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Background: Haemangioblastomas are benign vascular tumours that may appear sporadically or in von Hippel-Lindau disease. Despite their higher incidence, sporadic haemangioblastomas have been less studied than syndromic ones. In this article, we evaluate the specific features, outcome and quality of life of patients with intracranial sporadic haemangioblastomas (ISHs) operated on in our institution. Methods: Between 1998 and 2010, 38 patients harbouring 38 ISHs were operated on in our department. Their clinical, biological, radiological and surgical features were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were contacted for a quality-of-life (QOL) survey assessed by the Short Form 36 questionnaire (SF36). The mean duration of follow-up was 40 months (13-108 months). Results: ISH represented 0.9 % of primary intracranial neoplasms treated in our centre during this period. Patients comprised 23 men and 15 women with a mean age of 47 years. None had polycythaemia. Cerebellar locations accounted for 79 % of ISHs, and brainstem ISH with involvement of the floor of the fourth ventricle represented 11 % of ISHs. At last follow-up, two patients harbouring solid medulla oblongata haemangioblastoma had died following severe bulbar syndrome and five patients had died of unrelated causes. One patient had multiple surgeries for three recurrences. Tumoral control was achieved in all cases at last follow-up. Results of the SF-36 questionnaire were as follows: median physical functioning score 100 (range 0-100), median physical problems score 100 (range 0-100), median bodily pain score 100 (range 45-100), median social functioning score 100 (range 25-100), median general mental health score 84 (range 40-92), median emotional problems score 100 (range 0-100), median vitality score 70 (range 35-80) and median general health perceptions score 70 (range 35-100). Mean QOL scores were similar to the general healthy population. Conclusion: Surgery of ISH provides good QOL and tumoral control except for those located in the medulla oblongata. We recommend considering a careful multimodal therapeutic approach, including radiosurgery for these specific locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurological complications after lumbar spine manipulation are uncommon. The cause is usually a herniated disk or displaced bony structure. We report a case of paraplegia that developed a few hours after manipulation of the lumbar spine. Magnetic resonance imaging was consistent with ischemia of the caudal spinal cord. No disk fragment or bony structure impinging on the spinal cord was seen. Spinal cord ischemia may deserve to be added to the list of possible adverse events after lumbar spine manipulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Neurofibromatosis type 1, or peripheral neurofibromatosis, is the most form of common phakomatosis. In some instances, it can be associated with tumors of the central nervous system. Case report: We describe four cases of hemispheric cerebral glioma in children with NF1. Two of these tumors were pilocytic astrocytomas and two, ependymomas. We reviewed the literature on hemispheric cerebral gliomas in NF1 patients in an attempt to find characteristic features of and some explanations for these lesions. Conclusion: We conclude that surgical resection of these tumors should be proposed whenever possible, with due consideration for their progressive nature and the uncertainties about malignancy. We advocate yearly clinical and neuroradiological follow-up over a long period in NF1 children, since they may develop additional CNS tumors during their lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Reducing radiation exposure through the use of low-dose protocols during cerebral endovascular procedures is recommended, but evaluation of the impact on the procedure itself is difficult and subjective. A workflow task analysis could provide an objective comparison of two different radiation exposure protocols., Subjects and Methods: Twenty endovascular aneurysm treatments were analyzed using a low-dose protocol (reducing radiation exposure by 20%) in 10 cases and a normal-dose protocol in the other 10 cases. The procedure was subdivided into five phases, each comprising a sequence of tasks. Each task was defined as a triplet, associating an action, an instrument, and an anatomic structure. A workflow editor was used to record tasks and phases with a tablet PC. The total duration of the entire procedure, the duration of each task, and the number of task repetitions were isolated and used as the metric. Moreover, the tasks involving x-ray use, essential for navigation and treatment phases, were separated and analyzed., Results: For the microcatheter navigation and treatment phases, no statistically significant difference was found between the two radiation exposure protocols. For guide catheter navigation in cervical vessels, the total phase duration and total and mean time of tasks specifically involving x-ray use increased with age, but there was no difference between the two radiation protocols., Conclusion: Workflow task analysis of endovascular aneurysm treatment shows no difference between low-dose and normal-dose protocols in the guide catheter navigation, microcatheter navigation, or treatment phases.

Despite progress in the initial management of glioblastoma (GB), the vast majority of patients will experience recurrence within 2-3 years. The medical treatment of these recurrences is being modified by the use of antiangiogenic therapies. Twenty-four patients, who relapsed from GB after chemoradiation followed by adjuvant temozolomide in Rennes, were treated by conventional chemotherapy (nitrosourea) or by the combination of irinotecan and bevacizumab. In this retrospective analysis, overall survival from diagnosis of recurrence was significantly longer in patients treated with the combination of bevacizumab and irinotecan than with nitrosourea (5 months versus 11.5 months). The combination of irinotecan and bevacizumab appeared to provide clinical benefit to patients with recurrent GB.

Background: Evaluating surgical practice in the operating room is difficult, and its assessment is largely subjective., Objective: Recording of standardized spine surgery processes was conducted to ascertain whether any significant differences in surgical practice could be observed between senior and junior neurosurgeons., Methods: Twenty-four procedures of lumbar discectomies were consecutively recorded by a senior neurosurgeon. In 12 cases, surgery was entirely performed by a senior neurosurgeon with the aid of a resident, and in the 12 remaining cases, surgery was performed by a resident with the aid of a senior neurosurgeon. The data recorded were general parameters (operating time for the whole procedure and for each step), and general and specific parameters of the surgeon's activities (number of manual gestures, number and duration of actions performed, use of the instruments, and use of interventions on anatomic structures). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between the 2 groups of neurosurgeons., Results: The operating time was statistically lower for the group of senior surgeons. The seniors statistically demonstrated greater economy in time and in gestures during the closure step, for sewing and for the use of scissors, needle holders, and forceps. The senior surgeons statistically worked for a shorter time on the skin and used fewer manual gestures on the thoracolumbalis fascia. The number of changes in microscope position was also statistically lower for this group., Conclusion: There is a relationship between surgical practice, as determined by a method of objective measurement using observation software, and surgical experience: gesture economy evolves with seniority.

Objective: To evaluate surgery for intracranial meningiomas in very elderly patients., Method: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical, radiological and therapeutic data of patients older than 80 years who underwent surgery for symptomatic intracranial meningioma at our institution between May 1998 and February 2005. We estimated operative mortality and morbidity and patients' functional status at 3 months and one year after surgery as well as at their last clinical evaluation., Results: Eleven patients met these inclusion criteria: 5 men and 6 women, with a mean age of 83 years (range: 81-87 years). There was no perioperative mortality and one patient with perioperative morbidity (hemiplegia). Three months after surgery, the condition of 6 patients had improved, while it had not changed for 4 and had worsened for one. One year after surgery, 5 had improved, 5 were unchanged, and one patient had died. Of the 10 patients alive one year after surgery, 8 had Karnofsky scores> or =80 (self-sufficient). Three patients died more than one year after surgery of causes unrelated to their meningioma., Conclusion: Old age does not contraindicate surgery for intracranial meningiomas. Surgery should be proposed for patients older than 80 years with symptomatic intracranial meningioma.

Background: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy is an effective procedure for treating obstructive (noncommunicating) hydrocephalus as an alternative to ventricular shunt placement., Case: Five pregnant women undergoing endoscopic third ventriculostomy as treatment for newly diagnosed acute obstructive hydrocephalus (n=2) or in cases of malfunction of a preexisting ventriculoperitoneal shunt (n=3) are presented., Conclusion: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy may be preferred to ventricular shunt placement as the initial mode of treatment for pregnant patients with newly diagnosed obstructive hydrocephalus as well as in cases of malfunction of a preexisting shunt.

The authors describe the case of a 72-year-old woman with dural plasmacytoma revealing an immunoglobulin (Ig) G-kappa multiple myeloma (MM). She presented with headaches and left hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a right frontal extraaxial lesion arising from the dura mater, and biological studies revealed hypercalcemia, hyperproteinemia, and a serum gamma globulin peak. A diagnosis of IgG-kappa MM was based on microscopic examination and immunohistochemical analysis of the dural plasmacytoma as well as on signs of systemic myeloma after surgery. The patient died 3 years after the first symptoms of MM despite systemic chemotherapy and no recurrence of the dural plasmacytoma. Myelomatous involvement of the dura mater is a rare occurrence given that only three cases have been reported to date. Nevertheless, this pathological entity should be differentiated from solitary dural plasmacytoma (SDP) because the prognosis is radically different. Progression seems to be correlated with systemic disease in contrast to the long-term survival associated with SDP. Careful systemic evaluation should be made in such a presentation to rule out MM, which would require different management and has a different prognosis.

Communicating hydrocephalus and/or papilloedema associated with intraspinal tumours is rare. Four such patients are presented in this article. In addition to previous theories put forward to explain this condition, we would like to propose alteration of craniospinal compliance distribution as a possible underlying mechanism. Consequently, we suggest not performing shunt placement immediately if the intraspinal tumour can be removed.

Improvement of image guided surgery systems requires a better anticipation of the surgical procedure. This anticipation may be provided by a better understanding of surgical procedures and/or the use of information models related to neurosurgical procedures. We are introducing a generic model of surgical procedures in the context of multimodal image-guided craniotomies. The basic principle of the model is to break down the surgical procedure into a sequence of steps defining the surgical script. Each step is defined by an action; the model assigns to each surgical step a list of image entities extracted from multimodal preoperative images (anatomical and/or functional images) which are relevant to the performance of that particular step. The model has been built in two phases: creation and consolidation. Besides, a planning software prototype based on the generic model has been built. The resulting generic model is described by an UML class diagram and textual description. Some initial benefits of this approach can already be outlined: improvement of multimodal information management, enhancement of the preparation and the guidance of the surgical act.