Accuracy of external ventricular drainage catheter placement.

Background: External ventricular drainage (EVD) is a freehand neurosurgical procedure performed routinely using the anatomical landmarks.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of EVD catheter freehand placement.

Materials And Methods: Pre-operative and post-operative computed tomography scans for 66 consecutive EVDs performed in 56 adult patients (26 men, 30 women) in 2008 were retrospectively reviewed.

Long-term results of the neuroendoscopic management of colloid cysts of the third ventricle: a series of 90 cases.

Background: The endoscopic removal of third ventricular colloid cysts has been developed as an alternative to microsurgical transcortical-transventricular and transcallosal approaches.

Objective: To examine the value of endoscopic technique by reviewing the large number of endoscopically treated patients with long-term follow-up in 2 neurosurgical centers.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for all patients admitted for resection of a third ventricular colloid cyst to the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (Nijmegen, The Netherlands) and the Hôpital Henri Mondor (Paris, France) between 1994 and 2007.

[Gait disturbances and normal pressure hydrocephalus].

Normal pressure hydrocephalus must be considered when gait disturbance, cognitive impairment and sphincter disorders are associated. Symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus, especially gait disturbance, are potentially curable by surgery. Our paper provides a summary review of gait disorders associated with normal pressure hydrocephalus detailing their characteristics and the best assessment methods.

[Systemic metastasis at the time of diagnosis of a glioblastoma].

Metastatic gliomas are quite rare. We report a case of glioblastoma multiforme with bone marrow metastasis at the time of diagnosis, revealed by a bicytopenia. An autopsy was performed and several visceral metastases were discovered in the lung, the mediastinal lymph nodes and in the spleen.