Non-navigated 2D intraoperative ultrasound: An unsophisticated surgical tool to achieve high standards of care in glioma surgery.

PURPOSE: In an era characterized by rapid progression in neurosurgical technologies, traditional tools such as the non-navigated two-dimensional intraoperative ultrasound (nn-2D-IOUS) risk being overshadowed. Against this backdrop, this study endeavors to provide a comprehensive assessment of the clinical efficacy and surgical relevance of nn-2D-IOUS, specifically in the context of glioma resections. METHODS: This retrospective study undertaken at a single center evaluated 99 consecutive, non-selected patients diagnosed with both high-grade and low-grade gliomas. The primary objective was to assess the proficiency of nn-2D-IOUS in generating satisfactory image quality, identifying residual tumor tissue, and its influence on the extent of resection. To validate these results, early postoperative MRI data served as the reference standard. RESULTS: The nn-2D-IOUS exhibited a high level of effectiveness, successfully generating good quality images in 79% of the patients evaluated. With a sensitivity rate of 68% and a perfect specificity of 100%, nn-2D-IOUS unequivocally demonstrated its utility in intraoperative residual tumor detection. Notably, when total tumor removal was the surgical objective, a resection exceeding 95% of the initial tumor volume was achieved in 86% of patients. Additionally, patients in whom residual tumor was not detected by nn-2D-IOUS, the mean volume of undetected tumor tissue was remarkably minimal, averaging at 0.29 cm3. CONCLUSION: Our study supports nn-2D-IOUS's invaluable role in glioma surgery. The results highlight the utility of traditional technologies for enhanced surgical outcomes, even when compared to advanced alternatives. This is particularly relevant for resource-constrained settings and emphasizes optimizing existing tools for efficient patient care. NCT05873946 - 24/05/2023 - Retrospectively registered.

Synthetic MRI improves radiomics-based glioblastoma survival prediction.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive and fast-growing brain tumor with poor prognosis. Predicting the expected survival of patients with glioblastoma is a key task for efficient treatment and surgery planning. Survival predictions could be enhanced by means of a radiomic system. However, these systems demand high numbers of multicontrast images, the acquisitions of which are time consuming, giving rise to patient discomfort and low healthcare system efficiency. Synthetic MRI could favor deployment of radiomic systems in the clinic by allowing practitioners not only to reduce acquisition time, but also to retrospectively complete databases or to replace artifacted images. In this work we analyze the replacement of an actually acquired MR weighted image by a synthesized version to predict survival of glioblastoma patients with a radiomic system. Each synthesized version was realistically generated from two acquired images with a deep learning synthetic MRI approach based on a convolutional neural network. Specifically, two weighted images were considered for the replacement one at a time, a T2w and a FLAIR, which were synthesized from the pairs T1w and FLAIR, and T1w and T2w, respectively. Furthermore, a radiomic system for survival prediction, which can classify patients into two groups (survival >480 days and ≤ 480 days), was built. Results show that the radiomic system fed with the synthesized image achieves similar performance compared with using the acquired one, and better performance than a model that does not include this image. Hence, our results confirm that synthetic MRI does add to glioblastoma survival prediction within a radiomics-based approach.

Third Ventricle Volume Predicts Functional Outcome in Chronic Subdural Hematoma.

OBJECTIVES: There is a lack of evidence demonstrating the utility of computed tomography (CT) to predict chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) clinical outcomes. We aim to analyze the role of tomographic volumetric analysis in patients with CSDH. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of patients undergoing burr-hole craniostomy (BHC) for CSDH over five years at a tertiary care center. Degree of midline shift, radiographic density, subdural hematoma volume, acute blood volume, and third ventricle (3VV) and fourth ventricle (4VV) volume were estimated using semiautomatic segmentation of preoperative CT. Postoperative functional outcome was measured by two endpoints: National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at discharge and short-term modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 6-week follow-up. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using nonparametric tests. Discriminative capacity and optimal thresholds of independent variables were calculated by means of receiving-operative curves (ROC). RESULTS: A total of 79 patients were included for analysis with a median age of 78.5 years. Greater preoperative 3VV independently correlated with poor discharge NIHSS (p = .01) and short-term mRS (p = .03). A cutoff value of 0.545 mL demonstrated the highest sensitivity (77.1%) and specificity (88.8%) with an odds ratio for an mRS functional dependence of 9.29 (p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Greater preoperative tomographic 3VV independently prognosticates poor discharge NIHSS and 6-week mRS. A threshold 3VV of 0.545 mL can be used to identify patients at higher risk of being dependent at first protocolized follow-up.

Current Evidence, Limitations and Future Challenges of Survival Prediction for Glioblastoma Based on Advanced Noninvasive Methods: A Narrative Review.

Background and Objectives: Survival estimation for patients diagnosed with Glioblastoma (GBM) is an important information to consider in patient management and communication. Despite some known risk factors, survival estimation remains a major challenge. Novel non-invasive technologies such as radiomics and artificial intelligence (AI) have been implemented to increase the accuracy of these predictions. In this article, we reviewed and discussed the most significant available research on survival estimation for GBM through advanced non-invasive methods. Materials and Methods: PubMed database was queried for articles reporting on survival prognosis for GBM through advanced image and data management methods. Articles including in their title or abstract the following terms were initially screened: ((glioma) AND (survival)) AND ((artificial intelligence) OR (radiomics)). Exclusively English full-text articles, reporting on humans, published as of 1 September 2022 were considered. Articles not reporting on overall survival, evaluating the effects of new therapies or including other tumors were excluded. Research with a radiomics-based methodology were evaluated using the radiomics quality score (RQS). Results: 382 articles were identified. After applying the inclusion criteria, 46 articles remained for further analysis. These articles were thoroughly assessed, summarized and discussed. The results of the RQS revealed some of the limitations of current radiomics investigation on this field. Limitations of analyzed studies included data availability, patient selection and heterogeneity of methodologies. Future challenges on this field are increasing data availability, improving the general understanding of how AI handles data and establishing solid correlations between image features and tumor's biology. Conclusions: Radiomics and AI methods of data processing offer a new paradigm of possibilities to tackle the question of survival prognosis in GBM.

Role of the patient comorbidity in the recurrence of chronic subdural hematomas.

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is an old blood collection between the cortical surface and the dura. Recurrence of CSDH after surgical evacuation occurs in up to a quarter of patients. The association between patient premorbid status and the rate of recurrence is not well known, and some previous results are contradictory. We aim to determine the impact of patient comorbidities in the risk of recurrence after surgical evacuation of CSDH. Retrospective data of a single institution's surgically evacuated CSDH cases followed up for at least 6 months were analyzed, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the relationships between recurrence of CSDH and factors such as age, gender, CSDH thickness, neurological impairment at admission (NIHSS score), location of the CSDH (unilateral vs bilateral), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), prothrombin time (PT), hemoglobin levels, and platelet count. A total of 90 patients (71 men and 19 women), aged 41-100 years (mean age, 76.4 ± 11.2 years), were included. CSDH recurred in 17 patients (18.9%). A higher CCI correlated with higher scores in the NIHSS. In the univariate analysis, recurrence was associated with a higher CCI (2.39 vs 1.22, p = 0.002), higher NIHSS scores (6.5 vs 4, p = 0.034), and lower PT levels (9.9 vs 13.4, p = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, only PT and CCI demonstrated to be independent risk factors for CSDH recurrence after surgical evacuation (p = 0.033 and p = 0.024, respectively). Patients with more comorbidities have a higher risk of developing recurrent CSDH. CCI provides a simple way of predicting recurrence in patients with CSDH and should be incorporated into decision-making processes, when counseling patients.

Extradural anterior clinoidectomy through endoscopic transorbital approach: laboratory investigation for surgical perspective.

BACKGROUND: The endoscopic transorbital approach (eTOA) is a new mini-invasive procedure used to explore different areas of the skull base. Authors propose an extradural anterior clinoidectomy (AC) through this corridor, defining the anatomical landmarks of the anterior clinoid process (ACP) projection onto the posterior orbit wall and the technical feasibility of this approach. We describe the exposure of the opticocarotid region and the surgical freedom and the angles of attack obtained with this novel approach. METHODS: Five cadaver heads underwent an eTOA at the Laboratory of Surgical Neuroanatomy of the University of Barcelona. A step-by-step description of the extradural endoscopic transorbital clinoidectomy was provided. A volumetric analysis of the morphometrics characteristics of the sphenoid wings was evaluated before and after dissection using CT scans. Pterional approach was performed to ascertain ACP removal. RESULTS: In all the specimens, it was possible to resect the ACP endo-orbitally aiming an optimal optic canal (OC) unroofing. The surface of the triangle corresponding to the ACP projection onto the posterior orbit wall was 0.42 ± 0.20 cm2. The drilled area to perform the extradural clinoidectomy via eTOA was 3.11 ± 2.27 cm2, and the volume of bone removal corresponding to the greater sphenoid wing (GSW) and lesser sphenoid wing (LSW) was 2.55 ± 1.41 and 0.26 ± 0.18 cm3 respectively. The area of surgical freedom provided by the eTOA was (3.11 ± 2.27cm2), and the angles of attack were 21.39 ± 9.13° in the horizontal axel and 30.63 ± 18.51° in the vertical. CONCLUSIONS: The described extradural anterior clinoidectomy by eTOA uses specific landmarks to localize the ACP on the posterior orbit wall. Resection of the ACP is a technically feasible approach, achieving the main goals of any clinoidectomy.

Final outcome trends in severe traumatic brain injury: a 25-year analysis of single center data.

BACKGROUND: Evidence from the last 25 years indicates a modest reduction of mortality after severe traumatic head injury (sTBI). This study evaluates the variation over time of the whole Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) throughout those years. METHODS: The study is an observational cohort study of adults (≥ 15 years old) with closed sTBI (GCS ≤ 8) who were admitted within 48 h after injury. The final outcome was the 1-year GOS, which was divided as follows: (1) dead/vegetative, (2) severely disabled (dependent patients), and (3) good/moderate recovery (independent patients). Patients were treated uniformly according to international protocols in a dedicated ICU. We considered patient characteristics that were previously identified as important predictors and could be determined easily and reliably. The admission years were divided into three intervals (1987-1995, 1996-2004, and 2005-2012), and the following individual CT characteristics were noted: the presence of traumatic subarachnoid or intraventricular hemorrhage (tSAH, IVH), midline shift, cisternal status, and the volume of mass lesions (A × B × C/2). Ordinal logistic regression was performed to estimate associations between predictors and outcomes. The patients' estimated propensity scores were included as an independent variable in the ordinal logistic regression model (TWANG R package). FINDINGS: The variables associated with the outcome were age, pupils, motor score, deterioration, shock, hypoxia, cistern status, IVH, tSAH, and epidural volume. When adjusting for those variables and the propensity score, we found a reduction in mortality from 55% (1987-1995) to 38% (2005-2012), but we discovered an increase in dependent patients from 10 to 21% and just a modest increase in independent patients of 6%. CONCLUSIONS: This study covers 25 years of management of sTBI in a single neurosurgical center. The prognostic factors are similar to those in the literature. The improvement in mortality does not translate to better quality of life.

Symptomatic ptosis cerebelli after suboccipital craniectomy in a patient with severe brain trauma.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To report the first case of symptomatic cerebellar ptosis after a large suboccipital craniectomy in a patient with severe brain trauma and a review of the literature. PATIENT AND METHODS: A 36-year-old man suffered severe traumatic brain injury after a four-metre fall. He underwent a large suboccipital craniectomy because his computed tomography scan revealed a posterior fossa subdural haematoma and cerebellar swelling. Four weeks after admission, he developed communicating hydrocephalus, and a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was placed. Although he experienced good recovery, seven months after the trauma he complained of cephalea, dizziness, recurrent vomiting and diplopia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed descent of the cerebellum through a wide bone defect. RESULTS: We performed a posterior fossa cranioplasty after other causes of delayed worsening were ruled out, such as shunt malfunction, overdrainage and ischaemic lesions. The patient improved, and a post-operative MRI confirmed the upward migration of the cerebellum. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebellar ptosis must be considered in cases of delayed symptoms after large suboccipital craniectomy regardless of pathology. Posterior fossa cranioplasty to provide structural support to slumped cerebellum can improve or resolve symptoms.

[Trends in computed tomography characteristics, intracranial pressure monitoring and surgical management in severe traumatic brain injury: Analysis of a data base of the past 25 years in a neurosurgery department]. / Evolución temporal en las características de la tomografía computarizada, presión intracraneal y tratamiento quirúrgico en el traumatismo craneal grave: análisis de la base de datos de los últimos 25 años en un servicio de neurocirugía.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the radiological characteristics, surgical indications, procedures, and intracranial pressure monitoring of a representative cohort of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) cases collected over the past 25years, and to analyse the changes that have occurred by dividing the period into 3 equal time periods. METHODS: An observational cohort study was conducted on consecutive adult patients (>14years of age) with severe closed TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score [GCS]≤8) who were admitted during the first 48hours after injury to the Hospital 12 de Octubre from 1987 to 2012. The most relevant radiological findings, surgical procedures, and intracranial monitoring indications reported in the literature were defined and compared in 3 equal time periods (1987-1995, 1996-2004, and 2005-2014). RESULTS: A significant increase was observed in subdural haematomas with lesions over 25cc, and midline shift in the last period of time. The incidence of subarachnoid haemorrhage increased significantly with time. There was a progression to a worse computed tomography (CT) classification from the initial CT scan in 33% of cases. Surgery was performed on 721 (39.4%) patients. Early surgery (<12hours) was performed on 585 (81.1%) patients, with the most frequent being for extra-cerebral mass lesions (subdural and epidural haematomas), whereas delayed surgery (>12hours) was most frequently performed due to an intracerebral haematoma. Surgical treatment, both early and late was significantly lower with respect to the first time period. Decompressive craniectomy with evacuation of the mass lesion was the preferred procedure in the last time period. Intracranial pressure monitoring (ICP) was carried out on 1049 (57.3%) patients, with a significantly higher frequency in the second period of time. There was adherence to Guidelines in 64.4% of cases. Elevated/uncontrolled ICP was more significant in the first time period. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of the epidemiological changes seen in traumatic brain injury, a different pattern of morphological injury is described, as depicted in the CT, leading to a difference in practice during this period of observation.

[Competency-based Neurosurgery Residency Programme]. / El nuevo programa de Residencia en Neurocirugía basado en competencias.

A programme proposal for competency-based Neurosurgery training adapted to the specialization project is presented. This proposal has been developed by a group of neurosurgeons commissioned by the SENEC (Spanish Society of Neurosurgery) and could be modified to generate a final version that could come into force coinciding with the implementation of the specialization programme. This document aims to facilitate the test of the new programme included in the online version of our journal. DURATION OF THE PROGRAMME: Total training period is 6 years; initial 2 years belong to the surgery specialization and remaining 4 years belong to core specialty period. STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME: It is a competency-based programmed based on the map used by the US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) including the following domains of clinical competency: Medical knowledge, patient care, communication skills, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, health systems, interprofessional collaboration and professional and personal development. Subcompetencies map in the domains of Knowledge and Patient care (including surgical competencies) was adapted to the one proposed by AANS and CNS (annex 1 of the programme). A subcompetency map was also used for the specialization rotations. INSTRUCTION METHODS: Resident's training is based on personal study (self-learning) supported by efficient use of information sources and supervised clinical practice, including bioethical instruction, clinical management, research and learning techniques. EVALUATION METHODS: Resident evaluation proposal includes, among other instruments, theoretical knowledge tests, objective and structured evaluation of the level of clinical competency with real or standardised patients, global competency scales, 360-degree evaluation, clinical record audits, milestones for residents progress and self-assessment (annex 2). Besides, residents periodically assess the teaching commitment of the department's neurosurgeons and other professors participating in rotations, and annually assess the overall operation of the programme. Results of evaluations are registered, together with other relevant data, in the Resident's Book. PROGRAMME'S NATIONAL COMMITTEE: The creation of a Programme Committee directly attached to the SENEC (National Commission) that, aside from generating a final version of the programme, monitors its implementation (level of adherence and operation in the different departments), assumes the creation of test banks and the centralized administration of knowledge tests (in the middle of the residency and/or at the end of it) and centralizes information collected by tutors that could be used for re-accreditation of the services, is proposed.

Cranioplasty after decompressive craniectomy. A prospective series analyzing complications and clinical improvement.

BACKGROUND: Cranioplasty is carried out for cosmetic reasons and for protection, but it may also lead to some neurological improvement after the bone flap placement. Complications of cranioplasty are more frequent than expected for a scheduled neurosurgical procedure. We tried to identify factors associated with both complications and improvement after cranioplasty. METHODS: We prospectively studied the cranioplasties performed in our hospital from November 2009 to November 2013. Patients whose initial reason for bone removal was tumor infiltration were excluded. Demographic, clinical and radiological data were collected. The NIH Stroke Scale and Barthel Self-Care Index scores were obtained both before and within 72 h after cranioplasty. The outcome measures were the occurrences of complications and clinical improvement. RESULTS: Fifty-five cranioplasties were performed. The material used for the cranioplasty was autologous bone in 42 cases, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) in 7 and methacrylate in 6. The average size of the bone defect was 69.5 (19.5-149.5) cm2. The time elapsed between decompressive craniectomy and cranioplasty was 309 (25-1217) days. There were 10 complications (7 severe and 3 mild), an 18.2% complication rate. Statistically significant risk factors of complications were identified as a Barthel≤70 (Odds ratio [OR] 22; 2.5-192; P=0.005), age over 45 years (OR 13.5; 1.5-115; P=0.01) and early surgery (≤85 days; OR 8; 1.69-37.03, P=0.004). After multivariate analysis, Barthel≤70 and age over 45 years remained independent predictors of complications. Twenty-two (40%) of the 55 patients showed objective improvement. Early surgery (<85 days) increased the likelihood of improvement (OR 4.67; 1.05-20.83; P=0.035). Larger bone defects seemed to be related with improvement, but differences in defect size were not statistically significant (75.3 vs 65.6 cm2; P=0.1). CONCLUSIONS: The complication rate of cranioplasty is higher than for other elective neurosurgical procedures. Older age, poorer functional situation (worse Barthel index score) and early surgery (≤85 days) are independent risk factors for complications. However, cranioplasty produces clinical benefits beyond protection and esthetic improvement. Earlier surgery and larger bone defects seem to increase the likelihood of clinical improvement.

Integrating endovascular techniques into established open neurosurgery practice: a temporal analysis of treatment evolution in a dual-trained neurosurgical unit.

OBJETIVE: In Europe, units with Dual-trained Neurovascular Surgeons (DTNS) skilled in both open neurosurgery (ON) and endovascular neurosurgery (EN) are scarce. For instance, in Spain, our unit is unique within the public health system, where all neurovascular procedures are carried out by DTNS. Our study aims to evaluate the evolution in treating ruptured intracranial aneurysms (rICAs) and assess the impact of this evolution on clinical outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on rICAs treated in our unit from October 2012 to June 2023. We reviewed clinical and radiological data to analyze the evolution of ON and EN over time, as well as their impact on patient outcomes. Univariate, multivariate, and mixed-effects models were utilized to discern temporal changes. RESULTS: The modified Fisher Scale (mFS) and the modified World Federation of Neurological Surgeons scale (mWFNS) showed strong correlation with the outcome at 6 months outcomes, both with p < 0.00001. However, the surgical intervention method, ON versus EN, did not significantly affect outcomes (p > 0.85). In adjusted multivariate logistic regression, mFS (-1.579, p: 0.011) and mWFNS (-0.872, p < 0.001) maintained their significance. rICAs location was significant when comparing ON to EN p = 0.0001. A significant temporal trend favored the selection of EN p = 0.0058). Mixed-effects time series modeling indicated that while patient characteristics and rICA specifics did not predict treatment choice, the year of treatment was significantly correlated (0.161, p = 0.002). Logistic regression with interaction terms for time and treatment type did not produce significant results. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that despite an increased adoption of EN techniques, there has been no change in patient outcomes. Even with the rise of EN, our unit continues to perform ON for a higher proportion of rICAs than most national hospitals. We propose that a "dual approach" offers advantages in a patient individualized treatment decision protocol in the European context.

Posterior cervical triangle approach for carotid endarterectomy: Technical note and results.

INTRODUCTION: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is usually performed using the anterior cervical triangle as a surgical corridor but, when needed, the retromandibular space makes dissection of higher structures difficult in some cases. The posterior cervical triangle (PCT) can be useful in these demanding cases. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed cases from July 2013 to November 2019 in which PCT was used as an approach for CEA. The surgical technique used was explained, and the complications and evolution of the patients were analysed. RESULTS: We found 7 CEAs performed through this approach, of which 2 presented transient trapezius paresis. There were no cases of severe complications in this series. CONCLUSION: The PCT approach for performing CEA represents a useful and easy technique that avoids the need for mandibular mobilisation or osteotomies for lesions located in anatomically high carotid bifurcations.

The Río Hortega University Hospital Glioblastoma dataset: A comprehensive collection of preoperative, early postoperative and recurrence MRI scans (RHUH-GBM).

Glioblastoma, a highly aggressive primary brain tumor, is associated with poor patient outcomes. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a critical role in diagnosing, characterizing, and forecasting glioblastoma progression, public MRI repositories present significant drawbacks, including insufficient postoperative and follow-up studies as well as expert tumor segmentations. To address these issues, we present the "Río Hortega University Hospital Glioblastoma Dataset (RHUH-GBM)," a collection of multiparametric MRI images, volumetric assessments, molecular data, and survival details for glioblastoma patients who underwent total or near-total enhancing tumor resection. The dataset features expert-corrected segmentations of tumor subregions, offering valuable ground truth data for developing algorithms for postoperative and follow-up MRI scans.

Mortality Prediction of Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Using a Deep Learning Model Based on an Initial Brain CT Scan.

BACKGROUND: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) entails high morbidity and mortality rates. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) are capable of generating highly accurate predictions from imaging data. Our objective was to predict mortality in SAH patients by processing initial CT scans using a CNN-based algorithm. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicentric study of a consecutive cohort of patients with SAH. Demographic, clinical and radiological variables were analyzed. Preprocessed baseline CT scan images were used as the input for training using the AUCMEDI framework. Our model's architecture leveraged a DenseNet121 structure, employing transfer learning principles. The output variable was mortality in the first three months. RESULTS: Images from 219 patients were processed; 175 for training and validation and 44 for the model's evaluation. Of the patients, 52% (115/219) were female and the median age was 58 (SD = 13.06) years. In total, 18.5% (39/219) had idiopathic SAH. The mortality rate was 28.5% (63/219). The model showed good accuracy at predicting mortality in SAH patients when exclusively using the images of the initial CT scan (accuracy = 74%, F1 = 75% and AUC = 82%). CONCLUSION: Modern image processing techniques based on AI and CNN make it possible to predict mortality in SAH patients with high accuracy using CT scan images as the only input. These models might be optimized by including more data and patients, resulting in better training, development and performance on tasks that are beyond the skills of conventional clinical knowledge.

Efficacy of percutaneous pedicle screws for thoracic and lumbar spine fractures compared with open technique.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to compare percutaneous techniques (MIS) with the open technique in terms of angle correction, long-term maintenance and clinical results. METHODS: The authors collected a prospective database of thoraco-lumbar fractures treated with posterior stabilization without fusion from 2013 to 2019. The statistical analysis has been carried out retrospectively. The patients were classified into Open and MIS group. To compare the two population, samples, treatments and mitigate the differences between the groups, the propensity score (PS) matching was used. RESULTS: One hundred and eight patients with thoraco-lumbar fractures were included. After performing the PS, 21 patients were obtained in the open group and 28 in the MIS group. For operative and perioperative parameters there were no differences in number of patients with posterior decompression, number of instrumented segments, number of total screws, operative time and complications. Postoperative hemoglobin was similar in both groups. However, in the open group a greater loss of hemoglobin was observed; as well as, higher analgesia requirements and length of stay. No statistically significant differences were observed in neurological status in both groups in the preoperative, postoperative period and at follow-up. The Cobb angle showed no differences at admission comparing both groups. A similar angle correction was observed with both surgeries, but in open surgery there was a statistically significant loss of correction. CONCLUSIONS: We observed in this study that the MIS technique for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures is as effective as the open technique in terms of angle correction; and demonstrated that is better in its maintenance over time. Clinical results were at least as good as with the open technique.

Predicting Regions of Local Recurrence in Glioblastomas Using Voxel-Based Radiomic Features of Multiparametric Postoperative MRI.

The globally accepted surgical strategy in glioblastomas is removing the enhancing tumor. However, the peritumoral region harbors infiltration areas responsible for future tumor recurrence. This study aimed to evaluate a predictive model that identifies areas of future recurrence using a voxel-based radiomics analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. This multi-institutional study included a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma who underwent surgery with complete resection of the enhancing tumor. Fifty-five patients met the selection criteria. The study sample was split into training (N = 40) and testing (N = 15) datasets. Follow-up MRI was used for ground truth definition, and postoperative structural multiparametric MRI was used to extract voxel-based radiomic features. Deformable coregistration was used to register the MRI sequences for each patient, followed by segmentation of the peritumoral region in the postoperative scan and the enhancing tumor in the follow-up scan. Peritumoral voxels overlapping with enhancing tumor voxels were labeled as recurrence, while non-overlapping voxels were labeled as nonrecurrence. Voxel-based radiomic features were extracted from the peritumoral region. Four machine learning-based classifiers were trained for recurrence prediction. A region-based evaluation approach was used for model evaluation. The Categorical Boosting (CatBoost) classifier obtained the best performance on the testing dataset with an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81 ± 0.09 and an accuracy of 0.84 ± 0.06, using region-based evaluation. There was a clear visual correspondence between predicted and actual recurrence regions. We have developed a method that accurately predicts the region of future tumor recurrence in MRI scans of glioblastoma patients. This could enable the adaptation of surgical and radiotherapy treatment to these areas to potentially prolong the survival of these patients.

Treatment of unruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysms: Systematic review in an attempt to perform a network meta-analysis.

Objective: Open surgical clipping has been generally considered the best treatment option for unruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysms (uMCAAs). However, this type of aneurysm is being treated endovascularly with the appearance of new devices. We have carried out a systematic review of randomized and quasi-experimental studies to conduct a network meta-analysis (NMA) to assess the safety and efficacy of the different treatment methods currently used in uMCAAs. Methods: The literature was searched by using PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Eligibility criteria were randomized or quasi-experimental studies including at least five cases per arm and reporting duration of follow-up and number of lost cases. The end points were: angiographic success, final neurological outcome, and the need for retreatments. Results: We could only analyze four quasi-experimental studies with 398 uMCAAs. All of them compared clipping vs. coiling. Clipping showed better results than coiling in all analyzed end points. We could not conduct the proposed NMA because of the absence of randomized or quasi-experimental studies. Instead, a systematic review is further discussed. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for comparative studies on the treatment of uMCAAs.

Brain dural arteriovenous fistulas in the COVID-19 Era: A warning and rationale for association.

OBJECTIVES: Brain dural arteriovenous fistulas(bDAVFs) are anomalous connections between dural arteries and cerebral veins or sinuses. Cerebral venous thrombosis(CVT) often precedes or coincides with bDAVFs and is considered a risk factor for these vascular malformations. Recently, vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia causing CVTs has been associated with COVID-19 vaccines. Concurrently with the start of massive vaccination in our region, we have observed a fivefold increase in the average incidence of bDAVFs. Our objective is to raise awareness of the potential involvement of COVID-19 vaccines in the pathogenesis of bDAVF. METHODS: A retrospective review of demographic, clinical, radiological, COVID-19 infection and vaccination data of patients diagnosed with bDAVFs between 2011 and 2021 was conducted. Patients were divided into two cohorts according to their belonging to pre- or post-COVID-19 vaccination times. Cohorts were compared for bDAVFs incidences and demographic and clinical features. RESULTS: Twenty-one bDAVFs were diagnosed between 2011 and 2021, 7 of which in 2021. The mean age was 57.7 years, and 62 % were males. All cases except one were treated; of them, 85 % exclusively managed with surgery. All treated cases were successfully occluded. The incidence in 2021 was significantly higher than that in the prevaccination period (1.72 vs 0.35/100,000/year;p = 0.036; 95 %Confidence Interval=0.09-2.66). Cohorts were not different in age, sex, hemorrhagic presentation, dural sinus thrombosis or presence of prothrombotic or cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSION: The significant increase in the incidence of bDAVF following general vaccination policies against COVID-19 observed in our region suggests a potential correlation between these two facts. Our findings need confirmation from larger cohorts and further pathogenic research.