Management of Adult Chiari I Patients Based on CSF Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Experience of Two Neurosurgical Centers.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Chiari malformation type 1 (CM1) is one of the most discussed neurosurgical disorders. No consensus exists how to manage adult CM1 patients. We aimed to evaluate all adult CM1 patients consecutively managed at our institutions and discuss our approach based on the phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The medical charts of adult patients diagnosed with CM1 at two referral neurosurgical centers between 2010 and 2017 were reviewed. The patients were either managed conservatively or surgically. We evaluated the patients clinically with the Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale (CCOS). The radiologic diagnosis was based on both craniocervical and PC-MRI. RESULTS: Ninety adult CM1 patients were managed conservatively. Conservative treatment failed in 5 of these 90 patients. Seventy-two patients (including those 5 patients who did not benefit from conservative treatment) underwent posterior fossa decompression with duraplasty. Eighty-five patients (94.4%) from the conservative group and 61 patients (84.7%) from the surgical group were treated successfully. An aqueductal stroke volume (ASV) value of 12 µL was found as the cutoff value for surgical candidates. A strong positive correlation between the increase in ASV values and clinical improvement was observed. CONCLUSIONS: PC-MRI can help in the management and follow-up of adult CM1 patients. Conservative management is possible in selected symptomatic CM1 patients with a high ASV (ASV > 15 µL). Surgery should be considered in patients with an ASV ≤ 12 µL. CM1 patients with ASV ≤12 to >15 µL require close follow-up. Long-standing symptoms, severe sleep apnea, symptoms influencing functionality, and syrinx are factors that affected outcomes negatively.

Factors associated with the recurrence of lumbar disk herniation: non-biomechanical-radiological and intraoperative factors.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent lumbar disk herniation (RLDH) is one of the most undesirable complications following lumbar discectomy (LD). This study aimed to prospectively investigate the non-biomechanical-radiological and intraoperative factors affecting the recurrence after discectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of 988 consecutive patients with Lumbar disk herniation (LDH) who underwent LD at our department for over 2 years (2014-2015) were prospectively collected. Patients who met our study criteria were included (n = 816). Patients were divided into the following groups; group 1 included patients with symptomatic RLDH within the first postoperative 2 years (PO24M), group 2 included patients with symptomatic RLDH after PO24M, and group 3 included patients without symptomatic RLDH/LDH. The preoperative non-biomechanical-radiological, surgical, and intraoperative characteristics were compared among the groups. RESULTS: A total of 842 LDHs in 816 (386 men and 430 women) patients received LD. The mean age was 46.9 years. The mean follow-up period was 72.8 months. The first recurrence rates within the first PO24M and after PO24M were 7.1% and 3.2%, respectively. Disks with Modic changes type-II and contained disks without fragments were associated with the short- and long-term RLDH [(p = 0.004; HR = 0.6); (p < 0.0001; HR = 0.14)] and [(p = 0.041; HR = 0.6); (p < 0.0001; HR = 0.16)], respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Several radiological, surgical, and intraoperative factors can play a critical role in RLDH; therefore, the selection criteria of patients with LDH should be carefully considered for surgical treatment to obtain acceptable outcomes. ABBREVIATIONS: ANOVA: A one-way analysis of variance, CIs: 95% confidence intervals, HR: Hazard ratio, LD: Lumbar discectomy, LDH: Lumbar disc herniation, LF: ligamentum flavum, MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging, MC-I: Modic changes type I, MC-II: Modic changes type II, MC-III: Modic changes type III, n: Number, ODI: Oswestry Disability Index, OR: Odds ratio, p-value: Probability value, PO: Postoperative, Pre: Preoperative, Pts: Patients, RLDH: Recurrent lumbar disc herniation, RR: Relative/risk ratio, SPSS: Statistical package for the social science, T1WIs: T1-weighted images, T2WIs: T2-weighted images, VAS: Visual analog scale.

Factors Affecting Long-Term Surgical Outcomes of Spinal Extramedullary Ependymomas: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Spinal intradural-extramedullary ependymomas (IEEs) most commonly affect the lumbosacral spine. Because of their neural axis dissemination and adherence to neural structures, managing IEEs is still a controversial neurosurgical challenge. The study aimed to investigate the potential prognostic factors that influence long-term surgical outcomes by evaluating consecutively operated patients with IEEs. METHODS: During the study period, medical records of all diagnosed patients with spinal tumors were reviewed retrospectively. This study included all patients with consecutive IEEs who underwent surgical intervention in 3 neurosurgical institutions in different periods (February 2004 to December 2020). RESULTS: In 3 neurosurgical institutions, 64 (28 women, 36 men) patients were operated upon for IEE. The mean age of the patients at diagnosis was 38.9 years. The mean preoperative symptom duration was 17.8 months. Radicular pain was the most common symptom, observed in 53 patients. Gross total resection was applied to 48 patients. 54 patients had good clinical outcomes at their last follow-up after 106.9 months on average. Myxopapillary ependymoma was the most common histopathological type (n = 43). The progression was observed in 5 patients. The presence of preoperative neurological deficits, IEEs extending >2 spinal levels, bone-eroded IEEs, surgical complication, capsule violation, and incomplete resection were associated with poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Several clinical and surgical factors can affect the functional outcomes of the surgical treatment of IEEs. Some radiological features can make neurosurgeons aware of the prognosis of IEEs. In such cases, the neurosurgeons should plan to remove tumors without violating their integrities (capsules) to obtain satisfactory functional outcomes.

Management of myxopapillary ependymoma: a retrospective study from three institutions.

BACKGROUND: Myxopapillary ependymomas (MPEs) possess leptomeningeal, neural axis dissemination, seeding metastases, and extra-neural spread which are malignant characteristics, even they classified low-grade lesions as WHO grade II. Managing such lesions remains an arguable neurosurgical challenge. The study aimed to discuss the management of MPEs by evaluating the long-term surgical outcomes of consecutively treated MPEs in different 3 neurosurgical centers. METHODS: Medical records of all diagnosed patients with spinal tumors at our institutions were reviewed retrospectively. This study included all consecutive MPE who underwent surgical intervention in our institutions in different periods between February 2004 and December 2020. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients with MPE were treated surgically in three institutions. 28 (63.6%) patients were males. Six patients were pediatric patients (≤18 years). The mean age was 36.2 years. The preoperative course was 19.2 months. The most common symptom was leg pain, observed in 35 (79.5%) patients. Gross-total resection was performed in 35 (79.5%) patients. 39 (88.7%) patients had good functional outcomes with an average follow-up period of 106.2 months. The progression was observed in 5 (11.4%) patients. Extending >2 segments, unclear boundaries, bone-erosions were associated with poor prognosis and progression. Laminectomy and surgical complications were associated with poor functional outcomes. En bloc resection without violation of lesions' integrities reduced the progression. CONCLUSIONS: Radiological, intraoperative, and surgical factors can affect the functional outcomes and the progression of MPEs. Some precautions in the surgical interventions particularly in MPEs with defined radiological features can improve functional outcomes and reduce the progression risk.

Factors associated with the recurrence of lumbar disk herniation: biomechanical-radiological and demographic factors.

Many risk factors associated with recurrent lumbar disk herniation (RLDH) following lumbar discectomy (LD) have been reported. This study aimed to elucidate the biomechanical-radiological, clinical, and demographic factors that affect symptomatic RLDH prospectively.We collected prospective data of 988 consecutive patients with LDH who underwent LD at our department from January 2014 to December 2015. Patients who met the study criteria and were followed up postoperatively for more than 5 years were included (n = 816). Patients were divided into 3 groups; group 1 included patients who experienced symptomatic RLDH within the first postoperative 24 months (PO24M), group 2 included patients with symptomatic RLDH after PO24M, and group 3 included the patients who hadn't experienced symptomatic RLDH/LDH. The preoperative biomechanical-radiological, clinical, and the patients' demographic characteristics were compared among the groups.A total of 816 patients with 842 LDH met our study criteria. The mean age at the first LD was 46.9 years. The mean follow-up period was 72.8 months. The preoperative trauma history, postoperative trauma history, and BMI > 24.5 kg/m2 were independent risk factors for RLDH. Large sROM at the L4-5 level and a higher intervertebral disk height index (IDH) were significantly higher in groups 1 and 2.Biomechanical-radiological and demographic factors can affect the incidence of symptomatic RLDH. To reduce the risk of RLDH, patients with these risk factors should receive more attention during surgical interventions. The patients should avoid gaining weight and potential traumatic accidents.

The factors affecting the outcomes of conservative and surgical treatment of chiari i adult patients: a comparative retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of the Chiari malformation type 1 (CM1) demonstrates a variant spectrum that varies from full recovery to complicated worse neurological disability. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors affecting the outcomes of conservative and surgical treatment for CM1 by evaluating adult patients consecutively managed at our institutions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with CM1 at two reference neurosurgical centers for eight years (2010-2017). We selected all CM1 adult patients who managed conservatively or surgically as the core sample for this study. For clinical evaluation, we used a Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale (CCOS). For radiological assessment, we adopted both craniocervical and contrast-phase MRIs. We investigate factors such as age, sex, pretreatment symptoms, symptoms duration, and radiological findings in both groups. RESULTS: Ninety patients were treated conservatively. After a progression, five of them were treated surgically later and included in a total of 72 patients who underwent decompressive surgery. We successfully managed 85 patients (94.4%) of the conservative group and 64 patients (88.9%) of the surgical group. We found that patients with aqueductal stroke volume (ASV) of 12 µl are surgical candidates. We observed a strong positive correlation between clinical improvement and the increase in ASV values. CONCLUSIONS: ASV≤12 µl is a significant predictor for surgical intervention. The presence of heavy sleep apnea or/and functional symptoms, tonsillar herniation >13.4 mm on coronal images, low ASV, long symptom durations, and a syrinx are the independent prognostic factors that affected outcomes negatively.

Long-term surgical outcome of Chiari type-I malformation-related syringomyelia: an experience of tertiary referral hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Syringomyelia is a common condition seen in patients with Chiari type-I malformation (CM1). The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of posterior fossa decompression with duraplasty (PFDD) with coagulation of tonsillar ectopia in consecutive surgically treated adult patients with CM1-related syringomyelia (CRS). METHODS: Over 9 years' duration (1993-2001), medical charts of diagnosed patient with CM1 at our neurosurgical center were reviewed retrospectively. This study included adult patients with CM1 who had syringomyelia and underwent PFDD with coagulation of tonsillar ectopia surgery. The differences between the pre- and postoperative syrinx/cord ratio (S/C), the syrinx length, and the regression of herniated cerebellar tonsils on coronal and midsagittal MRIs were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 87 surgical procedures (46 primary operations, 7 ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and 34 additional operations) for CRS were performed on 24 males and 22 females. The mean preoperative S/C was 0.59 ± 0.12. The means of regression in herniated cerebellar tonsils on mid-sagittal and coronal images were 11.8 ± 2.3 mm and 10.2 ± 2.2 mm (p < 0.0001), respectively. 35 (76.1%) patients were discharged after showing signs of recovery or improvement. Different complications occurred in 16 (34.8%) patients. Negative correlations were noticed between postoperative recovery/improvement and the long symptoms' duration, the herniated tonsils' extent, S/C, and the persistence of the herniated tonsils on the coronal images. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of patients with CRS can improve surgical outcomes. Due to its efficacy in resolving clinical symptoms and syrinx cavities, PFDD is still an optimal surgical approach for CRS.