Recent Trends in Neurosurgery Career Outcomes in Canada.

Background: As with other specialties, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) trainees in Neurosurgery have anecdotally had challenges securing full-time employment. This study presents the employment status, research pursuits, and fellowship choices of neurosurgery trainees in Canadian programs.

Methods: RCPSC neurosurgery trainees (n = 143) who began their residency training between 1998 and 2008 were included in this study.

Outcome of stereotactic radiotherapy for patients with uncontrolled acromegaly.

Objective: Linear accelerator based stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) has been used for the treatment of pituitary tumours; however, little is known concerning the use of this modality for the treatment of patients with acromegaly. We have prospectively studied the short-term outcome of SRT in 12 acromegaly patients who failed to achieve biochemical remission despite surgery and/or pharmacologic therapy.

Methods: We identified all patients who had biochemically uncontrolled acromegaly and were treated with SRT between April 2003 and December 2006.

Anterograde ventricular irrigation during fourth ventricle region surgery.

Objective: To reduce postoperative hydrocephalus following surgery in the region of the fourth ventricle. METHOD/TECHNIQUE: We describe the use of a conventionally placed lateral ventricular catheter to facilitate anterograde ventricular irrigation during surgery in the region of the fourth ventricle. This technique offers a safe alternative to more conventional approaches to fourth ventricular irrigation and obviates the need for placement of a third or fourth ventricular catheter and/or serial lumbar punctures by thoroughly flushing blood and tissue debris from the operative field at the time of surgery.

Functional motor neurons differentiating from mouse multipotent spinal cord precursor cells in culture and after transplantation into transected sciatic nerve.

Object: One of the current challenges in neurobiology is to ensure that neural precursor cells differentiate into specific neuron types, so that they can be used for transplantation purposes in patients with neuron loss. The goal of this study was to determine if spinal cord precursor cells could differentiate into motor neurons both in culture and following transplantation into a transected sciatic nerve.

Methods: In cultures with trophic factors, neurons differentiate from embryonic precursor cells and express motor neuronal markers such as choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), Islet-1, and REG2.

Deep arteriovenous malformations of the basal ganglia and thalamus: natural history.

Object: Patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in a deep location and with deep venous drainage are thought to be at higher risk for hemorrhage than those with AVMs in other locations. Despite this, the natural history of AVMs of the basal ganglia and thalamus has not been well studied.

Methods: The authors retrospectively evaluated a cohort of 96 patients with AVMs in the basal ganglia and thalamus with respect to the tendency of these lesions to hemorrhage between the time of detection and their eventual successful management.

Arteriovenous malformations.

Arteriovenous malformations of the brain are congenital vascular lesions that affect 0.01-0.50% of the population, and are generally present in patients aged 20-40 years.