Mini-craniotomy as the primary surgical intervention for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma--a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is increasing, but optimal treatment remains controversial. Recent meta-analyses suggest burr hole (BH) drainage is the best treatment because it provides optimal balance between recurrence and morbidity. Mini-craniotomy may offer supplementary technical advantages while maintaining equal or better outcomes. This study investigates the outcome of mini-craniotomy as the sole treatment in patients with CSDH. METHOD: We analyzed all patients operated on for CSDH with mini-craniotomy in our neurosurgical center between 2005-2010. Baseline patient characteristics (age, sex, comorbidities, imaging characteristics, known risk factors for development of CSDH and neurological examination at presentation) and outcomes (mortality, complications, recurrence and neurological examination at discharge) were recorded. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-six adult patients were included, mean age was 73.9 (range 18 to 95) years old, and the sex ratio (M:F) was 2:1. Eighty-four percent of the patients showed clinical improvement at discharge, as shown by a decrease in the Markwalder score postoperatively (with 57 % Markwalder 0 and 23 % Markwalder 1). Recurrence rate was 8.7 %. Overall complication rate was 34.1 % (27.8 % medical complications and 6.3 % surgical complications). In-hospital mortality was 13.5 % (8.7 % due to pulmonary infections and 1.6 % to surgical complications). Preoperative Markwalder grade correlated significantly with complication rate, as did the presence of a neurodegenerative disease (p = 0.018). Factors significantly related to mortality in univariate analysis were arterial hypertension (p = 0.038), heart failure (p = 0.02), renal failure (p = 0.017), neurodegenerative disease (p = 0.001), cerebrovascular accident (p = 0.008) and coagulopathy (p = 0.019). Multivariate analysis was not able to confirm any significant relationship. CONCLUSION: This is the first published series of CSDH in which all consecutive patients were operated on by mini-craniotomy. The invasiveness and complication rate of mini-craniotomy are equal to those of burr hole treatment, but visualization is superior, resulting in lower recurrences. A randomized controlled trial is indicated to identify the best surgical strategy for the treatment of CSDH.

Thin genu of the corpus callosum points to mutation in FOXG1 in a child with acquired microcephaly, trigonocephaly, and intellectual developmental disorder: a case report and review of literature.

The FOXG1 syndrome is emerging as a relative new entity in paediatric neurology. We report a boy with acquired microcephaly, mental retardation and a thin genu of the corpus callosum. The combination of these findings led to mutation analysis of FOXG1. The patient was found to be heterozygous for a novel mutation in FOXG1, c.506dup (p.Lys170GInfsX285), which occurred de novo. This frameshift mutation disturbs the three functional domains of the FOXG1 gene. Hypo- or agenesis of the anterior corpus callosum in combination with acquired microcephaly and neurologic impairment can be an important clue for identifying patients with a mutation in FOXG1.

Long-term follow-up results of multimodal treatment with initial surgical approach for acromegaly in a single center.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate long-term results in acromegaly patients who received surgery as first-line treatment. Repeated surgery, radiation therapy and medical treatment were considered in patients showing no postoperative remission or who suffered a relapse. Thirty-five patients suffering from acromegaly were operated on between 1993 and 2009. The patients with persistent hypersecretion received a new surgery when postoperative imaging showed localized residual lesion. The other cases with persistent hypersecretion were treated medically using dopamine agonists, somatostatin analogs or pegvisomant according to the efficiency obtained. Radiotherapy was considered when medical treatment failed to normalize hormonal hypersecretion. The overall remission rate with surgery alone was 57 % (20/35):84 % (16/19) with non-invasive adenomas and 25 % (4/16) with invasive adenomas. Fifteen patients showing no remission after surgery received additional medical and/or radiation therapy resulting in hormonal control in ten of them. Recurrences after initial postoperative remission were observed in six patients who were controlled with subsequent therapy. Using a multimodal treatment approach, the disease was brought under control in 86 % (30/35) of acromegaly patients. Surgery alone produced satisfactory initial results in non-invasive adenomas, but additional treatments were required for most of the invasive lesions.

Fully endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for functioning pituitary adenomas: a retrospective comparison with traditional transsphenoidal microsurgery in the same institution.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and the minimally invasive nature of the fully transnasal endoscopic procedure in the treatment of pituitary adenomas and other lesions of the sellar area have been widely reported in the literature. Many authors observed similar results in terms of the correction of hormonal hypersecretion in functioning pituitary adenomas using endoscopic endonasal surgery or the traditional microscopic technique. We report the endocrinologic outcome in 2 series of patients operated on at the same institution for functioning pituitary adenomas using these 2 different techniques. METHODS: This study includes 2 successive series of 60 consecutive patients presenting with a hormonally active pituitary adenoma operated on by the same surgeon. The surgical results obtained in the most recently operated group using a fully endoscopic endonasal technique were compared with those obtained previously using the traditional microsurgical transsphenoidal procedure. The classification of tumors into 4 grades according to Hardy was based on modern MRI and intraoperative findings. RESULTS: The overall remission rate of hypersecretion was 63% in the endoscopic group compared with 50% in the microsurgical group. The most obvious difference between the 2 groups was observed in noninvasive macroadenomas. In this specific grade of tumors, the remission rate of hypersecretion obtained using endoscopy was 78% compared with 43% using microsurgery. The endocrinologic results achieved for microadenomas were similar in the 2 groups. Postoperative CSF leaks occurred more frequently (6 cases) in the endoscopic group. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, fully endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for functioning pituitary adenomas leads to a better endocrinologic outcome for noninvasive macroadenomas compared to the traditional microsurgical technique. However, morbidity with the endoscopic technique was higher in terms of the rate of postoperative CSF leaks.

Congenital cervical kyphosis in a child associated with tetraparesis: case report.

Congenital cervical kyphosis is a rare clinical condition. We describe an infant presenting with tetraparesis, rapidly progressing to phrenic paralysis and fatal respiratory insufficiency. Therapeutic options remain challenging. Surgical arthrodesis is technically difficult, and one report of a therapeutic thermoplastic body splint is described. Final outcome, however, is dismal. No long-term survivors have been described.

Spontaneous extradural hematoma as a presentation of sinusitis: case report and literature review.

Spontaneous extradural hematoma is rarely mentioned in literature as intracranial complications of sinusitis. The authors presented a girl with spontaneous extradural hematoma secondary to pansinusitis and reviewed the literature. In a child with spontaneous extradural hematoma without a history of head trauma, sinusitis should be excluded.

Imaging tutorial: differential diagnosis of bright lesions on diffusion-weighted MR images.

High sensitivity (94%) and specificity (100%) have been reported in the diagnosis of acute cerebral infarction with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. However, high signal intensity on diffusion-weighted MR images and low apparent diffusion coefficient values (similar to the findings in acute cerebral infarction) were reported in such diverse conditions as hemorrhage, abscess, lymphoma, and even Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The differential diagnosis of these conditions (eg, acute ischemic infarction and acute cerebral hemorrhage) is critical for the determination of appropriate treatment. The authors present a systematic review of bright lesions on diffusion-weighted MR images and their differential diagnosis, with emphasis on the practical and clinical approaches of differential diagnosis.