Extracranial Jugular Foramen Schwannomas Treated with the Extreme Lateral Juxtacondylar Approach: Surgical Technique and Our Experience.

Background: Schwannoma that arises in the jugular foramen (JF) represents an important challenge for neurosurgeons for its precise location, extension, and neurovascular relationship. Nowadays, different managements are proposed. In this study, we present our experience in the treatment of extracranial JF schwannomas (JFss) with the extreme lateral juxtacondylar approach (ELJA).

Berlin Heart EXCOR® pediatric ventricular assist device in a patient with Sotos syndrome: a case report.

Introduction: Berlin Heart EXCOR® pediatric ventricular assist device is a mechanical circulatory support device currently used in pediatric patients. Sotos syndrome is a well-described multiple anomaly syndrome characterized by overgrowth, distinctive craniofacial appearance, cardiac abnormalities, and variable learning disabilities.

Case Presentation: We describe a 7-year-old female Caucasian child with classic Sotos syndrome features subjected to implantation of Berlin Heart EXCOR® pediatric biventricular assist device mechanical support.

Endoscope-Assisted Microneurosurgery for Neurovascular Compression Syndromes: Basic Principles, Methodology, and Technical Notes.

Background: Microscopic microvascular decompression (MVD) has a low but not negligible failure rate due to some missed conflicts, especially in case of multiple offending vessels. The reported study is aimed to assess the principles, methodology, technical notes, and effectiveness of the endoscope-assisted (EA) MVD for neurovascular compression syndromes (NVCS) in the posterior fossa.

Materials And Methods: A series of 43 patients suffering from an NVCS and undergone to an EA MVD were retrospectively reviewed.

Cortical aneurysms of the middle cerebral artery: A review of the literature.

Background: Middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms constitute from 18-40% of all intracranial aneurysms. They are mainly found in the proximal and bifurcation tracts and only in the 1.1-1.

Stemness Marker Detection in the Periphery of Glioblastoma and Ability of Glioblastoma to Generate Glioma Stem Cells: Clinical Correlations.

Background: Recent studies suggested glioma stem cells (GSCs) are key contributors to therapeutic resistance of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and are responsible for GBM recurrence.

Methods: We characterized the phenotype of cancer cells in the core and periphery of 20 GBM tumors, correlating clinical outcome to the ability to form GSCs and distinguishing survival based on Ki-67 staining.

Results: Similar levels of methylguanine-deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferase were found in the core and periphery of GBM tumors, whereas Ki-67 was reduced in the periphery.

Systemic sclerosis associated with colliquative necrosis in the cerebellum.

Background: The scleroderma is a complex autoimmune collagen disorder that can affect many organs simultaneously, as it occurs in the systemic sclerosis (SS), or only the skin, as it occurs in the localized scleroderma (LS). The neurological presentation is extremely uncommon, and even more uncommon are the symptoms of the scleroderma in the cerebellum.

Case Description: We report the case of a 56-year-old male with cerebellar lesions mimicking a brain abscess.

Parasagittal meningiomas: Our surgical experience and the reconstruction technique of the superior sagittal sinus.

Background: The radical resection of parasagittal meningiomas without complications and recurrences is the goal of the neurosurgeon. Nowadays, different managements are proposed. This study describes our surgical technique during the lesional excision and the reconstruction of the superior sagittal sinus (SSS).

Surgical management of falcine meningiomas: Experience of 95 patients.

Falcine meningiomas, defined as a meningiomas arising from the falx not involving the superior sagittal sinus, account for 9% of all intracranial meningiomas. We analyzed 95 patients with falcine meningiomas who underwent surgical removal of their lesion at our institution between 2001 and 2014. Surgical management of these patients, focusing on anatomical and clinical features is described.

Dorsal extradural meningioma: Case report and literature review.

Background: Extradural spinal mass lesions are most commonly metastatic tumors. Extradural meningiomas are rare, accounting for approximately 2.5-3.

Dural repair using autologous fat: Our experience and review of the literature.

Background: Various materials have been proposed to obliterate dead spaces and to reconstruct dural defects during a neurosurgical approach. This study describes our technique of using the abdominal autologous fat graft and evaluates the complications and characteristics related to the use of this tissue during cranial procedures.

Methods: Autologous fat grafts were used in 296 patients with basicranial and convexity extraaxial tumors from April 2005 to January 2015.

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia and entrapment of the ulnar nerve.

Background: The angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE) is a sporadic vasoproliferative lesion of uncertain etiology involving the skin and the subcutaneous tissue. Occasionally, it involves also the large arteries compressing the near nerves. ALHE is commonly confused with Kimura's disease because of their clinical and histological similarities.

Intracranial aneurysms and optic glioma--an unusual combination: a case report.

Background: The coexistence of glial high grade tumors (glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma) and cerebral aneurysms is common but the association with optic glioma is rare. The treatment of these associated lesions is problematic.

Case Presentation: A 36-year-old white woman presented to our institution with recurrent attacks of headache.

Cavernous hemangioma of the dura mater mimicking meningioma.

Background: Cavernomas are benign lesions that most commonly occur intra-parenchymally, but occasionally they have been described as arising from the dura mater. Extra-axial cavernous angiomas (or hemangiomas) account for 0.4-2% of all intracranial vascular malformations, and they usually occur in the middle cranial fossa, associated with the cavernous sinus.

Meningioma associated with acute subdural hematoma: A review of the literature.

Background: Classically meningiomas present with a gradual onset of symptoms and their acute presentation with hemorrhagic events seems to be a rare event. A review of the literature shows only 18 cases of meningioma associated with acute subdural hematoma. The possible mechanisms of hemorrhage are not yet fully understood.

Syringobulbia associated with posterior fossa meningioma: a review of the literature.

Purpose: Syringomyelia can be defined as a degenerative, progressive and chronic spinal cord disease. Its association with tumors of the posterior cranial fossa (PCF) is a rare condition.

Methods: The authors report a rare case of syringobulbia consequent to a meningioma originating from PCF in a 17-year-old female, discussing the pathogenetic mechanism of development and the resolution of the syrinx cavity after surgical procedure.

Giant aneurysm of distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery: a case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Aneurysms in the vertebrobasilar system are rare and in the distal segment of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery they are even less frequent. Giant aneurysms are also rare in the posterior cranial fossa. Giant aneurysms of the distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery generally can have mainly compressive effects on the adjacent structures and they can be mistaken for tumors.

Cavernous hemangioma of the frontal bone: a case report.

Introduction: Cavernous hemangiomas are rare benign bone tumors and those at the level of the cranial bones are even rarer.

Case Presentation: A 50-year-old woman of Italian ethnicity presented with a frontal mass. A computed tomography scan showed an osteolytic lesion and a magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a hypointense lesion on the T1-weighted image and a hyperintense lesion on the T2-weighted image.

Endoscope-assisted microneurosurgery for intracranial aneurysms.

Background: The endovascular techniques has widely changed the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. However surgery still represent the best therapeutic option in case of broad-based and complex lesions. The combined use of endoscopic and microsurgical techniques (EAM) may improve surgical results.

Image-guided transoral biopsy in a boy with Grisel's syndrome.

Grisel's syndrome is a disease characterized by an atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation following acute inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. The syndrome has a good prognosis as it usually heals with antibiotics, despite the delayed serious complications that have been reported. When neuroradiological investigation does not allow an accurate differential diagnosis between a tumor and osteomyelitis, an image-guided transoral biopsy is a safe, fast, minimally invasive, as well as effective, procedure.

Posterior cranial fossa tumors: Results and prognostic factors in a consecutive series of 14 operated patients by occipital transtentorial approach.

Background: The objective of our study was to determine the safety and usefulness of performing surgery via occipital transtentorial approach to treat posterior cranial fossa tumors, which is well known as an approach to the pineal region (Poppen's approach).

Methods: Fourteen patients with posterior cranial fossa tumors were successfully treated using occipital transtentorial approach between 2007 and 2012. The lesions included five meningiomas, three astrocytomas, two metastases, two hemangioblastomas, one cavernoma, and one dysgerminoma.

Meningioangiomatosis Without Neurofibromatosis Type 2.

Meningioangiomatosis (MA) is a rare, benign hamartomatous lesion found in cerebral cortex and leptomeninges. It occurs mostly in 5 - 15 year old children in form isolated or diffuse; the diffuse form may be associated with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). The sporadic type in the adults is less common.

Brain Metastasis From Prostate Adenocarcinoma: Case Report and Review of Literature.

It is rare for prostate carcinoma to metastasize to the central nervous system. It often represents a terminal event with death in one year frequently due to the advanced systemic disease. Starting by a case report, we also reviewed the relevant literature to focus on this uncommon entity from epidemiology to clinical manifestation and therapeutic strategies.

Trigeminal neuralgia and persistent trigeminal artery.

We report a case of trigeminal neuralgia caused by persistent trigeminal artery (PTA) associated with asymptomatic left temporal cavernoma. Our patient presented unstable blood hypertension and the pain of typical trigeminal neuralgia over the second and third divisions of the nerve in the right side of the face. The attacks were often precipitated during physical exertion.

Spontaneous intracranial extradural haematoma associated with frontal sinusitis and orbital involvement.

Intracranial extradural hematoma is usually traumatic. Rarely, it can occur spontaneously associated with coagulative disorders (spontaneous or iatrogenic), dural vascular malformation, cranio-facial tumors and infections. In these cases, spontaneous extradural hematoma (SEH) is a serious event that needs to be recognized and managed in time to avoid fatal outcome.

A rare case of greater petrosal nerve schwannoma.

Background: Facial nerve schwannomas include only 0.8% of all intrapetrous mass lesions, and schwannomas originating exclusively from the greater petrosal nerve (GPN) are extremely rare. To date, only 13 reports have been described.