Prolotherapy in the treatment of chronic migraine ­ Case report / Proloterapia no tratamento da enxaqueca crônica ­ Relato de caso

Introduction:Chronic migraine is a socioeconomic and individual burden since it is the largest cause of disability in people under 50 years of age. Although there are several prophylactic drug alternatives, some patients are vulnerable to refractoriness with significant damage to their quality of life. Prolotherapy, a subcutaneous injection of dextrose in peripheral nerves, advocates as a promising tool in the management of this pathology. Case report:A patient with refractory chronic migraine to drug therapy who was submitted to neurofascial prolotherapy. Weekly administration of a 2 ml solution of 1% ropivacaine and 10% glucose in the head peripheral nerves for 6 weeks. Reduced disability and frequency of migraine attacks for a period of 8 weeks after interventions. Conclusion: Prolotherapy proved itself to be a notable technique for reducing the number of days in a month that a patient with refractory chronic migraine to standardized therapy has had headaches. However, placebo group studies are needed to determine the efficacy of the procedure.

Introdução: A enxaqueca crônica representa um fardo socioeconômico e individual, pois é a maior causa de incapacidade em pessoas com menos de 50 anos de idade. Embora existam diversas alternativas de medicamentos profiláticos, alguns pacientes são vulneráveis ​​à refratariedade com prejuízos significativos à sua qualidade de vida. A proloterapia, uma injeção subcutânea de dextrose nos nervos periféricos, é defendida como uma ferramenta promissora no manejo desta patologia. Relato de caso: Paciente com enxaqueca crônica refratária à terapia medicamentosa que foi submetido à proloterapia neurofascial. Administração semanal de 2 ml de solução de ropivacaína a 1% e glicose a 10% nos nervos periféricos da cabeça durante 6 semanas. Redução da incapacidade e frequência de ataques de enxaqueca por um período de 8 semanas após as intervenções. Conclusão: A proloterapia provou ser uma técnica notável para reduzir o número de dias em um mês que um paciente com enxaqueca crônica refratária à terapia padronizada teve dores de cabeça. No entanto, são necessários estudos em grupo placebo para determinar a eficácia do procedimento.

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension: a case report in the context of differential diagnosis of chronic headaches / Hipotensão intracraniana espontânea: relato de caso no contexto do diagnóstico diferencial de cefaleias crônicas

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a rare and debilitating condition caused by decreased intracranial pressure, which occurs more frequently in females. SIH can have several causes, among them the spontaneous formation of cerebrospinal fluid venous fistula (CSF-venous fistula), which is primarily responsible for the appearance of postural headache. Orthostatic headache is diagnosed by CSF pressure < 6 mmHg associated with specific imaging findings. Other specific symptoms such as dizziness, reduced muscle strength, blurred vision and syncope and other more systemic symptoms such as fatigue, mental confusion and difficulty concentrating are commonly observed. Etiological investigation through imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging and dynamic tomography of myelography is necessary for diagnosis. Due to the debilitating condition, several therapeutic approaches have been developed, ranging from more conservative approaches, with observation and use of analgesics, to more invasive interventions such as surgical ligation, transvenous embolization and blood tamponade.

A hipotensão intracraniana espontânea (HIH) é uma condição rara e debilitante causada pela diminuição da pressão intracraniana, que ocorre com mais frequência em mulheres. A HIE pode ter diversas causas, entre elas a formação espontânea de fístula venosa do líquido cefalorraquidiano (fístula liquórica-venosa), principal responsável pelo aparecimento da cefaleia postural. A cefaleia ortostática é diagnosticada pela pressão liquórica < 6 mmHg associada a achados de imagem específicos. Outros sintomas específicos como tontura, redução da força muscular, visão turva e síncope e outros sintomas mais sistêmicos como fadiga, confusão mental e dificuldade de concentração são comumente observados. A investigação etiológica por meio de exames de imagem como ressonância magnética e tomografia dinâmica da mielografia é necessária para o diagnóstico. Devido ao quadro debilitante, diversas abordagens terapêuticas têm sido desenvolvidas, desde abordagens mais conservadoras, com observação e uso de analgésicos, até intervenções mais invasivas como ligadura cirúrgica, embolização transvenosa e tamponamento sanguíneo.

Diffusion of Technology in the Teaching of Neuroanatomy in Times of Pandemic: A Medical and Academic Perspective on Learning.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused major changes in many sectors of society worldwide. The issue of medical education stands out since it had to adapt to the rules of social isolation, ensuing discussions about the computerization of teaching methodology, particularly in neuroanatomy. In particular, the latter showed satisfactory adaptability to new technologies and highly promising learning results. During this review, we aim to evaluate the current state of neuroanatomy teaching and evaluate the possibilities of incorporating technology into teaching-learning of human anatomy in a post-pandemic world.

Third Ventricle Craniopharyngioma Intraventricular Tumor: A Case Report and a Brief Literature Review.

Craniopharyngioma is a rare embryonic malformation, usually benign, of the sellar or parasellar regions. In this study, an uncommon case of third ventricle craniopharyngioma and a succinct review of its prevalence are presented. Even with low mortality rates, these injuries involve a high degree of endocrinological, visual, and neuropsychological morbidities, which have a huge impact on the patient's quality of life. Thus, surgical resection is the preferred therapy for tumors that compromise the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. However, due to the location of the craniopharyngioma, surgical management is accompanied by the risk of injury to important adjacent areas with postoperative repercussions. Therefore, the neurosurgeon's experience and the choice of the best surgical approach, are crucial for increasing prognosis.

Case Report: Pott's Edematous Tumor: Complicated Frontal Sinusitis - An Unremembered Diagnosis.

Pott's Puffy tumor, also called Pott's edematous tumor (PET), is a subperiosteal abscess of the frontal bone, associated with osteomyelitis of the frontal bone. In this paper, we report the case of a 16-year-old patient who presented with headache associated with progressive forehead swelling and fever. Clinical and imaging exams pointed to the hypothesis of PET associated with brain abscess. Patient was submitted to surgical excision of the abscess and treatment of osteomyelitis, with intraoperative findings corroborating the condition. There was a good clinical-radiological recovery associated with prolonged antibiotic therapy and satisfactory follow-up after hospital. PET, which often results from an underdiagnosed or partially treated frontal sinusitis, is a condition that must be promptly recognized and directed to an adequate therapeutic approach due to the risk of serious complications that it entails.

Decompressive Craniectomy for Malignant Ischemic Stroke: An Institutional Experience of 145 Cases in a Brazilian Medical Center.

BACKGROUND: Malignant ischemic stroke (MIS) occurs in a subgroup of patients with cerebrovascular accident who sustain massive or significant cerebral infarction. It is characterized by neurological deterioration owing to progressive edema, raised intracranial pressure, and cerebral herniation. Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a surgical technique that can be used to treat select cases of this condition in the presence of medically refractory intracranial hypertension. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors associated with clinical outcome, including timing of the procedure, and postoperative mortality. METHODS: We analyzed surgical characteristics associated with prognosis in 145 patients who underwent DC secondary to MIS between 2013 and 2018, assessing clinical outcome at discharge and 6 and 12 months after discharge. Our inclusion criteria were DC secondary to MIS in adult patients with raised intracranial pressure signs. RESULTS: Our analysis showed that although patients from cities >100 km from the neurosurgical center had a worse prognosis, only the surgical head side (left vs. right, P = 0.001), hospitalization length (P < 0.001), and earlier timing of procedure (P < 0.001) were statistically relevant in having worse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in whom more time passed from presentation to the neurosurgical procedure, owing to living in a distant city or taking more time to be seen by a specialist, tended to have a worse prognosis. The timing of procedure, surgical side, and hospitalization length were independent predictors in determining the prognosis of patients who underwent DC after an MIS.

Decompressive hemicraniectomy for acute ischemic stroke: A neurosurgical view in a pandemic COVID-19 time highlights of literature.

Background and purpose: The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which was identified after the outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has kept the whole world in tenterhooks due to its severe life-threatening nature of the infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 a pandemic in 2020, an unprecedented challenge, having a high contagious life-threatening condition with unprecedented impacts for worldwide societies and health care systems. Neurologic symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 have been described recently in the literature, and acute cerebrovascular disease is one of the most serious complications. The occurrence of large-vessel occlusion in young patients with COVID-19 infection has been exceedingly rare. In this article, we describe the profile of patients undergoing decompressive craniectomy for the treatment of intracranial hypertension by stroke associated with COVID-19 published so far. A narrative review of the central issue in focus was designed: decompressive craniectomy in a pandemic time.

Decompressive craniectomy: Comparative analysis between surgical time and better prognosis.

Background: Malignant ischemic stroke is characterized by the involvement of 2/3 of the area of the middle cerebral artery, associated with cerebral edema, intracranial hypertension (ICH) and cerebral herniation, generating high morbidity and mortality. Over the years, several therapies have been studied in an attempt to reverse or reduce the damage caused by this vascular disorder, including decompressive craniectomy (DC), a surgical technique reserved for cases that evolve with refractory ICH. Methods: This study seeks to perform a comparative analysis on the effectiveness of decompressive craniectomy using four randomized clinical trials and the results found in the retrospective study conducted in a neurosurgical reference center between 2010 and 2018. Results: The total sample consisted of 263 patients, among which 118 were randomized and 145 were part of the retrospective study. The outcome was analyzed based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) for 6 and 12 months. The mean time to perform the DC was 28.4 h in the randomized trials, with the late approach (> 24 h) associated with unfavorable outcomes (mRS between 4 and 6). Conclusion: Compared to the aforementioned studies, the study by Bem Junior et al. shows that a surgical approach in < 12 h had a better outcome, with 70% of the patients treated early classified as mRS 2 and 3 at the end of 12 months (1). Decompressive craniectomy is currently the most effective measure to control refractory ICH in cases of malignant ischemic stroke, and the most appropriate approach before surgery is essential for a better prognosis for patients.

The anatomy of the brain - learned over the centuries.

This article reports the evolution and consolidation of the knowledge of neuroanatomy through the analysis of its history. Thus, we propose to describe in a historical review to summarize the main theories and concepts that emerged throughout brain anatomy history and understand how the socio-historical context can reflect on the nature of scientific knowledge. Therefore, among the diverse scientists, anatomists, doctors, and philosophers who were part of this history, there was a strong influence of the studies of Claudius Galen (AD 129-210), Leonardo da Vinci (1452- 1519), Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), Franciscus Sylvius (1614-1672), Luigi Rolando (1773-1831), Pierre Paul Broca (1824-1880), Carl Wernicke (1848-1905), Korbinian Brodmann (1868-1918), Wilder Penfield (1891-1976), Mahmut Gazi Yasargil (1925), and Albert Loren Rhoton Jr. (1932-2016) on the fundamentals of neuroanatomy.