Introduction: Coagulopathy associated with isolated traumatic brain injury (C-iTBI) is a frequent complication associated with poor outcomes, primarily due to its role in the development or progression of haemorrhagic brain lesions. The independent risk factors for its onset are age, severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI), volume of fluids administered during resuscitation, and pre-injury use of antithrombotic drugs. Although the pathophysiology of C-iTBI has not been fully elucidated, two distinct stages have been identified: an initial hypocoagulable phase that begins within the first 24 h, dominated by platelet dysfunction and hyperfibrinolysis, followed by a hypercoagulable state that generally starts 72 h after the trauma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS) represents a group of disorders, characterized by paraproteinemia which causes renal damage. These disorders never meet the diagnostic criteria for multiple myeloma (MM) or lymphoproliferative disease. Crystal-storing histiocytosis is one of the rarest patterns of MGRS, characterized by an accumulation of light chains of crystals within histiocyte's cytoplasm, located in bone marrow or other extramedullary sites such as the kidney, cornea, or thyme.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Evaluate the performance of a deep learning (DL)-based model for multiple sclerosis (MS) lesion segmentation and compare it to other DL and non-DL algorithms.
Methods: This ambispective, multicenter study assessed the performance of a DL-based model for MS lesion segmentation and compared it to alternative DL- and non-DL-based methods. Models were tested on internal (n = 20) and external (n = 18) datasets from Latin America, and on an external dataset from Europe (n = 49).
Background: Cardiac arrest (CA) is a sudden event that is often characterized by hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI), leading to significant mortality and long-term disability. Brain tissue oxygenation (PbtO) is an invasive tool for monitoring brain oxygen tension, but it is not routinely used in patients with CA because of the invasiveness and the absence of high-quality data on its effect on outcome. We conducted a systematic review of experimental and clinical evidence to understand the role of PbtO in monitoring brain oxygenation in HIBI after CA and the effect of targeted PbtO therapy on outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIran J Otorhinolaryngol
November 2021
Introduction: Transpterygoid approach is an expanded endonasal approach (EEA) that allows surgical access to the medial infratemporal fossa, to the skull base area of petrous bone and to the Meckel's cave. During this approach, a sacrifice of sphenopalatine artery is often required, leading to the need of contralateral Hadad-Bassagasteguy flap (HBF) or alternative reconstructive techniques.
Materials And Methods: We report a case of spontaneous CSF leak due to a meningo-encephalocele in the left lateral recess of sphenoid sinus, in which an ispilateral nasoseptal flap was harvest and sphenopalatine artery was preserved.
Purpose: Spinal aneurysms are rare vascular malformations, commonly associated with spinal AVMs. AVM-associated spinal aneurysms are burdened by significant morbidity. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the best treatment strategy for these uncommon vascular lesions and to report an illustrative case.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Kawase approach provides access to the petroclival and posterior cavernous sinus regions, cerebellopontine angle, and upper basilar artery territory. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most challenging approach for neurosurgeons, due to the considerable related morbidity and mortality. The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between anatomical landmarks and their possible variations, and to measure the extension of the Kawase space, to define the reliability of these landmarks while performing an anterior petrosectomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Anticoagulant assumption is a concern in neurosurgical patient that implies a delicate balance between the risk of thromboembolism versus the risk of peri- and postoperative hemorrhage.
Methods: We performed a survey among 129 different neurosurgical departments in Italy to evaluate practice patterns regarding the management of neurosurgical patients taking anticoagulant drugs. Furthermore, we reviewed the available literature, with the aim of providing a comprehensive but practical summary of current recommendations.
During the Coronavirus-disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic emergency, neurosurgeons may have to decide to prioritize treatments to patients with the best chance of survival, as in a war setting triage. In this paper, we discussed factors that should be considered in the perioperative period and neurocritical care management of neurosurgical patients during a pandemic emergency; in particular, we focused on the decision on whether to operate or not a patient during the COVID-19 pandemic. A multidisciplinary expert panel composed by specialists with direct experience in COVID-19 management discussed and reviewed the criteria that should be taken into account in the decision to operate or not a patient during the COVID-19 pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSevere traumatic brain injury (TBI) is frequently associated with an elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP), followed by cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) reduction. Invasive monitoring of ICP is recommended to guide a step-by-step "staircase approach" which aims to normalize ICP values and reduce the risks of secondary damage. However, if such monitoring is not available clinical examination and radiological criteria should be used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTraumatic brain injury frequently causes an elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP) that could lead to reduction of cerebral perfusion pressure and cause brain ischemia. Invasive ICP monitoring is recommended by international guidelines, in order to reduce the incidence of secondary brain injury; although rare, the complications related to ICP probes could be dependent on the duration of monitoring. The aim of this manuscript is to clarify the appropriate timing for removal and management of invasive ICP monitoring, in order to reduce the risk of related complications and guarantee adequate cerebral autoregulatory control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn December 2019, an outbreak of illness caused by a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV, subsequently renamed SARS-CoV-2) was reported in Wuhan, China. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quickly spread worldwide to become a pandemic. Typical manifestations of COVID-19 include fever, dry cough, fatigue, and respiratory distress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (EESBS) is a clean-contaminated procedure. Guidelines regarding the antibiotic prophylaxis in EESBS have not been developed yet, and today, there are no universally accepted protocols. In this article, we investigated the efficacy of our new ultra-short antibiotic prophylaxis protocol for EESBS guided by the cultural results of preoperative microbiological nasal swabs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA migrant from Palestine came to our attention for weakness of dorsiflexion of the left foot and hypoesthesia of the homolateral common peroneal nerve territory. Skin biopsies from skin lesions in the hypoesthetic area were not diagnostic. Radiological investigation showed focal nerve enlargement with a possible focal lesion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPosterior cranial fossa tumours frequently develop hydrocephalus as first presentation in up to 80% of paediatric patients and 21.4% of adults, although it resolves after tumour removal in 70-90% and 96%, respectively. New onset hydrocephalus is reported in about 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The meningo-orbital band (MOB) is a dural structure which runs around the superior orbital fissure (SOF) tethering the frontotemporal basal dura to the periorbita, through the SOF. MOB division is important to expose and remove the anterior clinoid process, to access to proximal carotid artery and cavernous sinus area. The aim of this study was to measure how the MOB could be safely incised without cranial nerves and cavernous sinus injuries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCerebellar tonsil herniation comprises a spectrum of disorders sharing a common neuroimaging finding consisting of downward displacement of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum and into the upper cervical spinal canal. This not uncommon condition may result from a large host of congenital or acquired causes, and confusion regarding its classification and pathogenesis still exists. Terminology also remains heterogeneous, including inconsistencies in the usage of the "Chiari 1" monicker.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF