Factors impacting neurosurgery residents' operative case volume: a nationwide survey.

Objective: Neurological surgery residency remains one of the most competitive and longest specialties in terms of training in medicine. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education uses residents' case volume throughout residency as one of its measures for the quality of surgical training. The objective was to study the variability of residency case volume among US training programs and to analyze the factors that potentially influence that case volume.

Long-Term Results of Endoscopic Endonasal Marsupialization of Rathke Cleft Cysts With Bioabsorbable Steroid-Eluting Stents-Technical Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Background: Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs) are common benign skull-base lesions arising from embryologic remnants of Rathke pouch. Though frequently asymptomatic, RCCs can become symptomatic because of compression of adjacent neural structures. Transcranial and neuroendoscopic surgical treatments have been described for symptomatic RCCs, but recurrence rates remain as high as 30%.

The birth of modern military neurosurgery through the eyes of Harvey Cushing's war memoir From a Surgeon's Journal, 1915-1918.

Dr. Harvey Cushing is considered the father of modern neurological surgery, and his role and efforts in World War I continue to have a lasting effect on today's practice of neurosurgery. During World War I, he embodied the tenets of a neurosurgeon-scientist: he created and implemented novel antiseptic techniques to decrease infection rates after craniotomies, leading him often to be referred to as "originator of brain wound care.

Improving patient care in neurosurgery through postoperative telephone calls: a systematic review and lessons from all surgical specialties.

Objective: Postoperative telephone calls are a simple intervention that can be used to improve communication with patients, potentially affecting patient safety and satisfaction. Few studies in the neurosurgical literature have examined the effect of a postoperative telephone call on patient outcomes, although several exist across all surgical specialties. The authors performed a systematic review and analyzed studies published since 2000 to assess the effect of a postoperative telephone call or text message on patient safety and satisfaction across all surgical specialties.

Insights into potential targeted nonsurgical therapies for the treatment of moyamoya disease.

Since its initial description in 1957 as an idiopathic disease, moyamoya disease has proved challenging to treat. Although the basic pathophysiology of this disease involves narrowing of the terminal carotid artery with compensatory angiogenesis, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these changes are far more complex. In this article, the authors review the literature on the molecular and cellular pathophysiology of moyamoya disease with an emphasis on potential therapeutic targets.

Primary Tumors of the Posterior Pituitary Gland: A Systematic Review of the Literature in Light of the New 2017 World Health Organization Classification of Pituitary Tumors.

Objective: The rare clinical entity of primary posterior pituitary tumors (PPTs) includes pituicytomas, granular cell tumors, spine cell oncocytomas, and sellar ependymomas. The recent World Health Organization classification of PPTs based on thyroid transcription factor 1 positivity has led to more investigations into the epidemiology, clinical presentation, nature history, histologic features, and operative characteristics of these tumors. The aim of this review is to summarize the characteristics of primary PPTs.

Sacral Rheumatoid Nodule: An Unusual Indication for Coccygectomy.

Here, we present a case report of a woman who presented with a large sacral rheumatoid nodule. This patient failed conservative treatment and presented in search of a surgical solution. We successfully removed her rheumatoid nodule using a surgical approach typically reserved for traumatic coccydynia.

Acellular dermal matrix as an alternative to autologous fascia lata for skull base repair following extended endoscopic endonasal approaches.

Background: Skull base reconstruction after extended endoscopic endonasal approaches (EEAs) can be challenging. In addition to the nasoseptal flap, which has been adopted by most centers, autologous fascia lata is also often utilized. Harvesting of fascia lata requires a separate thigh incision, may prolong recovery, and results in a visible scar.

Gender disparities in academic rank achievement in neurosurgery: a critical assessment.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether there are disparities in academic rank and promotion between men and women neurosurgeons.

Methods: The profiles of faculty members from 50 academic neurosurgery programs were reviewed to identify years in practice, number of PubMed-indexed publications, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) attainment, and academic rank. The number of publications at each academic rank was compared between men and women after controlling for years in practice by using a negative binomial regression model.

Jacques Jean Lhermitte and the syndrome of peduncular hallucinosis.

Jacques Jean Lhermitte (1877-1959) was among the most accomplished neurologists of the 20th century. In addition to working as a clinician and instructor, he authored more than 800 papers and 16 books on neurology, neuropathology, psychiatry, and mystical phenomena. In addition to the well-known "Lhermitte's sign," an electrical shock-like sensation caused by spinal cord irritation in demyelinating disease, Lhermitte was a pioneer in the study of the relationship between the physical substance of the brain and the experience of the mind.

Risk Factors and Prevention of Surgical Site Infections Following Spinal Procedures.

Study Design: Focused literature review.

Objective: The objective of this article was to help identify potential risk factors as well as strategies to help prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) in spine surgery.

Methods: An article search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database of systematic reviews using the terms "surgery" OR "surgical" AND "spine" OR "spinal" AND "infection".

Middle Fossa Approach for Resection of Vestibular Schwannomas: A Decade of Experience.

Background: The middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach is a challenging surgical technique for the resection of small and intermediate sized, primarily intracanalicular, vestibular schwannomas (VS), with the goal of hearing preservation (HP).

Objective: To describe a decade-long, single institutional experience with the MCF approach for resection of VS.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 63 patients who underwent the MCF approach for resection of VS from 2006 to 2016.

Metastatic Thymic Carcinoma Presenting as a Posterior Fossa Mass: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Background: Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are uncommon lesions, and cerebral metastases from these tumors are even rarer. We report a case of a posterior fossa metastasis in a patient with a known history of thymic carcinoma.

Case Description: A 47-year-old man with a history of Hodgkin lymphoma and thymic carcinoma presented with headache, nausea, and ataxia.

Aneurysm growth and de novo aneurysms during aneurysm surveillance.

OBJECTIVE Many low-risk unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) are followed for growth with surveillance imaging. Growth of UIAs likely increases the risk of rupture. The incidence and risk factors of UIA growth or de novo aneurysm formation require further research.

Brief report: a comparison of clinical and research practices in measuring cerebral perfusion pressure: a literature review and practitioner survey.

Background: Our objective was to determine whether there is variability in the foundational literature and across centers in how mean arterial blood pressure is measured to calculate cerebral perfusion pressure.

Methods: We reviewed foundational literature and sent an e-mail survey to members of the Neurocritical Care Society.

Results: Of 32 articles reporting cerebral perfusion pressure data, the reference point for mean arterial blood pressure was identified in 16: 10 heart and 6 midbrain.

Measuring outcome after severe TBI.

Objectives: To review current scales for measuring outcome following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and discuss changes in the types and use of these scales for the purposes of facilitating comparative effectiveness research.

Methods: Functional, psychosocial/neurocognitive, and quality of life (QOL) scales used for assessing outcome following TBI are presented, along with the limitations of each. Core common data element scales are noted, and parametric, preference-based scales for performing comparative effectiveness research are discussed.