Determination of tibial somatosensory evoked potentials predicts detrusor sphincter dyssynergia in children with neurogenic bladder dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: Tibial somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) are used to identify the neurological status and tethered cord (TC) in patients with spina bifida (SB). Its significance in contributing to the interpretation of urodynamics to determine bladder status is unknown. This study aimed to determine the correlation between SEP and urodynamics in children with SB. MATERIAL AND METHODS: SEP and urodynamic results, for differential diagnosis of TC, were evaluated. SEP scores were correlated with urodynamic findings. SEP results were scored from 1 to 6, with 1, denoting a favorable score and 6, an unfavorable score. Age, gender, detrusor, and sphincter activities in urodynamics were noted. Results were analyzed using the χ2 test and logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was formed to get a valid threshold for the SEP score to predict the urodynamic condition. RESULTS: There were 44 SB patients for whom SEP was done for differential diagnosis of TC. Fifteen patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded from the study. SB aperta was present in 17 patients and occulta in 12, respectively. The patients had a mean age of 6.6 ± 3.2 years. There were 13 boys and 16 girls. A strong correlation was found between high SEP scores and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (p < 0.001). A SEP score over 3.5 was found to be 93% sensitive and 73% specific to predict this correlation. There was no relationship between detrusor activity and SEP scores (p = 0.18). DISCUSSION: Tibial SEP is an important noninvasive adjunct tool for the diagnosis of TC in patients with SB. Urodynamic studies are the gold standard in the evaluation of bladder status in neurogenic bladder dysfunction due to SB. Detrusor sphincter dyssynergia may be regarded as a sign of severe spinal cord injury in these patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that in children with neurogenic bladder, high SEP scores may predict the presence of detrusor sphincter dyssynergia but not the status of detrusor function while providing pathophysiological evidence for neural injury.

SARS-CoV-2 and Stroke Characteristics: A Report From the Multinational COVID-19 Stroke Study Group.

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The Relationship Between Inflammatory Processes and Apoptosis in Lumbar Disc Degeneration.

OBJECTIVE: Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is a common health problem in the population. There are recent studies focusing on relationship between DDD and immunological factors. However, there is still a lack of data on the role of apoptosis in DDD pathophysiology. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between Modic-type changes and the apoptosis in DDD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety adult male patients who presented with low back and/or radicular pain and were operated on due to lumbar disc herniation were included. Three groups were formed based on Modic type degeneration observed on magnetic resonance imaging. Specific parameters involved in the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis were assessed in excised disc materials using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. RESULTS: All three groups formed according to Modic degeneration types were homogenous in all variances. Cytochrome-C was significantly decreased only in the Modic type-3 group, whereas Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand Receptor-1, B-Cell Lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) Homologous Antagonist Killer-1, Direct Inhibitor of Apoptosis-Binding Protein with Low Pi, and Bcl-2 Associated X Apoptosis Regulator levels were significantly different in both Modic type-2 and -3 groups. However, BH3 interacting domain death agonist and Bcl-2 levels were similar across all groups. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study suggests that Direct Inhibitor of Apoptosis-Binding Protein with Low Pi, cytochrome - c, Bcl-2 Associated X Apoptosis Regulator, Bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist Killer-1, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand Receptor-1proteins play important roles in the development and progression of DDD and are correlated with Modic types. Further studies are needed to explore the potential therapeutic role of inhibiting these apoptotic proteins in DDD.

Transpedicular Corpectomy and Anterior Column Reconstruction for the Treatment of Traumatic Thoracolumbar Fractures.

AIM: To retrospectively analyze the results obtained from the posterior-only approach in non-pathological traumatic thoracolumbar body fractures with spinal cord compression. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 17 patients with traumatic non-pathological thoracolumbar fractures were included in the study. Demographic details include preoperative data such as neurological status, deformity, pain scores, and radiology; intraoperative data such as blood loss, duration of surgery, and complications, and postoperative data including the neurologic status; the duration of hospital stay, pain scores, and deformity correction were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 17 patients, 8 were in ASIA A, 9 had incomplete neurologic deficits (ASIA C - D), and none was neurologically intact (ASIA E) preoperatively. All patients had TLICS scores > 4 and were treated surgically. The mean TLICS score was 7.31. Although no worsening was detected in the neurological images of the patients during the postoperative period, neurological improvement of at least one ASIA grade was detected in 13 patients. However, it was found that the neurological functions remained the same in the 4 patients. With significant improvement, the mean preoperative VAS score was 8.2, while the mean postoperative VAS score was 3.3. In addition, satisfactory outcomes were obtained in radiological examinations, both in terms of kyphotic deformity and vertebral body collapse. CONCLUSION: Traumatic thoracolumbar fractures can be effectively fixed with the posterior-only approach and the transpedicular route. One of the most significant advantages of this procedure is that peripheral decompression, reduction, anterior column reconstruction, and instrumentation all can be performed simultaneously in the same session.

Can TRIF/TICAM-1 Dependent Pathway be Target Pathway in Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration?

AIM: To elucidate the role of the TIR-domain-containing adaptor-inducing interferon-? (TRIF) dependent pathway in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of adult male patients with low back pain (LBP) (+/- radicular pain) were further evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with surgical indication for microscopic lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Preoperatively, patients were classified according to Modic Changes (MC), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use, and the presence of radicular pain in addition to the LBP. RESULTS: The age of the 88 patients ranged from 19 to 75 years (mean: 47.3 ± 19.6 years). Twenty eight of the patients were evaluated as MC I (31.8%), 40 as MC II (45.4%), and 20 as MC III (22.7%). The majority of patients (81.8%) had radicular LBP, while 16 patients (18.1%) had only LBP. Predominantly, 55.6% of all patients were taking NSAIDs. Levels of all adaptor molecules were highest in the MC I group and lowest in the MC III group. The levels of IRF3, TICAM1, TICAM2, NF-kB p65, TRAF6, and TLR4 were significantly increased in the MC I group compared to the MC II and MC III groups. The variations of the individual adaptor molecules showed no statistically significant difference in the use of NSAIDs and radicular LBP. CONCLUSION: As a result of the impact assessment, the current study clearly demonstrated for the first time that the TRIFdependent signalling pathway plays a crucial role in the degeneration process in human lumbar intervertebral disc specimens.

Posterior-only approach in patients with poor general condition and spinal metastatic vertebral fracture.

PURPOSE: The surgical treatment of spinal metastases is mostly palliative in nature and focuses on improving the quality of life of patients. The posterior transpedicular surgical approach provides circumferential 360° decompression, allows reconstruction and stabilisation to be achieved in a single session and can be performed using an open, mini-open or minimally invasive approach. We present and discuss the surgical techniques and outcomes for patients with single-level metastatic spinal disease and in poor general condition who underwent surgery via the posterior-only transpedicular corpectomy approach and reconstruction with expandable corpectomy cages. METHODS: Patients with a single level thoracolumbar metastatic disease (T3-L5) and a Karnofsky score of ≤70, who underwent a complete posterior transpedicular corpectomy with expandable cage reconstruction of the anterior spinal column were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' demographics, SINS, modified Tokuhashi scores as well as preoperative and postoperative ASIA scale, Karnofsky scores, VAS scores and vertebral height/Cobb angle values were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients (24 M/20 F) (mean age 53.25±21.26 years) met the inclusion criteria. The modified Tokuhashi scores were as follows: score 0-8, 5 (11.4%) patients; score 9-11, 14 (31.8%) patients; and score 12-15, 25 (56.8%) patients. There were significant improvements in the postoperative VAS scores (mean 7.7-2.9), Karnofsky scores (mean 63.3-79.6) as well as the Cobb angles (18.6-12.8°) and vertebral height. Thirtyfive patients showed improved neurological function by at least one ASIA grade, whereas 9 showed no improvement during the postoperative period. CONCLUSIONS: This technique, which has a low complication rate and a short recovery time, can help achieve satisfactory results even in patients with poor metabolic profiles and Karnofsky scores in the preoperative period. Further clinical studies with large patient groups are warranted to confirm the results of this study.

Role of the MyD88 Dependent Pathway in Degenerative Disc Disease.

AIM: To define the substantial role of the TLR4 signaling pathway in the MyD88-dependent pathway, and to evaluate the results of TLR4 activation in nucleus pulposus cells. Moreover, we aim to associate this pathway with intervertebral disc degeneration and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Additionally, the clinical differences among patients and the effects of their drug use will be evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty-eight adult male patients with lower back pain and sciatica underwent MRI studies, which showed degenerative changes. Disc materials were obtained intraoperatively from those who underwent surgery for lumbar disc herniation. These materials were kept in freezers at ?80°C without any delay. Then, the collected materials were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Modic type I degeneration had the highest values of all markers, whereas Modic type III degeneration had the lowest values. These results verified that this pathway plays an active role in MD. Moreover, contrary to the current knowledge on which Modic type inflammation is more dominant, we showed that it is the Modic type I phase. CONCLUSION: The most intense inflammatory process was observed in Modic type 1 degeneration, and the MyD88-dependent pathway was found to play a key role. While the most intense molecular increase was detected in Modic type 1 degeneration, the lowest levels were observed in Modic type III degeneration. It has been observed that the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs affects the inflammatory process through the MyD88 molecule.

SARS-CoV-2 infection might be a predictor of mortality in intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 infection may be associated with uncommon complications such as intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), with a high mortality rate. We compared a series of hospitalized ICH cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 with a non-SARS-CoV-2 infected control group and evaluated if the SARS-CoV-2 infection is a predictor of mortality in ICH patients. METHODS: In a multinational retrospective study, 63 cases of ICH in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients admitted to 13 tertiary centers from the beginning of the pandemic were collected. We compared the clinical and radiological characteristics and in-hospital mortality of these patients with a control group of non-SARS-CoV-2 infected ICH patients of a previous cohort from the country where the majority of cases were recruited. RESULTS: Among 63 ICH patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 23 (36.5%) were women. Compared to the non-SARS-CoV-2 infected control group, in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, ICH occurred at a younger age (61.4 ± 18.1 years versus 66.8 ± 16.2 years, P = 0.044). These patients had higher median ICH scores ([3 (IQR 2-4)] versus [2 (IQR 1-3)], P = 0.025), a more frequent history of diabetes (34% versus 16%, P = 0.007), and lower platelet counts (177.8 ± 77.8 × 109/L versus 240.5 ± 79.3 × 109/L, P < 0.001). The in-hospital mortality was not significantly different between cases and controls (65% versus 62%, P = 0.658) in univariate analysis; however, SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (aOR = 4.3, 95% CI: 1.28-14.52) in multivariable analysis adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSION: Infection with SARS-CoV-2 may be associated with increased odds of in-hospital mortality in ICH patients.

Anocutaneous Reflex Revisited: How Valuable Is Its Determination in Children with Spina Bifida? A Descriptive Study in A Cohort of 217 Patients.

AIM: To determine the clinical value of anocutaneous reflex (AR) in children with neurogenic bladder due to spina bifida (SB). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with SB were prospectively evaluated; moreover, AR and bulbocavernous reflex were examined. Patients were divided into those with and without AR. Age, gender, diagnosis, ventriculoperitoneal shunt presence, symptomatic urinary tract infections, leg movements, clean intermittent catheterization and anticholinergic therapy, lesion level, urodynamic detrusor, and sphincter activity were evaluated. Chi-square test and univariate regression analysis were done. The AR value was evaluated by two by two contingency table. RESULTS: This study evaluated 217 patients (109 boys and 108 girls). AR was present and absent in 53 and 164 patients, respectively. Anticholinergic therapy was necessary in 37.7% and 23.8% of patients with and without AR (p=0.015), respectively. Patients with AR had higher lesion level (p=0.005), more detrusor overactivity, and less detrusor underactivity (p=0.007). Less detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) was noted in patients with AR (p=0.029). AR specificity was 83%, and positive predictive value in predicting detrusor overactivity and DSD was 76% and 80, respectively. CONCLUSION: AR determination is a valuable and simple tool in neurogenic bladder. This report delineates the clinical significance of this reflex and is the largest cohort describing this significance. This simple examination should not be skipped in the initial evaluation and follow-up of these patients.

Seizure Outcome in Adult Patients with Supratentorial Cavernomas.

Background Cavernomas are usually found in the supratentorial area, and epileptic seizures are one of the presenting symptoms. Objective This study aims to provide the seizure outcome in adult patients who underwent surgical excision of single supratentorial cavernomas. Materials and Methods A total of 23 patients with single supratentorial cavernomas were operated between May 2011 and January 2019. Pre- and postoperative seizure semiology, clinical, and radiological findings were collected from medical records. At the last follow-up, each patient was seen during regular visits and clinical variables were noted. Results The mean age was 37.08 ± 10.5 years, and 11 (57.8%) and 12 (52.2%) were females and males, respectively. Headache (43.5%) and seizure (43.5%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Cavernomas were located on the right side in 13 and on the left side in 10 patients. The most common locations were the frontal (43.5%) and temporal (43.5%) lobes. The mean follow-up in this series was 41.4 ± 30.8 months. Our results showed that surgery was effective in seizure outcome, as almost 70% of patients who had seizure before surgery was seizure free after surgery, and the difference between those who had seizure pre- and postoperative periods was statistically significant ( p = 0.0001). Conclusion Surgery is safe and effective for supratentorial cavernomas. The excision of cavernoma together with the surrounding hemosiderin should be performed to obtain a satisfactory seizure outcome.

Circulating Levels of Thrombospondin-1 and Thrombospondin-2 in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Before and After Surgery.

AIM: To measure the serum levels of strong angiostatic and synaptogenetic molecules thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and thrombospondin-2 (TSP-2) in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) before and after surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 20 patients operated for TLE and 20 healthy subjects were included. Serum levels of TSP-1 and TSP-2 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Our findings showed that both groups had higher serum levels of both molecules "before" surgery than 10 days ?after? SURGERY: However, a significant difference was noted between ?before? and "after" surgery regarding TSP-1 (p=0.00001). Although a marked decrease was found "after" surgery with respect to TSP-2, the difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.22). In patients with TLE, serum levels of both molecules ?before? surgery were found to be significantly higher than in healthy controls (TSP-1, p=0.00001; TSP-2, p=0.007). CONCLUSION: Serum levels of TSP-1 and TSP-2 are determined to be higher in patients with TLE than in healthy subjects, and the resection of epileptogenic tissues decreases the serum levels of these molecules. Future studies should involve a higher number of patients with serial serum levels of TSP-1 and TSP-2 at the long-term follow-up to correlate with seizure outcome.

Comparison of two surgical techniques in Chiari Malformation Type 1 Patients: Duraplasty alone vs duraplasty with arachnoid dissection.

OBJECT: Optimal surgical technique to restore the cerebrospinal fluid flow through the foramen magnum remains to be debated in Chiari malformation type 1 (CM-1) patients. METHOD: This study included 46 patients with CM-1 who underwent surgical treatment by one of two methods: posterior fossa bone decompression (BD) with arachnoid preserving duraplasty (Group 1) and BD with duraplasty and arachnoid dissection (Group 2). Complaints of the patient population and neurological findings were assessed with Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Europe Quality of Life 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) in pre- and postoperative periods. RESULTS: NDI and EQ-5D scores improved in overall patient population and in each individual surgical group. Both groups showed a significant decrease in size of syringomyelia cavity. Complications resulting in recurrent treatments and re-operations occurred in 15% of patients (n = 7); six of them were from Group 2. CONCLUSION: CM-1 patients benefit significantly from surgical treatment. Duraplasty should be included to surgical technique. Avoiding arachnoid dissection may lead to better results regarding complication rates.

Health-related Quality of Life Assessment in Patients with Malignant Gliomas.

BACKGROUND: High-grade gliomas have limited time of survival despite aggressive treatment. Patients experience a decline in their physical and mental capacities, affecting their quality of life (QoL), and require proper therapeutic strategies. OBJECTIVE: To assess the QoL of malignant glioma patients before and after the treatment in a longitudinal study of six months. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Forty-nine patients who were pathologically diagnosed with glioblastoma and anaplastic glioma according to WHO 2016 were included in this prospective study. The assessment of quality of life was done using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life (QoL) questionnaire core-30 prior to surgery, 1 and 5 months after the operation. RESULTS: The decline in Karnofsky scores of the patients was statistically significant. Among the symptom scales, fatigue was more prominent after surgery while pain was noticeable during chemotherapy which was correlated with increased age. The mean overall QoL scores showed a clinically significant decline during the postoperative period. The functional scores demonstrated a significant decline in between all periods. Sex was significantly correlated with preoperative emotional and physical functioning. The patients with right-sided lesions had higher mean scores for social and cognitive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Low KPS, older age, and female gender may affect cancer symptoms and physical and social activities in malignant glioma patients. Cognitive functions as well as social and occupational roles gradually decline during the first six months of treatments. Overall QoL of high-grade glioma patients deteriorates especially after radiotherapy and during the first months of chemotherapy.

Multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor of the cerebrum: Two cases and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor (MVNT) recently described as a purely neuronal tumor. Although its nature as a genuine tumor is controversial, this new entity assumed benign lesion and mostly affecting adults. Herein, we introduce two cases of MVNT presumed low grade glial tumor (LGG) and focal cortical dyplasia (FCD) as a differential diagnosis. CASE DESCRIPTION: Case 1 has admitted to our hospital with headache which frequency and severity has increased within two months. Radiological examination revealed hyperintensity on T2-WI and T2 FLAIR images. Microsurgical resection was performed and histopathological findings were compatible with MVNT instead of low grade glial tumor as we thought. Case 2, who presented at our hospital with one episode seizure. MRI showed T2 hyperintensity and T1 hypointensity without contrast enhancement. We suspected FCD, thus performed microsurgical gross total resection with frontal craniotomy. Pathological findings confirmed MVNT as a diagnosis. Both cases were discharged on the 3rd day after surgery without any complications and with no regrowth of tumor at the 9-months and 3-months follow-up respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Radiological hallmarks may be helpful to prevent from aggressive treatment in case of patient is asemptomatic. Nevertheless further studies are necessary for the adoption of 'wait and see' philosophy and give a verdict about benign nature of these tumors.

A follow-up study on outcomes of endoscopic transsphenoidal approach for acromegaly.

OBJECTIVE: A thorough follow-up study in which the same clinic presents the change in the surgical outcomes of acromegaly over the years, is still lacking in the endoscopic era. In this study, we intended to evaluate the clinical characteristics, radiological features, surgical and late remission rates of newly diagnosed acromegaly patients treated in our clinic between 2014 and 2019 in order to delineate the surgical remission status according to radiological, microscopic, and hormonal features. As a follow-up to our initial report, we also aimed to display the change of surgical remission rates over time in a tertiary center. METHODS: A total of newly diagnosed 106 patients with acromegaly, who underwent endoscopic endonasal trans-sphenoidal approach (EETSA) in the last five years were retrospectively analyzed and presented in this study. Medical records were reviewed in clinical, biochemical, pathological, and radiological aspects to assess the relationship of preoperative patient characteristics with surgical remissions. RESULTS: The percentages of the giant pituitary adenomas (≥4 cm), adenomas with suprasellar extension and adenomas with surgically proven invasion of the cavernous sinus in the present series were 13%, 34%, and 20%, respectively. Gross total resection was achieved in 80% of the patients. Surgical remission and late remission rates were 66% and 86%, respectively. Nine (9.4%) patients in our current report had postoperative transient diabetes insipidus. The mean follow-up period in this series was 36.1 ±â€¯18.1 (range 12-59) months. CONCLUSION: The presented surgical results are considerably better than our published initial series of acromegaly patients operated in the same clinic between 2007 and 2014. The improvement in surgical remission rate support a positive surgical volume - remission rate relationship for acromegaly in the era of endoscopic endonasal skull base approaches. One possible factor for better results may be the increasing surgical experience in EETSA, which follows a trend toward gradual improvement of long-term late remissions via a multidisciplinary approach.

Surgical management of spinal intramedullary tumors: Ten-year experience in a single institution.

Despite their rare occurrence, intramedullary spinal cord tumors can cause considerable morbidity and mortality without treatment. Timing of surgery, extent of resection and selection of favorable treatment option are important considerations for a good surgical outcome. In this clinical study, we report our patient series and convey our treatment strategy. We retrospectively reviewed 91 patients with primary intramedullary spinal cord tumors who underwent microsurgical resection at our institution between 2008 and 2018. Data were collected consisting of age, sex, location and histology of tumor, extent of resection, presenting symptoms and neurological outcomes. Modified McCormick Scale was used to assess neurological status of patients. 47 female and 44 male patients were followed-up for a mean period of 35.7 months. The most frequent pathological diagnosis was ependymoma in 56 patients, followed by astrocytoma in 21 and hemangioblastoma in 5 patients. The rest of the tumors consisted of 3 cavernomas, 3 mature cystic teratomas, 2 PNET, one epidermoid tumor. Gross total resection was achieved in 67 patients, while subtotal resection and biopsy was performed in 15 and 9 respectively. The most commonly involved localization was cervical (n = 39), followed by thoracic region (n = 24). Despite immediate postoperative worsening of neurological status, a great number of patients improved at the last follow-up. Gross total resection remains the primary goal of treatment while adjuvant radiation and/or chemotherapy may be alternative options for high grade tumors. Preoperative neurological status was the most important and the strongest predictor of functional outcome.

Risk of stroke in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients: A multinational study.

BACKGROUND: There is an increased attention to stroke following SARS-CoV-2. The goal of this study was to better depict the short-term risk of stroke and its associated factors among SARS-CoV-2 hospitalized patients. METHODS: This multicentre, multinational observational study includes hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients from North and South America (United States, Canada, and Brazil), Europe (Greece, Italy, Finland, and Turkey), Asia (Lebanon, Iran, and India), and Oceania (New Zealand). The outcome was the risk of subsequent stroke. Centres were included by non-probability sampling. The counts and clinical characteristics including laboratory findings and imaging of the patients with and without a subsequent stroke were recorded according to a predefined protocol. Quality, risk of bias, and heterogeneity assessments were conducted according to ROBINS-E and Cochrane Q-test. The risk of subsequent stroke was estimated through meta-analyses with random effect models. Bivariate logistic regression was used to determine the parameters with predictive outcome value. The study was reported according to the STROBE, MOOSE, and EQUATOR guidelines. FINDINGS: We received data from 26,175 hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients from 99 tertiary centres in 65 regions of 11 countries until May 1st, 2020. A total of 17,799 patients were included in meta-analyses. Among them, 156(0.9%) patients had a stroke-123(79%) ischaemic stroke, 27(17%) intracerebral/subarachnoid hemorrhage, and 6(4%) cerebral sinus thrombosis. Subsequent stroke risks calculated with meta-analyses, under low to moderate heterogeneity, were 0.5% among all centres in all countries, and 0.7% among countries with higher health expenditures. The need for mechanical ventilation (OR: 1.9, 95% CI:1.1-3.5, p = 0.03) and the presence of ischaemic heart disease (OR: 2.5, 95% CI:1.4-4.7, p = 0.006) were predictive of stroke. INTERPRETATION: The results of this multi-national study on hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection indicated an overall stroke risk of 0.5%(pooled risk: 0.9%). The need for mechanical ventilation and the history of ischaemic heart disease are the independent predictors of stroke among SARS-CoV-2 patients. FUNDING: None.

What happens to temporal hypometabolism contralateral to side of surgery in patients with bilateral temporal hypometabolism?

OBJECTIVE: To see what happens on PET hypometabolism on the temporal lobe contralateral to the side of surgery in patients with bitemporal hypometabolism (BTH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study with prospectively defined data evaluated the pre- and post-surgical PET hypometabolism on the contralateral temporal lobe after resection of ipsilateral temporal lobe in 10 patients with BTH operated between January, 2010 and May, 2018. On PET we compared standard uptake values (SUV) and relative metabolic activities as compared to normal subjects by means of Z-scores of hypometabolism of unresected temporal lobes before and after surgery. RESULTS: Surgery did not lead to satisfactory seizure outcome and only 3 patients were seizure free. All but one were still using anti-epileptic drug. No significant change was noted on PET hypometabolism related to the contralateral temporal lobe at the last follow-up. Regarding the mean SUV, comparisons showed that the difference with respect to the mesial structures was significant (p = 0.04). But lateral cortex showed insignificant difference (p = 0.21) before and after surgery. Regarding the mean Z-score, no significant differences were found between both the mesial temporal structures (p = 0.23) and lateral temporal cortex (p = 0.18). CONCLUSION: Surgery does not lead to improvements on PET hypometabolism of the temporal lobe contralateral to the side of surgery and hypometabolism on the contralateral side may be due to structural damage rather than functional deficits secondary to propagation of repetitive seizures. Seizure outcome is not satisfactory and before surgery patients or their next of kin should be informed in detail.

Preoperative systemic inflammatory markers in low- and high-grade gliomas: A retrospective analysis of 171 patients.

PURPOSE: Preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) are recognized as prognostic markers of grade of gliomas. The aim of this study was to determine whether preoperative levels of NLR, PLR, and LMR differ between low- and high-grade gliomas. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of preoperative neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, and platelet counts and NLR, PLR, and LMR were performed in 171 patients who underwent glioma surgery. The results were compared between low- and high-grade gliomas. RESULTS: Neutrophil count was significantly increased while lymphocyte count significantly decreased in high-grade gliomas (HGGs). NLR and PLR were significantly higher in HGGs but LMR was significantly reduced in HGGs. NLR and PLR correlated with glioma grade and only NLR showed highest accuracy predicting higher grade. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of preoperative NLR value can help to evaluate disease progression and predict higher grade of glioma.

Spinal Vascular Malformations: Treatment and Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Vascular malformations of the spinal cord are a rare and complex clinical entity and can lead to severe morbidity with progressive spinal cord symptoms if not treated properly. In early stages, the disease is characterized by slowly progressive, nonspecific symptoms, such as gait disturbance, paresthesia, diffuse sensory symptoms, and radicular pain; in the late stages, bowel and bladder incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and urinary retention may develop. In recent decades, understanding and treatment of spinal vascular malformations have improved with the evolution of diagnostic tools and treatment modalities; however, it is still difficult to manage these cases because of the complexity of the pathology. The aims of this study were to present the long-term outcomes of our patients and to discuss the optimal management strategies. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 78 patients with spinal vascular malformations and performed a retrospective, single-center case series evaluating initial occlusion, recanalization, retreatment, and neurologic status of patients with dural arteriovenous fistulas, perimedullary arteriovenous fistulas, arteriovenous malformations, and extradural arteriovenous fistulas who had undergone embolization and/or surgery. RESULTS: No mortality was observed. Complete obliteration was achieved in 76 patients (97.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Both endovascular and surgical treatment of spinal vascular malformations resulted in significant long-term recovery from myelopathic symptoms and improvement in quality of life for most patients.