Using pre-surgical suspicion to guide insula implantation strategy.

Rationale: Insular epilepsy can be a challenging diagnosis due to overlapping semiology and scalp EEG findings with frontal, temporal, and parietal lobe epilepsies. Stereotactic electroencephalography (sEEG) provides an opportunity to better localize seizure onset. The possibility of improved localization is balanced by implantation risk in this vascularly rich anatomic region.

Spinal cord stimulator for the treatment of central neuropathic pain secondary to cervical syringomyelia: illustrative case.

Background: Central neuropathic pain (CNP) of the cervical and/or thoracic spinal cord has many etiologies, both natural and iatrogenic. Frequently, CNP is medically refractory and requires surgical treatment to modulate the perception of pain. Spinal cord stimulation is a modality commonly used in adults to treat this type of refractory pain; however, it is rarely used in the pediatric population.

Cost-Effectiveness of Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery.

Study Design: Review article.

Objective: A review of the literature evaluating the cost-effectiveness of undergoing adult spinal deformity surgery and potential avenues for reducing costs.

Methods: A review of the current literature and synthesis of data to provide an update on the cost effectiveness of undergoing adult spinal deformity surgery.

Incidence of Intracranial Melanoma Progression in the Setting of Positive Extracranial Response to Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy: An Indication for More Frequent Screening in This Population?

Background and objective The incidence of intracranial metastases from melanoma is on the rise. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of intracranial disease progression in patients on BRAF/MEK targeted therapy and immunotherapy in the setting of controlled or improving extracranial disease. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective review that involved patients who underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for intracranial metastatic melanoma between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018.