Pediatric abscessed craniopharyngioma: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Craniopharyngiomas are rare sellar and suprasellar tumors affecting children and adults. The spontaneous abscessation of this lesion is an extremely rare occurrence with a total of 10 cases reported in the literature including 2 cases in the pediatric population. OBSERVATION: We report a case of abscessed craniopharyngioma in a 10-year-old girl, revealed by intracranial hypertension and diabetes insipidus with a double component (solid and cystic) lesion of the sella visualized on cerebral MRI. The patient underwent surgical decompression via endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach coupled with antibiotic treatment with an uneventful postoperative course and improvement of her symptoms. CONCLUSION: Abscessed craniopharyngiomas are rare and challenging entities. We highlight through our case and literature review the importance of an in-depth patient's history as well as a clinical-radiological correlation in allowing for a positive preoperative diagnosis even in patients with no meningeal or infection signs.

An Unusual Presentation of a Primary Chondrosarcoma of the Cranial Vault.

Chondrosarcomas are malignant cartilaginous tumors that usually affect the pelvic bone and long bones. Primary chondrosarcomas of the skull are rare, with the cranial vault being an even more unusual localization. We report a case of a 75-year-old man presenting with headaches and outgrowth of the parietal scalp. CT scan of the head showed an extracranial cystic well-rounded mass originating at the parietal suture and eroding through the adjacent parietal bone. The patient underwent an en bloc surgical resection of the mass, and histological examination confirmed a grade I chondrosarcoma.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy arising in the skull: a case report.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy is a rare and usually benign neoplasm occurring in children of young age. This pigmented tumor typically presents in the head and neck region, but other locations may be involved. We report in this article a rare case of a 3-month-old girl presenting with a slowly growing mass localized in the anterior fontanelle. The patient's magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass extending both extracranial and intracranial, and compressing the adjacent structures. The patient underwent subtotal resection of the mass and a histological study confirmed the diagnosis of melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy. The patient presented later on with a recurrence. An early diagnosis and surgical management for these tumors remain the only guarantees to limit the progression and prevent their recurrence and metastasis.

Subacute Hydrocephalus Revealing a Cryptococcus Infection in a Seven-Year-Old Child.

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is the third most common neurological complication in immunocompromised patients and is usually associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The most common complication of CM is intracranial hypertension (ICH), and it constitutes a poor prognosis factor. This case report describes a case of subacute onset hydrocephalus revealing a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated CM in a seven-year-old girl requiring cerebrospinal fluid diversion and fungal treatment with a favorable outcome.

Deep Frontal Lipoma With Frontal Bone Invasion: Report of a Rare Case.

Lipomas are benign masses of fatty tissue, and in the forehead, they may develop in the subcutaneous or deep fat tissue. While subcutaneous lipomas are common, deep forehead lipomas are unusual and rarely invade the underlying bone. Only a few cases have been reported in the literature, and even fewer cases are reported in children. We present a case of a slowly growing frontal mass corresponding to a deep lipoma responsible for frontal bone invasion, resulting in a bony defect reaching the dural space. Through this case, we aim to emphasize forehead lipomas' clinical and surgical characteristics.

Pediatric Hydatid Cyst of the Neck Mimicking a Cystic Tumor: A Report of a Rare Case.

Hydatidosis is a parasitic infection caused by the cestode Echinococcus granulosus usually occurring in the liver and lungs. Hydatid cyst of the neck is a rarely described location and more so on the back of the neck. We present a case of a six-year-old girl with a slowly evolving mass on the back of her neck. Medical investigations revealed a secondary asymptomatic liver cyst. MRI of the neck mass was consistent with a cystic lesion. Surgical removal of the neck cyst was performed. Pathological examination results confirmed the diagnosis of hydatid cyst. The patient was put on medical treatment with a complete recovery and uneventful follow-up.

Intracranial Hematoma After Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Placement in a Patient With Factor V Deficiency: A Rare Case Report.

Congenital factor V deficiency (FVD) is a rare bleeding disorder due to an inherited mutation. So far, there are no standard protocols for pre- and peri-operative management of patients with factor V deficiency. This poses a challenge for surgeons and requires a multidisciplinary approach. We present a case of a 60-year-old woman with factor V deficiency admitted to the neurosurgery department of Ibn Tofail Hospital for hydrocephalus requiring a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Pre-operative management of the patients as well as outcome and follow-up are described and compared with relevant literature.

Evacuation of a spontaneous massive spinal epidural hematoma by a minimally invasive surgical technique: a case report.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas are a rare consequence of long-term anticoagulant therapy. Their physiopathology remains poorly understood. This pathology carries a significant risk of morbidity. The purpose of this article is to report a case of a massive spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma extending on multiple levels, detailing the surgical technique used in its evacuation described for the first time in literature. This is a case report of an 80-year-old patient on anticoagulant therapy with a thoracolumbar spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma extending from T1 to L1 vertebrae. We share the clinical and radiological presentations, the surgical treatment, outcome and follow-up. The diagnosis of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma has to be considered in patients with acute brutal onset radiculo-medullary compression. Medullary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the exam of choice. Medical and surgical treatment must be started immediately after the diagnosis is confirmed. The prognosis remains poor despite a proper management, with debilitating complications.

Peri-orbital Masson's tumor: a case report and literature review.

Masson tumor is a benign vascular lesion characterized by an intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia. Peri orbital locations are rare. We report a case of Masson tumor localized in the upper internal angle of the left orbit revealed by progressive ocular proptosis. Orbital computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a vascular mass in the left internal canthus mimicking an arterioveinous malformation. The patient underwent total removal of the lesion with a favorable postoperative follow up. Histological examination found an intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia without atypical features corresponding to Masson tumor. A thorough literature review of Masson tumor is presented with a discussion of clinical findings and management.

[Ischemic stroke, an unusual complication of snake bite: case report]. / Accident vasculaire cérébral ischémique, complication inhabituelle d'une morsure de vipère: à propos d'un cas.

Snake bite is the most severe type of envenomation. Annual incidence exceeds six million, with high mortality rates. Viper bites are often responsible for coagulopathy, which causes bleeding disorders. However, ischemic complications are rare. We here report the case of a 6-year-old girl victim of a viper [genus Cerastes] bite in the left ankle. She was admitted with disorders of consciousness and disseminated intravascular coagulation 4 days after the bite. Clinical examination showed left hemiparesis and left lower limb viperin syndrome. Brain CT scan objectified right temporoparietal ischemia. The patient outcome was marked by neurological worsening, requiring mechanical ventilation. Stroke, in particular ischemic stroke secondary to severe snake envenomation, is exceptional. The physiopathological mechanism has not been clearly elucidated but it appears to be multifactorial. Then new studies are needed.

Management of Central Nervous System Cavernomas: An Experience of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Ibn Tofail Hospital, Mohammed VI University Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Central nervous system cavernomas are congenital vascular anomalies posing a challenge not only in their diagnosis but also in their therapeutic management. The latter depends largely on their natural evolution and specifically their hemorrhagic potential. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This paper reports the experience of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Ibn Tofail Hospital, Mohammed VI University Hospital at Marrakech in the management of central nervous system cavernomas from January 2011 to December 2018. We collected and analyzed epidemiological, clinical, radiological, therapeutic, and evolution data from 16 cases of central nervous cavernomas using a pre-established sheet.  Results: Sixteen cases of cavernomas were treated in a period of eight years; 14 patients had cerebral cavernomas and two had brainstem cavernomas. The sex ratio was 1.66 with a male predominance, and the mean age of our patients was 42 years. The clinical presentation was dominated by epileptic seizures. Cerebral MRI was performed on all our patients. In all 16 cases, the cavernomas were solitary with the majority being supra-tentorial (13 cases) and bleeding was apparent on imaging in one case. Microsurgery was performed in 13 cases, while three patients benefited from stereotactic radiosurgery. Complete resection was obtained in all patients and pathology examination showed a radio-histological correlation in 87.5% of cases. The overall evolution in operated patients was favorably marked by neurological improvement in 87.5% of cases, deterioration in 6.2% of cases, and no clinical improvement in 6.2% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis coupled with macroscopically complete resection and long-term follow-up with MRI are all crucial steps to ensure the proper management of central nervous cavernomas, especially considering their risk of recurrence.

Will the high acceptance rate of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine in Morocco accelerate the recovery of neurosurgical practice?

BACKGROUND: In developing countries, where there is a chronic shortage of neurosurgeons and medical infrastructures, the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on neurosurgical activities. In the absence of a curative treatment, reaching herd immunity through mass vaccination campaigns is the best hope we have of ending this pandemic. Therefore, the purpose of our study was first to assess the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on neurosurgical services of a Moroccan tertiary hospital. Secondarily, we aimed to describe current vaccination compliance rate in our country, and its impact on the recovery of neurosurgical practice. METHODS: To examine how COVID-19 challenged the neurosurgical delivery of care in our unit, we compared emergency and elective admissions during COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 period using the registry of neurosurgery department. Second, after evaluating vaccine acceptance rates among 1463 healthcare workers and patients admitted to our hospital, we compared the number of surgeries performed in our department after implementation of a mass vaccination campaign. RESULTS: The overall number of procedures dropped from n = 197 (pre-COVID-19) to n = 150 during COVID-19. The number of elective surgeries declined from an average of 10.5 operations per week before COVID-19 to four surgeries per week during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, an average of 3.5 emergency operations was performed each week before COVID-19 compared to 5.6 per week during the pandemic. On the other hand, our results showed that willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine among the participants was high (81.7%) with significantly less hesitant individuals among healthcare workers (P = 0.001). This successful vaccine rollout helped resuming gradually elective surgeries in our department. CONCLUSION: Our study found a high acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccines among Moroccans, which gives a glimmer of hope of restoring all our neurosurgical services. However, despite the high acceptance rate, the authorities must address concerns among hesitant individuals and raise awareness on the importance of COVID-19 immunization.

Surgical Technique and Review of Management of Frontoethmoidal Encephalocoele - A Case Report.

THE RATIONALE: Encephalocoele is a herniation of the brain formed during embryonic development, because of the incomplete closure of Neural Tube. It is a rare skull defect and most cases are located in the occipital bone. Frontal encephalocoeles are very rare and they may involve the ethmoid bone, nasal bones and/or the orbits. Surgical repair is complex and usually requires a multidisciplinary approach. PATIENT CONCERNS: We present a case of a 6-month-old baby girl with a congenital frontoethmoidal encephalocoele. DIAGNOSIS: The diagnosis was made by computed tomography scan that showed a defect on the frontoethmoidal zone. TREATMENT: Cranial approach was employed using standard bicoronal access. The malformation was removed and the defect was repaired by using an autologous parietal bone graft, without any complication in the follow-up. OUTCOMES AND TAKE-AWAY LESSONS: The goal of the surgery is to reconstruct the normal anatomy, to achieve a good cosmetic repair, and to avoid a cerebrospinal fluid leak. A description of the case and the surgical technique is presented with a review of literature.

Total Removal of a Giant Frontal Sinus Osteoma with Orbital Extension - A Case Report.

The Rationale: Osteomas are benign tumours that are usually asymptomatic. However, giant osteomas can lead to severe complications. We report here the management of a giant frontal sinus osteoma with orbital extension. Patient Concerns: We present the case of a 17-year-old patient presenting with rapidly progressive isolated right exophthalmos. Diagnosis: A cerebral computed tomography scan was performed and showed a giant osteoma of the right frontal sinus extending to the orbit and massively eroding the anterior wall of the frontal sinus. Treatment and Outcomes: The patient underwent surgery and a complete removal of the osteoma was accomplished via an open approach, but without performing a bone flap. No recurrence was observed after 2 years of follow-up. Take-away Lessons: Although rare, giant frontal osteomas can cause severe functional impairment due to their proximity to noble structures. Therefore, open approach remains the mainstay of therapy.

The surgery of intra-orbital hydatid cyst: a case report and literature review.

Intra-orbital hydatid cyst is a very rare pathological entity that affects children and the young adults; it is secondary to the development in the orbit of the echinococcus granulosis tapeworm. Its frequency does not exceed 1% of all cases of hydatid disease. Clinical presentation of intra-orbital hydatid cyst is dominated by proptosis and a decrease in visual acuity, complete surgical excision is difficult, evolution is generally better when the treatment is early before the installation of irreversible optic atrophy. We report one case of a 3 years old girl operated for right intra-orbital hydatid cyst who presented with proptosis and blindness. Complete removal was difficult and puncture of the cyst was performed followed by excision of its membrane with good post-operative results. We also discuss the different epidemiological, clinical, radiological and therapeutic aspects of intra-orbital hydatid cyst and a review of literature of this rare pathology.