Postoperative Neurologic Outcome in Patients Undergoing Resective Surgery for Parietal Lobe Epilepsy: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Parietal lobe epilepsy (PLE) surgery can be an effective treatment for selected patients with intractable epilepsy but can be associated with the risk of serious neurologic deficits. We performed a systematic review of the literature to obtain a comprehensive summary of the frequency and types of new postoperative neurologic deficits in patients undergoing PLE resective surgery. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for articles published between January 1, 1990, and April 28, 2022. We included studies that reported postoperative neurologic outcome following PLE resective surgery confined to the parietal lobe. We required that studies included ≥5 patients. The data collected included demographic information and specific details of postoperative neurologic deficits. When available, individual patient data were collected. We used the Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions tool to assess the risk of bias and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation to assess the quality of the evidence. RESULTS: Of the 3,461 articles screened, 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 370 patients were included. One hundred patients (27.0%) had a new deficit noted postoperatively. Approximately half of the patients with deficits experienced only transient deficits. Motor deficits were the most commonly identified deficit. The rates of motor deficits noted after PLE surgery were 5.7%, 3.2%, and 2.2% for transient, long-term, and duration not specified, respectively. Sensory and visual field deficits were also commonly reported. Gerstmann syndrome was noted postoperatively in 4.9% of patients and was almost always transient. Individual patient data added information on parietal lobe subregion postoperative neurologic outcome. DISCUSSION: Our systematic review provides a comprehensive summary of the frequency and types of neurologic deficits associated with PLE surgery. A significant percentage of postoperative deficits are transient. In addition to the expected sensory and visual deficits, PLE surgery is associated with a notable risk of motor deficits. The available literature has important deficiencies. Our study highlights gaps in the literature and provides recommendations for future directions. TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: This systematic review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022313108, May 26, 2022).

Temporo-Parieto-Occipital Disconnection by Robot-Assisted Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Refractory Epilepsy in a Pediatric Patient: Proof-of-Principle Case Report and Surgical Nuances.

OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance imaging-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRIgLITT) has been proven safe and effective for the treatment of focal epilepsy of different etiologies. It has also been used to disconnect brain tissue in more extensive or diffuse epilepsy, such as corpus callosotomy and hemispherotomy. METHODS: In this study, we report a case of temporo-parieto-occipital disconnection surgery performed using MRIgLITT assisted by a robotic arm for refractory epilepsy of the posterior quadrant. A highly realistic cadaver simulation was performed before the actual surgery. RESULTS: The patient was a 14-year-old boy whose seizures began at the age of 8. The epilepsy was a result of a left perinatal ischemic event that caused a porencephalic cyst, and despite receiving multiple antiepileptic drugs, the patient continued to experience daily seizures which led to the recommendation of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: A Wada test lateralized language in the right hemisphere. Motor and sensory function was confirmed in the left hemisphere through magnetic resonance imaging functional studies and NexStim. The left MRIgLITT temporo-parieto-occipital disconnection disconnection was achieved using 5 laser fibers. The patient followed an excellent postoperative course and was seizure-free, with no additional neurological deficits 24 months after the surgery.

Non-fatal Bihemispheric Penetrating Brain Injury from a Crossbow Arrow with Good Clinical Outcome: Case Report

Crossbow injuries to the head have seldom been reported in the literature, and they represent a unique type of penetrating brain injury (PBI) in which a low-velocity arrow results in an intracranial fragment larger than most high-velocity projectiles, usually with a lethal outcome.We present the case of a 34-year-oldman who attempted suicide with a self-inflicted cranial injury from a crossbow arrow, with a right parietal point of entry and a palpable subcutaneous tip in the left parietal region. The emergency team reported a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score of 15, and the patient was brought sedated and intubated. Computed tomography (CT) imaging scans showed that the arrow crossed both parietal lobes, with mild subarachnoid hemorrhage and small cerebral contusions adjacent to its intracranial path. Careful retrograde removal of the penetrating arrow was performed in the CT suite, followed by an immediate CT scan, which excluded procedure-related complications. The patient woke up easily and was discharged 3 days later withmild left hand apraxia and no other neurologic deficits. To the best of our knowledge, there are no similar case reports describing both good clinical outcome and rapid discharge after a bihemispheric PBI. Individualizing the management of each patient is therefore crucial to achieve the best possible outcome as PBI cases still represent a major challenge to practicing neurosurgeons worldwide.

Anaplastic oligodendroglioma with cervical lymphonode metastasis: report of a case

A case of a patient operated on twice for a temporoparietal anaplastic oligondendroglioma, followed by radiotherapy, is reported. Although no intracranial recurrence has happened, a biopsyproven extracranial cervical lymphnode metastasis was diagnosed 15 months later. Surgical manipulation of the primary lesion by lymphatic and/or blood vessel invasion seem to be the main suspected factors in the development of CNS tumors metastasis in the head and neck region.