Introduction: Intraoperative fluorescence guidance is a well-established surgical adjunct in high-grade glioma surgery. In contrast, the clinical use of such dyes and technology has been scarcely reported in skull base surgery.
Research Question: We aimed to systematically review the clinical applications of different fluorophores in both open and endonasal skull base surgery.
Purpose: Peri-operative management of nasal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks is not consensual due to limited evidence. The main aim of this study was to identify key factors in peri-operative management of endoscopic endonasal CSF leak repair among international experts.
Methods: A 60-item survey questionnaire collected opinions of members of international learned societies of ENT surgeons and neurosurgeons on nasal packing, post-operative instructions, antibiotic prophylaxis, and CSF volume depletion.
Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, secondary chronic hydrocephalus, and other cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) disorders are often challenging to diagnose. Since shunt surgery is usually the only therapeutic option and carries significant morbidity, optimal patient selection is crucial. The tap test is the most commonly used prognostic test to confirm the diagnosis but lacks sensitivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The management of compressive optic neuropathy (CON) arising from nontraumatic compression of the optic nerve within the optic canal (OC) remains a topic of controversy. In this study, our aim was to assess the effectiveness and safety of endonasal endoscopic optic nerve decompression (EEOND). In addition, we conducted an analysis of prognostic factors that could potentially influence visual outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDamage control (DC) initially referred to abbreviated (<1 h) surgical procedures to control abdominal hemorrhage in severe trauma patients, to avoid the 'bloody vicious circle' of hypothermia-coagulopathy-acidosis-hypocalcemia. Progressively, the concept was extended to pre-hospital and peri-operative surgical and non-surgical trauma care. The DC strategy can be applied either in a single severe trauma patient at risk of progression toward the bloody vicious circle or in case of limited or overwhelmed health resources (deprived environment, mass casualties, etc.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContinuous monitoring of mean intracranial pressure (ICP) has been an essential part of neurocritical care for more than half a century. Cerebrospinal pressure-volume compensation, i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Orbital surgery has always been disputed among specialists, mainly neurosurgeons, otorhinolaryngologists, maxillofacial surgeons and ophthalmologists. The orbit is a borderland between intra- and extracranial compartments; Krönlein's lateral orbitotomy and the orbitozygomatic infratemporal approach are the historical milestones of modern orbital-cranial surgery.
Research Question: Since its first implementation, endoscopy has significantly impacted neurosurgery, changing perspectives and approaches to the skull base.
Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) refers to a complex brain disorder characterized by ventricular enlargement and the classic Hakim's triad of gait and balance difficulties, urinary incontinence, and cognitive impairment. It predominantly affects older patients in the absence of an identified cause. As the elderly population continues to increase, iNPH becomes a growing concern in the complex spectrum of neuro-geriatric care, with significant socio-economic implications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: During cardiac surgery, maintaining a mean arterial pressure (MAP) within the range of cerebral autoregulation (CA) may prevent postoperative morbidity. The lower limit of cerebral autoregulation (LLA) can be determined using the mean velocity index (Mx). The standard Mx is averaged over a ten second period ( ) while using a two second averaging period ( ) is faster and may record more rapid variations in LLA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To identify initial features associated with significant recovery in patients with Graves' disease dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) treated according to EUGOGO guidelines by intravenous glucocorticoids (ivGC) and decompression surgery in first and second-line, respectively.
Patients And Methods: Consecutive patients referred to our expert multidisciplinary consultation over a 6-year period underwent systematic exploration: endocrine assessment, ophthalmic examination and radiological exploration. Visual recovery, based on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and visual field (VF), were evaluated at baseline, 1week and 6months.
Objective: Long-standing overt ventriculomegaly in adults (LOVA) is a form of chronic hydrocephalus and its pathophysiology and treatment remain debated. An analysis of CSF dynamics in this condition has rarely been reported. The aim of this study was to analyze hydrodynamic characteristics of patients with suspected LOVA to discuss its pathophysiological mechanisms and the importance of CSF dynamics analysis for diagnosis and treatment of these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The optimal surgical treatment for giant pituitary neuroendocrine tumors(GPitNETs) is debated.
Research Question: The aim of this paper is to optimize the surgical management of these patients and to provide a consensus statement on behalf of the EANS Skull Base Section.
Material And Methods: We constituted a task force belonging to the EANS skull base committee to define some principles for the management of GPitNETs.
Background: Ventriculoatrial shunt is routinely performed under general anesthesia and is used to treat various kinds of hydrocephalus. Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus patients are generally elderly and can have high comorbidities; in such patients, avoiding general anesthesia and limiting opioid administration could be beneficial. We started to perform ventriculoatrial shunt under locoregional anesthesia, in order to make this procedure more truly "minimally invasive".
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Surgical and clinical management of craniopharyngiomas is associated with high long-term morbidity especially in the case of hypothalamic involvement. Improvements in knowledge of craniopharyngioma molecular biology may offer the possibility of safe and effective medical neoadjuvant treatments in a subset of patients harboring papillary subtype tumors with a BRAFV600E mutation.
Method: We report herein two cases of tubero-infundibular and ventricular Papillary Craniopharyngiomas in which BRAF/MEK inhibitor combined therapy was used as adjuvant (Case 1) or neoadjuvant (Case 2) treatment, with a 90% reduction in tumor volume observed after only 5 months.
Objective: To define the prognostic factors for progression and to determine the impact of the histological grading (according to the World Health Organization) on the progression-free survival (PFS) of filum terminale ependymomas.
Methods: A retrospective chart review of 38 patients with ependymoma of the filum terminale was performed, focusing on demographic data, preoperative symptoms, tumor size, quality of resection, presence of a tumor capsule, and histological grade.
Results: Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 30 patients (78.
Background: Therapeutic head positioning plays a role in the management of patients with acute brain injury. Although intracranial pressure (ICP) is typically lower in an upright posture than in a flat position, limited data exist concerning the effect of upright positioning on brain oxygenation and circulation. We sought to determine the impact of supine (0°) and semirecumbent (15° and 30°) postures on ICP, brain oxygenation, and brain circulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Neurochir Suppl
June 2021
Introduction: Mechanisms underlying postural regulation of ICP remain unclear.
Method: Literature review in Medline 1900-2019 with search terms "Intracranial pressure," "Posture," "Jugular vein," "Collapse," "Regulation," "Physiology," resulting in 40 selected papers.
Results: Postural transition from supine to sitting position results in a biphasic decrease of ICP: a fast decrease during phase 1 (low tilt) followed by a stabilization during phase 2 (higher tilt/erect).