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In resource-limited settings, the standard of care prescribed in developed countries for either operative or nonoperative management of traumatic intracranial hematomas (TICHs) frequently has to be adapted to the economic and infrastructural realities. This study aims to present the outcome of selected cases of TICHs managed nonoperatively without routine intensive care unit admission, repeated cranial computed tomography (CT) scan or intracranial pressure monitoring at a rural neurosurgical service in a developing country. This was a retrospective analysis of a cohort of our patients with cranial CT-confirmed TICHs selected for nonoperative treatment from our prospective head injury (HI) register over a 42-month period. There were 67 patients (51 males) in this study with a mean age of 38.6 (standard deviation, 17.6) years, having mild HI in >half, (55.2%, 37/67) and anisocoria in 22.4% (15/67). Road traffic accident was the most common (50/67, 74.7%) trauma etiology. Isolated acute-subdural hematoma, intracerebral hemorrhage, and epidural hematoma occurred in 29.9%, 25.4%, and 22.4% of the patients respectively. Only 2 of 8 patients in whom intensive care unit admission was deemed necessary could afford admission. Repeat cranial CT scan was requested in 8 patients (8/67, 11.9%); only 5 of these could afford the investigation. The outcome of care was good in 82.1% patients (55/67). Increasing severity of the HI (P < 0.01) and presence of pupillary abnormality (P = 0.03) were significant predictors of poor outcome. In a Nigerian rural neurosurgery practice, nonoperative management of a well-selected cohort of TICHs was attended by acceptable level of favorable outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major craniotomy is currently the de facto operative treatment for traumatic acute extradural hematoma (AEDH). This craniotomy, involving extensive scalp dissection (the trauma flap) and major cranial bone opening, can be impracticable in the remote regions of some Western countries, and even more so in the low-resource health systems of most developing countries. We describe the surgical technique of minicraniotomy under local anesthesia plus monitored sedation as a much less invasive operative treatment for AEDH. The results of its use in a preliminary patient group are also presented. The procedure has been carried out in 10 consecutive patients (7 men), including an infant 4 months of age. The age range was 4 months to 56 years. The patients suffered varying severity of head injury, with a median Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 11 out of 15 (range, 4–15). The median trauma to surgery time was 25 hours (range, 13–192 hours). The surgery was successfully completed, with hematoma evacuated and hemostasis achieved. The median duration of surgery was 90 minutes. The in-hospital outcome was Glasgow Outcome Scale score of normal status in 6 patients, moderate deficit in 2 patients, and vegetative state in the patient whose preoperative GCS score was 4. One other patient, admitted with a GCS score of 11, died 5 days postoperatively from extracranial causes. The surviving patients have been followed-up for a median time of 15 months with no new deficits. Compared with full craniotomy under general anesthesia, minicraniotomy under local anesthesia plus sedation may be a more pragmatic, less invasive, and low-cost surgical treatment option for uncomplicated traumatic acute extradural hematoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain metastasis (BM) from breast cancer is increasingly encountered clinically because of the continuing success in the oncological control of the primary disease. Data-driven reports on the surgical treatment of BM from breast cancer are sparse in sub-Saharan Africa. This is a prospective cohort study of the outcome of surgical excision of BM from breast cancer in an academic surgical practice in Ibadan, Nigeria. A total of 12 consecutive cerebral metastasectomies, all in females with primary breast cancer, were recorded over the study period. The median age (range) at breast cancer diagnosis was 41 (27–72) years, and the time interval from primary disease to BM was 19 (12–29) months. The BM was the first site of systemic disease progression in all, and was heralded by headache, seizures, and hemiparesis in more than two-thirds of the patients. The brain lesions were multiple in a quarter: >4 cm large in 42% and were located supratentorial in >80%. They all achieved good recovery and in-hospital outcome after surgical lesionectomy—infra- and supratentorial craniotomies—but only two-thirds could access postsurgical adjuvant whole brain radiation therapy. Median survival after cerebral metastasectomy was 18 (11–55) months, and more than a quarter were alive for ≥3years. These survival statistics were significantly better than those of a contemporary cohort of our patients with breast cancer who also had BMs that were not surgically treated for various clinical and logistic limitations. Surgical resection is feasible for BM from breast cancer even in low-resource clinical practice. It has a salutary effect on the patients' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a progressive growth of neurosurgery in Nigeria over the past 6 nulldecades. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the state of neurosurgical practice, training, and research in the country. We used a mixed-methods approach that combined a survey of neurosurgery providers and a systematic review of the neurosurgical literature in Nigeria. The 83-question online survey had 3 core sections for assessing capacity, training, and gender issues. The systematic review involved a search of 4 global databases and gray literature over a 60-year period. One hundred and forty-nine respondents (95% male) completed the survey (65.4%). Their age ranged from 20 to 68 years, with a mean of 41.8 (±6.9) years. Majority were from institutions in the nation's South-West region; 82 (55.0%) had completed neurosurgery residency training, with 76 (51%) employed as consultants; 64 (43%) identified as residents in training, 56 (37.6%) being senior residents, and 15 (10.1%) each held academic appointments as lecturers or senior lecturers. The literature review involved 1,023 peer-reviewed journal publications: 254 articles yielding data on 45,763 neurotrauma patients, 196 on 12,295 pediatric neurosurgery patients, and 127 on 8,425 spinal neurosurgery patients. Additionally, 147 papers provided data on 5,760 neuro-oncology patients, and 56 on 3,203 patients with neuro-vascular lesions. Our mixed-methods approach provided significant insights into the historical, contemporary, and future trends of neurosurgery in Nigeria. The results could form the foundation for policy improvement; health-system strengthening; better resource-planning, prioritization, and allocation; and more purposive collaborative engagement in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major surgical complication, fraught with high case fatality rate, to which neurosurgical patients are particularly prone. There is dearth of data on this problem in the neurosurgical literature from sub-Saharan Africa. Materials and Methods A 6-year prospective descriptive study of postoperative VTE in a neurosurgeon's clinical practice in Nigeria is hereby presented. The clinical case of a fatal, postmortem-confirmed post craniotomy VTE also is annotated. Results There were 10 cases of clinically diagnosed neurosurgical postoperative VTE, representing 2.4% of the surgical patients population. The cases were diagnosed from clinical impressions supplemented with laboratory investigations like the Doppler ultrasonography with B-mode imaging of the deep veins of the lower extremities, and chest computed tomographic angiography. Six of these 10 cases died, a case fatality rate of 60%. Meningiomas were the intracranial tumours operated on in 60% of the cases. Conclusions Postoperative venous thromboembolism has a very high case fatality rate among these neurosurgical patients. There is need for continuing surveillance of this problem, as well as a heightened vigilance to prevent and treat it in our neurosurgical patient populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Upon returning home to Nigeria from postresidency fellowship training in skull base surgery, using expertise gained overseas, we applied appropriate treatment to various skull base pathologies. This is an audit of our initial experience. Methods: This is a prospective, descriptive survey of all the skull base pathologies operated on during 30 months. Clinical-demographic data, surgical procedures, and the postoperative outcome are presented statistically. Simple inferential statistics was performed for associations deemed significant at P ≤ 0.05. Results: Fifty-one individuals (27 men and 24 women, mean age 32 years) were operated on for skull base pathologies. Clinical presentation had a mean symptom duration of 22 months and a poor clinical status in more than 60% of the patients. Congenital, infective, traumatic, and neoplastic lesions were encountered, including craniofacial malignancies operated on jointly with other craniofacial surgeons. Other intracranial neurosurgical pathologies like jugular foramen and brain stem tumors, and meningiomas of various skull base corridors, including the cavernous sinus and the foramen magnum, were encountered. Our skull base dissections were craniofacial in 23.5% of cases, anterolateral in 33.3%, midbasal in 15.7%, and posterior fossa in 27.5% of patients. Surgery was successful in 86.3%. The patients'' status improved on hospital discharge in 70.6% of cases. The postoperative outcome was significantly worse (P = 0.03) in those patients with postbasal lesions with poor clinical performance index preoperatively. Conclusions: In spite of the many inherent challenges of a typical developing country health system, there are great prospects for skull base surgical practice in Nigerian neurological surgery. •Peer-Review Report [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: Spinal pathologies are prevalent in Nigeria, though epidemiological data remains sparse. This systematic review used pooled patient-level data from across the country to generate a standardized epidemiological reference., Methods: Four research databases and gray literature sources were searched. Risk of bias assessment was conducted using Risk of Bias in Non-Randomised Studies - of Interventions and Cochrane's risk of bias tool. We descriptively analyzed all article metrics and statistically analyzed relevant data variables via paired t-test and χ 2 independence tests (α = 0.05)., Results: One hundred twenty-seven articles, comprising a patient cohort of 8425 patients, were analyzed. Most were retrospective cohort studies (46.5%) and case reports/series (31.5%), with an overall moderate-high risk of bias. Most studies were published in the last 20 years. Most patients were male (∼2.5 males per female), with an average age of 43.2 years (±16.4). Clinical diagnoses spanned the breadth of spinal neurosurgery. Approximately 45.0% of patients had complete spinal impairment. Pain (41.7%) was the most reported presenting feature. X-ray (45.1%) was the most common investigation used. Intervertebral disc herniation (18.9%) was the most prevalent imaging finding on MRI. Most patients were managed nonoperatively (57.8%), with a favorable outcome in 27.4% of patients. Posttreatment complications included pressure sores, infection, and motor deficits., Conclusions: This systematic review and pooled analysis provide an epidemiological overview of spinal neurosurgery in Nigeria over the last 60 years and serves as a useful reference to direct future global research in this arena., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Access to neuro-oncologic care in Nigeria has grown exponentially since the first reported cases in the mid-1960s. In this systematic review and pooled analysis, we characterize the growth of neurosurgical oncology in Nigeria and build a reference paper to direct efforts to expand this field., Methods: We performed an initial literature search of several article databases and gray literature sources. We included and subsequently screened articles published between 1962 and 2021. Several variables were extracted from each study, including the affiliated hospital, the number of patients treated, patient sex, tumor pathology, the types of imaging modalities used for diagnosis, and the interventions used for each individual. Change in these variables was assessed using Chi-squared independence tests and univariate linear regression when appropriate., Results: A total of 147 studies were identified, corresponding to 5,760 patients. Over 4000 cases were reported in the past 2 decades from 21 different Nigerian institutions. The types of tumors reported have increased over time, with increasingly more patients being evaluated via computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There is also a prevalent use of radiotherapy, though chemotherapy remains an underreported treatment modality., Conclusions: This study highlights key trends regarding the prevalence and management of neuro-oncologic pathologies within Nigeria. Further studies are needed to continue to learn and guide the future growth of this field in Nigeria., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Despite 6 decades of existence, neurosurgery is still in the developing stages in Nigeria. In this era of collaborative health system capacity-building in low- and middle-income countries, this article reviews past efforts and future prospects for collaborative neurosurgical development in Nigeria., Methods: A bibliometric review of the Nigerian neurosurgical literature and data from a structured survey of Nigerian neurosurgeons and residents provided details of current local and international collaborations for neurosurgical research, service delivery, training, and capacity building. These were analyzed to provide an overview of the role of collaborations in sustainable neurosurgical development in Nigeria and to recommend approaches to enhance neurosurgical capacity., Results: In 1023 peer-reviewed neurosurgery publications from Nigeria, there were 4618 authors with 3688 from 98 Nigerian institutions and 930 from 296 foreign institutions in 70 countries. While there were significant research collaborations amongst Nigerian institutions, the most common were with institutions in the US, United Kingdom, and Cameroon. From the survey, 62 of 149 respondents (41.6%) from 32 health facilities noted their institution's involvement in capacity-building neurosurgical collaborations. These collaborations involved 22 Nigerian institutions and 13 foreign institutions in 9 countries and were mostly for training and workforce development (78.1%), and research and data management (59.4%). The majority of foreign institutions were from the US and United Kingdom., Conclusions: Current and previous neurosurgical collaborations have led to sustainable progress in Nigeria. Further local, regional, and international collaborations would enhance the capacity to address the needs and challenges affecting neurosurgery in Nigeria., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: There has been a modest but progressive increase in the neurosurgical workforce, training, and service delivery in Nigeria in the last 2 decades. However, these resources are unevenly distributed. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the availability and distribution of neurosurgical resources in Nigeria while projecting the needed workforce capacity up to 2050., Methods: An online survey of Nigerian neurosurgeons and residents assessed the country's neurosurgical infrastructure, workforce, and resources. The results were analyzed descriptively, and geospatial analysis was used to map their distribution. A projection model was fitted to predict workforce targets for 2022-2050., Results: Out of 86 neurosurgery-capable health facilities, 65.1% were public hospitals, with only 17.4% accredited for residency training. Dedicated hospital beds and operating rooms for neurosurgery make up only 4.0% and 15.4% of the total, respectively. The population disease burden is estimated at 50.2 per 100,000, while the operative coverage was 153.2 cases per neurosurgeon. There are currently 132 neurosurgeons and 114 neurosurgery residents for a population of 218 million (ratio 1:1.65 million). There is an annual growth rate of 8.3%, resulting in a projected deficit of 1113 neurosurgeons by 2030 and 1104 by 2050. Timely access to neurosurgical care ranges from 21.6% to 86.7% of the population within different timeframes., Conclusions: Collaborative interventions are needed to address gaps in Nigeria's neurosurgical capacity. Investments in training, infrastructure, and funding are necessary for sustainable development and optimized outcomes., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of pediatric neurosurgery in Nigeria, since 1962, by assessing epidemiological data, management strategies, and case outcomes., Methods: A systematic bibliometric review of Nigerian neurosurgical literature was reported with the PRISMA guidelines. The Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was applied to all nonrandomized studies, and a descriptive analysis was performed for all variables., Results: We identified 12,295 pediatric patients from 196 published studies. Most publications (72.4%) occurred in the recent 2 decades, of which 40.3% were observational case reports/series. The patients were predominantly male (57.2%) and aged 0-18 years, with the majority (66.1%) belonging to the 0-5 age range. Most patients (63.4%) presented between 1-12 months. The most common presenting feature was altered consciousness (7.7%), with computed tomography (38.8%) being the most frequently utilized diagnostic imaging modality. The diagnoses with the greatest prevalence (60.2%) were congenital abnormalities such as hydrocephalus and neural tube defects. 57.5% of cases received surgical therapy, with ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement being the most noticeable procedure performed (36.4%). Complications were identified in 9.5% of cases, with a 4.5% death rate. The Glasgow Outcome Score (95.7%) was the primary outcome measure utilized, with positive outcomes reported in 59.3% of cases., Conclusions: This review provides significant epidemiological data which emphasizes the country's enormous burden of pediatric neurosurgical cases. The findings can help guide clinical decisions as well as future research and policy development., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Vascular neurosurgery has developed significantly in Nigeria, but its burden and challenges remain unclear. This study systematically reviewed vascular neurosurgical literature from Nigeria., Methods: Four research databases and gray literature sources were searched from 1962-2021. ROBINS-I tool was used to assess risk of bias. Descriptive, narrative, and statistical analyses were conducted on all variables. Where appropriate, paired t-tests and Chi-squared independence tests were used (α = 0.05)., Results: 56 articles were included and 3203 patients pooled for analysis. Risk of bias was moderate-high. Most articles were published over the last 20 years with retrospective cohort studies and case reports being the most common study designs. The cohort had a relatively even gender split and an average age of 49 years (±22). Cerebrovascular accidents accounted for over 85% of diagnoses, with most etiologies being traumatic. Headache and motor deficit were the most prevalent clinical features. X-ray and carotid angiography were the most commonly reported imaging modalities, closely followed by computed tomography (CT) and CT angiography. The top two radiological diagnoses were ischemic cerebrovascular disease and intracerebral hematoma. Aneurysmal clipping and hematoma evacuation were the most commonly reported treatment modalities. Outcome at last follow-up was favorable in 48%. The mortality rate was 6%. Post-treatment complications included chest infection and rebleeding., Conclusions: This study illustrates the epidemiological burden of neurovascular pathology (based on the available data in published literature) in Nigeria, and raises awareness amongst service providers and researchers of the attendant challenges and epochal trends seen within vascular neurosurgery in Nigeria., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Like many low- and-middle-income countries in Africa, documented assessment of the neurosurgical workforce, equipment, infrastructure, and scope of service delivery in Nigeria is lacking. This study aimed to assess the capacity for the delivery of neurosurgical services in Nigeria., Methods: An 83-question survey was disseminated to neurosurgeons and residents in Nigeria. We report the findings from the capacity assessment section of the survey, which used the modified neurological-PIPES (personnel, infrastructure, procedures, equipment, and supplies) (MN-PIPES) tool to evaluate the availability of neurosurgical personnel, infrastructure, procedures, equipment, and supplies. A comparative analysis was done using the domain and total MN-PIPES scores and MN-PIPES index., Results: The national average MN-PIPES score and index were 176.4 and 9.8, respectively. Overall, the southwest and northwest regions had the highest scores and frequently had high subscores. The survey respondents reported that the main challenges impeding neurosurgery service delivery were a lack of adjunctive supplies (75.2%), a dearth of diagnostic and interventional equipment (72.4%), and an absence of a dedicated intensive care unit (72.4%)., Conclusions: The availability of workforce, infrastructure, equipment, and supplies needed to provide optimal neurosurgical care is uneven in many institutions in Nigeria. Although major strides have been made in recent years, targeted collaborative interventions at local, national, regional, and international levels will further improve neurosurgical service delivery in Nigeria and will have positive ripple effects on the rest of the healthcare system., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although women have made remarkable strides in several medical specialties in Sub-Saharan Africa, their presence and contribution to the development of neurosurgery remain limited. We sought to study the gender differences within Nigerian neurosurgery, identify challenges resulting from these differences, and recommend how African female neurosurgeons can maximize their effects in neurosurgery., Methods: A structured online survey captured data on neurosurgical infrastructural capacity, workforce, and training from neurosurgical consultants and residents in neurosurgical centers in Nigeria. All the collected data were coded and analyzed., Results: Altogether, 82 neurosurgical consultants and 67 neurosurgical residents from 50 primary medical institutions in Nigeria completed the online survey. Only 8 of the respondents (5.4%) were women, comprising 3 consultants, 2 senior residents, and 3 junior residents. Although 40.2% of the respondents did not believe that being female affected the decision of whether to specialize in neurosurgery, 46.3% believed that being female was a disadvantage. Most did not believe that being female affected admission (57.8%), completion of a neurosurgery residency (58.5%), or life working as a neurosurgeon after graduation (63.4%). The most common challenges women face while navigating through neurosurgery training and practice are erosion of family and social life, lack of female mentors, and lack of a work-life balance., Conclusions: There is a deficit of both female consultants and trainees among Nigerian neurosurgeons. Identifying female medical students with a strong interest in neurosurgery and providing early mentorship might increase the number of female neurosurgeons., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Despite the well-known neurosurgical workforce deficit in Sub-Saharan Africa, there remains a low number of neurosurgical training programs in Nigeria. This study sought to reassess the current status of specialist neurosurgical training in the country., Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to all consultant neurosurgeons and neurosurgery residents in Nigeria. Demographic information and questions relating to the content, process, strengths, and challenges of neurosurgical training were explored as part of a broader survey assessing neurosurgical capacity. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis., Results: Respondents identified 15 neurosurgical training centers in Nigeria. All 15 are accredited by the West African College of Surgeons, and 6 by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. The average duration of core neurosurgical training was 5 years. Some identified strengths of Nigerian neurosurgical training included learning opportunities provided to residents, recent growth in the neurosurgical training capacity, and satisfaction with training. Challenges included a continued low number of training programs compared to the population density, lack of subspecialty training programs, and inadequate training infrastructure., Conclusions: Despite the high number of neurosurgery training centers in Nigeria, compared to other West African countries, the programs are still limited in number and capacity. Although this study shows apparent trainee satisfaction with the training process and contents, multiple challenges exist. Efforts at improving training capacity should focus on continuing the development and expansion of current programs, commencing subspecialty training, driving health insurance to improve funding, and increasing available infrastructure for training., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study investigates the scope, trends, and challenges of neurosurgical research in Nigeria since inception of the specialty in 1962., Methods: A bibliometric review of the neurosurgical literature from Nigeria was performed. Variables extracted included year and journal of publication, article topic, article type, research type, study design, article focus area, and limitations. Descriptive and quantitative analyses were performed for all variables. Trends of research publications were described in three periods: pioneering (1962-1981), recession (1982-2001), and resurgent (2002-2021)., Results: Of the 1023 included articles, 10.0% were published in the pioneering period, 9.2% in the recession period, and 80.8% in the resurgent period. Papers were predominantly published in World Neurosurgery (4.5%) and Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice (4.0%). A total of 79.9% of the 4618 authors were from Nigerian institutions; 86.3% of the articles covered clinical research and were mainly focused on service delivery and epidemiology (89.9%). The most prominent topics were traumatic brain injury (25.8%) and central nervous system malignancy (21.4%). Only 4.4% of the publications received funding, mostly from agencies in the United States (31.7%). Barriers to neurosurgical research included lack of clinical databases (18.0%), increasing burden of disease (12.5%), and diagnostic challenges (12.4%)., Conclusions: Neurosurgical research in Nigeria continues to grow due to increased training, workforce, and infrastructural improvements. Addressing the major challenges through establishment of research databases, development of evidence-based management guidelines, and increasing research training, funding and opportunities can increase research capacity in Nigeria., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Neurotrauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. We conducted this systematic review to generate nationally generalizable reference data for the country., Methods: Four research databases and gray literature sources were electronically searched. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions and Cochrane's risk of bias tools. Descriptive analysis, narrative synthesis, and statistical analysis (via paired t-tests and χ 2 independence tests) were performed on relevant article metrics (α = 0.05)., Results: We identified a cohort of 45,763 patients from 254 articles. The overall risk of bias was moderate to high. Most articles employed retrospective cohort study designs (37.4%) and were published during the last 2 decades (81.89%). The cohort's average age was 32.5 years (standard deviation, 20.2) with a gender split of ∼3 males per female. Almost 90% of subjects were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, with road traffic accidents (68.6%) being the greatest cause. Altered consciousness (48.4%) was the most commonly reported clinical feature. Computed tomography (53.5%) was the most commonly used imaging modality, with skull (25.7%) and vertebral fracture (14.1%) being the most common radiological findings for traumatic brain injury and traumatic spinal injury, respectively. Two-thirds of patients were treated nonoperatively. Outcomes were favorable in 63.7% of traumatic brain injury patients, but in only 20.9% of traumatic spinal injury patients. Pressure sores, infection, and motor deficits were the most commonly reported complications in the latter., Conclusions: This systematic review and pooled analysis demonstrate the significant burden of neurotrauma across Nigeria., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)