Angiographic features of "brain sag".

Object: Cerebrospinal fluid hypotension, or "brain sag," is a recently described phenomenon most commonly seen following craniotomy for the clipping of ruptured aneurysms along with preoperative lumbar drain placement. The clinical features and CT findings have been previously described. Clinical presentation can be similar to and often mistaken for cerebral vasospasm.

CT Ventriculography for diagnosis of occult ventricular cysticerci.

Background: Neurocysticercosis is the most common parasitic infection of the central nervous system (CNS). Intraventricular lesions are seen in 7-20% of CNS cysticercosis. Intraventricular lesions can be missed by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as they are typically isodense/isointense to the cerebrospinal fluid.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor after radiation therapy for craniopharyngioma.

The authors report a case of primitive neuroectodermal tumor induced by radiation therapy of craniopharyngioma. This African-American male patient originally presented with craniopharyngioma, for which he underwent resection and whole-brain radiation therapy. Eight years later, at the age of 20 years, he returned with a left facial droop and left hemiparesis.

Use of transparent plastic tubular retractor in surgery for deep brain lesions: a case series.

Brain tissue retraction is frequently required to reach deep intra-axial lesions, and the quest for an ideal retractor that would protect the underlying brain tissue continues. Despite the availability of multiple retractors, the incidence of brain retraction injury remains high and has been reported to be 5% to 10%. A recently developed transparent tubular retractor appears to provide several advantages in surgery for deep intra-axial tumors and intracerebral hematomas.

Entrapment of the glossopharyngeal nerve in patients with Eagle syndrome: surgical technique and outcomes in a series of 5 patients.

Object: Eagle syndrome is characterized by unilateral pain in the oropharynx, face, and earlobe, and is caused by an elongated styloid process or ossification of the stylohyoid ligament with associated compression of the glossopharyngeal nerve. The pain syndrome may be successfully treated with surgical intervention that involves resection of the styloid process. Although nerve decompression is routinely considered a neurosurgical intervention, Eagle syndrome and its treatment are not sufficiently examined in the neurosurgical literature.

Prediction of ventriculoperitoneal shunt dependency in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Object: Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage treated using external ventricular drainage due to obstructive hydrocephalus commonly remain shunt-dependent. Based on identified risk factors for external ventricular drain (EVD) challenge failure, the authors sought to determine the likelihood that a patient will require a permanent shunt.

Methods: The authors reviewed 89 consecutive cases of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage with obstructive hydrocephalus for parameters associated with EVD challenge failure and permanent shunt requirement.