Risk factors and chlorhexidine dressings in external ventricular drainage: a retrospective analysis on infection rates.

This retrospective study endeavors to scrutinize risk factors associated with infections resulting from external ventricular drainage (EVD) and to assess the effectiveness of chlorhexidine dressing in mitigating infection rates. Conducted from January 2018 to July 2023, this single-center study encompassed 108 EVD patients. Comprehensive data on demographics, comorbidities, surgical procedures, and the utilization of chlorhexidine dressing were meticulously compiled.

Fibronectin Type III Domain Containing 3B as a Potential Prognostic and Therapeutic Biomarker for Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a representative malignant brain tumor characterized by a dismal prognosis, with survival rates of less than 2 years and high recurrence rates. Despite surgical resection and several alternative treatments, GBM remains a refractory disease due to its aggressive invasiveness and resistance to anticancer therapy. In this report, we explore the role of fibronectin type III domain containing 3B (FNDC3B) and its potential as a prognostic and therapeutic biomarker in GBM.

Arterial Wall Imaging in Angiographically Occult Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage : New Insight into the Usual Suspect.

Objective: The etiology of angiographically occult spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (AOsSAH) is unclear. Threedimensional (3D) high-resolution vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (HVM) might be useful in detecting the hidden arterial wall angiopathy in patients with AOsSAH. We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of HVM for detecting the arterial cause of AOsSAH.

Correlation of Aneurysmal Wall Enhancement of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms on High-Resolution Vessel-Wall Imaging With Clinical Indices and Surgical Findings.

Background: Many physicians consider aneurysmal wall enhancement (AWE) on high resolution-vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) as an imaging biomarker of unstable unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs).

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of different AWE signal intensities (SIs) by assessing the correlation between the AWE SIs and surgical findings and rupture risk assessment tools.

Methods: Twenty-six patients with 34 aneurysms who underwent surgical clipping were included.

Is Stent-Assisted Coil Embolization for the Treatment of Ruptured Blood Blister-Like Aneurysms of the Supraclinoid Internal Carotid Artery Effective? : An Analysis of Single Institutional Experience with Pooled Data.

Objective: Given the high risk of rebleeding and recurrence of blood blister-like aneurysms (BBAs), we treated ruptured BBAs of the internal carotid artery (ICA) with stent-assisted coil embolization (SAC). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SACs.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical and radiological data from eight patients with ruptured BBAs of the supraclinoid ICA.

Comparison of stent-assisted and no-stent coil embolization for safety and effectiveness in the treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms.

Objective: The safety of the stent-assisted coil embolization (SAC) technique for acutely ruptured aneurysms has not been established yet. SAC is believed to be associated with a high risk of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications in acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the SAC technique in the setting of acutely ruptured aneurysm.

Hemodynamic Features of Microsurgically Identified, Thin-Walled Regions of Unruptured Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysms Characterized Using Computational Fluid Dynamics.

Background: Thin-walled regions (TWRs) of aneurysm surfaces observed in microscopic surgery are thought to be vulnerable areas for growth and rupture of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs).

Objective: To identify hemodynamic features of TWRs of aneurysms by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses of unruptured middle cerebral artery bifurcation (MCAB) aneurysms.

Methods: Nine patients with 11 MCAB aneurysms were enrolled, and their TWRs were identified.

Delivery of therapeutic miRNA using polymer-based formulation.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that play important roles in many cellular processes such as development, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. For this reason, miRNAs have been proposed and investigated as biomarkers and therapeutics for various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. However, delivery of miRNAs and their antagomirs to target sites remains challenging because of poor cellular uptake and degradation by nucleases.

Clinical Features of Patients With Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension Complicated With Bilateral Subdural Fluid Collections.

Background: Subdural hygromas are often found bilaterally in spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). They frequently progress to chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs), and if the hematomas are formed, it is difficult to consider SIH as an underlying cause. Whether SIH is underlying or not among the patients presenting bilateral subdural fluid collections (hygromas or CSDHs) is clinically important because the treatment strategy should be different between them.

Unexpected Daily Changes in Tumor Volume during Fractionated Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Solitary Intraventricular Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report.

For most fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery treatment plans, daily imaging is not routinely performed, because there is little expectation that lesions will change significantly in the short term. However, here, we present the case of an abrupt increase and decrease in tumor volume during fractionated gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for metastatic brain cancer. A 65-year-old man with a history of nephrectomy due to renal cell carcinoma was admitted to our hospital because of mild cognitive disorder and gait disturbance.

Inflammation by activated macrophage-like THP-1 cells increases human dura mater cell adhesion with alteration of integrin α β and matrix metalloproteinase.

This study was designed to investigate (i) extracellular matrix to specify adhesive substrates to human dura mater cell (hDMC); (ii) the alteration on adhesion-related molecules in hDMC; and (iii) secreted matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) linked with extracellular matrix remodeling after exposure to inflammation. The hDMC was cultured from human dura mater tissue, and the studies were performed with hDMC after co-culturing with macrophage like THP-1 cells (Mϕ). The adhesion of co-cultured hDMC through collagen I increased 6.

Defining "early" cranioplasty to achieve lower complication rates of bone flap failure: resorption and infection.

Background: Although cranioplasty (CP) is a frequently performed and simple procedure, complications are common, particularly bone flap resorption and infection. The timing of surgery is as an important contributory factor, but the optimal timing has not been clearly determined.

Objective: We retrospectively investigated bone flap resorption and surgical site infection after CP to determine the optimal timing of surgery for reduction of complications.

Analysis of Complications After Cranioplasty with a Customized Three-Dimensional Titanium Mesh Plate.

Objective: To report outcomes of cranioplasty (CP) with a customized three-dimensional (3D) titanium mesh plate and identify the relationship between various clinical variables and complications after CP.

Methods: Twenty patients who underwent surgery with customized 3D titanium mesh plates and had follow-up for >6 months from January 2015 to December 2017 were enrolled. Complications related to CP were retrospectively reviewed.

Aseptic Bone Flap Resorption after Cranioplasty with Autologous Bone: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Implications.

Objectives: Aseptic bone flap resorption (ABFR) is a known complication of cranioplasty (CP) with an autologous bone flap. The incidence of ABFR has been reported to be as high as 34.2% in the literature; however, it is underestimated in clinical fields.

Nonviral Delivery Systems for Cancer Gene Therapy: Strategies and Challenges.

Gene therapy has been receiving widespread attention due to its unique advantage in regulating the expression of specific target genes. In the field of cancer gene therapy, modulation of gene expression has been shown to decrease oncogenic factors in cancer cells or increase immune responses against cancer. Due to the macromolecular size and highly negative physicochemical features of plasmid DNA, efficient delivery systems are an essential ingredient for successful gene therapy.

Transradial access for cerebrovascular angiography: Evaluation of palmar collateral circulation with hand angiography and its correlation with Allen test.

Objectives: Transradial cerebral angiography (TRCA) has been introduced as an alternative technique for the transfemoral access, and its use is becoming more common in the field. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed a group of patients who received TRCA, and investigated peri-procedural measurements indicating actual hand circulation, and studied their correlation with the Allen test.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective review of 168 patients whom underwent TRCA between 2015 July and 2016 July, were included in this study.

Intracranial Aneurysms in Adult Moyamoya Disease.

Background: The prevalence of aneurysm formation in adults with moyamoya disease (MMD) is approximately 14%, and it represents a major potential hemorrhagic risk. We aimed to study the characteristics of intracranial aneurysms occurring in patients with MMD. We retrospectively reviewed our 10-year experience of patients with intracranial aneurysms and a diagnosis of MMD at our hospital.

Light-switchable systems for remotely controlled drug delivery.

Light-switchable systems have recently received attention as a new mode of remotely controlled drug delivery. In the past, a multitude of nanomedicine studies have sought to enhance the specificity of drug delivery to target sites by focusing on receptors overexpressed on malignant cells or environmental features of diseases sites. Despite these immense efforts, however, there are few clinically available nanomedicines.

Efficacy of superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass in cerebrovascular steno-occlusive diseases: Hemodynamics assessed by perfusion computed tomography.

Objectives: Our purpose of this study was to assess the cerebral hemodynamic improvement with perfusion computed tomography (CT), before and after superficial temporal artery (STA) to middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypass surgery in patients with cerebrovascular steno-occlusive diseases including both moyamoya disease and nonmoyamoya steno-occlusions.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four STA-MCA bypasses were performed to 22 patients with symptomatic cerebrovascular steno-occlusive diseases, including both moyamoya disease and nonmoyamoya steno-occlusive diseases. Brain perfusion CT images were obtained before and after the bypass surgery.

Primary Glioblastoma of the Cerebellopontine Angle: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is located most frequently in the cerebral hemispheres. Glioblastoma presenting as an extraaxial mass of cerebellopontine angle (CPA) is very rare in adults. We report a rare case of GBM arising in the CPA.

The Role of Hypoxia in Angiogenesis and Extracellular Matrix Regulation of Intervertebral Disc Cells During Inflammatory Reactions.

Background: The intervertebral disc (IVD) is an avascular structure, and is therefore stable under hypoxic conditions. Previous studies have demonstrated that hypoxia might be related to symptomatic degenerative disc diseases (DDDs); however, the pathomechanism is still poorly understood.

Objective: To identify the effect of hypoxia on the production of inflammatory mediators, angiogenic factors, and extracellular matrix-regulating enzymes of IVD cells during inflammatory reactions.

Poloxamer-Based Thermoreversible Gel for Topical Delivery of Emodin: Influence of P407 and P188 on Solubility of Emodin and Its Application in Cellular Activity Screening.

Emodin is a component in a Chinese herb, Baill, traditionally used for diabetes and anticancer. Its poor solubility is one of the major challenges to pharmaceutical scientists. We previously reported on thermoreversible gel formulations based on poloxamer for the topical delivery of emodin.

Analysis of Associating Factors With C2-7 Sagittal Vertical Axis After Two-level Anterior Cervical Fusion: Comparison Between Plate Augmentation and Stand-alone Cages.

Study Design: A retrospective review.

Objective: We investigated the longitudinal change of cervical alignment parameters including C2-7 lordosis, C2-7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), T1 slope, and segmental angle (SA) after two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

Summary Of Background Data: Cervical alignment may influence postoperative clinical outcomes.