Validating a Curvature-Based Marker of Cervical Carotid Tortuosity for Risk Assessment in Heritable Aortopathies.

Background: Cervical arterial tortuosity is associated with adverse outcomes in Loeys-Dietz syndrome and other heritable aortopathies.

Methods And Results: A method to assess tortuosity based on curvature of the vessel centerline in 3-dimensional space was developed. We measured cervical carotid tortuosity in 65 patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome from baseline computed tomography angiogram/magnetic resonance angiogram and all serial images during follow-up.

Integrating Multisector Molecular Characterization into Personalized Peptide Vaccine Design for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma.

Purpose: Outcomes for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) remain poor despite multimodality treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. There are few immunotherapy options due to the lack of tumor immunogenicity. Several clinical trials have reported promising results with cancer vaccines.

Peripheral macrophages in the development and progression of structural cerebrovascular pathologies.

The human cerebrovascular system is responsible for maintaining neural function through oxygenation, nutrient supply, filtration of toxins, and additional specialized tasks. While the cerebrovascular system has resilience imparted by elaborate redundant collateral circulation from supportive tertiary structures, it is not infallible, and is susceptible to developing structural vascular abnormalities. The causes of this class of structural cerebrovascular diseases can be broadly categorized as 1) intrinsic developmental diseases resulting from genetic or other underlying aberrations (arteriovenous malformations and cavernous malformations) or 2) extrinsic acquired diseases that cause compensatory mechanisms to drive vascular remodeling (aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulae).

Natural history and growth rate of intracranial aneurysms in Loeys-Dietz syndrome: implications for treatment.

Objective: Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a heritable aortopathy associated with craniofacial abnormalities and dilatation and dissection of the aorta and its branches, as well as increased risk for intracranial aneurysms (ICAs). Given the rarity of the disease, the authors aimed to better define the natural history and role for the treatment for ICAs in these patients.

Methods: The medical records of 83 patients with LDS were retrospectively reviewed to obtain clinical and genetic history and vascular imaging of the aorta, aortic branches, and intracranial vessels.

A Low Subfrontal Dural Opening for Operative Management of Anterior Skull Base Lesions.

 A low subfrontal dural opening technique that limits brain manipulation was assessed in patients who underwent frontotemporal approaches for anterior fossa lesions.  A retrospective review was performed for cases using a low subfrontal dural opening including characterization of demographics, lesion size and location, neurological and ophthalmological assessments, clinical course, and imaging findings.  A low subfrontal dural opening was performed in 23 patients (17F, 6M), median age of 53 years (range 23-81) with a median follow-up duration of 21.

A challenging case of recurrent and progressive fusiform anterior circulation intracranial aneurysms: illustrative case.

Background: Intracranial fusiform aneurysms are circumferential dilations of cerebral arteries that can lead to complications including ischemic stroke due to vessel occlusion, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or intracerebral hemorrhage. Treatment options for fusiform aneurysms have expanded significantly in recent years. Microsurgical treatment options include proximal and distal surgical occlusion and microsurgical trapping of the aneurysm, usually in association with high-flow bypass procedures.

Relationship between phenotypic features in Loeys-Dietz syndrome and the presence of intracranial aneurysms.

Objective: Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a rare autosomal dominant condition characterized by aneurysms of the aorta, aortic branches, and intracranial arteries; skeletal and cutaneous abnormalities; and craniofacial malformations. Previous authors have reported that higher craniofacial severity index (CFI) scores, which indicate more severe craniofacial abnormalities, correlate with the severity of aortic aneurysm pathology. However, the association between syndromic features and the formation of intracranial aneurysms in LDS patients has yet to be determined.

Survival After Resection of Newly-Diagnosed Intracranial Grade II Ependymomas: An Initial Multicenter Analysis and the Logistics of Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objective: To identify factors, including the use of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI), impacting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) after resections of newly diagnosed intracranial grade II ependymomas performed across 4 different institutions.

Methods: Analyses of a multicenter mixed retrospective/prospective database assessed the impact of patient, treatment, and tumor characteristics on OS and PFS. iMRI workflow and logistics were also outlined.

Surgery for Pituitary Tumor Apoplexy Is Associated with Rapid Headache and Cranial Nerve Improvement.

Pituitary tumor apoplexy (PTA) classically comprises sudden-onset headache, loss of vision, ophthalmoparesis, and decreased consciousness. It typically results from hemorrhage and/or infarction within a pituitary adenoma. Presentation is heterologous, and optimal management is debated.

Surgical management of colloid cysts of the third ventricle: a single-institution comparison of endoscopic and microsurgical resection.

Objective: Colloid cysts of the third ventricle are histologically benign lesions that can cause obstructive hydrocephalus and death. Historically, colloid cysts have been removed by open microsurgical approaches. More recently, minimally invasive endoscopic and port-based techniques have offered decreased complications and length of stay, with improved patient satisfaction.

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.

Neurosurgery residency and fellowship education in the United States: 2 decades of system development by the One Neurosurgery Summit organizations.

The purpose of this report is to chronicle a 2-decade period of educational innovation and improvement, as well as governance reform, across the specialty of neurological surgery. Neurological surgery educational and professional governance systems have evolved substantially over the past 2 decades with the goal of improving training outcomes, patient safety, and the quality of US neurosurgical care. Innovations during this period have included the following: creating a consensus national curriculum; standardizing the length and structure of neurosurgical training; introducing educational outcomes milestones and required case minimums; establishing national skills, safety, and professionalism courses; systematically accrediting subspecialty fellowships; expanding professional development for educators; promoting training in research; and coordinating policy and strategy through the cooperation of national stakeholder organizations.

Re-evaluating Biopsy for Recurrent Glioblastoma: A Position Statement by the Christopher Davidson Forum Investigators.

Patients with glioblastoma (GBM) need bold new approaches to their treatment, yet progress has been hindered by a relative inability to dynamically track treatment response, mechanisms of resistance, evolution of targetable mutations, and changes in mutational burden. We are writing on behalf of a multidisciplinary group of academic neuro-oncology professionals who met at the collaborative Christopher Davidson Forum at Washington University in St Louis in the fall of 2019. We propose a dramatic but necessary change to the routine management of patients with GBM to advance the field: to routinely biopsy recurrent GBM at the time of presumed recurrence.

A tribute to the late Professor Donald Simpson, Australian neurosurgeon and namesake of the Simpson grading system for meningioma extent of resection.

Donald Simpson (1927-2018) was a neurosurgeon from Adelaide, Australia, who is often cited for the 1957 publication he wrote as a trainee on the relationship between extent of resection and outcomes for meningiomas. That paper summarized a series of over 300 patients operated on in England by well-known neurosurgeons Sir Hugh Cairns and Joseph Buford Pennybacker. Simpson was also known later in his career, when he was at the University of Adelaide in South Australia, for his contributions to the areas of hydrocephalus, spina bifida, craniofacial anomalies, head injury, brain abscesses, and neurosurgical history, and he published extensively on these topics.

Intraoperative MRI for newly diagnosed supratentorial glioblastoma: a multicenter-registry comparative study to conventional surgery.

Objective: Intraoperative MRI (iMRI) is used in the surgical treatment of glioblastoma, with uncertain effects on outcomes. The authors evaluated the impact of iMRI on extent of resection (EOR) and overall survival (OS) while controlling for other known and suspected predictors.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort of 640 adult patients with newly diagnosed supratentorial glioblastoma who underwent resection was evaluated.

Using Histopathology to Assess the Reliability of Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Guiding Additional Brain Tumor Resection: A Multicenter Study.

Background: Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) is a powerful tool for guiding brain tumor resections, provided that it accurately discerns residual tumor.

Objective: To use histopathology to assess how reliably iMRI may discern additional tumor for a variety of tumor types, independent of the indications for iMRI.

Methods: A multicenter database was used to calculate the odds of additional resection during the same surgical session for grade I to IV gliomas and pituitary adenomas.

Impact of Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Other Factors on Surgical Outcomes for Newly Diagnosed Grade II Astrocytomas and Oligodendrogliomas: A Multicenter Study.

Background: Few studies use large, multi-institutional patient cohorts to examine the role of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) in the resection of grade II gliomas.

Objective: To assess the impact of iMRI and other factors on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for newly diagnosed grade II astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas.

Methods: Retrospective analyses of a multicenter database assessed the impact of patient-, treatment-, and tumor-related factors on OS and PFS.

Axis-specific analysis and predictors of endocrine recovery and deficits for non-functioning pituitary adenomas undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery.

Purpose: Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) is a well-established treatment for patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs). Data on the rates of pituitary dysfunction and recovery in a large cohort of NFPA patients undergoing ETSS and the predictors of endocrine function before and after ETSS are scarce. This study is purposed to analyze the comprehensive changes in hormonal function and identify factors that predict recovery or worsening of hormonal axes following ETSS for NFPA.

Radiological and clinical associations with scoliosis outcomes after posterior fossa decompression in patients with Chiari malformation and syrinx from the Park-Reeves Syringomyelia Research Consortium.

Objective: In patients with Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) and a syrinx who also have scoliosis, clinical and radiological predictors of curve regression after posterior fossa decompression are not well known. Prior reports indicate that age younger than 10 years and a curve magnitude < 35° are favorable predictors of curve regression following surgery. The aim of this study was to determine baseline radiological factors, including craniocervical junction alignment, that might predict curve stability or improvement after posterior fossa decompression.

A Multi-Institutional Analysis of Factors Influencing Surgical Outcomes for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Grade I Gliomas.

Objective: To assess the impact of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI), extent of resection (EOR), and other factors on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with newly diagnosed grade I gliomas.

Methods: A multicenter database was queried to identify patients with grade I gliomas. Retrospective analyses assessed the impact of patient, treatment, and tumor characteristics on OS and PFS.