MRgFUS disconnection surgery for hypothalamic hamartoma-related epilepsy: case report and literature review.

Background: Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) secondary to hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) often requires surgical resection or stereotactic radiosurgery, which frequently fail to provide satisfactory outcomes and are associated with severe side effects. Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) may represent a minimally invasive surgical approach to HH by offering precise thermal ablation of sub-millimetric brain targets while sparing surrounding structures.

Methods: We present the case of a 19-year-old man with HH-associated DRE, who was successfully treated with MRgFUS.

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound unilateral thalamotomy for medically refractory essential tremor: 3-year follow-up data.

Introduction: Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy of the ventralis intermediate (Vim) nucleus is an "incisionless" treatment for medically refractory essential tremor (ET). We present data on 49 consecutive cases of MRgFUS Vim thalamotomy followed-up for 3 years and review the literature on studies with longer follow-up data.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent MRgFUS thalamotomy (January 2018-December 2020) at our institution was performed.

Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease in practice: results of the survey by the Italian Neurosurgery Society.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective treatment for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) and many neurosurgical centers in Italy have a DBS program. Considering the prevalence of PD and criteria for DBS implantation, about 3200-10,350 PD patients may benefit from DBS in Italy. The global management of patients underwent DBS is complex and it can be supposed that many differences exist between centers in clinical practice.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Benign Cavernous Sinus Meningiomas: A Multicentre Study and Review of the Literature.

Cavernous sinus meningiomas (CSMs) remain a surgical challenge due to the intimate involvement of their contained nerves and blood vessels. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a safe and effective minimally invasive alternative for the treatment of small- to medium-sized CSMs. Objective: To assess the medium- to long-term outcomes of SRS for CSMs with respect to tumour growth, prevention of further neurological deterioration and improvement of existing neurological deficits.

The Immunohistochemical Loss of H3K27me3 in Intracranial Meningiomas Predicts Shorter Progression-Free Survival after Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

The immunohistochemical loss of histone H3 trimethylated in lysine 27 (H3K27me3) was recently shown to predict recurrence of meningiomas after surgery. However, its association with tumor progression after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is unexplored. To investigate whether H3K27 methylation status may predict progression-free survival (PFS) after SRS, we assessed H3K27me3 immunoexpression in thirty-nine treatment naïve, intracranial, meningiomas, treated with surgery and subsequent SRS for residual (twenty-three cases) or recurrent (sixteen cases) disease.

Advances in Multidisciplinary Management of Skull Base Meningiomas.

The surgical management of Skull Base Meningiomas (SBMs) has radically changed over the last two decades. Extensive surgery for patients with SBMs represents the mainstream treatment; however, it is often challenging due to narrow surgical corridors and proximity to critical neurovascular structures. Novel surgical technologies, including three-dimensional (3D) preoperative imaging, neuromonitoring, and surgical instruments, have gradually facilitated the surgical resectability of SBMs, reducing postoperative morbidity.

Molecular Profiling of 22 Primary Atypical Meningiomas Shows the Prognostic Significance of 18q Heterozygous Loss and Homozygous Deletion on Recurrence-Free Survival.

The use of adjuvant therapy is controversial in atypical meningiomas with gross total resection. Predictors of recurrence risk could be useful in selecting patients for additional treatments. The aim of this study was to investigate whether molecular features are associated with recurrence risk of atypical meningiomas.

Long-term follow-up after surgical removal of meningioma of the inner third of the sphenoidal wing: outcome determinants and different strategies.

Meningioma arising in the inner third of the sphenoidal wing has been well recognized since the origin of neurosurgery, yet it still poses a formidable challenge for the surgeon. Treatment strategies can be optimized through a tailored approach to surgical timing and use of a non-surgical armamentarium. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effect of different strategies on progression-free survival and overall survival.

Surgical Management of Adverse Radiation Effects After Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objective: The goal of this study is to report our experience in the surgical treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (cAVMs) related permanent symptomatic adverse radiation effects (PSAREs), to clarify an appropriate surgical management and to identify the risk factors related to their development.

Methods: We evaluated 549 patients treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for cAVMs with a follow-up of at least 8 years. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to test different risk factors related to the development of PSARE.

Leksell Gamma Knife for pediatric and adolescent cerebral arteriovenous malformations: results of 100 cases followed up for at least 36 months.

Object: The goal of this study was to evaluate advantages, risks, and failures of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in a large series of pediatric and adolescent patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (cAVMs) who were followed up for at least 36 months.

Methods: Since February 1993, 100 pediatric and adolescent patients (≤ 18 years of age) with cAVMs have undergone GKRS at the authors' institution and were followed up for at least 36 months. Forty-six patients were boys and 54 were girls; the mean age was 12.

The Role of 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Targeting the Human Subthalamic Nucleus in Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson Disease.

Background: Chronic stimulation of the human subthalamic nucleus (STN) is gradually becoming accepted as a long-term therapeutic option for patients with advanced Parkinson disease (PD). 3Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) improves contrast resolution in basal ganglia nuclei containing high levels of iron, because of magnetic susceptibility effects that increase significantly as the magnetic field gets higher. This phenomenon can be used for better visualization of the STN and may reduce the time necessary for detailed microrecording (MER) mapping, increasing surgery efficacy and lowering morbidity.

Radiosurgical options in neuro-oncology: a review on current tenets and future opportunities. Part II: adjuvant radiobiological tools.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is currently a well-established, minimally invasive treatment for many primary and secondary tumors, especially deep-sited lesions for which traditional neurosurgical procedures were poorly satisfactory or not effective at all. The initial evolution of SRS was cautious, relying on more than 30 years of experimental and clinical work that preceded its introduction into the worldwide medical community. This path enabled a brilliant present, and the continuous pace of technological advancement holds promise for a brighter future.

The use of electrical source imaging in targeting lesional mesial temporal epilepsy for radiosurgical treatment.

Gamma knife radiosurgery (GK-RS) is a technique applied in selected cases of mesial-temporal epilepsy, although still limited to centres with adequate instrumentation and expertise. Here, we report a case of radio surgery targeted with the aid of electrical source imaging that localizes the cortical area generating the scalp epileptic discharges. The patient, a 39-year-old male, presented with a right mesio-temporal lesion; electrical source imaging localization partially overlapped with the lesional area but showed an important activation of the omolateral frontal area, concordant with the epileptic network.

Radiosurgical options in neuro-oncology: a review on current tenets and future opportunities. Part I: therapeutic strategies.

Stereotactic radiosurgery can nowadays be considered not only as a potential adjuvant to surgical treatment of several neuro-oncological pathologies, including primary tumors and metastatic lesions, but in some cases also as a valuable alternative tailored option. In Part I of the review, we propose a dissertation focused on the different irradiation stereotactic radiosurgery techniques to date available for clinical indications more relevant to oncologists and oncologic surgeons, such as high-grade and low-grade gliomas, metastases and meningiomas. It is noteworthy that the most recent body of literature correlated with this topic shows that the therapeutic results presently achievable are revolutionizing the way patients are diagnosed and managed worldwide.

Gamma Knife surgery in vestibular schwannomas: impact on the anterior and posterior labyrinth.

Object: During the past decades, in small-to-medium size vestibular schwannomas, Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) has become a reliable therapeutic option because of either excellent local tumor control or minimal morbidity, with cranial neuropathy becoming increasingly rare. Although still insufficiently analyzed in larger cohorts of patients with long-term follow-ups, adequate chances of hearing preservation and vestibular sparing seem clinically guaranteed. However, deeper investigations are needed in this regard, expanding the number of cases and the follow-up period.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia: results and potentially predictive parameters--part I: Idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia.

Objective: Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKR) is an increasingly used, minimally invasive treatment option for patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) refractory to medical therapy. This retrospective study evaluates the long-term results and side effects of GKR in the treatment of TN focusing on potentially predictive factors.

Methods: One hundred sixty patients with TN were included in this study (minimum follow-up, >6 mo; mean, 37.