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Background: Endoscopic pituitary surgery might yield better endocrine outcomes compared to microscopic resection. We conducted a prospective, randomized, single-blinded study to compare the endocrine outcome and quality of life (QoL) of patients with newly diagnosed pituitary adenoma who underwent either endoscopic or microscopic transsphenoidal surgery (NCT03515603). Methods: Due to slow recruitment, this study had to be stopped prematurely. Out of 170 transsphenoidal pituitary surgeries performed during the study period, 36 patients were enrolled in this study. The primary endpoint was based on the development of a new hypopituitarism. Secondary endpoints included the extent of resection, complications, and QoL. Results: Endoscopic surgery was performed in 47.2% (n = 17). A new hypopituitarism was found in 8.3% (n = 3). All these cases underwent microscopic resection. Arginine vasopressin deficiency was found in 2.7% (n = 1) after microscopic resection. Gross total resection was achieved in 94.4% (n = 34). No surgical complications or new neurological deficits were observed. QoL improved significantly after the surgery, as measured by EQ-VAS (p = 0.003). According to EQ-5D3L, QoL improved or remained unchanged in almost all patients. No significant difference was found in QoL between the endoscopic and microscopic groups. Conclusion: The endoscopic technique appears to offer benefits in the treatment of pituitary adenomas, particularly in terms of achieving a favorable endocrine outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to analyze potential risk factors that may influence the clinical outcomes following surgical treatment of traumatic peroneal nerve lesions. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with traumatic peroneal nerve injuries treated with decompression, split repair, or nerve grafting between 2010 and 2020. Motor function and potential risk factors were evaluated. Results: Out of 93 patients, 42 (45%) underwent decompression, 15 (16%) received split repair, and 36 (39%) required autologous nerve grafting. Up to one year after surgery, weakness of the anterior tibial muscle improved from a median of M0 to M3. After one year following nerve decompression, functional recovery was observed in 28 (65%) cases, in 9 (21%) cases after split repair, and in 7 (16%) cases following autologous nerve grafting. A defect greater than 8 cm was associated with significantly poorer improvement of extensor hallucis longus (p = 0.037, HR 0.109). We found no significant associations between age, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, obesity, and postoperative outcomes. Conclusions: According to the present data, a significant number of patients achieved functional improvement following surgical treatment, indicating that this procedure should be considered an important treatment option in selected cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Post-hemicraniectomy patients often need extended intensive care treatment. While computed tomography (CT) is considered the gold standard for regular imaging, its frequent use could be linked to adverse clinical outcomes. This study aimed to assess bedside transcranial ultrasound (TUS) to capture intracranial anatomical structures and pathologies. Methods: We analyzed 19 patients treated in our neurosurgical ICU from 1 January 2023 to 1 February 2024. Six physicians from our unit (three residents and three attending physicians) conducted a retrospective evaluation. A total of 158 sessions, including multiple freeze frames and video footage, were analyzed, including 7 imaging categories, using a Likert scale. Subsequently, correlation between CT and TUS was evaluated for midline (ML) shift, subdural space, lateral ventricular width (LVW), and extent of intracerebral hematoma using the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). Results: TUS was performed on average on 8.32/19.53 days (mean inpatient stay). It provided the lowest Likert scores for the imaging categories ventricular system, midline, subdural space, intraventricular catheter placement, and cortical gyration. Residents reported slightly inferior assessability, resulting in higher scores on the Likert scale (0.02–0.93 mean difference compared with attending physicians). A high correlation was shown in terms of ML shift, LVW, and intracerebral hematomas. No relevant correlation was shown in subdural space. Conclusions: TUS is a safe, cost-, and time-efficient method, potentially gaining relevance for imaging post-hemicraniectomy patients. In our setting, the method seemed effective in depicting intraventricular catheter placement, hydrocephalus, ML shift, and space-occupying lesions. Further improvement in image quality could potentially reduce the overall number of indicated CT scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is increasingly common due to the aging population and widespread use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications. The objective of this study is to examine the internal composition of CSDH and explore potential risk factors associated with its recurrence. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 189 patients who underwent surgery in our department between 2014 and 2018. Recorded data included demographics, clinical information, details of surgical interventions, computer tomography (CT) scans, neurological assessments, and follow-up data. The outcome was evaluated clinically and through CT follow-up conducted 4–12 weeks post-surgery. CT scans measured various parameters, including hematoma thickness, hyperdense regions, chronic components, and membrane presence. Results: Patients after the evacuation of CSDH were significantly more common males (66.1%, p > 0.001) had a significantly higher BMI (p < 0.001, 61.6%), arterial hypertension (p < 0.001, 68.3%), and the intake of anticoagulant therapy (p < 0.001, 58%). The recurrence rate was 18.6% after 4 weeks and 2.1% after 8–12 weeks. After uni- and multivariable analysis, the initial hemispheric type (p = 0.019, HR: 3.191; p = 0.012, HR: 3.810) and the increasing preoperative midline shift in CT (p = 0.028, HR: 1.114; p = 0.041, HR: 1.107) were found as independent predictors for recurrence. Overall, outcomes were favorable with a modified Rankin scale (mRS) of 0–2 at discharge (72%), after 4 (89.7%) and 12 (87%) weeks. Conclusion: According to our data, increasing midline shift before surgery and initial hemispheric type of hematoma were independent predictors of recurrence. Most patients achieved an excellent outcome with a low-risk profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a chronic neurocutaneous disease known to profoundly affect quality of life (QoL). We have performed an analysis of disease severity, mental and physical QoL and compare the different subclasses among patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1). Patients and methods: We conducted a prospective analysis of 89 NF1 patients between January 2016 and March 2018. Data sourced from local records including demographic information, employment status, education level, and marital status. All patients completed 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and additionally the numerical pain rating scale (NPS). Patients were stratified based on severity of NF1, visibility and disease severity. Results: Among 89 patients, severity was classified as grade 4 was identified in 42 (47.2%), moderate in 17 (19.1%), mild in 23 (25.8%) and minimal in 7 (7.9%) cases. According to visibility scale, severe grade 3 was found in 28 (31.5%), moderate grade 2 in 26 (29.2%) and mild grade in 35 (39.3%) cases. SF-36 data, except for pain, showed significantly lower values, if compared to the standard German population (P < 0.001, physical component summary P = 0.045). Sex, marital status and education level did not significantly influence results. Employment was significantly associated with better mental and physical status (P = 0.028 and P = 0.01 respectively) and age >40 was linked to lower physical (P = 0.027) but not mental component scores (P = 0.362). The numerical pain rating scale indicated pain levels of 7–10 in 9 cases (10,1%), 5–6 in 10 patients (11.2%), 1–4 in 26 patients (29.2%) and no pain in 44 cases (49.4%). Physical component scores significantly differed across different NPS grades (P < 0.001) but not in mental component scores (P = 0.06). Finally, no significant differences were found in mental component scores across severity or visibility grades. Conclusion: Severity and visibility grades of patients with NF1 may not necessarily result in poor mental health. Symptomatic treatment should be considered even for severely disabled patients as they may have comparable QoL to less severely affected patients with NF1. Employment was linked to better quality of life outcomes in our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the use of image-guided volumetry in cerebellar infarction during the decision-making process for surgery. Particular emphasis was placed on the ratio of the infarction volume to the cerebellar volume or cranial posterior fossa volume. Methods: A retrospective, multicenter, multidisciplinary study design was selected. Statistical methods such as regression analysis and ROC analysis included the volumetric data of the infarction, the posterior fossa and the cerebellum itself as new factors. Results: Thirty-eight patients (mean age 75 (SD: 13.93) years, 16 (42%) female patients) were included. The mean infarction volume was 37.79 (SD: 25.24) cm3. Patients treated surgically had a 2.05-fold larger infarction than those managed without surgery (p ≤ 0.001). Medical and surgical treatment revealed a significant difference in the ratio of the cranial posterior fossa volume to the infarction volume (medical 12.05, SD:9.09; surgical 5.14, SD: 5,65; p ≤ 0.001) and the ratio of the cerebellar volume to the infarction volume (medical 8.55, SD: 5.97; surgical 3.82, SD: 3.39; p ≤ 0.001). Subsequent multivariate regression analysis for surgical therapy showed significant results only for the posterior fossa volume to infarction volume ratio ≤/> 4:1 (OR: 1.162, CI: 1.007–1.341, p = 0.04). Younger (≤60 years) patients also had a significantly better outcome at discharge (p ≤ 0.017). A cut-off value for the infarction volume of 31.35 cm3 (sensitivity = 0.875, specificity = 0.2) was determined for the necessity of surgery. Conclusions: Volumetric data on the infarction, the posterior fossa and the cerebellum itself could be meaningful in decision-making towards surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study analyzes 61 rare tumors and lesions mimicking peripheral nerve tumors using data from the German Peripheral Nerve Tumor Registry. These cases exhibit significant heterogeneity with various morphological features and biological potentials, including malignant peripheral nerve tumors, perineuriomas, and hybrid nerve sheath tumors. This study underscores the challenges in preoperatively differentiating these rare entities from benign tumors using clinical and radiological methods alone. It highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving radiologists, neurologists, neuropathologists, and neurosurgeons for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. The supplementary material offers valuable insights to help clinicians recognize these rare tumors early, improving patient outcomes. The most common peripheral nerve tumors are of a benign nature and include schwannoma or neurofibroma. In rare cases, other tumors or non-tumorous lesions can mimic peripheral nerve tumors clinically or radiologically. Based on data from the multicentric German Peripheral Nerve Tumor Registry (PNTR), which encompasses current information on 315 surgically treated patients from three high-volume centers, we present 61 cases of rare tumors and lesions that mimic tumors associated with peripheral nerves. This cohort displays considerable heterogeneity, featuring a broad spectrum of morphological features and biological potentials. Histopathological diagnoses include various intrinsic peripheral nerve tumors such as malignant peripheral nerve tumors (MPNSTs) (n = 13), perineurioma (n = 17), and hybrid nerve sheath tumors (HPNSTs, comprising schwannoma/perineurioma and schwannoma/neurofibroma) (n = 14), as well as atypical neurofibromatous neoplasm with unknown biological potential (ANNUBP) (n = 1). Additionally, the cohort encompasses extrinsic tumorous lesions like lymphoma (n = 3), lymphangioma (n = 2), hemangioma (n = 2), solitary fibrous tumor (n = 2), metastatic disease (n = 1), and single cases of other rare tumor entities (n = 6). An overview of the underlying pathology, imaging features, and clinical presentation is provided, with a brief description of each entity. A definitive preoperative differentiation between benign peripheral nerve tumors and rare intrinsic and extrinsic tumors is often not possible. Clinical examination and subtle imaging clues can at least indicate the possibility of a rare entity. The basic requirement is close cooperation between radiologists, neurologists, neuropathologists, and neurosurgeons at a specialized center to develop a multidisciplinary concept and offer the patient the best therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Ventriculostomy (VST) is a frequent neurosurgical procedure. Freehand catheter placement represents the standard current practice. However, multiple attempts are often required. We present augmented reality (AR) headset guided VST with in-house developed head models. We conducted a proof of concept study in which we tested AR-guided as well as freehand VST. Repeated AR punctures were conducted to investigate if a learning curve can be derived. Methods Five custom-made 3D-printed head models, each holding an anatomically different ventricular system, were filled with agarose gel. Eleven surgeons placed two AR-guided as well as two freehand ventricular drains per head. A subgroup of four surgeons did a total of three series of AR-guided punctures each to test for a learning curve. A Microsoft HoloLens served as the hardware platform. The marker-based tracking did not require rigid head fixation. Catheter tip position was evaluated in computed tomography scans. Results Marker-tracking, image segmentation, and holographic display worked satisfactorily. In freehand VST, a success rate of 72.7% was achieved, which was higher than under AR guidance (68.2%, difference not statistically significant). Repeated AR-guided punctures increased the success rate from 65 to 95%. We assume a steep learning curve as repeated AR-guided punctures led to an increase in successful attempts. Overall user experience showed positive feedback. Conclusions We achieved promising results that encourage the continued development and technical improvement. However, several more developmental steps have to be taken before an application in humans can be considered. In the future, AR headset–based holograms have the potential to serve as a compact navigational help inside and outside the operating room. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has high morbidity and mortality. While the primary injury results from the initial bleeding cannot currently be influenced, secondary injury through vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia worsens outcome and might be a target for interventions to improve outcome. To date, beside the aneurysm treatment to prevent re-bleeding and the administration of oral nimodipine, there is no therapy available, so novel treatment concepts are needed. Evidence suggests that inflammation contributes to delayed cerebral ischemia and poor outcome in SAH. Some studies suggest a beneficial effect of anti-inflammatory glucocorticoids, but there are no data from randomized controlled trials examining the efficacy of glucocorticoids. Therefore, current guidelines do not recommend the use of glucocorticoids in SAH. Aim: The Fight INflammation to Improve outcome after aneurysmal Subarachnoid HEmorRhage (FINISHER) trial aims to determine whether dexamethasone improves outcome in a clinically relevant endpoint in SAH patients. Methods and design: FINISHER is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical phase III trial which is testing the outcome and safety of anti-inflammatory treatment with dexamethasone in SAH patients. Sample size estimates: In all, 334 patients will be randomized to either dexamethasone or placebo within 48 h after SAH. The dexamethasone dose is 8 mg tds for days 1–7 and then 8 mg od for days 8–21. Study outcome: The primary outcome is the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 6 months, which is dichotomized to favorable (mRS 0–3) versus unfavorable (mRS 4–6). Discussion: The results of this study will provide the first phase III evidence as to whether dexamethasone improves outcome in SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate effectiveness and safety of computed tomography (CT)-guided cyst rupture with intraarticular contrast-enhanced injection of steroid and local anesthetic as first choice therapy in patients with facet joint cyst-induced radicular pain. Design Retrospective data set analysis. Setting University hospital. Subjects One hundred and twenty-one patients suffering from radicular pain attributable to facet joint cysts were included. Methods The rate of patients without following surgery was assessed and defined as surrogate to measure effectiveness. Patients' characteristics, procedure-associated complications, technical aspects, and imaging findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were analyzed. A subgroup of 65 patients (54%) underwent telephone interview to assess pain relief and clinical outcome measured by Numeric Rating Scale and Oswestry Disability Index. Analyses between the groups with and without surgery were performed by Fisher exact test and two-sample unpaired t -test, respectively. Results The effectiveness of CT-guided cyst rupture was found to be 66.1%. Procedure-induced pain yielded in premature abort in two cases (1.7%). The detection of epidural contrast agent was statistically significantly associated with no need for surgery (P  =  .010). The cyst level was associated with the status of following surgery (P  =  .026), that is, cysts at lower lumbar spine were easier to rupture than cysts at other locations (cervical, thoracic, or upper lumbar spine). No further significant association was found. Conclusions CT-guided cyst rupture as the first-choice therapy in patients with cyst-induced radicular pain was safe and effective. Successful cyst rupture was associated with no need for surgery. Cysts at lower lumbar spine revealed the highest success rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surgical treatment of recurrent adenomas can be challenging. Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) can improve the orientation and increase the safe extent of resection. We conducted a quantitative and qualitative retrospective analysis of recurrent adenomas treated by endoscopic or microscopic iMRI-assisted transsphenoidal surgery. A total number of 59 resections were selected. Detailed volumetric measurements, tumor characteristics, and MRI features of intraoperative remnants were evaluated. Intraoperative MRI increased the gross total resection (GTR) rate from 33.9% to 49.2%. Common locations of tumor remnants after iMRI were the clivus, the wall of the cavernous sinus or the perforation of the diaphragm. Increasing tumor volume and the microscopic technique were significantly associated with further resection after iMRI in the univariate analysis (p = 0.004, OR 1.6; p = 0.009, OR 4.4). Only the increasing tumor volume was an independent predictor for further resection (p = 0.007, OR 1.5). A significantly higher proportion of GTRs was achieved with the endoscopic technique (p = 0.001). Patients with a large recurrent pituitary adenoma who underwent microscopic transsphenoidal resection were the most likely to benefit from iMRI regarding the extent of resection. Occult invasions of the cavernous sinus and/or the clivus were the most common findings leading to further resection of tumor remnants after iMRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]