True neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome: late outcomes from a surgical series.

Background: True neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (TNTOS) is rare, and evaluation of surgical treatment is limited to a few studies in the literature. The purpose of this study is to present the results from a surgical series of 21 patients with TNTOS.

Methods: Retrospective analysis on 21 patients diagnosed with TNTOS who underwent surgery.

Short-term survival in extensive craniofacial resections.

Objectives: Craniofacial resection (CFR) procedures for craniofacial tumors with cranial extension are often extensive. Although CFRs may yield good oncological results, there are concerns about high perioperative morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine risk factors for perioperative mortality after open CFR in terms of deaths occurring during index hospitalizations.

The nerve to the levator scapulae muscle as donor in brachial plexus surgery: an anatomical study and case series.

Objective: Nerve transfers are commonly used in treating complete injuries of the brachial plexus, but donor nerves are limited and preferentially directed toward the recovery of elbow flexion and shoulder abduction. The aims of this study were to characterize the anatomical parameters for identifying the nerve to the levator scapulae muscle (LSN) in brachial plexus surgery, to evaluate the feasibility of transferring this branch to the suprascapular nerve (SSN) or lateral pectoral nerve (LPN), and to present the results from a surgical series.

Methods: Supra- and infraclavicular exposure of the brachial plexus was performed on 20 fresh human cadavers in order to measure different anatomical parameters for identification of the LSN.

Balloon compression vs radiofrequency for primary trigeminal neuralgia: a randomized, controlled trial.

Surgical procedures are necessary in up to 50% of trigeminal neuralgia patients. Although radiofrequency (RF) is more widely used, it is associated with high intraprocedural costs and long technical learning time. Other simpler procedures such as balloon compression (BC) require a lower training period and have significant lower costs.

Small Aneurysms Should Be Clipped?

Background: Cerebral aneurysm prevalence may vary from 0.4% to 10%. The decision to treat or not incidental aneurysms remains controversial, especially when the lesions are small (<5 mm).

Distal nerve transfer versus supraclavicular nerve grafting: comparison of elbow flexion outcome in neonatal brachial plexus palsy with C5-C7 involvement.

Purpose: Ulnar and median nerve transfers to arm muscles have been used to recover elbow flexion in infants with neonatal brachial plexus palsy, but there is no direct outcome comparison with the classical supraclavicular nerve grafting approach.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with C5-C7 neonatal brachial plexus palsy submitted to nerve surgery and recorded elbow flexion recovery using the active movement scale (0-7) at 12 and 24 months after surgery. We compared 13 patients submitted to supraclavicular nerve grafting with 21 patients submitted to distal ulnar or median nerve transfer to biceps motor branch.

Hemodynamic stroke caused by strangulation.

We report a case of watershed ischemic stroke in a 36-year-old male secondary to manual strangulation. The patient presented with a right hemiparesis with grade IV motor deficit and an expressive aphasia. Radiological investigation revealed an ischemic stroke on the left distal middle cerebral artery territory and in watershed areas of the left anterior and posterior cerebral arteries.

Treatment of traumatic acute posterior fossa subdural hematoma: report of four cases with systematic review and management algorithm.

Background: Traumatic posterior fossa subdural hematomas (SDHs) are rare lesions. Despite improvements in intensive care and surgical management of traumatic brain injuries over the last decades, the outcome for posterior fossa subdural hematomas remains poor.

Methods: We conduct a retrospective study over a 2-year period of patients sustaining traumatic brain injury and posterior fossa SDH.

The clip-wrap technique in the treatment of intracranial unclippable aneurysms.

Unlabelled: Fusiform and dolichoectatic aneurysms are challenging lesions to treat with direct clipping. Treatment of these aneurysms often requires alternative surgical strategies, including extracranial-intracranial bypass, wrapping, or clip-wrap techniques. Nonetheless, these alternatives methods of treatment have been underused and frequently overlooked.