Safety and Efficacy of Zero-Profile Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Cages Filled with Biphasic Calcium Phosphate (BCP) in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF): A Case Series.

Background: In the evolving landscape of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), the integration of biomechanical advancements and proper fusion-enhancing materials is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes. This case series evaluates the efficacy and clinical implications of employing zero-profile polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages filled with biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) in ACDF procedures, focusing on fusion and subsidence rates alongside patient disability, residual pain, and quality of life. Methods: This case series comprises 76 consecutive patients, with a median follow-up of 581 days. The Bridwell classification system was used for assessing fusion rates while subsidence occurrence was recorded, correlating these radiographic outcomes with clinical implications. Results: The results demonstrated a satisfactory fusion rate (76.4% for grades I and II). The subsidence rate was low (6.74% of segments). Significant clinical improvements were observed in pain, disability, and quality-of-life metrics, aligning with the minimum clinically important difference thresholds; however, subgroup analyses demonstrated that subsidence or pseudoarthrosis group improvement of PROMs was not statistically significant with respect to baseline. ANOVA analyses documented that subsidence has a significant weight over final follow-up pain and disability outcomes. No dysphagia cases were reported. Conclusions: These findings underscore the efficacy of zero-profile PEEK cages filled with BCP in ACDF, highlighting their potential to improve patient outcomes while minimizing complications. Pseudoarthrosis and subsidence have major implications over long-term PROMs. The study reinforces the importance of selecting appropriate surgical materials to enhance the success of ACDF procedures.

Percutaneous Balloon Compression for Trigeminal Neuralgia. A Comparative Study Between the Fluoroscope Guided and Neuronavigated Technique.

Percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) is a safe and effective procedure in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) due to its simplicity, low cost and the possibility of being repeated in case of pain recurrence. Foramen ovale (FO) cannulation is accomplished with the assistance of intraoperative C-arm fluoroscopy. Recently, several authors have reported successful application of intraoperative CT navigation as well. The reported advantages of CT navigation are linked to better spatial orientation and the low rate of attempts for FO cannulation. However, these advantages should be considered in the face of concerns regarding increased radiation dose to the patient and its possible adverse effects. Here we compared the fluoroscopic guided and neuronavigated PBC techniques in terms of efficacy and radiological exposure. We retrospectively analyzed 37 patients suffering for TN and submitted to PBC. We observed a significant improvement of pain at 1 month FU compared with the pre-operative in both groups (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). A significant increase in radiation exposure was found in the neuronavigated group compared with the fluoroscopy group (p < 0.0001). We suggest the use of neuronavigated PBC only in selected cases, such as patients with multiple previous operations, in whom a difficult access can be pre-operatively hypothesized.

Spinal Cord High-Frequency Stimulation. The Current Experience and Future Directions.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a neuromodulation technology that has emerged as a valid treatment for chronic intractable neuropathic pain. After conventional tonic SCS, new waveforms of stimulation, like high frequency (HF), have proved that they can provide safe and effective pain relief. In addition, SCS is now being utilized more broadly as a potential treatment for a range of indications, including motor disorders and spasticity. Our study presents a retrospective analysis of 20 patients with heterogenous aetiologies of neuropathic pain treated with HF stimulation, after a standardized protocol in a temporary trial. We observed a significant improvement in pain relief according to comparisons of numerical rating scale (NRS) scores before the procedure, after the clinical trial and at latest follow-up. Two unusual clinical cases were also reported, and the pertinent literature was discussed.

Atlantoaxial Anterior Transarticular Screw Fixation: Indications and Surgical Technique.

Posterior atlantoaxial screw fixation is a widely adopted therapeutic option for C1-C2 instability secondary to fractures or dislocation, degenerative diseases, or tumors at this level. Anterior transarticular screw fixation (ATSF) is an effective alternative to the posterior approaches, presenting several advantages despite being scarcely known and rarely chosen.In this chapter, we describe the ATSF step by step, illustrating its variations reported in literature, and we critically analyze the several advantages and contraindications of this technique. Moreover, we provide a list of tips and tricks on the surgical procedure, including critical operating room settings-the result of more than 10 years of experience in the field by a senior author.ATSF is a valid strategy for the treatment of different diseases occurring at the level of the atlantoaxial complex that needs consideration. Given the significant learning curve of this strategy, some hints may be essential to begin introducing this technique in the personal armamentarium of a spine surgeon so that they can perform ATSF safely and effectively.

Spinal Epidural Atypical Meningioma: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Spinal atypical meningiomas are rare, and those whose main extension is in the epidural space are anecdotal. Here, we report a case of a young woman presenting with sensory disturbances and a radiological diagnosis of a dorsal epidural sleeve-like mass. The surgical resection of the lesion allowed the decompression of the spinal cord and led to the histopathological diagnosis of atypical meningioma. At the 3-month follow-up, her neurological recovery was complete. Because of the gross total removal of the lesion, adjuvant radiotherapy was not performed: At the 2-year follow-up, no recurrence of disease was detected. A comprehensive literature review was performed, and just two more case reports on epidural atypical meningiomas were found in the English literature. Through this case report and literature review, we described a rare manifestation of spinal meningioma that entered into a differential diagnosis for extradural spinal lesions, such as secondary malignancies.

Toward the End of the Funnel: The Ventriculus Terminalis-The State of Art of an Ancient Entity with a Recent History.

PURPOSE: The ventriculus terminalis (VT), also called the fifth ventricle, is a small cavity containing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that is in the conus medullaris in continuity with the central canal of the spinal cord. In adults, persistent VT is a very rare entity, and the diagnosis is incidental in most cases. Rarely, VT may become symptomatic for still-uncertain reasons but most often for its cystic dilatation. The management of these selected cases is still controversial and sometimes associated with unsatisfactory outcomes. METHODS: We performed a critical review of the existing literature on the management of symptomatic VT in adults. The etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of VT are presented and discussed, focusing on the best timing for surgery. RESULTS: Conservative management, marsupialization, or the placement of a T drain have been reported. The existing classifications describe the most correct approach for each clinical presentation, but scarce importance has been given to the delay from symptoms' onset to surgical treatment. CONCLUSION: Although different cases have been described in the literature, this rare pathology remains unknown to most neurosurgeons.

Is There a Role for Intraoperative Neuromonitoring in Intradural Extramedullary Spine Tumors? Results and Indications from an Institutional Series.

While intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is considered a standard for intramedullary spinal cord tumor surgery, the effective role of IONM in intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors is still debated. We present the results of 60 patients affected by IDEM tumors undergoing surgery with the aid of IONM. Each patient was evaluated according to the modified McCormick scale (MMS) at admission, discharge and at follow-up. During surgery, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were studied using the Medtronic NIM-eclipse® 32-channel system (Medtronic Xomed, Inc. 6743 Southpoint Drive North Jacksonville FL USA). Patients' age, gender and tumor location did not affect MMS modifications. Tumors involving more than three levels had an increased likelihood of MMS worsening, while meningioma pathology was associated with worse preoperative and 1-year follow-up MMS. No MEP amplitude ratio was able to predict clinical variations, while intraoperative SEP worsening was associated with 100% risk of poor MMS at discharge and with 50% risk of poor MMS at long-term follow-up. In our opinion, SEP monitoring is a valid tool that may contribute to the preservation of the patient's neurological status. MEP monitoring is not mandatory in IDEM surgery while more studies are required to explore the feasibility and the role of D-wave in this kind of surgery.

Outcome Comparison of Drug-Resistant Trigeminal Neuralgia Surgical Treatments-An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews.

Medical treatment for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is not always a feasible option due to a lack of full response or adverse effects. Open surgery or percutaneous procedures are advocated in these cases. Several articles have compared the results among different techniques. Nevertheless, the findings of these studies are heterogeneous. Umbrella reviews are studies sitting at the peak of the evidence pyramid. With this umbrella review, we provided a systematic review of the outcomes of the surgical procedures used for TN treatment. Only systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included following the PRISMA guidelines. Ten articles were enrolled for qualitative and quantitative assessment. Level of evidence was quantified using a specific tool (AMSTAR-2). Results were heterogenous in terms of outcome and measurements. Microvascular decompression (MVD) appeared to be the most effective procedure both in the short-term (pain relief in 85-96.6% of cases) and long-term follow-up (pain relief in 64-79% of cases), although showed the highest rate of complications. The results of percutaneous techniques were similar but radiosurgery showed the highest variation in term of pain relief and a higher rate of delayed responses. The use of the AMSTAR-2 tool to quantify the evidence level scored three studies as critically low and seven studies as low-level, revealing a lack of good quality studies on this topic. Our umbrella review evidenced the need of well-designed comparative studies and the utilization of validated scales in order to provide more homogenous data for pooled-analyses and meta-analyses in the field of TN surgical treatment.

Decompression with or without Fusion for Lumbar Synovial Cysts-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The management of symptomatic lumbar synovial cysts (LSC) is still a matter of debate. Previous systematic reviews did not stratify data according to different treatment techniques or incompletely reported comparative data on patients treated with lumbar posterior decompression (LPD) and lumbar decompression and fusion (LDF). The aim of our study was to compare LPD and LDF via a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature. The design of this study was in accordance with the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The review questions were as follows: among patients suffering from symptomatic lumbar synovial cysts (population) and treated with either posterior lumbar decompression or posterior decompression with fusion (intervention), who gets the best results (outcome), in terms of cyst recurrence, reoperation rates, and improvement of postoperative symptoms (comparison)? The search of the literature yielded a total of 1218 results. Duplicate records were then removed (n = 589). A total of 598 articles were screened, and 587 records were excluded via title and abstract screening; 11 studies were found to be relevant to our research question and were assessed for eligibility. Upon full-text review, 5 were excluded because they failed to report any parameter separately for both LPD and LDF. Finally, 6 studies for a total of 657 patients meeting the criteria stated above were included in the present investigation. Our analysis showed that LDF is associated with better results in terms of lower postoperative back pain and cyst recurrence compared with LPD. No differences were found in reoperation rates and complication rates between the two techniques. The impact of minimally invasive decompression techniques on the different outcomes in LSC should be assessed in the future and compared with instrumentation techniques.

Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation without arthrodesis of 368 thoracolumbar fractures: long-term clinical and radiological outcomes in a single institution.

PURPOSE: Traumatic thoracolumbar (TL) fractures are the most common vertebral fractures. Although a consensus on the preferred treatment is missing, percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPSF) has been progressively accepted as treatment option, since it is related to lower soft tissues surgical-injury and perioperative complications rate. This study aims to evaluate the long-term clinical-radiological outcomes after PPSF for TL fractures at a single tertiary academic hospital. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. Back pain was obtained at preoperative, postoperative and final follow-up using Visual Analog Scale. Patient-reported outcomes, the Oswestry Disability Index and the 36-Item Short Form, were obtained to asses disability during follow-up. Radiological measures included Cobb angle, mid-sagittal index, sagittal index (SI) and vertebral body height loss. A multivariate regression analysis on preoperative radiological features was performed to investigate independent risk factors for implant failure. RESULTS: A total of 296 patients with 368 TL fractures met inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up was 124.3 months. The clinical and radiological parameters significantly improved from preoperative to last follow-up measurements. The multivariate analysis showed that Cobb angle (OR = 1.3, p < 0.001), SI (OR = 1.5, p < 0.001) and number of fractures (OR = 1.1, p = 0.05), were independent risk factors for implant failure. The overall complication rate was 5.1%, while the reoperation rate for implant failure was 3.4%. CONCLUSIONS: In our case series, PPSF for TL injuries demonstrated good long-term clinical-radiological outcomes, along with low complication and reoperation rates. Accordingly, PPSF could be considered as a valuable treatment option for neurologically intact patients with TL fractures. Additionally, in this cohort, number of fractures ≥ 2, Cobb angle ≥ 15° and sagittal index ≥ 21° were independent risk factors for implant failure.

An Overview of Recent Advances in Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion Surgery.

Anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) has evolved significantly in the last few years with the aim of enhancing effectiveness and safety while reducing hospitalization and healthcare-related costs. Transitioning from iliac crest autografts to allografts minimizes donor-site complications like pain, infections, and hematoma. Allograft options, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and tantalum, vary in their osteoinductive properties and elastic modulus, influencing fusion rates, time, and the rate of subsidence. Recently introduced zero-profile cages offer bone fixation through screws, resulting in reduced blood loss, improved spinal alignment, and decreased complications like dysphagia and adjacent segment disease. Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) has gained widespread use. The North American Spine Society (NASS) 2023 recommendations endorse IONM in cervical deformity corrections and myelopathy cases. Insufficient studies hinder clear radiculopathy recommendations, but emerging research supports IONM for patients at greater risk of C5 nerve root injury or positional injury. Advancements in hemostatic agents, such as gelatin sponges, oxidized cellulose, and fibrin sealants, contribute to safety by reducing postoperative hematoma rates and eliminating the need for drainage. Innovations like the exoscope, endoscope, and computed-tomography (CT) navigation have transformed surgical practices. Exoscopes are emerging as an alternative to microscopes, offering benefits like a smaller footprint, adjustable positioning, lower costs, and shared intraoperative views for educational purposes. The use of endoscope offers the possibility of performing a minimally invasive technique with improved results in terms of cosmesis and patient-perceived outcome. CT navigation can be useful in high-risk procedures, such as cervical plate placement for major instability. This paper provides an overview of cutting-edge technologies in ACDF surgery, emphasizing cage materials and designs, safety measures, and operating room advancements. It also highlights areas for future research, underlining the procedure's continuous evolution.

Comparison of Effectiveness, Feasibility, Indications, and Limitations of Different Intraoperative Dyes in Spinal Neuro-Oncologic Surgery. A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs) are rare neoplasms and their management involves tumors resection in most cases. Regarding the surgical procedure, adequate identification of tumor boundaries is paramount to achieve an extensive tumor resection. Fluorescence image-guided surgery (FIGS) has become an increasing popular intraoperative technique used in spine neuro-oncology surgery. However, evidence is lacking of their usefulness and their safety in spinal tumors. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to give an update of the existing literature and systematically review all studies that focus on the most-used fluorophores (5 aminolevulinic acid [5-ALA], sodium fluorescein, and indocyanine green [ICG]) in IMSCTs. METHODS: Using PubMed and Scopus, we performed a systematic review in accordance with the PRISMA protocol and screened all original studies involving humans treated for neurosurgical conditions and studies evaluating FIGS application in IMSCTs. RESULTS: After the screening phase, 27 articles were found to be relevant. The literature results were grouped according to the used fluorophores, resulting in 3 groups: 5-ALA (10 studies); fluorescein (5 studies), and ICG (12 studies). CONCLUSIONS: In intramedullary tumor surgery, 5-ALA has shown its usefulness in identifying the tumor margins and in searching for residues because of its properties as a tumor-specific metabolic marker. Sodium fluorescein and ICG video angiography have shown promising application in ependymoma and hemangioblastomas surgery, respectively. However, the evolving role of fluorescent dyes in guiding surgical strategies in intramedullary spinal tumor has yet to be shown by randomized clinical trials.

Atlantoaxial Joint Distraction and Fusion with DTRAX Intra-Articular Cages: A Cadaveric Feasibility Study and Review of the Pertinent Literature.

PURPOSE: Atlantoaxial joint distraction is a key procedure for the treatment of selected patients affected by basilar invagination (BI). In recent years, several authors have reported various techniques of distraction and fixation of the C1-C2 joint using different types of intra-articular spacers, with or without posterior fixation. We review the pertinent literature and propose a feasibility study on the use of a new device for the distraction of the C1-C2 joint aimed to the descent of the dens out of the foramen magnum suggesting its application on selected cases of BI. METHODS: The GL-DTRAX Cervical Cage-SE is a cage approved by the Food and Drug Administration for distraction and fixation of subaxial cervical spine. Five adult cadaveric specimens were dissected surgically to evaluate the feasibility of DTRAX insertion inside the C1-C2 joint through a posterior approach. RESULTS: The cages were uneventfully set into the C1-C2 intra-articular space of all samples without the need to sacrifice C2 nerve roots and ganglia. Postoperative cervical computed tomography scanning confirmed the correct fitting of the devices in every sample. CONCLUSIONS: This cadaveric study highlights the feasibility of the DTRAX cage as a C1-C2 intra-articular device producing a substantial distraction of atlantoaxial complex and suggesting a possible therapeutic role in selected cases of BI.

Change of Clinical and Radiologic Parameters after Minimally Invasive Decompression in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. A Prospective Study with Long-term Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The impact of minimally invasive decompression (MID) techniques on spinopelvic parameters and on the sagittal alignment remains a controversial topic. Here we studied the changes in clinical and radiologic parameters and their relationships in a series of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) submitted to MID with a minimum follow-up (FU) of 24 months. METHODS: We prospectively collected clinical and radiologic data of 20 consecutive patients who were evaluated preoperatively, at the 6-month FU, and at the 24-month FU. Visual analog scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, Oswestry disability index (ODI), neck disability index (NDI), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), C7 slope (C7S), lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), and sacral slope (SS) were assessed for each patient. Moreover, the percentage variation of clinical and radiologic factors at the 24-month FU compared with the preoperative factors was calculated to perform correlation studies among these variables. RESULTS: We reported a significant improvement of all clinical parameters. A significant increase of LL and SS and a significant decrease of PT and SVA were observed. The preoperative values of ODI, LL, SS, PT, and SVA significantly affect the 24-month FU values, and the percentage improvement of SVA at the 24-month FU compared with the preoperative values was significantly related to the percentage improvement of LL. CONCLUSIONS: MID is clinically effective in patients with LSS and improves the spinopelvic parameters and the global sagittal balance of the spine. The preoperative spinal alignment affects the spinal alignment at FU. The improvement of SVA was strictly related to the improvement of LL.

Giant Inflammatory Cervical Ganglion Due to Ectopic Rib Head: Report of a Rare Diagnosis Mimicking a Cervical Schwannoma.

Cervical schwannomas may be common in patients with cervicobrachialgia. We report a case of an apparent C8 schwannoma in a 55-year-old female that was discovered to be an inflammatory enlarged cervical ganglion. Such a rare presentation may be explained by the particular conformation of the left C7-Th1 neuroforamen, compressed by an ectopic cranially located first rib head, which was visible only with a cervical computed tomography scan. No similar finding is reported in the literature, and this interesting case may provide new insight into the differential diagnosis of cervical spinal lesions.

New Tools and Techniques to Prevent CSF Leak in Cranial and Spinal Surgery.

Cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) leak in cranial and spinal surgery seriously threatens the clinical prognosis of surgical cases exposing the patients to higher risk of infection, prolonged hospital stay, and need of reoperation. Ultimately, this cascade of events may lead to life-threatening complications, as in cases of meningitis/encephalitis, spondylodiscitis, subdural hematomas, and severe pneumocephalus. Moreover, CSF leak causes a consistent rise in healthcare-related costs which are nearly doubled in CSF leak cases after craniotomy or in spinal surgery. The risk of CSF leak tends to be higher in patients undergoing transnasal endoscopic surgery, posterior fossa craniotomies, and spinal surgery, while being considered a quite rare finding in supratentorial brain surgery. Here we analyzed the different implications of this issue focusing on the usefulness of new technologies and surgical strategies to prevent it. CSF leak rate may vary from 4% in transsphenoidal procedures to 32% in posterior fossa craniotomies. In spinal surgery, CSF leak may be a consequence of elective intradural surgery, accounting for 18% of the procedures, or being a result of incidental durotomies, ranging from 1 to 17% in different surgical series. Dural closure's reinforcement using different new dural sealants plays an important role in preventing these events. Moreover, the use of neuronavigation systems in skull base and posterior fossa surgery can help to minimize the size of approach and reduce the incidence of CSF leak. New minimally invasive spinal approaches, such as minimally invasive decompression for spinal degenerative disorders or performing selective laminotomies over laminectomies for intradural spinal pathology are very useful techniques to prevent CSF leak in this kind of surgery. In conclusion, although CSF leak remains a risky complication in neurosurgery, its prevention and treatment significantly benefited from advances in biomaterials and surgical technique.

Clinical Outcomes of Shunting in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is characterized by the triad of dementia, gait disturbance and urinary incontinence, all potentially reversible following a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS). This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of shunting in normal pressure hydrocephalus following a new standardized protocol. Methods: This study is designed according to the STROBE guidelines. Demographical, clinical, surgical and radiological data were collected from May 2015 to November 2019. Gait, balance and incontinence data based on the NPH European scale were collected before and after one, six and twelve months of treatment with a VPS. Clinical symptoms and changes of the stoke volume, measured on phase-contrast MRI, were used to evaluate improvement after VPS surgery. Results: One hundred and eighty-one consecutive patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 73.1 years (59−86) and mean follow-up was 38.3 months (13−50). The gait (58.5 ± 14.3 to 70.1 ± 13.4, p < 0.001), the balance (66.7 ± 21.5 to 71.7 ± 22.1, p = 0.001), continence domain (69.9 ± 20.5 to 76 ± 20, p = 0.002) scores and neuropsychological scales showed a statistically significant improvement over the follow-up. The overall improvement after 12 months was present in 91.2% of patients. An overall complication rate of 8.8% and a reoperation rate of 9.4% were recorded, respectively. Conclusions: Surgical treatment by VPS for NPH improves symptoms in most patients, when accurately selected. A standardized protocol and a multidisciplinary team dedicated to this disorder is needed to achieve an early and correct diagnosis of NPH. Follow-up with stroke volume measurement is a valuable tool for the early diagnosis of shunt malfunction or the need for valve adjustment.

Palliative Surgery for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in Adult Patients. A Systematic Review of the Literature and a Pooled Analysis of Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Several types of palliative surgery to treat drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) have been reported, but the evidence that is available is insufficient to help physicians redirect patients with DRE to the most appropriate kind of surgery. METHODS: A systematic search in the PubMed and Scopus databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to compare different clinical features, outcomes, and complications of adult patients submitted to callosotomy, vagal nerve stimulation, multiple subpial transections, deep brain stimulation, or responsive neurostimulation. RESULTS: After 3447 articles were screened, 36 studies were selected, including the data of 1628 patients: 76 were treated with callosotomy, 659 were treated with vagal nerve stimulation, 416 were treated with deep brain stimulation, and 477 were treated with responsive neurostimulation. No studies including patients treated with multiple subpial transections met the inclusion criteria. The global weighted average seizure frequency reduction was 50.23%, and the global responder rate was 52.12%. There were significant differences among the palliative surgical procedures in term of clinical features of patients and epilepsy, seizure frequency reduction, and percentage of responders. Complications were differently distributed as well. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis highlights the necessity of prospective studies, possibly randomized controlled trials, to compare different forms of palliative epilepsy surgery. Moreover, by identifying the outcome predictors associated with each technique, the best responder may be profiled for each procedure.

Are oral anticoagulants a risk factor for mild traumatic brain injury progression? A single-center experience focused on of direct oral anticoagulants and vitamin K antagonists.

BACKGROUND: Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in anticoagulated patients is a common challenge for emergency departments because of lack of appropriate epidemiological data and huge management variability for those under oral anticoagulation therapy. Given the discrepancies between guidelines, the aim of the present study was to quantify the association between oral anticoagulant therapy (either vitamin K antagonist (VKA) or direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC)) and the post-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage worsening compared to admission CT scan. METHODS: We included all consecutive records of patients admitted to our emergency department for mild TBI as chief complaint and with a positive admission CT scan. After statistical univariate comparison, cause-specific hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were determined with the use of Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: In the study period, 4667 patients had a CT scan for mild TBI; 439 (9.4%) were found to have intracranial hemorrhage. Among these patients, 299 (68.1%) were prescribed observation and control CT: 46 (15.38%) were on anticoagulant therapy, 23 (50%) on VKA, and 23 (50%) on DOAC. In multivariate analysis, only oral anticoagulation therapy was significantly associated to an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage progression (HR 2.58; 95% CI 1.411-4.703; p = .002 and HR 1.9; 95% CI 1.004-3.735; p = .0048 for VKA and DOAC, respectively). Surgery was due to isolated subdural hematoma in 87.5% of cases, to subdural hematoma associated with intraparenchymal hemorrhage in 9.38% and to intraparenchymal hemorrhage only in 3.12%; 13 cases (4.35%) deceased in intensive care unit. CONCLUSIONS: In our series, anticoagulation was associated to a significant increase in intracranial progression, leaving the question open as to what this implies in current clinical practice; subdural hematoma was the major finding associated to evolution and surgery. Against this background, further studies are needed to clarify patients' management and DOAC safety profile compared to VKA in mild TBI.

The reliability and quality of online patient education videos for vestibular schwannoma.

BACKGROUND: A recent trend of looking for health-related conditions on the Internet has been described, with up 70% of searchers stating that online sources have affected their medical decision-making. Patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS) use online sources, including videos, to seek information about treatment alternatives and outcomes and surgeons experience. Our study investigates the reliability and quality of VS-related online videos. METHODS: In April 2020, a search was launched on YouTube for the key terms 'vestibular schwannoma,' 'acoustic neuroma,' 'eighth cranial nerve schwannoma,' and 'eighth cranial nerve neuroma.' Results were screened for possible inclusion. Three authors independently used the DISCERN instrument to evaluate the reliability and quality of the included videos. Factors possibly influencing popularity were investigated. RESULTS: The initial search yielded 6416 videos. 38 videos were included in the final analysis. The average DISCERN score was 2.76, indicating overall poor quality and reliability of information. Only 5% scored 4.0 or more (unbiased videos that offer evidence-supported information); 31% scored between 3.0 and 3.99, and 63% scored 2.99 or less. Videos describing symptoms or the patient's clinical presentation were slightly more popular than videos without these characteristics. Surgical videos (videos containing clips of surgical procedures) were significantly more popular than non-surgical videos (p = .024) despite being of similarly poor quality (DISCERN score 2.85 vs. 2.74, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Available patient educational videos for VS are of mixed quality and reliability: the authors describe the strengths and pitfalls of existing YouTube videos. Considering that VS is a pathology with multiple available management modalities, and that patients' decision-making is affected by the information available on the Internet, it is of great importance that good-quality informative material be released by medical, academic, or educational institutions.