Redefining cerebellar assessment: A comprehensive review of the cerebellum’s cognitive and affective roles and the efficacy of CCAS scales
Date of publication: 26-Apr-2024
Background: Emerging research expands our understanding of the cerebellum beyond motor control to include cognitive, emotional, and autonomic functions. This review examines the cerebellum’s complex role, spotlighting Schmahmann’s syndrome, or cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS), which impairs executive functions, language, and spatial processing. It emphasizes advancements in diagnosing CCAS and the imperative of developing superior diagnostic tools for managing cerebellar pathologies effectively.
Multiple Abdominal abscesses following ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement in an immunosuppressed patient: An illustrative case
Date of publication: 26-Apr-2024
Background: Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement is one of the most performed procedures in neurosurgery to treat various types of hydrocephalus (HC). Immediate or late postoperative complications may quite commonly occur, especially in immunosuppressed patients, who are predisposed to develop rare and difficult-to-treat conditions.
Primary central nervous system lymphoma: A mirror type presentation in an immunocompetent patient
Date of publication: 26-Apr-2024
Background: Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma is a very rare extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The bilateral pattern, as we call it “mirror type”, has been identified in other CNS lesions such as gliomas, metastases, and demyelinating lesions, so the differential diagnosis includes imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging contrasted with spectroscopy, ruling out immunodeficiency or metastatic disease.
Multimodal management of giant solid hemangioblastomas in two patients with preoperative embolization
Date of publication: 26-Apr-2024
Background: Hemangioblastomas are benign vascular neoplasms, World Health Organization grade I, with the most frequent location in the cerebellum. Complete microsurgical resection can be a challenge due to excessive bleeding, which is why preoperative embolization takes importance.
Isolated hypertelorism: Late surgical correction using the box osteotomy technique
Date of publication: 26-Apr-2024
Background: Orbital hypertelorism is a rare congenital condition caused by craniofacial malformations. It consists of complete orbital lateralization, characterized by an increase in distance (above the 95th percentile) of the inner canthal (ICD), outer canthal, and interpupillary distances. It can be approached surgically, and the main techniques are box osteotomy and facial bipartition. The surgical procedure is usually performed before the age of 8. We describe here two patients who underwent late surgical correction using the box osteotomy technique.
Evolution of the meta-neurosurgeon: A systematic review of the current technical capabilities, limitations, and applications of augmented reality in neurosurgery
Date of publication: 26-Apr-2024
Background: Augmented reality (AR) applications in neurosurgery have expanded over the past decade with the introduction of headset-based platforms. Many studies have focused on either preoperative planning to tailor the approach to the patient’s anatomy and pathology or intraoperative surgical navigation, primarily realized as AR navigation through microscope oculars. Additional efforts have been made to validate AR in trainee and patient education and to investigate novel surgical approaches. Our objective was to provide a systematic overview of AR in neurosurgery, provide current limitations of this technology, as well as highlight several applications of AR in neurosurgery.
Parasagittal meningeal hemangiopericytoma/solitary fibrous tumor: Two case reports and a literature review
Date of publication: 19-Apr-2024
Background: Solitary fibrous tumor/meningeal hemangiopericytoma (SFT/M-HPC) is a rare neoplasm which accounts for around 1% of the intracranial masses. This pathology has a high risk for recurrence and metastasis to distant locations such as the liver, lungs, and bones. Precise diagnosis necessitates detailed histopathological examination.
Metastatic choroid plexus papilloma presenting as a sellar mass: A case report and literature review
Date of publication: 19-Apr-2024
Background: Choroid plexus papillomas (CPPs) are rare neoplasms arising from choroid plexus epithelium representing <1% of all intracranial tumors. Symptoms vary based on location and regional mass effect; however, hydrocephalus is common due to cerebrospinal fluid flow obstruction and/or overproduction. Distant site metastasis or de novo formation in extraventricular sites is rare.
Local compression of the sciatic nerve by a vascular malformation as a rare cause of sciatica: A case report and review of literature
Date of publication: 19-Apr-2024
Background: Sciatica is typically caused by disc herniations or spinal stenosis. Extraspinal compression of the sciatic nerve is less frequent.
Three cases of kyphoplasty performed in the lateral position due to significant comorbidities
Date of publication: 19-Apr-2024
Background: More than 700,000 people suffer from vertebral compression fractures attributed to osteoporosis, metastatic disease, or trauma each year in the United States, and undergo kyphoplasty. They are typical. These often undergo kyphoplasty to treat resultant pain or new neurological deficits. Here, we present three patients who, due to significant comorbidities, underwent kyphoplasty performed in the lateral decubitus rather than the prone position.