Borderline Findings in -(2-[F]-Fluoroethyl)-l-Tyrosine PET of Patients with Suspected Glioma Relapse: Role in Clinical Practice.

One of the most common clinical indications for amino acid PET using the tracer -(2-[F]-fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (F-FET) is the differentiation of tumor relapse from treatment-related changes in patients with gliomas. A subset of patients may present with an uptake of F-FET close to recommended threshold values. The goal of this study was to investigate the frequency of borderline cases and the role of quantitative F-FET PET parameters in this situation.

Experience with a gravitational valve in the management of symptomatic overdrainage in children with shunts.

Object: Symptomatic overdrainage in children with shunt-treated hydrocephalus represents one of the more difficult shunt-related diseases and may require repeated surgery. Gravity-assisted valve design has become a standard device to avoid overdrainage in many European pediatric hydrocephalus centers. However, the use of a gravitational valve for relieving symptoms associated with overdrainage has not yet been addressed.

Management of hydrocephalus in infants by using shunts with adjustable valves.

Object: Previous reports suggest that the use of adjustable differential-pressure valves may improve shunt performance. The absence of a flow- or siphon-controlled mechanism, however, is a concern. The goal of this prospective study was to assess the efficacy of valve adjustments in preventing slitlike ventricles in children < 6 months old after the first shunt insertion.

Jefferson fracture in a child--illustrative case report.

In adults, atlas burst fractures (Jefferson fractures) are not uncommon. In the pediatric population, they are extremely rare, and only few cases have been reported so far. They all showed a highly consistent clinical presentation with rare neurological deficits as well as recovery with full function without any surgical intervention.

Low-dose aspirin before spinal surgery: results of a survey among neurosurgeons in Germany.

The main problem faced by the increasing numbers of patients presenting for spinal surgery are receiving concurrent medication with low-dose aspirin, leading to dysfunctional circulating platelets. The contribution of low-dose aspirin to increased peri-operative risk of bleeding and blood loss is a contentious issue with conflicting published results from different surgical groups. Data from neurosurgical spine patients is sparse, but aspirin has been identified as an important risk factor in the development of post-operative hematoma following intracranial surgery.

Endoscopic transtentorial ventriculocystostomy and cystoventriculoperitoneal shunt in a neonate with Dandy-Walker malformation and associated aqueductal obstruction.

Objective: Shunting of the lateral ventricle and the posterior fossa cyst is the advocated surgical therapy for children with Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) and associated aqueductal obstruction. The high rate of complications of combined shunting stimulated the authors to search for an alternative surgical solution.

Clinical Presentation/intervention: After transtentorial endoscopic ventriculocystostomy, a cystoventricular catheter, connected to a peritoneal shunt, was placed in a neonate with DWM and associated aqueductal obstruction.

Changes in regional energy metabolism after cortical cold lesion in the rat brain.

In the present investigation, regional ATP, glucose, and lactate contents were examined in the cortical and subcortical structures after cold lesion in rats. Bioluminescence imaging of ATP, glucose, and lactate was performed in serial tissue sections at 4 h (n = 4), 12 h (n = 4) and 24 h (n = 4) after cold injury or sham surgery. Bioluminescence images were analyzed by computer-assisted densitometry, at the lesion site, in cortical areas, in the hippocampus, and in the thalamus.