Socioeconomic and demographic factors in the diagnosis and treatment of Chiari malformation type I and syringomyelia.

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the social determinants that influence access and outcomes for pediatric neurosurgical care for patients with Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) and syringomyelia (SM).

Methods: The authors used retro- and prospective components of the Park-Reeves Syringomyelia Research Consortium database to identify pediatric patients with CM-I and SM who received surgical treatment and had at least 1 year of follow-up data. Race, ethnicity, and insurance status were used as comparators for preoperative, treatment, and postoperative characteristics and outcomes.

Gadolinium is not necessary for surveillance MR imaging in children with chiasmatic-hypothalamic low-grade glioma.

Background: Patients with chiasmatic-hypothalamic low-grade glioma (CHLGG) have frequent MRIs with gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) for disease monitoring. Cumulative gadolinium deposition in the brains of children is a potential concern. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether MRI with GBCA is necessary for determining radiographic tumor progression in children with CHLGG.

Comparison of multimodal surgical and radiation treatment methods for pediatric craniopharyngioma: long-term analysis of progression-free survival and morbidity.

Objective: The authors compared survival and multiple comorbidities in children diagnosed with craniopharyngioma who underwent gross-total resection (GTR) versus subtotal resection (STR) with radiation therapy (RT), either intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or proton beam therapy (PBT). The authors hypothesized that there are differences between multimodal treatment methods with respect to morbidity and progression-free survival (PFS).

Methods: The medical records of children diagnosed with craniopharyngioma and treated surgically between February 1997 and December 2018 at Texas Children's Hospital were reviewed.

Occipital-Cervical Fusion and Ventral Decompression in the Surgical Management of Chiari-1 Malformation and Syringomyelia: Analysis of Data From the Park-Reeves Syringomyelia Research Consortium.

Background: Occipital-cervical fusion (OCF) and ventral decompression (VD) may be used in the treatment of pediatric Chiari-1 malformation (CM-1) with syringomyelia (SM) as adjuncts to posterior fossa decompression (PFD) for complex craniovertebral junction pathology.

Objective: To examine factors influencing the use of OCF and OCF/VD in a multicenter cohort of pediatric CM-1 and SM subjects treated with PFD.

Methods: The Park-Reeves Syringomyelia Research Consortium registry was used to examine 637 subjects with cerebellar tonsillar ectopia ≥ 5 mm, syrinx diameter ≥ 3 mm, and at least 1 yr of follow-up after their index PFD.

A Novel Sand Dollar and Staves Technique for Unilateral Lambdoid Craniosynostosis.

Background: Unilateral lambdoid synostosis (ULS) is the rarest form of craniosynostosis. Due to the associated cranio-caudal shift seen in ULS, surgical correction is technically challenging from a morphological standpoint. Herein, the authors present a novel "Sand-Dollar and Staves" technique for the repair of ULS.