Publications by authors named "Brett Kaplan"
Background: Surgical resection of lesions in the posterior incisural space presents a significant surgical challenge, which may result in postoperative visual complications and other neurological deficits. We, therefore, describe a retractorless interhemispheric transtentorial approach that avoids surrounding brain structures with positive outcomes and no complications or visual damage.
Case Description: We present four cases of lesions in the posterior incisural space that was treated with a retractorless interhemispheric transtentorial approach.
Article Synopsis
- Meningiomas, common brain tumors, may grow faster during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, particularly increased estrogen and progesterone levels.
- A case study of a 23-year-old woman showed complete regression of her meningioma after childbirth, leading to the conclusion that repeat imaging is essential before surgery.
- This potential for meningioma shrinkage post-pregnancy suggests that monitoring hormone levels could help avoid unnecessary surgical procedures in some patients.
Article Synopsis
- Trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) is a painful condition caused by nerve root demyelination, often due to compression by the superior cerebellar artery, and microvascular decompression (MVD) can provide pain relief.
- A 75-year-old male with a pacemaker underwent CT cisternography instead of MRI to prepare for MVD, allowing visualization of the trigeminal nerve and the problematic artery.
- While MRI is ideal for assessing TGN, CT cisternography is a viable alternative for those unable to undergo MRI, providing effective imaging for surgical planning.
Background And Purpose: Determining the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is essential for evaluating novel therapies. For acute ischemic stroke, expert surveys have yielded MCIDs that are substantially higher than the MCIDs observed in actual expert behavior in guideline writing and clinical practice, potentially because of anchoring bias.
Methods: We administered a structured, internet-based survey to a cross-section of academic stroke neurologists in the United States.
Sepsis continues to intrigue and challenge drug developers because of the high unmet need for this illness. The large market potential for sepsis is counterbalanced by the historical failure of multiple drug candidates for this indication that have not demonstrated clinical benefit. The failure of successful drug candidates can be attributed in part to a rudimentary under-standing of complex sepsis pathophysiology, unsophisticated and poor clinical trial design, and an over-reliance on preclinical models for proof-of-concept.
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