Tag: surgical

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Oculomotor nerve palsy due to posterior communicating artery aneurysm: Clipping vs coiling

Neurochirurgie 68 (2022) 86–93 

Posterior communicating artery aneurysms (PCoAA) usually present with brain hemorrhage, but they might present with oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) in about one out of five patients. Treatment options include endovascular coiling and surgical clipping. The present analysis aims to compare the two treatment options for ONP due to PCoAA in terms of complete recovery and related parameters.

Methods. – A comprehensive literature search was performed for studies published between 2000 and2019 on ONP due to PCoAA. The included studies were divided into two categories—surgical clipping (group A) and endovascular coiling (group B). The collected data were statistically processed with SPSSversion 25.

Results. – There was a significant difference between the two treatment groups regarding complete recovery of ONP (P < 0.001), suggesting superiority of the surgical clipping. The correlation analysis showed no correlations for group A. Group B had negative and positive correlations, showing that endovascular coiling results in higher rates of complete ONP recovery for elderly patients.

Conclusion. – Surgical clipping is superior to endovascular coiling in terms of complete recovery among patients with ONP due to PCoAAs. Endovascular coiling seems to benefit older patients. While no recommendations exist for the treatment of ONP due to intracranial aneurysms, an increasing number of studies imply the superiority of operative clipping

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Predictive factors for decompressive hemicraniectomy in malignant middle cerebral artery infarction

Predictive factors for decompressive hemicraniectomy in malignant middle cerebral artery infarction

Acta Neurochir (2016) 158:865–873

The mortality rate of patients with brain oedema after malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction approaches 80 % without surgical intervention. Surgical treatment with ipsilateral decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) has been shown to dramatically improve survival rates. DHC currently lacks established inclusion criteria and additional research is needed to assess the impact of prognostic factors on functional outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of prognostic factors on functional outcome.

Method A retrospective cohort study was carried out including 46 patients who underwent DHC at the Karolinska University Hospital between 2004 and 2014. The maximum time to surgery was 5 days after symptom debut. The primary endpoint was a dichotomised score on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3 months after surgery, with favourable outcome defined as mRS ≤ 4.

Results When the study population was dichotomised according to the primary endpoint, a significant difference between the groups was seen in preoperative Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), blood glucose levels and the infarction’s involvement of the basal ganglia (p <0.05). In a logistic regression model, preoperative GCS contributed significantly with a 59.6 % increase in the probability of favourable outcome for each point gained in preoperative GCS (p=0.035).

Conclusions The results indicate that preoperative GCS, blood glucose and the infarction’s involvement of the basal ganglia are strong predictors of clinical outcome. These factors should be considered when assessing the probable outcome of DHC, and additional research based on these factors may contribute to improved inclusion criteria for DHC.

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Long-term outcome and prognostic factors after C2 ganglion decompression in 68 consecutive patients with intractable occipital neuralgia

Long-term outcome and prognostic factors after C2 ganglion decompression in 68 consecutive patients with intractable occipital neuralgia

Acta Neurochir (2015) 157:85–92

Occipital neuralgia is a rare cause of severe headache characterized by paroxysmal shooting or stabbing pain in the distribution of the greater occipital or lesser occipital nerve. In cases of intractable occipital neuralgia, a definite cause has not been uncovered, so various types of treatment have been applied. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic factors, safety, and long-term clinical efficacy of second cervical (C2) ganglion decompression for intractable occipital neuralgia.

Methods Retrospective analysis was performed in 68 patients with medically refractory occipital neuralgia who underwent C2 ganglion decompression. Factors based on patients’ demography, pre- and postoperative headache severity/characteristics, medication use, and postoperative complications were investigated. Therapeutic success was defined as pain relief by at least 50 % without ongoing medication.

Results The visual analog scale (VAS) score was significantly reduced between the preoperative and most recent follow-up period. One year later, excellent or good results were achieved in 57 patients (83.9 %), but poor in 11 patients (16.1 %). The long-term outcome after 5 years was only slightly less than the 1-year outcome; 47 of the 68 patients (69.1 %) obtained therapeutic success. Longer duration of headache (over 13 years; p=0.029) and presence of retro-orbital/frontal radiation (p=0.040) were significantly associated with poor prognosis.

Conclusions In the current study, C2 ganglion decompression provided durable, adequate pain relief with minimal complications in patients suffering from intractable occipital neuralgia. Due to the minimally invasive and nondestructive nature of this surgical procedure, C2 ganglion decompression is recommended as an initial surgical treatment option for intractable occipital neuralgia before attempting occipital nerve stimulation. However, further study is required to manage the pain recurrence associated with longstanding nerve injury.

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Normalization of hindbrain morphology after decompression of Chiari malformation Type I

J Neurosurg 117:942–946, 2012

Chiari malformation Type I (CM-I) is characterized by hindbrain deformity. We investigated the effects of craniocervical decompression surgery on the anatomical features of hindbrain deformity with a prospective MRI study of patients with CM-I.

Methods. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in 48 patients with CM-I (39 with syringomyelia) treated with craniocervical decompression. Clinical examinations and cervical MRI were performed before surgery and 1 week, 3–6 months, and annually after surgery. Hindbrain deformity was defined by tonsillar ectopia, pointed cerebellar tonsils, and/or cervicomedullary protuberance. The length of the clivus, basiocciput (sphenooccipital synchondrosis to basion), supraocciput (internal occipital protuberance to opisthion), and anteroposterior (AP) width of CSF pathways at the foramen magnum were measured and compared with those from 18 healthy volunteers (control group).

Results. Before surgery, the patients’ posterior fossa bones were short and their CSF pathways were narrow. All patients had tonsillar ectopia (mean [± SD] 12.3 ± 5.1 mm; normal 0.3 ± 1.0). The majority of patients had pointed tonsils and more than two-thirds exhibited a cervicomedullary protuberance. Clivus and basiocciput lengths were significantly shorter than the values obtained in the control group. However, the supraocciput length did not differ significantly from control measurements. The mean bulbopontine sulcus distance superior to the basion was 9.5 ± 2.6 mm (vs 13.6 ± 2.8 mm in controls; p < 0.0001). The AP widths of the CSF pathways at the level of the foramen magnum were significantly narrowed. After surgery, CSF pathways significantly expanded both ventrally and dorsally. By 3–6 months after surgery, pointed tonsils became round, cervicomedullary protuberance disappeared, and tonsillar ectopia diminished by 51% (to 6.0 ± 3.3 mm; p < 0.0001).

Conclusions. The cerebellar tonsils and brainstem assumed a normal appearance within 6 months after craniocervical decompression. These findings support the concept that the CM-I is not a congenital malformation of the neural elements but rather an acquired malformation that arises from pulsatile impaction of the cerebellar tonsils into the foramen magnum.

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Management of Type II Odontoid Fractures in the Geriatric Population

J Spinal Disord Tech 2010;23:317–320

Objective: To analyze geriatric patients with Type II odontoid fractures treated either with rigid cervical orthosis (CO) or surgery (Odontoid Screw or Transarticular screw).

Summary of Background Data: Our literature search did not yield any studies on the outcome of Type II odontoid fractures in geriatric population treated with the rigid CO. We therefore designed a study to analyze geriatric patients with Type II odontoid fractures treated with either rigid cervical collar or surgery.

Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients with Type II odontoid fractures between July 1998 and June 2006. Inclusion criteria consists of males and females of 70 years of age or older with Type II odontoid fractures who were treated with rigid cervical collar or surgery. Exclusion criteria were displacement >4mm, posteriorly displaced fracture, neurologic compromise, multilevel cervical spine injury, and treatment in a halo vest. Medical comorbidities were assessed using the Modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics. Primary outcomes were mortality and fusion (union, stable nonunion, nonunion). Minimum of 3 months follow-up was acceptable.

Results: One hundred eighty four odontoid fractures were identified in 8 years. Twenty patients met our inclusion criteria (9 treated in rigid collar and 11 treated surgically). Median follow-up was 5.5 months. Out of 20 patients, 4 patients died (1 treated in CO, 3 treated surgically). Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics index was highest in patient treated in CO. In the rigid collar group, 6 patients had union (66.6%), and 2 developed stable nonunion (22.2%); whereas in the surgically treated group, 7 patients had union (87.5%), and 1 patient developed nonunion (12.5%).

Conclusions: Patients treated nonoperatively in rigid collar seem to have an overall favorable outcome. A well-designed prospective study, to compare the outcomes of surgical intervention with nonsurgical management of Type II odontoid in elderly is recommended

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