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Although numerous studies have established advanced patient age as a risk factor for poor outcomes following intracranial meningioma resection, large-scale evaluation of frailty for preoperative risk assessment has yet to be examined. Weighted discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample were queried for adult patients undergoing benign intracranial meningioma resection from 2015 to 2018. Complex samples multivariable logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were performed to evaluate adjusted associations and discrimination of frailty, quantified using the 11-factor modified frailty index (mFI), for clinical endpoints. Among 20,250 patients identified (mean age 60.6 years), 35.4% (n = 7170) were robust (mFI = 0), 34.5% (n = 6985) pre-frail (mFI = 1), 20.1% (n = 4075) frail (mFI = 2), and 10.0% (n = 2020) severely frail (mFI ≥ 3). On univariable analysis, these sub-cohorts stratified by increasing frailty were significantly associated with the development of Clavien–Dindo grade IV (life-threatening) complications (inclusive of those resulting in mortality) (1.3% vs. 3.1% vs. 6.5% vs. 9.4%, p

Herniation of parahippocampal gyrus is usually caused by pressure differentials intracranially, and herniation without known risk factors is extremely rare. We describe a patient with a long history of seizures and a remote status epilepticus event. On magnetic resonance imaging, a presumed left temporal lobe tumor was observed. On neurosurgical consultation, the lesion was identified as a chronic mesial temporal lobe herniation. The patient lacked history that would suggest risk of cerebral herniation. Accurately identifying the patient’s chronic temporal lobe herniation radiographically likely saved this patient from unnecessary surgery or biopsy and allowed the patient to receive appropriate conservative care.

Background When resident physicians fail to demonstrate appropriate milestone competencies early in their neurologic surgery residency, a plan of remediation is necessary. Methods Once any psychologic, physical, or behavioral causes of identified knowledge or psychomotor deficiencies have been identified and addressed, the next step is to develop a plan to close these gaps. Specific areas that are assessed for deficits include medical knowledge, clinical reasoning and judgment, clinical skills, time management and organization, interpersonal skills, communication, and professionalism. Specific learning goals and objectives, as well as teaching and learning methods, pertain to the unique areas of deficit, and all of these must be considered with the goal of developing a resident-specific remediation plan. Results A plan for assessment of the remediation process is described, including an evaluation of what constitutes individual resident remediation success. Conclusions Finally, a discussion of the prior resident remediation studies across many disciplines is made.

Moyamoya is an uncommon disease that presents with stenoocclusion of the major vasculature at the base of the brain and associated collateral vessel formation. Many pediatric patients with moyamoya present with transient ischemic attacks or complete occlusions. The authors report the case of a 9-year-old girl who presented with posterior fossa hemorrhage and was treated with an emergency suboccipital craniotomy for evacuation. After emergency surgery, an angiogram was performed, and the patient was diagnosed with moyamoya disease. Six months later, the patient was treated for moyamoya using direct and indirect revascularization; after surgery there was excellent vascularization in both regions of the bypass and no further progression of moyamoya changes. This case illustrates a rare example of intracerebral hemorrhage associated with moyamoya changes in the posterior vascularization in a pediatric patient and subsequent use of direct and indirect revascularization to reduce the risk of future hemorrhage and moyamoya progression.

Primary pituitary abscesses are extraordinarily rare lesions, especially in pediatric populations, with very few cases described in the literature. Here we review this rare condition and discuss its management. We report a case of a previously healthy 12-year-old female patient who presented with vomiting and meningismus. We review the literature on pediatric patients presenting with pituitary abscesses and the described treatments. An operative video demonstrating our surgical technique is provided. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a rim-enhancing, diffusion-restricting sellar lesion concerning for abscess. No sinus disease or other structural cause of intracranial infection was identified. An endoscopic transsphenoidal approach was used to visualize the endonasal structures, and microscopic guidance was used for evacuation of the abscess. Purulent material was drained immediately upon entry into the lesion. Tissue cultures grew Cutibacterium acnes. Postoperatively, the patient was hypocortisolemic but otherwise endocrinologically normal. She was discharged four days later on oral hydrocortisone and intravenous ceftriaxone without any neurologic deficit. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second report in the literature of a primary pituitary abscess due to C. acnes infection.

Objective Understand the frailty of vestibular schwannoma surgical patients and how frailty impacts clinical course. Study design Retrospective Cohort. Setting Single-tertiary academic hospital. Patients All patients undergoing vestibular schwannoma surgery. Intervention The modified frailty index (mFI) was calculated for all patients undergoing surgery for vestibular schwannoma between 2011 and 2018. Patient demographics and medical history, perioperative course, and postoperative complications were obtained from the medical record. Main outcome measures The primary endpoint was hospital length of stay (LOS). Secondary endpoint was postoperative complications. Basic statistical analysis was performed including multivariate linear regressions to determine independent predictors of LOS. Results There were 218 patients included and the mean age was 48.1 ± 0.9 (range 12-77). One-hundred ten patients were male (50.5%). The mean ICU LOS was 1.6 ± 0.1 days while mean total hospital LOS was 4.3 ± 0.2. There were 145 patients (66.5%) who were robust (nonfrail) with an mFI of 0, while 73 (33.5%) had an mFI of ≥1. Frailty (mFI≥2) was associated with longer hospital LOS compared with the prefrail (p = 0.0014) and robust (p = 0.0004) groups, but was not associated with increased complications (OR = 1.3; 95% CI: 0.5-3.7; p = 0.5925) or ICU LOS (p > 0.05). In multivariate analysis, increased mFI, and NOT increased age, was an independent risk factor for increased hospital LOS (p = 0.027). Conclusion Increasing frailty, and not increasing age, is an independent risk factor for longer hospital LOS, but not for increased postoperative complications. Patients' frailty status may be useful preoperatively in counselling patients about postoperative expectations and frail vestibular schwannoma patients may require increased health spending costs given their increased hospital LOS.

Cavernous sinus meningioma (CSM) with orbital involvement presents a unique challenge to modern-day neurosurgeons. In the modern era of preventive medicine with enhanced screening tools, physicians encounter CSM more frequently. An indolent natural history, late clinical presentation, close proximity to vital neurovascular structures, poor tumor-to-normal tissue interface, and high risk of iatrogenic morbidity and mortality with aggressive resection add to the complexity of decision-making and optimal management of these lesions. The clinical dilemma of deciding whether to observe or intervene first for asymptomatic lesions remains an enigma in current practice. The concepts of management for CSM with orbital involvement have gradually evolved from radical resection to a more conservative surgical approach with maximal safe resection, with the specific goals of preserving function and reducing proptosis. This change in surgical attitude has enabled better long-term functional outcomes with conservative approaches as compared with functionally disabled outcomes resulting from the pursuit of anatomical cure from disease with radical resection. The advent of stereotactic radiosurgery as an adjunct tool to treat residual CSM has greatly shaped our resection principles and planning. Interdisciplinary collaboration for multimodality management is key to successful management of these difficult to treat lesions and tailor management as per individual's requirement.

Background Internal auditory canal (IAC) lipomas are rare intracranial lesions. Consequently, preoperative imaging is essential in differentiating IAC lipomas from more common tumors such as vestibular schwannomas. The hallmark of lipomas on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is hyperintensity on T1-weighted images that suppresses on fat-suppressed sequences and does not enhance with gadolinium administration. Case Description The present case describes a 53-year-old woman who was misdiagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma because of the lack of appropriate MRI sequences. Conclusions This case demonstrates the importance of ensuring that both fat-suppressed and non−fat-suppressed T1-weighted pregadolinium images are obtained in the diagnostic process of IAC lesions. It is therefore recommended that imaging centers ensure that such sequences are included in their MRI protocols.

Intratumoral hemorrhage/apoplexy in clival chordomas is extremely uncommon, with only 16 reported cases. The average age of patients was 46.2 years and slightly more than half were men. In cases published before 1990, all patients died from their disease without any intervention. Since then, 11 patients have undergone resection by a variety of approaches and there have been no deaths. The diagnosis of skull base chordomas relies on a combination of clinical presentation and radiographic features related to the location and invasion of the tumor. Chordomas presenting with sudden-onset symptoms should alarm the surgeon of a possible hemorrhage. As an illustration of this presentation, we describe a 58-year-old woman who presented with acute-onset headache and cranial nerve deficits. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a hemorrhagic clival lesion with cavernous sinus extension. The patient underwent transsphenoidal resection of the lesion that resulted in the resolution of her symptoms. Histopathological evaluation of the lesion was consistent with chordoma with acute hemorrhagic components. Although intratumoral hemorrhage is rarely detected in chordomas, it should be considered a differential diagnosis of such lesions because prompt recognition and treatment are critical for patient survival.

Background and purpose The utility of preoperative embolization remains controversial within the literature. Here, we evaluate whether preoperative meningioma embolization is effective in reducing intraoperative blood loss, safe to perform, and cost-effective when compared with surgical resection without preoperative embolization. Methods Twenty-nine patients with meningiomas were matched by tumor size and location to 29 control patients with meningiomas at another institution where preoperative embolization was not practiced. The variables evaluated were pre- and post-operative hemoglobin and hematocrit levels as a measure of operative blood loss and postoperative morbidity. The additional cost of undergoing angiography and embolization was calculated from hospital charges obtained from the billing department. Results The mean decrease in perioperative hemoglobin and hematocrit was 0.9 and 2.7, respectively, in the embolization group and 2.8 and 10.0, respectively, in the control group for a significant decrease in operative blood loss as measured by change in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels after surgery. There was no significant difference in operative blood loss when subdividing patients based on tumor location. There were no angiogram-related complications. Twenty-two of 29 patients (76%) underwent embolization of a feeding artery, whereas 7 patients underwent only a diagnostic angiogram. The mean additional charge per patient in the embolization group was $88,767. Conclusions Preoperative embolization was safe and effective in reducing the overall perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing meningioma resection, as measured by the change in postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. However, the cost of embolization was significant.

Background Spheno-orbital meningiomas (SOMs) present distinct surgical challenges because they involve important neurovascular structures, such as the orbit, cavernous sinus, superior orbital fissure, and optic canal. Resection thus focuses on maximum safe resection while preserving these neurovascular structures. Our objective was to describe our method of surgical management of SOMs and summarize visual outcomes. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients who underwent surgery for SOM in 2011–2021. Demographics, preoperative visual summary, operative details, visual outcomes, and recurrence data were collected. Results The 33 patients (10 male, 23 female) had a mean age of 56 years (range 27-74 years). The mean tumor volume was 39 ml (range 4.7-220 ml). The mean follow-up period was 18 months (range 1-120 months). Thirty-two patients had preoperative radiographic evidence of proptosis (based on exophthalmos index), 23 (70%) presented with diminished visual acuity, and 10 (30%) had a concomitant visual field deficit. At last postoperative follow-up, vision was stable for 25 patients (83.3%), improved for 1 (3.3%), and worsened for 3 (10%; 2 occurring after tumor recurrence beyond 2 years). Proptosis was stable or improved in all patients. One patient had an enucleated eye. A total of 7 patients (21%) had recurrence of the tumor at 19–72 months from the operation. Conclusion In this study, maximum safe resection, including periorbital resection, provided adequate visual and cosmetic outcomes, as well as reasonable tumor control in the long term. Rigid orbital reconstruction was not required to prevent pulsatile enophthalmos.

Postoperative digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is the gold standard for establishing a cure of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) after treatment. The incidence of residual AVM identified on postoperative DSA ranges from 1.8 to 11%. Although this is important for finalizing the treatment of AVMs, postoperative DSA rarely shows new findings that were not previously identified on preoperative imaging. We present a unique case where we identified residual AVM nidus on immediate postoperative DSA that drained into two deep veins that were not evident on preoperative DSA and increased the AVM grade from Spetzler-Martin grade II to III. To our knowledge, this finding has not been previously reported in the literature. We resected the residual AVM nidus identified on postoperative DSA, leading to an angiographic cure. The patient demonstrated a postoperative right-sided supplementary motor area syndrome that resolved over time with therapy. She made a complete functional recovery by her one-month follow-up appointment.

Background Occipitocervical instability may result from transcondylar resection of the occipital condyle. Initially, patients may be able to maintain a neutral alignment but severe occipitoatlantal subluxation may subsequently occur, with cranial settling, spinal cord kinking, and neurological injury. Objective To evaluate the ability of posterior fixation constructs to prevent progression to severe deformity after radical unilateral condylectomy. Methods Eight human cadaveric specimens (Oc-C2) underwent biomechanical testing to compare stiffness under physiological loads (1.5 N m). A complete unilateral condylectomy was performed to destabilize one Oc-C1 joint, and the contralateral joint was left intact. Unilateral Oc-C1 or Oc-C2 constructs on the resected side and bilateral Oc-C1 or Oc-C2 constructs were tested. Results The bilateral Oc-C2 construct provided the greatest stiffness, but the difference was only statistically significant in certain planes of motion. The unilateral constructs had similar stiffness in lateral bending, but the unilateral Oc-C1 construct was less stiff in axial rotation and flexion-extension than the unilateral Oc-C2 construct. The bilateral Oc-C2 construct was stiffer than the unilateral Oc-C2 construct in axial rotation and lateral bending, but there was no difference between these constructs in flexion-extension. Conclusion Patients who undergo a complete unilateral condylectomy require close surveillance for occipitocervical instability. A bilateral Oc-C2 construct provides suitable biomechanical strength, which is superior to other constructs. A unilateral construct decreases abnormal motion but lacks the stiffness of a bilateral construct. However, given that most patients undergo a partial condylectomy and only a small proportion of patients develop instability, there may be scenarios in which a unilateral construct may be appropriate, such as for temporary internal stabilization.

OBJECTIVEMicrosurgical resection and radiosurgery remain the most widely used interventions in the treatment of vestibular schwannomas. There is a growing demand for cost-effectiveness analyses to evaluate these two treatment modalities and delineate the factors that drive their total costs. Here, the authors evaluated specific cost drivers for microsurgical and radiosurgical management of vestibular schwannoma by using the Value Driven Outcomes system available at the University of Utah.METHODSThe authors retrospectively reviewed all cases involving microsurgical and radiosurgical treatment of vestibular schwannomas at their institution between November 2011 and September 2017. Patient and tumor characteristics, subcategory costs, and potential cost drivers were analyzed.RESULTSThe authors identified 163 vestibular schwannoma cases, including 116 managed microsurgically and 47 addressed with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). There were significant differences between the two groups in age, tumor size, and preoperative Koos grade (p < 0.05), suggesting that indications for treatment were markedly different. Length of stay (LOS) and length of follow-up were also significantly different. Facility costs were the most significant contributor to both microsurgical and SRS groups (58.3% and 99.4%, respectively); however, physician professional fees were not specifically analyzed. As expected, microsurgical treatment resulted in an average 4-fold greater overall cost of treatment than for SRS cases (p < 0.05), and there was a greater variation in costs for open cases as well. Costs remained stable over time for both open resection and SRS. Multivariable analysis showed that LOS (β = 0.7, p = 0.0001), discharge disposition (β = 0.2, p = 0.004), nonserviceable hearing (β = 0.1, p = 0.02), and complications (β = 0.2, p = 0.005) affected cost for open surgery, whereas no specifically examined factor could be identified as driving costs for SRS.CONCLUSIONSThis analysis identified the fact that facility utilization constitutes the majority of total costs for both microsurgery and SRS treatment modalities of vestibular schwannomas. LOS, discharge disposition, nonserviceable hearing, and complications contributed significantly to the total costs for the microsurgical group, whereas none of the factors could be identified as driving total costs for the SRS group. This information may be used to establish policies and protocols to reduce facility costs, with the goal of decreasing the total costs without jeopardizing patient care.

Jugular foramen cavernous hemangiomas are extremely rare vascular malformations, and, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, their occurrence as multifocal lesions involving both intra- and extracranial compartments has never been reported before. Here, the authors describe the case of a 60-year-old woman with a complex multifocal jugular foramen cavernous hemangioma. The patient presented with signs and symptoms concerning for jugular foramen syndrome, as well as a right neck mass. Surgical extirpation of the lesion was achieved by a multidisciplinary team via a right infratemporal fossa approach (Fisch type A) with concurrent high neck dissection and a closure buttressed with an autologous fat graft and a temporoparietal fascial flap. Although rare, cavernous hemangiomas should be included in the differential diagnosis of jugular foramen masses.

Background The far-lateral approach is a mainstay in gaining access to the ventrolateral craniocervical junction for tumor removal and the treatment of vascular lesions. It has a reportedly high rate of cerebrospinal fluid leak (up to 20%), which can bring devastating consequences, including meningitis, and may require wound revision associated with a longer hospital stay. Objective To describe a closure technique employed to close the access corridor provided by the far-lateral approach and present an illustrative case. Methods The far-lateral closure technique employs dural closure, followed by fat buttress, to alleviate dead space and reduce the likelihood of fluid collection and leakage. Results This technique has been successfully used by the senior author for more than 14 yr, with a rate of cerebrospinal fluid leak of 2.9%. Conclusion This unique approach and closure of the far-lateral craniotomy is a reasonable option for the approach to the ventrolateral craniocervical junction. Skull base surgeons can consider the use of this closure technique to ensure watertight closure.

The term “radiation vasculopathy” defines a heterogeneous and poorly defined complex of vessel injury due to radiation. Radiation vasculopathy remains underrecognized and poorly treated with respect to head and neck radiotherapy. Distinct injury patterns to small (≤ 100-μm), medium (> 100-μm), and large (> 500-μm) vessels can occur, resulting in carotid stenosis, intracranial stenosis, and vascular anomalies (e.g., cavernous malformations, aneurysms). Because of the lack of clinical evidence and guidelines, treatment plans involve medical management, carotid endarterectomy, and carotid artery stenting and are developed on a patient-by-patient basis. In this review, the authors discuss the current pathophysiology, imaging, clinical impact, and potential treatment strategies of radiation vasculopathy with clinical pertinence to practicing neurosurgeons and neurologists. A review of 4 patients with prior head and neck tumors in whom delayed radiation vasculopathy developed after radiotherapy demonstrates the application of various treatment options in a case-by-case manner. Earlier recognition of radiation vasculopathy disease patterns may enable earlier initiation of treatment and monitoring for complications. Standardized terminology and treatments may assist with improving clinical outcomes.

Psammomatoid juvenile ossifying fibroma (PJOF) is an uncommon, benign fibro-osseous tumor. It is a purely surgical disease, and a review of the literature revealed that adjuvant therapies, including chemotherapy and radiation, play a limited role. The authors report the case of a 16-year-old male refugee who presented with a giant sinonasal PJOF with parasellar invasion, after having been unable to undergo earlier surgical treatment. The delay in presentation resulted in a large lesion with bilateral optic nerve compression, blindness, and frontal lobe compression. The patient was surgically treated with a two-stage combined cranial and endoscopic endonasal surgical approach. The delay in treatment and significant neurological compromise, which necessitated a two-stage approach, are unique from previously reported cases of PJOF.

Objective Pituitary adenomas are uncommon in the pediatric population. Although medical treatment can be effective in treating prolactinomas and some growth hormone-secreting tumors, resection is indicated in the setting of pituitary apoplexy, large or giant pituitary adenomas causing mass effect or visual loss, or when medical therapy becomes ineffective or intolerable. Modern microsurgical transsphenoidal approaches are potential avenues for resection in pediatric patients. We evaluated the outcomes and safety of this approach. Methods A retrospective cohort analysis was performed from February 2002 through May 2017 for patients younger than 19 years of age that underwent a transsphenoidal approach for pituitary adenoma resection. Results Among a total of 634 patients who underwent transsphenoidal approach for pituitary adenoma resection, 24 pediatric cases were identified. Prolactinomas (29.2%) and adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting (20.8%) pituitary adenomas were the most commonly encountered histologies. Gross total resection was achieved in 75.0% of patients, and complete hormone function normalization was seen in 91.7% of patients. Eight patients (33.3%) required postoperative hormone replacement therapy. Twelve patients (50.0%) underwent fat/fascia use and 1 patient (4.2%) underwent lumbar puncture perioperatively for management of cerebrospinal fluid leak. There were no tumor recurrences during a follow-up period of 24.7 ± 32.1 months. Conclusions A modern transsphenoidal microsurgical approach proved to be a safe, well-tolerated, and effective modality in the setting of pediatric pituitary adenomas.

Objective Pituitary adenomas account for 10%–20% of intracranial brain tumors but have greater incidence in elderly patients. We assessed microsurgical treatment for pituitary adenomas in this population. Methods A retrospective cohort of patients ≥60 years of age was identified. Patients were divided into deciles by age for evaluation of variables affecting outcome: 60–70 (group 1), 71–80 (group 2), and >80 years (group 3). Results Two hundred five patients were identified among group 1 (n = 131), group 2 (n = 65), and group 3 (n = 9). Preoperative variables other than age did not differ. Most patients presented with visual disturbance, in 56.5%, 73.8%, and 50% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The next most common indication was headache, followed by endocrinopathy. Tumors were overwhelmingly nonfunctional (P = 0.97) and macroadenomas (P = 0.5) in all 3 groups. Gross total resection occurred in 56.9%–80% of patients, and this rate did not differ among groups. Complication rates of 6.9% in group 1, 9.2% in group 2, and 0.0% in group 3 were observed (P = 0.8). No perioperative mortality was identified. Mean length of follow-up ranged from 8.9 to 28.3 months. Conclusions In this series of microsurgical resection of pituitary adenomas in elderly patients, good efficacy and safety of treatment were observed. Preclusion of surgical treatment, including open resection, simply because of age is not warranted and instead a comprehensive evaluation of a patient's risk profile and surgical goals should be undertaken.

Objective Flow diversion has been an important addition to endovascular neurosurgery, but its use in the posterior circulation remains controversial. Our goal is to describe the safety and efficacy of moderate sedation during flow diversion for posterior circulation lesions (aneurysms or dissecting pseudoaneurysms). Methods The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent placement of a Pipeline embolization device for a posterior circulation lesion using moderate sedation at a single institution from August 2012 through November 2017. Clinical data and outcomes were evaluated. Results Fifteen consecutive patients were identified: 8 female, 7 male (mean age 52.2 ± 16.3 years, range 15–81). Eleven lesions were located in the vertebral artery, 1 in the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, 2 in the posterior cerebral artery, and 1 in the basilar artery. All patients underwent flow diversion with Pipeline embolization devices. One patient experienced an acute occlusion of the basilar artery during the procedure that required revascularization. Mean fluoroscopy time was 35.6 ± 16.5 minutes (range 15.5–75). Mean follow-up time was 12.7 ± 8.8 months (range 3–36). No patient had new neurologic deficits in the perioperative or postoperative period. Conversion to general anesthesia was not required in any case. Conclusions Moderate sedation is safe and feasible in patients undergoing flow diversion for posterior circulation lesions. In addition, its use may allow for more rapid identification of procedural complications, facilitating emergent treatment and decreasing procedure-related morbidity.

Background The use of bibliometrics to evaluate authors, institutions, and journals faces significant challenges in comparing biomedical specialties because of marked differences among fields. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of specialty field and physician numbers on bibliometric parameters. Methods For this bibliometric analysis, data from MDLinx.com and SCImago Journal & Country Rank for 2016 were used to rank the journals. The 2015 Physician Specialty Data Report provided the number of specialists in specific fields. We assessed the means for bibliometric parameters across medical and surgical specialties. Results A total of 904 journals within 25 medical and surgical specialties were identified. Medical specialty journals had higher average total citations than did surgical specialty journals (8360 ± 16082 vs. 6217 ± 8743; P = 0.01). Medical specialties with the highest impact factor were oncology (7.8 ± 20.7), psychiatry (4.6 ± 4.0), and neurology (4.4 ± 4.1), whereas surgical specialties were led by urology (2.9 ± 3.3), cardiothoracic surgery (2.9 ± 2.7), and general surgery (2.6 ± 1.7). Impact factor and Eigenfactor score (a measure of both journal citations and caliber) were strongly correlated (r = 0.84, P = 0.0001). Comparison of impact factor per total physicians in the specialty suggested that top-ranked specialty journals were in allergy/immunology, pulmonology, and cardiothoracic surgery. Mean Eigenfactor score per total physicians showed that top journals were in cardiothoracic surgery, rheumatology, and pulmonary medicine. Conclusions Journal bibliometrics, which may strongly influence professional advancement and grant funding, show dramatic differences in ranking after accounting for specialty and physician population. Improved analysis and understanding of available bibliometrics, including their limitations, are necessary to appreciate their role in measuring scholarship.

Introduction Pituitary adenomas are common intracranial tumors (incidence 4:100,000 people) with good surgical outcomes; however, a subset of patients show higher rates of perioperative morbidity. Our goal was to identify risk factors for postoperative complications or readmission after pituitary adenoma resection. Methods We undertook a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent surgery for pituitary adenoma in 2006-2018 by using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. The main outcome measures were patient complications and the 30-day readmission rate. Results Among the 2,292 patients (mean age 53.3±15.9 years), there were 491 complications in 188 patients (8.2%). Complications and 30-day readmission have remained stable over time rather than declined. Unplanned readmission was seen in 141 patients (6.2%). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that hypertension (OR=1.6; 95% CI= 1.1, 2.1; p=0.005) and high white blood cell count (OR=1.08; 95% CI=1.03, 1.1; p=0.0001) were independent predictors of complications. Return to the operating room (OR=5.9, 95% CI=1.7, 20.2, p=0.0005); complications (OR=4.1, 95% CI=1.6, 10.6, p=0.004); and blood urea nitrogen (OR=1.08, 95% CI=1.02, 1.2, p=0.02) were independent predictors of 30-day readmission. Conclusion Using one of the largest datasets of pituitary adenoma patients, we identified perioperative factors most critical for patient outcome. One strength of this study is adjusting for cofactors that predict outcomes, which has not been done previously. Several patient biomarkers, namely white blood cell count and blood urea nitrogen, may serve as preoperative markers that might identify patients at higher risk. Control of blood pressure and renal disease may be perioperative management strategies that can impact the outcome.

Objective No established standard of care currently exists for the postoperative management of patients with surgically resected pituitary adenomas. Our objective was to quantify the efficacy of a postoperative stepdown unit protocol for reducing patient cost. Methods In 2018–2020, consecutive patients undergoing transsphenoidal microsurgical resection of sellar lesions were managed postoperatively in the full intensive care unit (ICU) or an ICU-based surgical stepdown unit based on preset criteria. Demographic variables, surgical outcomes, and patient costs were evaluated. Results Fifty-four patients (27 stepdown, 27 full ICU; no difference in age or sex) were identified. Stepdown patients were also compared with 634 historical control patients. The total hospital length of stay was no different among stepdown, ICU, and historical patients (4.8 ± 1.0 vs. 5.9 ± 2.8 vs. 4.4 ± 4.3 days, respectively, P = 0.1). Overall costs were 12.5% less for stepdown patients (P = 0.01), a difference mainly driven by reduced facility utilization costs of –8.9% (P = 0.02). The morbidity and complication rates were similar in the stepdown and full ICU groups. Extrapolation of findings to historical patients suggested that ∼$225,000 could have been saved from 2011 to 2016. Conclusions These results suggest that use of a postoperative stepdown unit could result in a 12.5% savings for eligible patients undergoing treatment of pituitary tumors by shifting patients to a less acute unit without worsened surgical outcomes. Historical controls indicate that over half of all pituitary patients would be eligible. Further refinement of patient selection for less costly perioperative management may reduce cost burden for the health care system and patients.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is a rare complication of macroprolactinomas that, in the vast majority of cases, is subsequent to either medical or surgical intervention. Here, we present the successful management of a rare case of spontaneous, noniatrogenic CSF rhinorrhea in a patient with an untreated macroprolactinoma. A 27-year-old man with no significant medical history presented with six months of persistent CSF rhinorrhea, which was confirmed by testing for beta-2-transferrin. He had had decreased libido since adolescence and impaired growth of secondary sexual characteristics. Workup revealed an elevated prolactin level, and imaging demonstrated erosion of the anterior sellar floor and soft tissue within the sphenoid sinus, concerning for tumor. The patient underwent surgical repair of the CSF leak via a transnasal transsphenoidal approach, with resection and biopsy of tumor material within the sinus. No tumor was noted within the sella itself. The patient tolerated the procedure well and had subsequent normalization of his prolactin level with no further CSF egress. Spontaneous noniatrogenic CSF rhinorrhea, although rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of invasive pituitary macroadenomas, especially prolactinomas. The mechanism of CSF leak from a prolactinoma is not completely understood, but the CSF leak should be urgently repaired through a transnasal transsphenoidal approach. Concurrently, tumor resection should be performed and a postoperative lumbar puncture or lumbar drain should be considered to reinforce the skull base reconstruction.

BACKGROUND The internal auditory canal (IAC) is an important landmark during surgery for lesions of the cerebellopontine angle. There is significant variability in the position and orientation of the IAC radiographically, and the authors have noted differences in surgical exposure depending on the individual anatomy of the IAC. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that IAC position and orientation affects the surgical exposure of the IAC and facial nerve, especially when performing the translabyrinthine approach. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed magnetic resonance imaging studies of 50 randomly selected patients with pathologically confirmed vestibular schwannomas. Measurements, including the anterior (APD) and posterior (PPD) petrous distances, the anterior (APA) and posterior (PPA) petro-auditory angles, and the internal auditory angle (IAA), were obtained to quantify the position and orientation of the IAC within the petrous temporal bone. RESULTS The results quantitatively demonstrate tremendous variability of the position and orientation of the IAC in the petrous temporal bone. The measurement ranges were APD 10.2 to 26.1 mm, PPD 15.1 to 37.2 mm, APA 104 to 157°, PPA 30 to 96°, and IAA -5 to 40°. CONCLUSION IAC variability can have a substantial effect on the surgical exposure of the IAC and facial and vestibulocochlear nerves. Specifically, a horizontally oriented IAC with a small IAA may have significant impact on visualization of the facial nerve within its cisternal segment with the translabyrinthine approach. The retrosigmoid approach is less affected with IAC variability in position and angle.

Atlantoaxial synovial cysts are a rare cause of cervical myelopathy. Here we describe a case of a 26-yr-old woman who presented with progressively decreasing right arm and leg strength and associated gait imbalance. On examination, she had diffuse weakness in the right upper and lower extremities, a positive right-sided Hoffman sign, and clonus in the right lower extremity. Computed tomography demonstrated an os odontoideum and a retro-odontoid cyst. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a T1 hypointense, T2 hyperintense, slightly rim-enhancing retro-odontoid cyst causing a marked narrowing of the spinal canal, with resultant flattening and leftward deviation of the spinal cord. The patient consented to undergo cyst fenestration via a right suboccipital craniotomy and right C1-C2 hemilaminectomies, along with a C1-C3 instrumented posterior spinal fusion. This approach was chosen because it allows for cyst fenestration and instrumentation of the hypermobile cervical spine within the same incision. After the dura was opened and the arachnoid was dissected, the cyst was visualized compressing the spinal cord. The cyst was fenestrated just inferior to the C1 nerve rootlets, resulting in immediate egress of a gelatinous content; thereafter, all accessible cyst wall portions were removed. Fusion was performed with lateral mass screws at C1 and C3 and pars screws at C2. Pathological analysis described the cyst content as reactive fibrovascular tissue with cholesterol deposition. There were no complications associated with the procedure, and the patient's right-sided weakness had nearly resolved by postoperative day 1. Patient consent was granted for publication.

Introduction Frailty is a measure of physiologic reserve that is frequently cited as a predictor of postoperative complications. However, the effect of frailty on patients undergoing a relatively common procedure such as transsphenoidal resection of pituitary tumors (TSRPT) is unknown. Therefore, we sought to explore this relationship using a large, national database. Methods The 2006–2014 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was retrospectively reviewed to identify all patients who underwent TSRPT. Frailty scores were assigned using the established 11-factor modified Frailty Index (mFI-11). Patients were divided into low-frailty and high-frailty groups, based on mFI comorbidities of ≤ 1 and ≥ 2, respectively. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of frailty on postoperative outcomes and mortality. Results A total of 993 patients were included in the analysis. The low-frailty group consisted of 825 patients; the high-frailty group comprised 168 patients. In univariable analysis, there were no significant differences in medical (low-frailty 4.8%, high-frailty 8.3%; p = 0.069) and surgical (low-frailty 1.1%, high-frailty 1.2%; p = 1.000) complications; however, the high-frailty group had a higher rate of mortality (3%) when compared with the low-frailty group (0.6%; p = 0.016, OR 4.07, p = 0.044) and longer hospitalization (4.5 ± 7.4 vs. 5.8 ± 6.8 days; p = 0.023). In multivariable analysis, frailty was a predictor of mortality but not complications or reoperation. Conclusions Our study shows that frailty, as measured by the mFI-11, does not predict postoperative complications in patients who undergo TSRPT, but greater frailty is correlated with higher mortality and increased hospital length of stay.

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the posterior fossa represent just 5%–15% of all intracranial AVMs. Rupture often leads to devastating brainstem compression, with mortality reported as high as 67%. A life-saving decompressive craniectomy with or without hematoma evacuation may be necessary in the acute setting to alleviate mass effect before proceeding with definitive treatment of the vascular pathology. Here, the authors demonstrate the utility of using a generously sized temporizing decompressive suboccipital craniectomy to subsequently allow for a more judicious resection of a Spetzler-Martin grade III AVM fed by the right superior cerebellar artery using a sitting supracerebellar infratentorial approach.The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/L195wmw3p_4

The study aims to systematize neurosurgeons’ practical knowledge of venous sacrifice as applied to the posterior fossa region and to analyze the collected data to present and preserve relevant experience and expert knowledge for current and future practicing neurosurgeons. The venous structures assessed were the superior petrosal vein (SPV), sigmoid sinus (SS), and the tentorial veins (TV). The survey is constructed to obtain surgeons’ idea of assessed risk when sacrificing specific venous structures during posterior fossa surgery. They were asked how they prep for surgery, number of operations conducted, and their basis of knowledge. Collected data were mainly qualitative and analyzed with a mixed-method approach. A mean absolute deviation was calculated measuring rate of disagreement for a given substructure. Consensus existed among the participating surgeons that sacrificing the SPV and the TV was considered safe. Although, the risk of death when occluding major structures like the main trunk of the SPV, one of the SS’ and or a total occlusion of all TV yielded high risk of death. The risk of infarction was often too apparent to discredit even with low risk of death among an experienced class of surgeons. Our findings provide an overview of surgical risk associated with venous sacrifice. This will minimize cases where indispensable practical knowledge on safe handling veins in the cerebellopontine angle is either to be lost or taught among few when the neurosurgeons retire. This will lower the disagreement regarding risks and increase the quality of surgical decision-making.

BackgroundEndovascular thrombectomy is a promising treatment for acute ischemic stroke in children, but outcome and technical data in pediatric patients with large-vessel occlusions are lacking.ObjectiveTo assess technical and clinical outcomes of thrombectomy in pediatric patients.MethodsWe undertook a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients who experienced acute ischemic stroke from April 2017 to April 2019 who had immediate, 30-, and 90-d follow-up. Patients were treated with endovascular thrombectomy at 5US pediatric tertiary care facilities. We recorded initial and postprocedural modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) grade≥2b, initial and postprocedural Pediatric National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (PedNIHSS) score, and pediatric modified Rankin scale (mRS) score 0 to 2 at 90 d.ResultsThere were 23 thrombectomies in 21 patients (mean age 11.6±4.9 yr, median 11.5, range 2.1-19; 52% female). A total of 19 (83%) thrombectomies resulted in mTICI grade≥2b recanalization. The median PedNIHSS score was 13 on presentation (range 4-33) and 2 (range 0-26) at discharge (mean reduction 11.3±6.1). A total of 14 (66%) patients had a mRS score of 0 to 2 at 30-d follow-up; 18/21 (86%) achieved that by 90 d. The median mRS was 1 (range 0-4) at 30 d and 1 (range 0-5) at 90 d. One patient required a blood transfusion after thrombectomy.ConclusionIn this large series of pediatric patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy, successful recanalization was accomplished via a variety of approaches with excellent clinical outcomes; further prospective longitudinal study is needed.

BackgroundAcademic physicians aim to provide clinical and surgical care to their patients while actively contributing to a growing body of scientific literature. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in procedural-based specialties across the United States witnessing a sharp decline in their clinical volume and surgical cases.ObjectiveTo assess the impact of COVID-19 on neurosurgical, stroke neurology, and neurointerventional academic productivity.MethodsThe study compared the neurosurgical, stroke neurology, and neurointerventional academic output during the pandemic lockdown with the same time period in previous years. Editors from a sample of neurosurgical, stroke neurology, and neurointerventional journals provided the total number of original manuscript submissions, broken down by months, from the year 2016 to 2020. Manuscript submission was used as a surrogate metric for academic productivity.Results8 journals were represented. The aggregated data from all eight journals as a whole showed that a combined average increase of 42.3% was observed on original submissions for 2020. As the average yearly percent increase using the 2016–2019 data for each journal exhibited a combined average increase of 11.2%, the rise in the yearly increase for 2020 in comparison was nearly fourfold. For the same journals in the same time period, the average percent of COVID-19 related publications from January to June of 2020 was 6.87%.ConclusionThere was a momentous increase in the number of original submissions for the year 2020, and its effects were uniformly experienced across all of our represented journals.

Background D-dimers are serum acute-phase proteins with a role in mediating inflammation that may be used as biomarkers for the prediction of deep vein thrombosis. Recent studies have shown that D-dimers can be used to predict prognosis and stratify risk in neurosurgical patients; however, a comparative analysis across diagnostic subtypes has yet to be performed. Methods A bioinformatics analysis evaluated neurosurgical patients with admission D-dimer levels between 2008 and 2017. Nonroutine disposition (e.g., skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation, other hospital, mortality) was primarily evaluated. Results A total of 1,854 patients (mean age 55.1±18.2 years, 55.4% male; mean admission D-dimer 4.83±7.78 μg/ml) were identified. Patient diagnoses included vascular (27.1%), trauma (16.4%), multiple diagnoses (15.7%), spine (15.6%), tumor (13.0%), and other (12.2%) causes. Univariate analysis showed that older age (p=0.0001), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score (p=0.0001), lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (p=0.0001), diagnosis type (p=0.0001), longer length of stay (LOS) (p=0.0001), higher infection rate (p=0.0001), surgery in the past year (p=0.02), and higher D-dimer levels (3.4±4.9 vs. 5.4±8.7 μg/ml, p=0.0001) were associated with nonroutine disposition. Multivariate logistic regression showed that elevated D-dimers were independently associated with a greater relative risk of nonroutine disposition (relative risk [RR] 1.026, 95% CI 1.02-1.033, p=0.0001). Conclusions Elevated admission D-dimer values were independently associated with a 3% increased risk of nonroutine disposition per D-dimer unit after accounting for other factors. These results suggest that D-dimer values may help in stratifying patient risk models despite clinical heterogeneity. Further refinement of neurosurgical patient risk models using clinical variables and biomarkers may aid in resource allocation and early warning.

Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) is the first line treatment for pituitary adenoma. A well-known complication of TSS is hypopituitarism with a reported risk of 5-25% after resection of pituitary adenomas. A decrease in postoperative prolactin concentration was shown to be associated with postoperative hypopituitarism in a previous report. We hypothesized that in addition to clinical factors (preoperative hypofunction and adenoma size), biochemical factors (change in prolactin concentration and immediate post-operative hypofunction) can aid in predicting long term hypopituitarism as defined as ≥1 biochemically confirmed hypofunctioning pituitary axes 3 years after resection. A retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing TSS for both functioning and non-functioning pituitary adenomas at a tertiary center from January 2013 through December 2015 was performed. Prolactinomas were excluded. Of the 75 patients included, 21.3% (n=16) had at least one pituitary axis requiring replacement at 3 years post operatively. Mean age at presentation was 55 ± 16 years, 55% were female and 81% were Caucasian. Mean adenoma size was no different between normal pituitary function and hypopituitary groups (24.0 ± 11.9 mm versus 25.3 ± 10, p=0.7). Factors associated with long term hypopituitarism were older age (mean age 64 ± 4 years versus 53 ± 2 years, p = 0.02), preoperative secondary adrenal insufficiency (AM cortisol 6.4 ± 3.7 vs 12.0 ± 6.5 µg/dL; p = 0.03), preoperative secondary hypothyroidism (0.8 ± 0.2 vs 12.0 ± 6.5 ng/dL; p < 0.01), low immediate postoperative cortisol (5.3±3.1 vs 26.1±18.3 µg/d; p

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective database study. OBJECTIVE To assess the association between prolonged length of hospital stay (pLOS) (≥4 d) and unplanned readmission in patients undergoing elective spine surgery by controlling the clinical and statistical confounders. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA pLOS has previously been cited as a risk factor for unplanned hospital readmission. This potentially modifiable risk factor has not been distinguished as an independent risk factor in a large-scale, multi-institutional, risk-adjusted study. METHODS Data were collected from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. A retrospective propensity score-matched analysis was used to reduce baseline differences between the cohorts. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the degree of association between pLOS and unplanned readmission. RESULTS From the 99,575 patients that fit the inclusion criteria, propensity score matching yielded 16,920 well-matched pairs (mean standard propensity score difference = 0.017). The overall 30-day unplanned readmission rate of these 33,840 patients was 5.5%. The mean length of stay was 2.0 ± 0.9 days and 6.0 ± 4.5 days (P ≤ 0.001) for the control and pLOS groups, respectively. In our univariate analysis, pLOS was associated with postoperative complications, especially medical complications (22.7% vs. 8.3%, P

OBJECTIVEFrailty has been recognized as a predictor of adverse surgical outcomes across multiple surgical disciplines, but until now the relationship between frailty and intracranial meningioma surgery has not been studied. The goal of the present study was to determine the relationship between increasing frailty (determined using the modified Frailty Index [mFI]) and intracranial meningioma resection outcomes (including hospital length of stay [LOS], discharge location, and reoperation and readmission rates).METHODSThis is a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent intracranial meningioma resection between August 2012 and May 2018. Seventy-six patients met the inclusion criteria.RESULTSFrailty was associated with increased hospital LOS (p = 0.0218), increased reoperation rate (p = 0.029), and discharge to a higher level of care: an inpatient rehabilitation facility or a skilled nursing facility (p = 0.0002). After multivariable analysis, frailty was determined to be an independent risk factor for increased LOS, worse discharge disposition, and subsequent readmission.CONCLUSIONSFrailty is an independent risk factor for worse outcomes following intracranial meningioma resection, including increased LOS, reoperations, and worse discharge disposition. Frailty may help stratify preoperative surgical risk, and thus may provide important clinical information to help neurosurgeons and elderly patients weigh the risks and benefits of resection.

Background Fibrous dysplasia is a rare, benign fibro-osseous malformation whose occurrence in the craniofacial area can result in optic nerve compression, a cerebral mass effect, and cosmetic deformity. Most lesions will progress slowly, and the risk of malignant progression is rare. Case Description We present the case of a 21-year-old woman who had presented with acute worsening visual loss secondary to hemorrhagic fibrous dysplasia with ensuing optic nerve compression. Emergent surgical decompression resulted in rapid improvement of her visual dysfunction. The pathological features demonstrated a mixed pattern of woven bone in a fibrous background and secondary aneurysmal bone cyst-like changes. Conclusions Hemorrhagic transformation of craniofacial FD remains rare but can present with acute neurologic deterioration. Rapid diagnosis and treatment can allow reversal of patient morbidity. We have also included Supplementary Video 1 to illustrate the surgical principles, and we review the reported data of similar cases.

Orbital approaches for targeting intracranial, orbital, and infratemporal disease have evolved over the years in an effort to discover safe, reliable, effective, and cosmetically satisfying surgical corridors. The surgical goals of these approaches balance important factors such as proximity of the lesion to the optic nerve, the degree of anticipated manipulation and required space for surgical maneuverability, and the type of disease. The authors provide a comprehensive review of the most commonly used periorbital approaches in the management of intra- and extracranial disease, with emphasis on the advantages and limitations of each approach.

Background Isolated trigeminal schwannomas occur in 0.07% to 0.3% of intracranial tumors and account for 0.8% to 8% of intracranial schwannomas and 1/3 of Meckel cave tumors. The presence of multisegmental schwannoma is rare, resulting in a limited understanding of its optimal management. Objective To describe potential surgical options to manage this rare entity. Methods A 2-institution retrospective review of all patients with pathologically confirmed trigeminal schwannoma managed with resection from January 2009 through January 2019 was conducted. A manual chart review was performed to verify patients' inclusion and collect data about age, sex, tumor size, tumor site, treatment modality, surgical approach, complications, and follow-up duration and status. Results A total of 4 patients (age range 12-50 yr) who underwent a variety of cranial and orbitocranial approaches for tumor resection were identified. Patients achieved good outcomes with improvement of visual outcomes. One case of infection and 1 case of partial tumor recurrence requiring reresection were identified. Conclusion Multisegmental trigeminal schwannoma is a rare and unique entity, often associated with trigeminal schwannomatosis. Interdisciplinary management has been shown to be the most effective method for improving patient outcomes with these complex and poorly understood diseases.