Outcomes of Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery for Tuberculum Sellae and Planum Sphenoidale Meningiomas: A Retrospective Study.

Background: To evaluate clinical outcomes and volumetric changes following endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) for tuberculum sellae (TS) and planum sphenoidale (PS) meningiomas. Key objectives included evaluating pre- and postoperative tumor volumes, visual assessments and EEA-related complications.

Methods: A single-center retrospective study was conducted at Foothills Medical Centre, University of Calgary, Canada, from 2009 to 2022 including 24 patients meeting inclusion criteria for midline skull base tumors, confirmed as WHO Grade I or II meningiomas with optic canal extension.

Challenges and Opportunities in Awake Craniotomy for Brain Tumor Surgery in Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: A Narrative Review and Perspective.

Background: Low-income countries (LICs) and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) are presented with unique challenges and opportunities when performing awake craniotomy (AC) for brain tumors. These circumstances arise from factors that are financial, infrastructural, educational, personnel, and sociocultural in nature.

Methods: We performed a systematic narrative review of series on AC for intra-axial brain tumors in LICs/LMICs using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, focusing on the challenges and opportunities in these settings.

Missed pituitary microadenoma during endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing with symptom relief: illustrative case.

Background: Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) is a rare headache disorder that has been associated with pituitary adenomas. Resection has been posited to be curative.

Observations: A 60-year-old female presented with a 10-year history of SUNCT, which had been medically refractory.

A phase III, multicenter, randomized controlled trial of preoperative versus postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with surgically resectable brain metastases.

Background: Postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a standard management option for patients with resected brain metastases. Preoperative SRS may have certain advantages compared to postoperative SRS, including less uncertainty in delineation of the intact tumor compared to the postoperative resection cavity, reduced rate of leptomeningeal dissemination postoperatively, and a lower risk of radiation necrosis. The recently published ASCO-SNO-ASTRO consensus statement provides no recommendation for the preferred sequencing of radiotherapy and surgery for patients receiving both treatments for their brain metastases.

Cortical mapping in multilinguals undergoing awake brain surgery for brain tumors: Illustrative cases and systematic review.

Background: Awake brain mapping in multilingual patients with brain tumors presents unique challenges to the neurosurgeon. Knowledge of potential eloquent sites is vital to preserve language function.

Methods: We present two cases of pars opercularis glioma and perform a systematic review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

Early and isolated breast cancer metastasis to the pituitary: A case report and systematic review.

Background: Pituitary metastases (PMs) arising from breast cancer tend to occur many years following initial diagnosis, and after other systemic metastasis have been identified. Survival is generally considered to be poor. However, there are cases where patients present with an isolated metastatic lesion in the pituitary.

Validity and reliability of global ratings of satisfaction with epilepsy surgery.

Objective: We aimed to assess the reliability and validity of single-item global ratings (GR) of satisfaction with epilepsy surgery.

Methods: We recruited 240 patients from four centers in Canada and Sweden who underwent epilepsy surgery ≥1 year earlier. Participants completed a validated questionnaire on satisfaction with epilepsy surgery (the ESSQ-19), plus a single-item GR of satisfaction with epilepsy surgery twice, 4-6 weeks apart.

Meningiomas Associated with Subdural Hematomas: A Systematic Review of Clinical Features and Outcomes.

Background: Meningiomas associated with subdural hematomas (SDHs) are exceedingly rare. As such, the clinical features, optimal medical and surgical management, and outcomes of treatment for these lesions remain unknown.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of the PubMed and Scopus databases for case reports and case series of patients with presumptive clinical or definitive diagnoses of meningiomas presenting with SDH on computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging.

Predicting postoperative epilepsy surgery satisfaction in adults using the 19-item Epilepsy Surgery Satisfaction Questionnaire and machine learning.

Objective: The 19-item Epilepsy Surgery Satisfaction Questionnaire (ESSQ-19) is a validated and reliable post hoc means of assessing patient satisfaction with epilepsy surgery. Prediction models building on these data can be used to counsel patients.

Methods: The ESSQ-19 was derived and validated on 229 patients recruited from Canada and Sweden.

Desmoplastic myxoid tumor of pineal region, SMARCB1-mutant, in young adult.

We present a young adult woman who developed a myxoid tumor of the pineal region having a mutation, which was phenotypically similar to the recently described desmoplastic myxoid, -mutant tumor of the pineal region (DMT-SMARCB1). The 24-year-old woman presented with headaches, nausea, and emesis. Neuroimaging identified a hypodense lesion in CT scans that was T-hypointense, hyperintense in both T-weighted and FLAIR MRI scans, and displayed gadolinium enhancement.

Good Visual Outcomes After Pituitary Tumor Surgery Are Associated With Increased Visual Cortex Functional Connectivity.

Background: Patients presenting with visual impairment secondary to pituitary macroadenomas often experience variable recovery after surgery. Several factors may impact visual outcomes including the extent of neuroaxonal damage in the afferent visual pathway and cortical plasticity. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) measures of retinal structure and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) can be used to evaluate the impact of neuroaxonal injury and cortical adaptive processes, respectively.

Development and validation of the Epilepsy Surgery Satisfaction Questionnaire (ESSQ-19).

Objective: No validated tools exist to assess satisfaction with epilepsy surgery. We aimed to develop and validate a new measure of patient satisfaction with epilepsy surgery, the 19-item Epilepsy Surgery Satisfaction Questionnaire (ESSQ-19).

Methods: An initial 31-item measure was developed based on literature review, patient focus groups, thematic analysis, and Delphi panels.

Hemorrhagic Intracranial Cavernoma Presenting as a Homonymous Horizontal Sectoranopia.

Hemorrhagic lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) insults are rare but have been reported in association with tumors, vascular malformations, and trauma. The localization of LGN lesions is facilitated by recognition of pathognomonic visual field defects. A 21-year old woman developed a sudden onset painless left homonymous horizontal sectoranopia.

Tactics: an open-source platform for planning, simulating and validating stereotactic surgery.

Frame-based stereotaxy is widely used for planning and implanting deep-brain electrodes. In 2013, as part of a clinical study on deep-brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression, our group identified a need for software to simulate and plan stereotactic procedures. Shortcomings in extant commercial systems encouraged us to develop Tactics.

Outcomes of stereoelectroencephalography exploration at an epilepsy surgery center.

Objectives: Epilepsy surgery is offered in resistant focal epilepsy. Non-invasive investigations like scalp video EEG monitoring (SVEM) help delineate epileptogenic zone. Complex cases may require intracranial video EEG monitoring (IVEM).

Evaluation of pediatric glioma outcomes using intraoperative MRI: a multicenter cohort study.

Background: The use of intraoperative MRI (iMRI) during treatment of gliomas may increase extent of resection (EOR), decrease need for early reoperation, and increase progression-free and overall survival, but has not been fully validated, particularly in the pediatric population.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of iMRI to identify residual tumor in pediatric patients with glioma and determine the effect of iMRI on decisions for resection, complication rates, and other outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a multicenter database of pediatric patients (age ≤ 18 years) who underwent resection of pathologically confirmed gliomas.

A comparison of radiographic evidence of frontal sinusitis in middle-turbinate sacrificing versus middle-turbinate sparing approaches to the sella.

Background: Initial descriptions of endoscopic approaches to the sella and pituitary involved resecting the middle turbinate (MT) to help improve access and visualization. Modifications of these procedures to preserve the MT have since been described, one rationale being to reduce the incidence of frontal sinusitis. The objective of this study was to establish the incidence of postoperative frontal sinusitis in MT sparing (MTsp) and MT sacrificing (MTsc) approaches to the sella.

The Utility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessing Patients With Pituitary Tumors Compressing the Anterior Visual Pathway.

Background: Pituitary tumors are one of the most common types of intracranial neoplasms, and can cause progressive visual loss. An ongoing challenge in the management of patients with pituitary tumors is the cost, availability, and reliability of current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to capture clinically significant incremental tumor growth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the various MRI-based structural analyses and to explore the relationship between measures of structure and function in the afferent visual pathway of patients with pituitary tumors.

CaV1.2/CaV3.x channels mediate divergent vasomotor responses in human cerebral arteries.

The regulation of arterial tone is critical in the spatial and temporal control of cerebral blood flow. Voltage-gated Ca(2+) (CaV) channels are key regulators of excitation-contraction coupling in arterial smooth muscle, and thereby of arterial tone. Although L- and T-type CaV channels have been identified in rodent smooth muscle, little is known about the expression and function of specific CaV subtypes in human arteries.

Population based analysis ependymoma patients in Alberta from 1975 to 2007.

Background: Ependymomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system whose management is controversial. This population-based study of adults and children with ependymoma aims to (1) identify clinical and treatment-related factors that impact survival and (2) determine if postoperative radiotherapy (RT) can improve survival of patients with subtotal resection (STR) to levels similar to patients who had gross total resection (GTR).

Methods: This retrospective population-based study evaluated 158 patients with ependymoma diagnosed between 1975-2007 in Alberta, Canada.

Ca(V)3.2 channels and the induction of negative feedback in cerebral arteries.

Rationale: T-type (CaV3.1/CaV3.2) Ca(2+) channels are expressed in rat cerebral arterial smooth muscle.

Cost-effectiveness of the endoscopic versus microscopic approach for pituitary adenoma resection.

Objectives/hypothesis: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an endoscopic versus microscopic approach to pituitary adenoma resection.

Study Design: Markov decision tree economic evaluation.

Methods: An economic evaluation using a Markov decision tree model was performed.