Clinical Features and the Use of Three-Dimensional Imaging for Unilateral Lambdoid Synostosis.

Introduction: True isolated lambdoid craniosynostosis is rare. It requires corrective surgery to prevent intracranial pressure and aesthetic stigma by significant dyscrania. We summarize our case series for lambdoid craniosynostosis outlining the pathophysiology, clinical findings and surgical approaches and outcomes.

A Simple Bedside Technique for Quantifying Volumetric Defects Prior to Hydroxyapatite Cranioplasty.

Contour irregularities following pediatric craniofacial surgery are common. Hydroxyapatite cranioplasty is a successful technique for optimizing the aesthetic outcome in these patients. We describe a simple technique that can be carried out at the bedside to calculate the volume of hydroxyapatite needed and therefore optimize the preoperative planning for hydroxyapatite cranioplasty.

Spinal cord anomalies in children with anorectal malformations: Ultrasound is a good screening test.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to correlate spinal ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with anorectal malformations (ARMs).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of records was performed for children with ARM presenting to two major pediatric hospitals between 2009 and 2017. The primary outcome analyzed was detection of spinal cord anomalies.

Australian children undergoing selective dorsal rhizotomy: protocol for a national registry of multidimensional outcomes.

Introduction: Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a neurosurgical intervention intended to permanently reduce spasticity in the lower limbs and improve mobility in selected children with cerebral palsy (CP). Despite SDR having been performed worldwide for the past 30 years, there is moderate quality of evidence that SDR is effective in reducing spasticity with low to very low evidence of its effectiveness in improving gait, function and participation, using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system. Published studies have described outcomes for groups that differ in selection, surgical technique and postoperative rehabilitation making it difficult for clinicians to use this information to advise families on best management.

Trial of life: Well infants presenting more than 24 h after head injury with a scalp haematoma: A 10-year review.

Aim: To review the investigation, patterns of injury and short-term outcomes of infants younger than 12 months of age who presented more than 24 h after head injury with an isolated scalp haematoma.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of infants who presented with a head injury to the emergency department of a major paediatric hospital between 2006 and 2016. Patients were included if they presented more than 24 h after the injury, were clinically well and had a documented scalp haematoma.

Unilateral Pterional Polycraniosynostosis Treated with Craniectomy and Helmet Therapy.

Craniosynostosis is a condition in which one or more of the cranial sutures have fused prematurely, affecting the growth pattern and contours of the infant skull. The pterion is the junction of temporal, frontal, parietal, and sphenoid bones of the skull. We present a case of unilateral pterional craniosynostosis, which was treated with strip craniectomy and helmet therapy.

Spinal cord detethering procedures in children: a 5 year retrospective cohort study of the early post-operative course.

Tethered spinal cord can cause neurological, orthopaedic and sphincteric problems in children and detethering surgery may prevent or reverse these problems. This 5 year retrospective cohort study aimed to review our experience of detethering surgery at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia, particularly examining the early post-operative complications of this procedure. Between 2007 and 2012, 61 children underwent 63 detethering procedures.

miR-124a is frequently down-regulated in glioblastoma and is involved in migration and invasion.

Glioblastoma (GBM) represents a formidable clinical challenge for both patients and treating physicians. Due to better local treatments and prolonged patient survival, remote recurrences are increasingly observed, underpinning the importance of targeting tumour migration and attachment. Aberrant expression of microRNA (miRNA) is commonly associated with cancer and loss of miR-124a has previously been implicated to function as a tumour suppressor.

Schwannomatosis, sporadic schwannomatosis, and familial schwannomatosis: a surgical series with long-term follow-up. Clinical article.

Object: The aim of this study was to provide disease-specific information about schwannomatosis in its different forms and to present 2 particular cases of malignant schwannomas in the context of familial schwannomatosis (FS).

Methods: The authors analyzed patients with pathologically defined schwannomas and identified those with varied forms of schwannomatosis. Each case was retrospectively analyzed for patient sex and age, number of operations and tumors excised, symptoms, location and size of tumors, extent of resection, nerve function pre- and postoperatively, complications, other nonsurgically treated tumors, malignancy, results of brain MR imaging, and follow-up data.

Post-contrast enhancement as a clinical indicator of prognosis in patients with anaplastic astrocytoma.

Diagnosis of an anaplastic astrocytoma (World Health Organization grade III) is associated with a highly variable prognosis. The identification of clinical markers that allow a more careful delineation of this prognostic spectrum is urgently needed. In this study, we analysed 48 patients with a histological diagnosis of anaplastic astrocytoma and found peritumoral post-gadolinium contrast enhancement to be a clear prognostic marker of poor prognosis.