Predictive role of dynamic contrast enhanced T1-weighted MR sequences in pre-surgical evaluation of macroadenomas consistency.

Purpose: Our hypothesis was that pituitary macroadenomas show different areas of consistency detectable by enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with Dynamic study during gadolinium administration.

Materials And Methods: We analysed 21 patients with pituitary macroadenomas between June 2013 and June 2015. All patients underwent trans-sphenoidal surgery and neurosurgeon described macroadenomas consistency.

Visual search and emotion: how children with autism spectrum disorders scan emotional scenes.

This study assessed visual search abilities, tested through the flicker task, in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Twenty-two children diagnosed with ASD and 22 matched typically developing (TD) children were told to detect changes in objects of central interest or objects of marginal interest (MI) embedded in either emotion-laden (positive or negative) or neutral real-world pictures. The results showed that emotion-laden pictures equally interfered with performance of both ASD and TD children, slowing down reaction times compared with neutral pictures.

Platinum-iridium subdermal magnetic resonance imaging-compatible needle electrodes are suitable for intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring during image-guided surgery with high-field intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging: an experimental study.

Background: Neurosurgery aims to achieve maximal tumor resection while preserving neurological function. Tools such as neuronavigation, high-field intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI), and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IOM) have consistently helped to achieve this goal, but integration has often been difficult. Surgery of eloquent areas requires IOM, which in an operating theater equipped with high-field (1.

Neural stem cells and glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma multiforme represents one of the most common brain cancers with a rather heterogeneous cellular composition, as indicated by the term "multiforme". Recent reports have described the isolation and identification of cancer neural stem cells from human adult glioblastoma multiforme, which possess the capacity to establish, sustain, and expand these tumours, even under the challenging settings posed by serial transplantation experiments. Our study focused on the distribution of neural cancer stem cells inside the tumour.

Cerebral ependymoma in a patient with multiple sclerosis case report and critical review of the literature.

Background: The concurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and brain tumors is a rare but well-recognized condition. The radiologic evidence of the progressive evolution of a mega-plaque in a tumor has never been described. We report the first case of such an occurrence.

Retroperitoneal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma mimicking a large retroperitoneal sacral schwannoma.

We report a case of retroperitoneal chondrosarcoma in which preoperative radiological study induced to a possible diagnosis of sacral schwannoma. A 25-year-old woman was admitted to our neurosurgical institute for a progressive sciatic pain with gait difficulties with a sudden radicular deficit with right positive Lasegue's sign at 30 degrees, loss of Achilles reflex, sensory deficit on right S1 dermatome, and complete motor deficit of right plantar flexion. We performed an en bloc removal of the lesion via an anterior retroperitoneal approach.

Anterior cervical fusion with interbody titanium cage containing surgical bone site graft: our institution's experience in 103 consecutive cases of degenerative spondylosis.

The objective of this study is to evaluate whether anterior cervical fusion performed using BAK-C cage is a safe and effective method in the treatment of degenerative cervical disorders. Between 1998 and 2001, a consecutive series of 103 patients underwent anterior cervical fusion with titanium cage for cervical radiculopathy and/or spondylotic myelopathy. All the patients underwent single-level surgery.

Membranectomy in organized chronic subdural hematomas: indications and technical notes.

Background: The aim of the present study is to present our operative method of removing organized CSDHs and to structure the criteria for choosing this approach as first treatment.

Methods: Between 1991 and 1999 at our Institution, 14 consecutive patients with organized CSDHs required 16 craniotomies with membranectomy. They represent 5.

Tumor-like multiple sclerosis: report of four cases and literature review.

Aims And Background: Classical multiple sclerosis plaques usually have typical features on gadolinium-enhanced MRI scan. This non-neoplastic demyelinating process of the central nervous system generally does not produce focal space-occupying lesions associated with ring enhancement. However, atypical appearance of demyelinating lesions simulating a brain tumor is a possible well-known phenomenon.

Papillary glioneuronal tumor. Case report and literature review.

Objective And Importance: Papillary glioneuronal tumor is a recently described neoplasm composed of gliovascular pseudopapillae associated with intervening neuronal cells ranging from neurocytes to ganglion cells. This tumor is not currently included in the WHO classification of tumors of the central nervous system. We describe a new case of papillary glioneuronal tumor and analyze the data for a series of further 15 patients from international literature.

Meningiomas infiltrating the superior sagittal sinus: surgical considerations of 328 cases.

The aim of the study was to discuss our management strategy and results of patients affected by meningiomas infiltrating the superior sagittal sinus. We describe 328 patients with meningiomas that were infiltrating the superior sagittal sinus. All the patients were surgically treated.

Intracranial meningiomas in children: report of 27 new cases and critical analysis of 440 cases reported in the literature.

We accumulated 440 cases of intracranial meningiomas in patients under 16 years of age, and another 27 personal. This review confirms the existence of specific clinical features of spontaneous and radiation-induced meningioma in children. In addition, we discuss various points that suggest a more aggressive behavior of meningiomas in children than in adults.

Gliomatosis cerebri in children. Case report and clinical considerations.

Objective: Gliomatosis cerebri (GC) is an uncommon entity characterised by the diffuse overgrowth of large parts of the brain by glial cells. Reports in the literature often refer to adult patients, its occurrence in children being even more rare.

Case Report: We report the case of an 8-year-old boy with GC and discuss the problem of intra vitam diagnosis.

Traumatic epidural hematoma in children.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of childhood acute epidural hematoma and to report our experience in recent years. A series of 35 patients below the age of 15 years treated for acute epidural hematoma at our institution between June 1991 and December 2000 was analyzed in detail. Pediatric epidural hematoma presents both age-related and atypical features when compared with epidural hematoma in adults.

Multilevel oblique corpectomy without fusion: our experience in 48 patients.

Study Design: The authors provide their results in performing multilevel oblique corpectomy for degenerative spondylotic myelopathy in 48 patients.

Objective: To demonstrate the efficacy and safety of the multilevel oblique corpectomy when applied in selected cases.

Summary Of Background Data: The technique of multilevel oblique corporectomies for treatment of cervical spondylogenetic myeloradiculopathies allows anterolateral access to the cervical spine so that the spinal canal and conjugate foramen can be widened at more than one level, without the need for vertebral stabilization.

Intrameningioma metastasis as first clinical manifestation of occult primary breast carcinoma.

Metastasis from extracranial tumor into an intracranial primary tumor is an uncommon event. A predominant tendency of meningioma to be the host tumor for breast carcinoma has been found. In the current report, three cases of breast carcinoma metastatic to intracranial meningiomas are described.

Gliosarcomas: analysis of 11 cases do two subtypes exist?

There are conflicting reports regarding gliosarcomas. The goal of this study is to examine clinical, radiological, surgical and therapeutic aspects of 11 patients with gliosarcoma. Between 1993 and 2001, 11 patients with cerebral gliosarcoma were treated at our Institute.

Brain metastasis from cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the dorsum. Case report.

The majority of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are diagnosed early and cured using local treatment, although a minority of cases metastasize to regional structures. In this report the authors describe an unknown feature of skin SCC, namely, distant brain metastasis. This 54-year-old man, who had undergone surgery for moderately differentiated SCC of the dorsum (T2NOM0 stage), was admitted to our institution 11 months later with headache, vomiting, and ataxia.

Severe craniofacial fractures with frontobasal involvement and cerebrospinal fluid fistula: indications for surgical repair.

Background: The management of posttraumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulae is a controversial topic. Although recent literature shows that endoscopic repair of CSF fistula is efficacious and minimally invasive, in specific conditions open operative approach remains imperative.

Methods: A series of 36 patients underwent surgery for posttraumatic CSF fistula according to specific selection criteria.

Thirty-seven cases of intracranial meningiomas in the ninth decade of life: our experience and review of the literature.

Objective: We report a series of 37 elderly patients who were surgically treated for intracranial meningioma in the ninth decade of life at our neurosurgical division between 1985 and 2002.

Methods: Our study included 37 patients ranging in age from 80 to 86 years (29 women, 8 men). The preoperative neurological status was evaluated according to Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) status.

Occipital condyle fractures: report of five cases and literature review.

Occipital condyle fractures (OCFs) are uncommon and potentially fatal lesions. After the advent of CT, prompt diagnosis can be readily made and consequently better prognosis of these patients is expected. Early recognition of some types of OCF is imperative to avoid fatal results.

"Supine-prone" dynamic X-ray examination: new method to evaluate low-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Lumbar instability often causes clinical symptoms, and spondylolisthesis is a main factor of the low back pain. Segmental lumbar instability generally is due to a degenerative or listhesic process of the lumbar spine and radiological imaging is essential to diagnose it. Lumbar spine segmental mobility has commonly been studied by dyanamic radiographic methods.

Spinal en plaque meningiomas: a contemporary experience.

Objective: Spinal en plaque meningiomas are rare and challenging lesions because of their tendency to induce spinal arachnoiditis. The surgical treatment of this type of meningioma is more complex than that of classic meningioma.

Methods: We report seven cases of spinal en plaque meningiomas and review all the cases reported in the literature accessible to us by a MEDLINE search.

Solitary cerebral metastases from ovarian epithelial carcinoma: 11 cases.

Ovarian cancer is quite common in women, but brain metastases from ovarian cancer are considered rare. Eleven patients with solitary cerebral metastasis from ovarian epithelial carcinoma were treated at the Neurosurgical Department of University of Rome La Sapienza, between 1980 and 2000. We treated all of the 11 patients by surgical en bloc removal and by postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy.