Meningioma grading based on positron emission tomography: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Meningiomas are the most common central nervous system tumor in adults. Knowledge of the tumor grade can guide optimal treatment timing and shape personalized follow-up strategies. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been utilized for the metabolic assessment of various intracranial space-occupying lesions.

Anaplastic gangliogliomas of the spinal cord: a scoping review of the literature.

Gangliogliomas (GGs) are rare, usually low-grade tumors that account for 1-2% of all central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms. Spinal GGs are exceedingly rare (1% of all spinal tumors) and the presentation of anaplastic features in them is even rarer. According to the last World Health Organization (WHO) classification of CNS neoplasms, anaplastic GG (AGG) is classified as a malignant neoplasm (grade III).

Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (t-VNS) and epilepsy: A systematic review of the literature.

Introduction: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (t-VNS) has been proposed as an alternative method for the treatment of various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Contrary to the classic invasive vagus nerve stimulation (i-VNS), t-VNS does not require surgical intervention. The application of t-VNS for the treatment of epilepsy has been poorly studied.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as a predictive biomarker for computed tomography scan use in mild traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious health concern. We set out to investigate the role of neutrophil-to-lymphocytes ratio (NLR) at admission for predicting the need for computed tomography (CT) in mild-TBI. A retrospective study of adult patients who presented with mild-TBI One hundred and thirty patients met the inclusion criteria.

Blood Glucose Levels May Aid the Decision for CT Scan in Minor Head Trauma.

Traumatic brain injury has been associated with increased blood glucose levels. In the present study, we set out to investigate if blood glucose level in mild head trauma could predict the need for CT. One hundred fifty-nine patients with minor TBI (GCS 13-15) and a mean age of 44.

Anterior Cervical Disc Fusion Does not Affect the Presence of Cervical Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential.

Objective: Cervical spondylosis and cervical disk herniation are the most frequent forms of degenerative disease in the cervical spine. Surgical treatment mainly includes anterior cervical disk fusion. However, information concerning vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) recording in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery is limited.

AED Strategy after Refractory Epilepsy Surgery.

Post-epilepsy surgery antiepileptic drug discontinuation (AED) practices remain unclear and little evidence about the optimum timing exists. In the present study, we reviewed the types of surgery for epilepsy and their outcome. The current concepts for discontinuation of AED after surgery are presented and all contributing factors that should be taken into consideration are discussed.

Management of hydrocephalus after decompressive craniectomy.

Aim: We set out to investigate the optimal timing for shunt placement in patients with hydrocephalus after decompressive craniectomy (DC).

Material And Methods: We studied 63 consecutive patients that underwent DC because of traumatic brain injury, middle cerebral artery infarct or intracerebral hemorrhage. Hydrocephalus was diagnosed in 23/63 patients.

Sacrococcygeal neoplastic lesions.

Sacrococcygeal neoplastic lesions are very rare entities and therefore, a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. They include developmental cysts, inflammatory, neurogenic, osseous and miscellaneous lesions. In this review, we discuss the incidence, symptoms, characteristics, diagnostic methods and treatment strategies of these enigmatic lesions.

Spinal ependymomas: prognostic factors and treatment results.

Objective: We retrospectively analyzed patients with spinal ependymomas who were treated in our institute. We correlated outcome and recurrence with clinical and pathological features.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2000 and January 2010, we treated 14 patients with spinal ependymoma (10 males, 4 females; mean age: 48.

Chronic subdural haematomas: a comparative study of an enlarged single burr hole versus double burr hole drainage.

Various surgical treatments have been proposed for the treatment of chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH). Herewith, we set out to compare the efficacy of an enlarged single burr hole versus double burr hole drainage for the treatment of CSDH. We studied patients with symptomatic CSDH proven by CT scan that were treated in our institute between January 2002 and January 2009.

The role of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in intervertebral disc degeneration.

The present study investigates the histological alterations and expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in disc specimens of 43 patients who underwent surgery for lumbar disc herniation. The immunostaining for MMP-9 was evaluated semi-quantitatively. Histologic degeneration was scored between 0 and 12 depending on the degree of chondrocyte proliferation and presence of tears and clefts, granular changes and mucous degeneration.

Correlation of matrix metalloproteinases-1 and -3 with patient age and grade of lumbar disc herniation.

Object: The authors studied the histological alterations and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-3 in disc specimens of patients who had undergone operations for lumbar disc herniation.

Methods: Forty-three lumbar disc specimens were evaluated histopathologically for degenerative changes and immunohistochemical expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3. The observed degenerative changes provided a degenerative score that was applied in each patient.

Coagulopathy in moderate head injury. The role of early administration of low molecular weight heparin.

Introduction: Abnormalities in blood coagulation are relatively common after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We prospectively studied the safety of the early antithrombotic prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated 61 patients with moderate TBI.

Posterior approach to ventrally located spinal meningiomas.

For the resection of anteriorly located meningiomas, various approaches have been used. Posterior approach is less invasive and demanding; however, it has been associated with increased risk of spinal cord injury. We evaluated ten consecutive patients that underwent surgery for spinal meningiomas.

Solitary cystic cerebral metastasis from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Metastatic brain tumors are the most common intracranial neoplasm in adults. Bladder cancer gives metastasis to the brain in less than 1%. Herewith, we report on a case of a 71-year-old man who was admitted to the emergency department after an episode of loss of consciousness.

Continuous intraoperative electromyographic and transcranial motor evoked potential recordings in spinal stenosis surgery.

Spinal stenosis refers to narrowing of the spinal canal with encroachment of the neural structures by adjacent bone and soft tissue. Surgical treatment usually offers greater pain relief and functional recovery than non-surgical treatment. Nevertheless, neurological complications from decompressive laminectomy have been reported to range between 1% and 33%.

Olfactory colloid cyst.

Colloid cysts are rare intracerebral lesions that are predominantly located in the third ventricle. Extraventricular colloid cysts have only rarely been reported but so far there are no reports of a colloid cyst residing in the olfactory groove. A 74-year-old patient underwent a brain computed tomography scan for a mild head trauma that incidentally revealed a space-occupying lesion near the olfactory groove.