Challenges of enbloc mid-sacrectomy as redo surgery for sacral chordoma: a case report.

Enbloc Sacrectomy is the procedure of choice for aggressive sacral lesions but not widely practiced in Pakistan, both by Neurosurgeons and Orthopaedic surgeons. Only one case has been mentioned in indexed local literature so far and that too not operated in Pakistan. The case of a 27 year old neurologically intact male is presented. He had a huge residual mass and midline non-healing wound after two attempts at intralesional debulking and one full course of local irradiation. He presented to the Mayo Hospital, Lahore on 29th December 2021 for a redo surgery of sacral chordoma. A marginal excision was achieved utilizing posterior only approach. This case will help to understand the key steps in enbloc mid-Sacrectomy and importance of involving multidisciplinary team for ensuring adequate wound closure.

Comparison of ventriculoperitoneal shunt versus endoscopic third ventriculostomy in managing hydrocephalus due to tuberculous meningitis: a randomized controlled trial with a 30-day follow-up.

Background: Hydrocephalus is a significant complication arising from tuberculous meningitis (TBM). While ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) remains the primary surgical approach for TBM-related hydrocephalus, there is a rising trend in the use of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). Materials and methods: This randomized controlled trial, conducted from February 2018 to July 2019, enroled 60 patients aged 20-50 with TBM-related hydrocephalus. Patients underwent either VPS or ETV. Both groups were followed up for a minimum of 30 days, evaluating clinical outcomes and modifications in the modified Vellore grading system. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) assessments were conducted at 7-days and 30-day post-surgery for both groups. Results: The mean GCS scores were comparable between the two groups on the 7th and 30th postoperative days. The association between modified Vellore Grade and treatment modality did not show statistically significant differences (P=1.0 and P=0.3) on the seventh and thirtieth postoperative days respectively. Conclusions: Both VPS and ETV demonstrate efficacy in managing hydrocephalus secondary to TBM in adult patients. Our 30-day outcomes did not reveal discernible differences between the two procedures. Therefore, considering technical expertise and experience with ETV, it may be considered as the primary choice for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion in TBM-associated hydrocephalus, owing to its avoidance of several lifelong complications linked with VPS.

Isolated late intradural cauda equina metastasis of renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The cauda equina (CE) is the most common site for intradural extramedullary metastasis from systemic malignancies such as lung, breast, and thyroid carcinomas. However, renal cell carcinomas (RCC), with their high metastatic potential, are rarely responsible for CE metastatic lesions. Here, we report an intradural cauda equina mass, as the first and only site of metastasis of a renal cell carcinoma. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 55-year-old female had undergone a left nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma 8 years ago. She now presented with a unifocal renal cell metastasis to the CE. As such metastases are rare, establishing the correct pathological diagnosis proved to be a challenge. CONCLUSION: The cauda equina was the first and only site of an 8-year-delayed metastasis attributed to a renal cell carcinoma.

Extra-axial Desmoplastic Medulloblastoma in Adult Cerebellopontine Angle: Case Report and Noninvasive Molecular Subgrouping Utilizing Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Radiomics Nomogram.

Cerebellopontine angle (CPA) is an atypical site for adult medulloblastoma (MB) with only 12 cases reported in pure extra-axial location. None was predicted on preoperative imaging while the most common misdiagnosis was petrous meningioma. We add the 13th case to this list, attempting to reiterate the radiological features for preoperative prediction of this rare pathology on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Molecular subtyping also is not yet reported for adult extra-axial CPA MB. We propose the routine use of MRI-based nomograms, in atypical CPA extra-axial masses, for noninvasive prediction of molecular subgroup, especially in resource-limited setups that lack the facility of genetic profiling.

Primary Intraosseous Xanthogranuloma in Adult Cervical Spine: A Case Report of Benign Cause of Lytic Bone Lesion.

Lytic lesions in adult spine are a common manifestation of aggressive disease such as primary bone tumor, metastasis, myeloma, or infectious pathology. Xanthoma arising in the spine with purely intraosseous component is an extremely rare occurrence with only six cases reported in the adult population, none in the cervical region. We report the first case of primary xanthoma of the cervical spine in a 50-year-old male solely confined to osseous compartment. The imaging mimics of lytic lesion with expansile mass in adult spine are reiterated.

Spinal Cord Stimulation in The Treatment of Phantom Limb Pain: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Phantom limb pain is a form of chronic neuropathic pain by which 50-80% of the amputees feel the pain that is not adequately controlled by analgesics. When pain management through pharmacological treatment alone is unsuccessful, surgical treatment options are proven to be effective. We report a case of 61-year-old man who sought consultation with phantom limb pain after his motor vehicular accident and below elbow amputation three years before the consultation. His pain was not relieved by analgesics alone and opted for spinal cord stimulation. Chronic Dual Channel dorsal column stimulation was done using Medtronic Prime Advance SCS System. He was in good pain relief and his VAS decreased from (8/10) to (2/10) but since the last six months follow-up he is complaining of pain again (4/10) for which he is taking analgesics too.

Role of surgical modality and timing of surgery as clinical outcome predictors following acute subdural hematoma evacuation.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: A Craniotomy (CO) or decompressive craniectomy (DC) are the two main surgical procedures employed for evacuation of acute traumatic subdural hematoma (ASDH). However, the optimal surgical procedure remains controversial. The beneficial effect of early surgical evacuation of acute subdural hematoma in improving outcome also remains unclear. Our objective was to study the role of these two parameters in determining the outcome in patients undergoing surgical evacuation of acute traumatic subdural hematoma. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 58 patients presenting with acute traumatic subdural hematoma and with presenting Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) ≤ 8 that had been operated in Lahore General Hospital between June 2014 and July 2015 was performed. The demographic data, preoperative GCS, type of surgical procedure performed and timing of surgery were analysed. RESULTS: Forty (69%) patients underwent CO, and eighteen (31%) patients underwent DC. The CO and DC groups showed no difference in the demographic data and preoperative GCS. Six patients survived in the craniotomy group, while none survived in the decompressive craniectomy group (p=0.083). The relationship of timing of surgery with survival in the craniotomy group was found not to be clinically significant (p=0.87). CONCLUSION: In this study craniotomy was associated with a better outcome as compared to decompressive craniectomy, however, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Early surgery was also found not to be associated with an improved outcome.

Radiolological predictors of recurrence of chronic subdural hematoma.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic subdural hematoma is one of the most common clinical entities encountered in daily neurosurgical practice. Considerable recurrence rates have been reported for chronic subdural hematoma following surgical evacuation. Many studies have suggested various radiological factors that may be associated with the recurrence of CSDH. However, the results are inconsistent. This study focuses on determining the radiological factors predictive of chronic subdural hematoma recurrence. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 113 patients diagnosed with chronic subdural hematoma who were surgically treated between August 2013 and December 2014 was performed. The radiological features were analyzed to clarify the correlation between these radiological factors and postoperative recurrence of chronic subdural hematoma. RESULTS: Twenty patients (17.7%) experienced recurrence. Chronic subdural hematoma recurrence was found to be significantly associated (p<0.05) with preoperative hematoma thickness ≥ 20 mm. Midline shift, hematoma density and bilaterality were not significantly associated with recurrence. Post operative drainage also significantly (p<0.05) reduced chronic subdural hematoma recurrence. CONCLUSION: Preoperative hematoma thickness ≥ 20 mm is an independent predictor of recurrence of chronic subdural hematoma. Postoperative drainage also significantly reduces chronic subdural hematoma recurrence.

Management of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak following Posterior Cranial Fossa Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebrospinal fluid leakage remains a significant cause of morbidity following posterior fossa surgery, and its treatment remains a difficult problem. The aim of the study was to propose a treatment algorithm for its management. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center study was conducted on 147 patients who underwent elective posterior fossa surgery for a variety of diseases . Patients with post operative CSF leakage had either been treated initially with conservative measures including re-suturing of the wound, with CSF lumbar drainage to be employed in case the CSF leakage didn't stop, or the initial intervention was the institution of CSF lumbar drainage simultaneously with conservative measures. VP (ventriculo-peritoneal) shunt was done in patients with gross hydrocephalus on postoperative CT brain. RESULTS: There were 25 (17%) cases of CSF leakage, including 24 incisional CSF leaks and one case of CSF otorrhea. In eight patients with incisional CSF leakage treated initially with conservative measures including re-suturing of the wound, CSF leakage stopped in only two cases. CSF lumbar drainage instituted later on in six cases with persistent leakage stopped the CSF leakage. In fourteen patients managed initially with re-suturing of the wound and concomitant CSF lumbar drainage, CSF leakage settled in all the cases. Two patients with gross hydrocephalus on post operative CT were managed successfully with VP shunt. Re-suturing of the wound with concomitant CSF lumbar drainage was found to be significantly associated (p=0.003) with the stoppage of CSF leakage, and the settlement of meningitis (p= 0.014). CONCLUSION: Incisional CSF leaks after posterior fossa surgery should be managed with re-suturing of the wound and concomitant CSF lumbar drainage, instead of an initial trial of conservative therapy alone.

Anterior cervical reconstruction using titanium mesh cages.

BACKGROUND: Surgical management of cervical lesions with reconstruction procedures has remarkably expanded the options available in the last decade. Anterior cervical corpectomy with titanium mesh reconstruction is one of the effective method of cervical spine reconstruction. METHODS: We studied 17 consecutive cases in whom corpectomy and decompression was performed. Fusion with titanium mesh cages filled with local bone pieces were placed inside the cage. RESULTS: Clinical status improved in 13 patients whereas in 3 it remained unchanged, based on Nurick's classification. At 3 months follow up, 13 (76.4%) patients reported successful arm pain relief and 12 (70.5%) with neck pain relief with visual analog score below five. Complications included cage in kyphosis, radiculopathy, cage subsidence and wound infection. CONCLUSION: Outcome after cervical fusion procedures with a titanium mesh cage lead to early and good stability of the cervical spine, excellent neurological improvement, low risk of complication and rare need for endogenous bone graft harvest avoiding donor site morbidity, less postoperative pain and decreased hospital stay and cost.