Metagenomic sequencing of the skin microbiota of the scalp predicting the risk of surgical site infections following surgery of traumatic brain injury in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSI) are a significant concern following traumatic brain injury (TBI) surgery and often stem from the skin's microbiota near the surgical site, allowing bacteria to penetrate deeper layers and potentially causing severe infections in the cranial cavity. This study investigated the relationship between scalp skin microbiota composition and the risk of SSI after TBI surgery in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study, enrolling patients scheduled for TBI surgery.

The supplementary motor area syndrome: a neurosurgical review.

The supplementary motor area (SMA) syndrome is a frequently encountered clinical phenomenon associated with surgery of the dorsomedial prefrontal lobe. The region has a known motor sequencing function and the dominant pre-SMA specifically is associated with more complex language functions; the SMA is furthermore incorporated in the negative motor network. The SMA has a rich interconnectivity with other cortical regions and subcortical structures using the frontal aslant tract (FAT) and the frontostriatal tract (FST).

Survival impact of incidental subventricular zone irradiation in IDH-wildtype glioblastoma.

Background And Purpose: The subventricular zone (SVZ) is an important niche for neural stem cells but probably also for brain tumor propagating cells, including the glioblastoma stem cell. The SVZ may become a target for radiation therapy in glioblastoma patients. However, reports studying the effect of irradiation of the SVZ on glioblastoma patient survival show conflicting results.

Partial resection offers an overall survival benefit over biopsy in MGMT-unmethylated IDH-wildtype glioblastoma patients.

Background Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype glioblastoma patients with O-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT)-unmethylated tumors have the worst outcome of all glioblastoma patients. The overall survival (OS) benefit of partial resection of glioblastoma compared to biopsy only remains controversial specifically in relation to molecular factors. In this report, we analyzed the effect of incomplete resection on OS compared to biopsy only in a cohort of IDH-wildtype glioblastoma patients who were uniformly treated with temozolomide-based chemoradiotherapy (TMZ-CR) after surgery.

Complete Resection of an Intradural Extramedullary Foramen Magnum Cavernous Malformation.

Only few case reports of intradural extramedullary-located cavernous angiomas are available. This report describes an extra-axial hemorrhagic lesion located on the lateral surface of the medulla oblongata at the foramen magnum. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaing clearly demonstrated growth of the lesion, probably due to repetitive intralesional hemorrhaging.

Technical feasibility of [F]FET and [F]FAZA PET guided radiotherapy in a F98 glioblastoma rat model.

Background: Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor. Standard medical treatment consists of a maximal safe surgical resection, subsequently radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ). An accurate definition of the tumor volume is of utmost importance for guiding RT.

Hydroxyapatite cranioplasty: a retrospective evaluation of osteointegration in 17 cases.

Background: Cranial reconstruction with autologous bone is still the gold standard although several biomaterials are available to re-establish the integrity of the cranial vault. Due to their biological and morphological characteristics, hydroxyapatite implants show promising results in small clinical cohort studies, especially within the paediatric population. Its biocompatibility and osteoconductivity should allow the formation of osseous bridging at the skull-prosthesis interface.

Treating Hydrocephalus with Retrograde Ventriculosinus Shunt: Prospective Clinical Study.

Background: Since the 1950s, hydrocephalus has been be treated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts, usually to the peritoneal cavity or to the right cardiac atrium. However, because of their siphoning effect, these shunts lead to nonphysiologic CSF drainage, with possible comorbidity and high revision rates. More sophisticated shunt valve systems significantly increase costs and technical complexity and remain unsuccessful in a subgroup of patients.

Outcome of Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Retrospective Study of Clinical and Radiologic Parameters.

Objective: This study critically evaluates the long-term results of standalone anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), without use of rhBMP-2, as a therapeutic option for symptomatic patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD). Furthermore, this study intends to identify predictive parameters for anterior lumbar interbody fusion outcome.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study with additional telephone interview to obtain missing data was performed.

Correction: Kinetic Modeling and Graphical Analysis of 18F-Fluoromethylcholine (FCho), 18F-Fluoroethyltyrosine (FET) and 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET for the Fiscrimination between High-Grade Glioma and Radiation Necrosis in Rats.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Kinetic Modeling and Graphical Analysis of 18F-Fluoromethylcholine (FCho), 18F-Fluoroethyltyrosine (FET) and 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET for the Fiscrimination between High-Grade Glioma and Radiation Necrosis in Rats.

Background: Discrimination between glioblastoma (GB) and radiation necrosis (RN) post-irradiation remains challenging but has a large impact on further treatment and prognosis. In this study, the uptake mechanisms of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG), 18F-fluoroethyltyrosine (18F-FET) and 18F-fluoromethylcholine (18F-FCho) positron emission tomography (PET) tracers were investigated in a F98 GB and RN rat model applying kinetic modeling (KM) and graphical analysis (GA) to clarify our previous results.

Methods: Dynamic 18F-FDG (GB n = 6 and RN n = 5), 18F-FET (GB n = 5 and RN n = 5) and 18F-FCho PET (GB n = 5 and RN n = 5) were acquired with continuous arterial blood sampling.

Comparison of hybrid constructs with 2-level artificial disc replacement and 2-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for surgical reconstruction of the cervical spine: a kinematic study in whole cadavers.

Background: Multi-level cervical degeneration of the spine is a common clinical pathology that is often repaired by anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). The aim of this study was to investigate the kinematics of the cervical spine after hybrid surgery compared with 2-level ACDF.

Material And Methods: Five freshly frozen, unembalmed whole human cadavers were used including 3 males and 2 females with a mean age of 51 ± 8 years.

(18)F-fluoromethylcholine (FCho), (18)F-fluoroethyltyrosine (FET), and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) for the discrimination between high-grade glioma and radiation necrosis in rats: a PET study.

Introduction: Discrimination between (high-grade) brain tumor recurrence and radiation necrosis (RN) remains a diagnostic challenge because both entities have similar imaging characteristics on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Metabolic imaging, such as positron emission tomography (PET) could overcome this diagnostic dilemma. In this study, we investigated the potential of 2-[(18)F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG), O-(2-[(18)F]-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ((18)F-FET), and [(18)F]-Fluoromethyl-dimethyl-2-hydroxyethylammonium ((18)F-fluoromethylcholine, (18)F-FCho) PET in discriminating high-grade tumor from RN.

To investigate the effect of osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration on the endplate cartilage injury in rats.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration on the endplate cartilage injury in rats.

Methods: A total of 48 female Sprague Dawley rats (3 months) were randomly divided into Groups A, B, C and D with 12 rats in each group. Osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration composite model, simple degeneration model and simple osteoporosis model were prepared in Groups A, B and C respectively.

Kinematic study of the relation between the instantaneous center of rotation and degenerative changes in the cervical intervertebral disc.

Purpose: We located the instantaneous center of rotation (ICR) for the cervical spine at various ages and investigated age-related changes. We evaluated the impact of cervical disc degeneration on the ICR using a scoring system based on plain radiographs.

Methods: Flexion, extension, and neutral lateral radiographs were obtained from 680 asymptomatic subjects (363 men, 317 women; ages 20-79 years) divided into six 10-year-age groups.

Validation of 18F-FDG PET at conventional and delayed intervals for the discrimination of high-grade from low-grade gliomas: a stereotactic PET and MRI study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to validate 18F-FDG PET imaging for differentiating high-grade gliomas (HGGs) from low-grade gliomas (LGGs).

Methods: Twenty-one patients with gliomas undergoing a stereotactic biopsy underwent PET scanning at conventional and delayed intervals, diagnostic and stereotactic MR examinations. To calculate the uptake at the biopsy site, a 2-mm voxel was selected.

Distribution patterns of 18F-labelled fluoromethylcholine in normal structures and tumors of the head: a PET/MRI evaluation.

Purpose: To evaluate the distribution of 18F-labelled fluoromethylcholine (FCho) in normal structures and tumors of the head region using positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and the coregistered images obtained in 17 patients with suspected high-grade gliomas. The accumulation of 18F-FCho in the normal structures and in brain lesions was visually and semiquantitatively assessed.

Migration of pump for intrathecal drug delivery into the peritoneal cavity. Case report.

Background: We report on a patient in whom a subfascially implanted pump for the intrathecal delivery of baclofen spontaneously migrated into the peritoneal cavity.

Case Description: A 54-year-old male patient presented with a refilling problem of a drug pump that had been implanted 16 months earlier subfascially through a right-sided incision 10 cm below the costal margin. Because we were unable to refill the pump even under fluoroscopy, we presumed a backward turning of the pump.

Primary resected meningiomas: relapses and proliferation markers.

Unlabelled: Relapses of meningiomas are a well known phenomenon during follow-up. The significance of sex, age, surgical treatment and mitotic frequency with regard to relapses are still a matter of debate.

Patients And Methods: The study included 125 meningioma patients who underwent surgical intervention between 1986 and 1997 They were in follow-up for 3, 5, 10 and 15 years; they were grouped as "stable" or "relapsing" tumours.

Can recurrence of meningiomas be predicted?

After resection of meningiomas the clinical evolution remains problematic, as no clear-cut predictive criteria are available. In vitro evaluation of meningiomas might help to predict their evolution in vivo after resection. For this goal a confrontation model was tested.