Contralateral subdural effusion after decompressive craniectomy in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: clinical features and outcome.

Background: Contralateral subdural effusion (SDE) is usually considered as an uncommon complication after decompressive craniectomy (DC) for head trauma. This complication may need more aggressive treatment because of its tendency to cause midline shift and neurologic deterioration. In this article, we present our experience with this group of patients and discuss the diagnosis and management of this entity.

Nocardial brain abscess.

Nocardial infections, although rare, are challenging for clinicians to treat. The associated mortality rate remains high; such infections usually occur in immunocompromised patients who have predisposing factors such as malignancy, diabetes mellitus, malnutrition and uremia. However, there have been increasing reports of nocardial infections being observed in immunocompetent patients.

Breast carcinoma metastasis to intracranial meningioma.

Meningiomas and breast cancers are common tumors among women in the fifth to seventh decade. However, metastasis from breast cancer to an intracranial meningioma is rare. A 63-year-old woman presented with headache, nausea and vomiting, and progressive right hemiparesis for one month.

Predictors and outcome of acute symptomatic cerebral infarctions following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

The leading cause of unfavorable outcomes following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is cerebral infarction. In this 3-year retrospective study, we have retrospectively evaluated 172 hospitalized patients with aneurysmal SAH, and compared those who developed a complicated cerebral infarction with those who did not. In this study, acute symptomatic cerebral infarctions accounted for 22.

Systemic and local reactions of a water-soluble copolymer bone on a bony defect of rabbit model.

Background: Ostene, a synthetic water-soluble bone hemostatic agent, is commercially available. In the current study, we evaluated the systemic and local effects of this copolymer in a rabbit model.

Methods: Eighteen rabbits underwent creation of a bony defect at right iliac crest.

Acute contralateral subdural hygroma following craniectomy.

We report a case of acute contralateral subdural hygroma (SDG) following decompressive craniectomy and discuss the potential aetiologies of the SDG. A 63-year-old man experienced drowsiness (Glasgow coma scale score 13) after a fall that resulted in head trauma. Brain CT revealed a subdural haematoma at the right fronto-temporo-parietal region with a midline shift to the left.