas utilizadas em estudos anteriores.Nós também avaliamos a associação estatística entre alguns fatores como a escala de Hunt-Hess (HH), a intensidade do sangramento pela escala de Fisher, tipo de tratamento (microcirurgia ou embolização) e localização do aneurisma, ao pior desempenho cognitivo, no entanto não houve significância.

Papillary tumor of the pineal region.

Tumors of the pineal region are rare in adulthood, accounting for approximately 1% of intracranial neoplasms in this age range. Papillary tumor of the pineal region (PTPR) was first described by Jouvet et al. in 2003. In 2007, PTPR was included by the World Health Organization as a distinct entity in their new classification of central nervous system tumors. We report a case of PTPR, and undertake a literature review of this rare neuroepithelial neoplasm. Patients with PTPR need long-term follow up, and new cases should be well documented so that we can gain a better understanding of this neoplasm.