[Primary sellar neuroblastoma (clinical case and literature review)]. / Pervichnaya sellyarnaya neiroblastoma. Klinicheskoe nablyudenie i obzor literatury.

Neuroblastoma is a malignancy developing from the embryonic neuroblasts of sympathetic nervous system. Primary sellar neuroblastomas are extremely rare (there are currently only 11 case reports in the literature). Possible development of neuroblastoma in sellar region expands differential diagnosis of local processes due to inclusion of neuroblastoma into the spectrum of suspected tumors. We report a literature review and description of a patient with primary sellar neuroblastoma.

[The use of platelet gel for repair of a cerebrospinal fluid fistula of the skull base (a case report and literature review)]. / Primenenie trombotsitarnogo gelia dlia plastiki likvornoi fistuly osnovaniia cherepa (sluchai iz praktiki i obzor literatury).

Nasal liquorrhea is a serious problem in surgery of skull base tumors, which is associated with a high risk of purulent-septic complications. This paper presents a case of successful repair of a cerebrospinal fluid fistula with an autologous platelet gel in the postoperative period after removal of meningioma of the anterior cranial fossa base, which was accompanied by a purulent-inflammatory complication in the surgical wound area.

[Endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas invading the cavernous sinus]. / Endoskopicheskoe transsfenoidal'noe udalenie adenom gipofiza, vrastayushchikh v kavernoznyi sinus.

INTRODUCTION: Pituitary adenomas are benign growths that invade the cavernous sinus (CS) in 10-15% of cases. There are different types of microsurgical and endoscopic approaches enabling resection of tumors from the CS cavity that is a relatively small and hard to reach anatomical structure comprising eloquent neurovascular structures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study group included 97 patients with pituitary adenomas (PAs) invading the CS. PAs were resected using an endoscopic technique: adenomas were resected from the CS cavity through a standard endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach in 62 cases; a lateral extended transsphenoidal endoscopic approach was used in 35 cases. A control group included patients with PAs spreading into the laterosellar region who were operated on using microsurgical extra-intradural (n=14) and transsphenoidal (n=149) approaches. In the study group, the degree of PA invasion into the CS cavity was determined using the Knosp scale. RESULTS: In the study group, total tumor resection was achieved in 49 (50.5%) cases, subtotal resection in 39 (40.2%) cases, and partial resection in 9 (9.3%) patients. In the case of visual disorders (n=70), vision improvement was achieved in 41.4% of cases. Vision deterioration was detected in 11.4% of cases; no vision changes were in 47.1% of cases. Patients (27.8%) who had not had visual impairments before surgery had no negative changes in vision in the postoperative period. The development/augmentation of oculomotor disorders in the study group occurred in 14 (14.4%) cases. In the study group, hormonal remission of the disease in patients with hormone-active PAs was in 26.7% of cases (n=12). There were no cases of nasal liquorrhea, meningitis, and death in the study group. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal resection of PAs invading the CS is a more efficient and safer surgical technique compared to microsurgical techniques (transsphenoidal and extra-intradural approach). The lateral extended transsphenoidal endoscopic approach enables resection of PAs with massive invasion into the CS (Grade III and Grade IV, Knosp scale) and has less postoperative complications compared to the extra-intradural approach (p<0.05).

[The use of intraoperative Doppler ultrasound in endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery].

INTRODUCTION: Doppler ultrasound (DUS) has been widely used in neurosurgical practice to diagnose various cerebrovascular diseases. This technique is used in transsphenoidal surgery to identify the localization of intracranial arteries when making an approach or during tumor resection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To identify the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and/or basilar artery during endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery, we used a combined device on the basis of a click line curette («Karl Storz¼) and a 16 MHz Doppler probe (Lassamed). The technique was used in 51 patients during both standard transsphenoidal surgery (23 cases) and transsphenoidal tumor resection through an extended approach (28 cases). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Doppler ultrasound was used in different situations: to determine a trajectory of the endonasal transsphenoidal approach in the absence of the normal anatomical landmarks (16 cases), to define the limits of safe resection of a tumor located in the laterosellar region (7), and to implement an extended transsphenoidal endoscopic approach (28). Intraoperative Doppler ultrasound enabled identification of the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery in 45 cases and the basilar artery in 2 cases; a blood vessel was not found in 4 cases. Injury to the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery was observed only in 1 case. CONCLUSION: The use of the described combined device in transsphenoidal surgery turned Doppler ultrasound into an important and useful technique for visualization of the ICA within the tumor stroma as well as in the case of the changed skull base anatomy. Its use facilitates manipulations in a deep and narrow wound and enables inspection of the entire surface of the operative field in various planes, thereby surgery becomes safer due to the possibility of maximum investigation of the operative field.

[The effectiveness of using HyperHAES hypertonic isooncotic plasma solution to achieve stable intracranial hypotension in endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal adenomectomy as an alternative to the invasive external lumbar drainage].

The structure of surgery of pituitary adenomas has been fundamentally changed over the past decade. The transnasal transsphenoidal approach is currently used to resect more than 95% of adenomas. The wide use of endoscopy has changed the need for perioperative control of intracranial pressure. While controlled intracranial hypertension was previously used during microscopically controlled transnasal surgery to bring the suprasellar capsule and tumor remnants to the field of vision, endoscopically controlled tumor resection implies that controlled intracranial hypotension is required to achieve complete spreading of the suprasellar capsule. External lumbar drains inserted at least for the entire surgery duration are conventionally used to control intracranial pressure. We present the results of the study proving the effectiveness and safety of the HyperHAES hypertonic isooncotic plasma substitute in achieving stable intracranial hypotension according to a large body of clinical data. Our findings give grounds for claiming that the use of the HyperHAES hypertonic isooncotic plasma substitute during the standard adenomectomy allows one to abandon the use of invasive external lumbar drainage, while the surgery quality and risks remain at the same level.

[Endoscopic endonasal surgical treatment of large pituitary adenoma, spreading into the posterior fossa].

AIM: The objective of the study was to develop the tactics of surgical treatment of large and giant pituitary adenomas, spreading into the posterior cranial fossa. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with large hormonally inactive pituitary adenoma, extending to the right cavernous sinus and posterior cranial fossa. RESULTS: The endoscopic endonasal removal a large endo-supra-latero(D)-retrosellar pituitary tumor was conducted. Control MRI shows that the tumor was removed radically. Oculomotor disturbances were observed in the early postoperative period, which significantly regressed within 6 months. The article provides detailed analysis of the world literature on the issue under discussion. Illustrative pre-, intra-, and post-operative photographs, as well as histological preparations are shown. CONCLUSION: Modern minimally invasive techniques make it possible to remove large pituitary adenomas (and other tumors) of the posterior cranial fossa using endoscopic endonasal approach. Such operations must be carried out at highly specialized institutions by the surgeons who have extensive experience in endoscopic transnasal surgery of skull base tumors.

[Experience of surgical management of trigeminal schwannomas that simultaneously spread to the middle and posterior cranial fossae].

INTRODUCTION: trigeminal schwannomas account for 0.07-0.36% of all intracranial tumors and 0.8-8% of all intracranial schwannomas. Different surgical approaches are used depending on the topographic anatomical variant of the tumor. Dumbbell-shaped tumors that spread both to the middle and posterior cranial fossae are the most challenging ones in terms of their resection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five patients with dumbbell-shaped trigeminal schwannomas were operated on at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute in 2011-2013. In four cases, tumor resection comprised two stages using the retrosigmoid suboccipital approach (RSA) and lateral extended transsphenoidal endoscopic approach (LETEA); in one case, the tumor was resected in a single session through the LETEA. If there were pronounced symptoms affecting the brainstem and/or cerebellum, tumor resection from the posterior cranial fossa through RSA was resected at the first stage (3 cases). If no symptoms were observed, tumor resection from the middle cranial fossa through LETEA was used as the first stage (2 cases). RESULTS: After two surgical stages, total, subtotal, and partial tumor resection was performed (one case each). Total tumor resection from the middle cranial fossa was achieved through LETEA in two cases. Aggravation of ipsilateral paresis of the craniocerebral nerve VI was observed after the surgery in two cases. No cases of nasal liquorrhea were observed after transnasal surgery. In one case, the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery was damaged during LETEA, thus requiring endovascular occlusion of the damaged vessel to be performed. CONCLUSION: LETEA is an effective approach that allows resection of tumors from the middle cranial fossa and the cavernous sinus. Combined with RSA, this approach can be used for two-stage resection of dumbbell-shaped trigeminal schwannomas.

[Endoscopic endonasal anterior extended transsphenoidal approach in craniopharyngioma surgery].

The paper describes results of treatment of 56 patients with suprasellar craniopharyngioma (stem, intra-extraventricular) who were operated in Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute using endoscopic endonasal anterior extended transsphenoidal approach. Assessed dynamics of major clinical syndromes (neuro-ophthalmological symptoms, neurological and hormonal status), radicality of surgery, incidence and nature of postoperative complications, postoperative mortality. A comparative analysis of the results obtained in previous studies of our Institute, as well as with those of foreign authors is performed. Obtained data show that endoscopic endonasal anterior extended transsphenoidal approach in craniopharyngioma surgery is an efficient and non-traumatic technique, capable of providing a radical removal of the tumor along with a high quality of life after surgery, and relatively low rates of postoperative complications and mortality.

[Damage to the cavernous segment of internal carotid artery in transsphenoidal endoscopic removal of pituitary adenomas (report of 4 cases)].

Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EETA) is an effective and relatively safe to remove pituitary adenomas and other sellar region tumors. One of the most serious complications of transsphenoidal surgery is damage to the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery, which by different authors occurs at 0 to 3.8%. In the period from 2005 to March 2013 in Burdenko neurosurgical institute 3,000 patients with pituitary adenomas were operated by standard endoscopic transsphenoidal approach. Damage to the internal carotid artery (ICA) occurred in 4 patients, which amounted to 0.13%. To all patients with damage of the ICA angiography was performed in which identified one case of occlusion of the ICA and three cases of false aneurysm formation. Three patients underwent endovascular treatment. Damage to the internal carotid artery may be associated with the wrong orientation in the surgical wound, or excessively aggressive manipulations in the cavernous sinus. Damage to the cavernous segment of the ICA during transsphenoidal surgery is a rare but potentially fatal complication. Extremely important is the correct localization of the middle line and ICA using navigation systems and Doppler ultrasound.

[Multiple echinococcosis of brain, heart and kidneys].

The authors report a rare case of multiple echinococcosis (brain, heart and kidneys). Neuronavigation, intraoperative ultrasound scanning have allowed to plan exact and non-traumatic access to the cysts. Microsurgical technique and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring provided removal of seven cysts without their rupture from the left parietooccipital and right parietal area with good postoperative functional result. Serologic analysis of antibodies with antigens of echinococci and histological research confirmed the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis.