Tranexamic acid for patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 2991 patients.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to synthesize evidence from published clinical trials on the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid (TXA) administration in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). METHODS: We followed the standard methods of the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews for interventions and the PRISMA statement guidelines 2020 when conducting and reporting this study. A computer literature search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted from inception until 1 January 2022. We selected observational studies and clinical trials comparing TXA versus no TXA in aSAH patients. Data of all outcomes were pooled as the risk ratio (RR) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals in the meta-analysis models. RESULTS: Thirteen studies with a total of 2991 patients were included in the analysis. TXA could significantly cut the risk of rebleeding (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.72) and mortality from rebleeding (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.92, p = 0.02). However, TXA did not significantly improve the overall mortality, neurological outcome, delayed cerebral ischemia, or hydrocephalus (all p > 0.05). In terms of safety, no significant adverse events were reported. No statistical heterogeneity or publication bias was found in all outcomes. CONCLUSION: In patients with aSAH, TXA significantly reduces the incidence of rebleeding and mortality from rebleeding. However, current evidence does not support any benefits in overall mortality, neurological outcome, delayed cerebral ischemia, or hydrocephalus.

A primary dorsal osseous Ewing's sarcoma hidden as acute paraplegia in a 7-year child: A Case report.

Ewing's sarcoma is a highly malignant bone tumor commonly affecting the diaphysis of long bones and pelvic bones. It belongs to a spectrum of neoplastic diseases known as the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (EFT) with the same histologic, immunohistochemical characteristics and chromosomal translocation. It commonly affects children between the ages of 5-15 years. Spinal involvement might be primary or metastatic. Primary spinal involvement is infrequent. We report a 7-year female with acute paraplegia caused by dorsal osseous Ewing's sarcoma that her presentation mimics other causes of acute lower limb weakness in children. Early detection of this rare case and prompt treatment will ensure better outcomes for the patient.

Microsurgery versus stereotactic radiosurgery for small petroclival meningiomas presenting with intractable trigeminal neuropathy: A historical cohort study.

Background: Data on the outcomes of microsurgical resection (SR) and stereotactic gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in patients with trigeminal neuralgia associated with small petrous apex meningiomas are scarce. Objective: We conducted this study to evaluate the pain relief, tumor control, and procedure costs following SR and GKRS for small petroclival meningiomas (less than 3 cm in maximal diameter) using real-world data from our center in Egypt. Material and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 47 patients with small petrous apex meningiomas presenting with intractable trigeminal nerve pain (SR: n = 22 and GKRS: n = 25). Data regarding pain relief on Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI), procedure cost, and tumor control were retrieved and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Patients who underwent SR had lower median BNI pain intensity scores compared to those patients who underwent GKRS, and a significantly higher proportion of patients in the SR group had good BNI scores compared to those in GKRS group (P < 0.05); however, the total costs of SR were significantly less than GKRS (30,519$ vs. 92,372$, respectively). Conclusion: Both SR and GKRS provide pain relief and tumor control in patients with trigeminal neuralgia associated with petrous apex meningioma. However, in the present study, SR achieved better pain control and was more affordable than GKRS.

Local anesthesia versus general anesthesia for evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma in elderly patients above 70 years old.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) evacuation by two burr-hole craniostomies under local versus general anesthesia (GA) in elderly patients over 70 years. METHODS: This retrospective study included 45 patients with CSDH aged over 70 years old treated from March 2018 to April 2020. The cases were subdivided into Group A (n = 22) that underwent evacuation under local anesthesia and Group B (n = 23) that was treated under GA. Patients' demographics and history of comorbidities were recorded. Variables including pre- and post-operative neurological status and Markwalder's score, complication rate, operative time, and length of hospital stay were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean and standard deviation of patients' age of groups (A) and (B) were 74.3 ± 2.5 and 73.2 ± 1.7 years, respectively. Postoperative Glasgow Coma Scale of group (A) was statistically higher than Group B at postoperative day 1 (P = 0.01). Operative time was statistically shorter in Group A than B (P < 0.0001). The length of hospital stay was found to be longer in group (B) than (A) (P = 0.0001). The complication rate was found to be higher in group (B) than (A) (P = 0.044). CONCLUSION: Evacuation of CSDH under local anesthesia in elderly patients over 70 years is effective, safe, and economic with less complication rate than the traditional technique with GA.

Should intravenous acetaminophen be considered for post craniotomy pain management? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Post-craniotomy pain management with opioids is challenging due to their side effects, which might mask neurological deterioration symptoms. Recently, intravenous (IV) acetaminophen has been tested in this population. This meta-analysis aimed to synthesize evidence from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about the efficacy of IV acetaminophen in reducing pain scores in postoperative craniotomy patients. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A computer literature search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) was conducted. We selected RCTs comparing IV acetaminophen versus placebo for postoperative pain management in craniotomy patients. Data on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), opioid requirements, hospital stay, and patients' satisfaction were extracted and pooled as standardized mean difference (SMD) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) in the meta-analysis model. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Five RCTs, with a total of 493 patients, were pooled in the final analysis. Patients in the IV acetaminophen group had significantly lower VAS pain scores compared to the placebo group (SMD=-0.28, 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.10). However, in terms of opioid requirement, hospital stay, and patients' satisfaction, there were no statistically significant differences between both groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis provides class one evidence that IV Acetaminophen can significantly reduce postoperative pain in craniotomy patients with an excellent safety profile; however, there are not benefits in terms of hospital stay, opioid requirement, or patients' satisfaction.

Efficacy and safety of polyethylene glycol dural sealant system in cranial and spinal neurosurgical procedures: Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the efficacy of polyethylene glycol (PEG) dura sealant to achieve watertight closure, prevention of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak and to investigate its possible side effects. METHODS: We searched Medline (through PubMed), Scopus, and the Cochrane Library through December 2019. We included articles demonstrating cranial or spinal procedures with the use of PEG material as a dural sealant. Data on intraoperative watertight closure, CSF leak, and surgical complications were extracted and pooled in a meta-analysis model using RevMan version 5.3 and OpenMeta (Analyst). RESULTS: Pooling the controlled trials showed that PEG resulted in significantly more intraoperative watertight closures than standard care (risk ratio [RR] = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.24, 1.66]). However, the combined effect estimate did not reveal any significant difference between both groups in terms of CSF leaks, the incidence of surgical site infections, and neurological deficits (P = 0.7, 0.45, and 0.92, respectively). On the other hand, pooling both controlled and noncontrolled trials showed significance in terms of leak and neurological complications (RR = 0.0238, 95% CI [0.0102, 0.0373] and RR = 0.035, 95% CI [0.018, 0.052]). Regarding intraoperative watertight closure, the overall effect estimate showed no significant results (RR=0.994, 95% CI [0.986, 1.002]). CONCLUSION: Dura seal material is an acceptable adjuvant for dural closure when the integrity of the dura is questionable. However, marketing it as a factor for the prevention of surgical site infection is not scientifically proved. We suggest that, for neurosurgeons, using the dural sealants are highly recommended for duraplasty, skull base approaches, and in keyhole approaches.

Traumatic Frontal Sinus Fractures Management: Experience from High-Trauma Centre.

OBJECTIVE: Analysis of our traumatic brain injury data, reviewing current literatures and assessing planning valuable decision making in frontal sinus fracture for young neurosurgeons. METHODS: Hospital data base for head trauma was retrieved after board permission for retrospective analysis of cases admitted from 2010-2020. Patients with frontal sinus fractures and head trauma were identified according to a flow chart. Variables of the study included patients' demographics, mechanism of injury, incidence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, types of associated injuries, imaging findings and operative techniques. RESULTS: Three-hundred eighty two patients were eligible to be screened in our study and represented the sample size under investigations in the following sections, 206 (53.9%) of patients were treated conservatively while 176 patients (46.1%) were identified as having an indication for surgical intervention. Eighty-four percent of patients were males. The mean age was 36.2±9.4 years (14-86 years). Depressed skull fracture was commonly associated injury (17.61%). Leakage of CSF was found in 32.95% of patients. CONCLUSION: Frontal sinus fracture is not an easy scenario. It harbors many proportions and deliver many varieties in which, deep understanding of anatomy, naso-frontal outflow tract status, CSF leakage and neurological injury are of important points in decision. Our institutional algorithm provide rapid, accessible and applicable treatment protocol for resident and young neurosurgeons which minimizes consultations of other specialties.

Surgical management of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: Case series and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is not a common type of stroke (5%) but still hazardous to be misdiagnosed or mistreated. Aggressive medical treatment is usually failed to hinder increase intracranial tension. Therefore, decompressive craniectomy (DC) is the final measure to mitigate the deleterious effect of supratentorial herniation. The purpose of the study is to illustrate our experience with the surgical treatment of CVST and reviewing the previous works of literature. METHODS: Forty-two patients were admitted to Kasr Al-Ainy University Hospital from June 2019 to March 2020. The admission was either to the neurology department or intensive care unit or neurosurgery department. Every patient who was diagnosed with CVST received an emergency neurosurgery consultation. Seven patients were operated on with DC according to the criteria mentioned above. Therapeutic heparin was given in addition to intracranial pressure lowering measures. RESULTS: The mean and standard deviation of the age was (25.14 ± 10.1) years. There were five females (71.45%) in our series. The mean and standard deviation of clinical manifestations are (8.5 ± 7.77) weeks with range (3- 14 weeks). Most of the cases were presented by a decreased level of consciousness (6/7) and anisocoria (6/7), followed by fits (3/7). Four cases out of seven had the previous history of oral contraceptive administration. CONCLUSION: DC provides an urgent last arm for intractable increased intracranial tension. Patients with CVST need urgent consultation for neurosurgical intervention.

Is There an Association Between Migraine and Major Depressive Disorder? A Narrative Review.

Various studies on the association of migraine with depression are published. The comorbidity may upgrade health conditions up to a critical degree. Besides, the duration of symptoms and treatment may be prolonged. Moreover, these conditions can force substantial financial and social hardships on patients and their families. In this literature review, we intend to examine the evidence obtained on the possible associations between migraine and major depressive disorder (MDD). This review is focused on aminergic neurons. One of the variables associated with patients who experience both of these two diseases might have a history of assault. In migraine and MDD patients, genetic evidence, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), was found to be one of the associations. Another theory concluded that actual headache diagnosed in patients who received no treatment manifests a history of anxiety, and later, the patients display severe somatic symptoms. In conclusion, there is a robust molecular genetic background, explaining the relationship between migraines and MDD. This correlated data renders a combination of both diagnoses as single separate entities. However, further studies are encouraged to point out the issue of treatment strategies.

Posterior mediastinal neuroblastoma masked as flaccid paraparesis in a 3 year child.

Neuroblastoma is an embryonic tumor of the sympathetic nervous system originating from neural crest cell remnants, which may be found in the adrenal glands or sympathetic chain. We report a case of a three-year-old girl who presented with flaccid paraparesis, and acute respiratory distress that required mechanical ventilation after a multiple-day history of gradual-onset dyspnea and right upper-lung opacity that was initially misdiagnosed as pneumonia. Chest and spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a tumor in the posterior mediastinum with intra-spinal canal extension. The patient underwent thoracotomy and surgical en bloc resection with spinal canal decompression. Histopathology revealed neuroblastoma. The postoperative period was uneventful. The patient was administered a course of chemotherapy but died due to advanced stage tumor, severe pancytopenia, and septicemia with renal failure. The aim of this report is to consider posterior mediastinal neuroblastoma in the differential diagnosis of dyspnea and acute lower limb weakness in young children.

Mobilization of the outer cavernous membrane decreases bleeding and improves resection in spheno-clinoidal meningiomas without cavernous sinus extension: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether adding mobilization of the outer cavernous sinus membrane as a part of the approach, in large spheno-clinoidal meningiomas without cavernous sinus extension, would reduce bleeding and increase the extent of resection. METHODS:: This prospective randomized controlled trial was held between February 2016 and April 2017 at Cairo University Hospitals. The study recruited 94 patients with spheno-clinoidal meningiomas without cavernous sinus involvement. Patients were randomly assigned (by a computer based randomization system) into two groups; the treatment group, in which the patients received mobilization of the outer layer of the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus, prior to opening of the dura; and, the control group, in which the patients were operated by a direct opening of the dura without cavernous sinus dissection. The primary outcome of this study was the difference in the amount of blood lost during surgery between both groups of patients. The secondary outcome variables were the estimated blood loss (EBL) calculated according to Mercurelli's formula, the extent of tumor resection and the amount of blood transfused. RESULTS:: The amount of blood loss and estimated blood loss (EBL) were significantly less in the "with mobilization group" with the P value being 0.00 and 0.013, respectively. Additionally, the amount of residual tumor was compared between both the groups and it showed that the group of patients who have received mobilization of the outer cavernous sinus membrane had a higher rate of radical resection as expressed by a lower volume of residual tumor (P value 0.005). CONCLUSION:: In large spheno-clinoidal meningiomas without cavernous sinus involvement, routine mobilization of the outer cavernous sinus membrane reduces bleeding. This helps in a better visualization of cranial nerves in a relatively avascular field as it enables the performance of neurovascular dissection in an earlier phase of surgery. It also enables a more radical resection.

Role of surgery for small petrous apex meningiomas causing refractory trigeminal neuropathy in the minimally invasive era.

BACKGROUND: Radiosurgery seems to be a very appealing option for patients having a small petrous apex meningioma and presenting with trigeminal neuralgia, presumably because of the lower risk and cost involved. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of our surgical series of petrous apex meningioma presenting with trigeminal neuralgia, and to determine the efficacy of neurosurgical treatment with regard to pain control. The procedure-related complication and morbidity rates were also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 17 patients with a small (<3 cm) petrous apex meningioma. The included patients were refractory to medical treatment for trigeminal neuralgia and were deemed as surgical candidates. Postoperatively, the patients were assessed for pain relief according to the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) scale. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Magnetic resonance imaging was also performed after 6 weeks to assess the radicality of resection. RESULTS: In a median follow-up of approximately 2 years, the study showed that 14 of the 17 (82.4%) patients had complete pain relief, with very low morbidity and no mortality, and 100% tumor control. According to the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) scale for the assessment of postoperative pain relief, 52.9, 23.5, 5.9, 11.8, and 5.9% of patients had grades I, II, IIIa, IIIb, and IV in terms of their pain relief, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our population of patients, surgery proved to be successful in providing symptomatic relief, with low morbidity and no mortality, and was comparable with other studies involving the minimally invasive modalities. However, these results warrant further follow-up, with recruitment of more patients, to demonstrate whether or not, surgery should be the primary choice of treatment in this subgroup of patients.