Evaluating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Late-Canceled and No-Show Appointments at the Department of Neurological Surgery.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in unprecedented restrictions on the general public and disturbances to the routines of hospitals worldwide. These restrictions are now being relaxed as the number of vaccinated individuals increases and as the rates of incidence and prevalence decrease; however, they left a lasting impact on healthcare systems that is still being felt today. This retrospective study evaluated the total number of canceled or missed outpatient clinic appointments in a Neurological Surgery department before and after peak COVID-19 restrictions and attempted to assess the impact of these disruptions on neurosurgical clinical attendance.

Anti-aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G/anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunoglobulin G double-positive paraneoplastic neurological syndrome in a patient with triple-negative breast cancer.

We report a rare case of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome with dual seropositivity of anti-aquaporin-4 and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies in a 40 year-old woman with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. She received multiple lines of anti-neoplastic treatment, including immunotherapy with pembrolizumab, as well as cytotoxic chemotherapy. Paraneoplastic meningoencephalomyelitis developed 2 years after diagnosis of breast cancer and 1 year after discontinuation of immunotherapy with pembrolizumab.

Cerebral arterial vasospasm complicating supratentorial meningioma resection: illustrative cases.

Background: Cerebral arterial vasospasm is a rare complication after supratentorial meningioma resection. The pathophysiology of this condition may be similar to vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and treatment options may be similar.

Observations: The authors present two cases of cerebral vasospasm after supratentorial meningioma resection and perform a systematic literature review of similar cases.

Case report and review of literature: Isolated intramedullary spinal neurocysticercosis.

Background: Cases of isolated intramedullary spinal neurocysticercosis are extremely rare. Only 25 cases have been reported before 2022. Due to its rarity, the diagnosis of spinal neurocysticercosis may be missed.

Impact of a Hands-on Pre-Clinical Neurosurgery Elective Course on Second-Year Medical Student Interest and Attitudes.

Introduction: Medical student involvement opportunities and educational experiences with surgical residents during medical school have been shown to increase the chance of students deciding to specialize in surgical specialties. This study aims to determine the effect of a neurosurgery elective during the second preclinical year on student interest and opinion of neurosurgery.

Methods: Thirty-nine students completed opinion-based surveys and factual knowledge quizzes during a neurosurgical elective course over 3 iterations, which included lecture and skills lab instruction.

Development and Evaluation of a Preoperative Trigeminal Neuralgia Scoring System to Predict Long-Term Outcome Following Microvascular Decompression.

Background: Microvascular decompression (MVD) can be an effective intervention for trigeminal neuralgia (TN); however, an optimal system for patient selection and surgical outcome prediction has not been defined.

Objective: To develop and validate a preoperative TN grading system for the prediction of long-term pain relief after MVD.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients suffering unilateral TN who underwent MVD with >18-mo follow-up.

Significance of degree of neurovascular compression in surgery for trigeminal neuralgia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify preoperative imaging predictors of surgical success in patients with classic trigeminal neuralgia (cTN) undergoing microvascular decompression (MVD) via retrospective multivariate regression analysis.

Methods: All included patients met criteria for cTN and underwent preoperative MRI prior to MVD. MR images were blindly graded regarding the presence and severity (i.

Citation analysis of the most influential articles on traumatic spinal cord injury.

We conducted a citation analysis in order to catalog and pay tribute to the 100 most influential clinical research articles in traumatic spinal cord injury. The Thomson Reuters Web of Science was searched in a two-step process without time period limitations. Review articles were excluded.

MRI Findings and Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Microvascular Decompression for Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia.

Background And Purpose: Glossopharyngeal neuralgia causes extreme paroxysmal pain in the posterior pharynx, tonsillar region, base of tongue, or deep ear, that is, the distribution of the glossopharyngeal nerve. Some cases of glossopharyngeal neuralgia are associated with neurovascular conflict, usually by the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Such symptomatic compression occurs only in proximal, centrally myelinated portions of the glossopharyngeal nerve near the brainstem.

Trigeminal Nerve Compression Without Trigeminal Neuralgia: Intraoperative vs Imaging Evidence.

Background: While high-resolution imaging is increasingly used in guiding decisions about surgical interventions for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, direct assessment of the extent of vascular contact of the trigeminal nerve is still considered the gold standard for the determination of whether nerve decompression is warranted.

Objective: To compare intraoperative and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the prevalence and severity of vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve in patients without classical trigeminal neuralgia.

Methods: We prospectively recruited 27 patients without facial pain who were undergoing microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm and had undergone high-resolution preoperative MRI.

Role of adenosine after antral pulmonary vein isolation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Adenosine can reveal dormant pulmonary vein (PV) conduction after PV isolation (PVI) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the impact of elimination of adenosine-provoked dormant PV conduction after PVI has not been formally evaluated.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether ablation of PV reconnections unmasked by adenosine improves outcomes.

Cerebral paragonimiasis: an unusual manifestation of a rare parasitic infection.

Background: Paragonimiasis is a parasitic disease that typically produces a subacute to chronic inflammatory disease of the lung. Although rare in the United States, paragonimiasis is sporadically observed in the immigrant population. Rarely, paragonimiasis can affect the nervous system.

Neuro-oncological disorders of the cerebellum.

This article provides an overview of the intra-axial tumors that affect the cerebellum, which can be categorized by location and age. For each tumor, we review conventional neuroimaging findings and discuss the value of more advanced neuroimaging techniques. Current management strategies are also briefly discussed.