Computed tomography angiography as a confirmatory test for the diagnosis of brain death.

OBJECTIVE For a diagnosis of brain death (BD), ancillary testing is performed if patient factors prohibit a complete clinical examination and apnea test. The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guidelines identify cerebral angiography (CA), cerebral scintigraphy, electroencephalography, and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography as accepted ancillary tests. CA is widely considered the gold standard of these, as it provides the most reliable assessment of intracranial blood flow. CT angiography (CTA) is a noninvasive and widely available study that is also capable of identifying absent or severely diminished intracranial blood flow, but it is not included among the AAN's accepted ancillary tests because of insufficient evidence demonstrating its reliability. The objective of this study was to assess the statistical performance of CTA in diagnosing BD, using clinical criteria alone or clinical criteria plus CA as the gold-standard comparisons. METHODS The authors prospectively enrolled 22 adult patients undergoing workup for BD. All patients had cranial imaging and clinical examination results consistent with BD. In patients who met the AAN clinical criteria for BD, the authors performed CA and CTA so that both tests could be compared with the gold-standard clinical criteria. In cases that required ancillary testing, CA was performed as a confirmatory study, and CTA was then performed to compare against clinical criteria plus CA. Radiographic data were evaluated by an independent neuroradiologist. Test characteristics for CTA were calculated. RESULTS Four patients could not complete the standard BD workup and were excluded from analysis. Of the remaining 18 patients, 16 met AAN criteria for BD, 9 of whom required ancillary testing with CA. Of the 16 patients, 2 who also required CA ancillary testing were found to have persistent intracranial flow and were not declared brain dead at that time. These patients also underwent CTA; the results were concordant with the CA results. Six patients who were diagnosed with BD on the basis of clinical criteria alone also underwent CA, with 100% sensitivity. For all 18 patients included in the study, CTA had a sensitivity of 75%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 33%. CONCLUSIONS Clinical examination with or without CA remains the gold standard in BD testing. Studies assessing the statistical performance of CTA in BD testing should compare CTA to these gold standards. The statistical performance of CTA in BD testing is comparable to several of the nationally accepted ancillary tests. These data add to the growing medical literature supporting the use of CTA as a reliable ancillary test in BD testing.

Expanding neurosurgical care in Northwest Tanzania: the early experience of an initiative to teach neurosurgery at Bugando Medical Centre.

OBJECTIVE: Tanzania suffers from a severe lack of health practitioners trained in neurosurgical procedures. To address this problem, we have implemented an initiative, modeled after the experience of other pioneers in international neurosurgery, to establish cost-effective and sustainable neurosurgical care by teaching fundamental neurosurgical skills to local surgeons. In this report we describe our early experience in Northwest Tanzania and discuss the potential for this training model to improve neurosurgical care to a region in need. METHODS: Between September 2009 and October 2010, three residents and two attendings from our institution spent a total of 15 weeks at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania. During this time, we focused on teaching neurosurgical techniques, intraoperative decision-making, and clinical management skills to two local surgeons. The emphasis of our presence was on teaching and providing sustainable neurosurgical care. RESULTS: During this period, we performed 41 neurosurgical procedures with one of two local surgeons. The most common procedures performed were ventriculoperitoneal shunts (22%), myelomeningocele repairs (22%), and cranial trauma cases (17%). Five (12%) cases required the placement of spinal instrumentation. Thirty-nine (95%) patients remained stable or improved at discharge. There were 2 (5%) perioperative deaths. CONCLUSION: Although numerous challenges remain, our experience demonstrates the potential of this teaching model in providing sustainable neurosurgical care in Northwest Tanzania.

Endocrinopathy, vision, headache, and recurrence after transsphenoidal surgery for Rathke cleft cysts.

BACKGROUND: Rathke cleft cyst can enlarge and become symptomatic. OBJECTIVE: To review the clinical data and results of all patients treated by the senior author for a Rathke cleft cyst. METHODS: A prospectively maintained surgical database, supplemented with updates from telephone conversations, of all patients presenting to the Barrow Neurological Institute from 1992 to the present was reviewed. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients (17 males, 56 females; mean age, 40 years; range, 5-80 years) underwent 77 resections. The mean length of follow-up was 27 months (range, 0-129 months). Presenting symptoms included headache (75%), followed by endocrinopathy (49%), and visual symptoms (39%). Preoperative chiasmopathy resolved in 75% and improved in 21% of the patients. Patients' preoperative endocrinopathy resolved at various rates, depending on the specific axis (29%-100%). Endocrinopathies were more likely to resolve in females than males. New postoperative endocrinopathies also occurred (0-8%). Headache resolved (68%) or improved (21%) in most patients. No patient had worsened headaches. Eight patients had a recurrence, 4 of whom underwent reoperation. The presence of squamous metaplasia was the only predictor of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Surgical fenestration and/or resection of Rathke cleft cyst via the transsphenoidal approach are a rational choice for surgical management of these lesions when symptomatic. In most cases, visual symptoms and headache can be expected to improve. New persistent endocrine deficits can be expected in a small percentage of patients, but preexisting endocrinopathies resolve in many patients.

Formation of painful seroma and edema after the use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 in posterolateral lumbar spine fusions.

BACKGROUND: The use of bone morphogenetic proteins for fusion augmentation in spine surgery has increased dramatically in recent years. Information is continually emerging regarding the effectiveness and safety profile of these compounds. OBJECTIVE: We have noted an increased incidence in sterile seroma formation and painful edema after the use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) for posterolateral lumbar fusion. We present a retrospective review to determine the incidence of seroma formation and to discuss its clinical implications. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the operative reports of patients who underwent posterolateral lumbar fusion with the addition of rhBMP-2. We identified all patients who required surgical exploration of a postoperative sterile seroma. RESULTS: Of the 130 patients who underwent posterolateral lumbar fusion with rhBMP-2, 6 (4.6%) were returned to the operating room for exploration of a sterile seroma. The total amount of rhBMP-2 delivered to the posterolateral space per patient was 2.1 to 14.7 mg (mean, 8.4 mg per patient). The patients were returned to the operating room 5 to 13 days (mean, 7.7 days) after their initial surgery, and infection was ruled out in all cases by intraoperative cultures. CONCLUSION: There seems to be an increased incidence of formation of sterile seroma and painful edema in the lumbar region after posterolateral fusion with rhBMP-2. This report, along with other series highlighting the potential complications of bone morphogenetic proteins, suggests that more caution should be used when these compounds are used. Further studies are required to better define the risks and benefits of using bone morphogenetic proteins for spine surgery.

Cranial migration of a baclofen pump catheter associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage: case report.

OBJECTIVE: Cephalad migration of an indwelling intrathecal catheter within the spinal canal has rarely been described. Cranial subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) related to movement of this type of catheter has not been described. We report a case of SAH coincident with the migration of a free fragment of a baclofen pump catheter into the prepontine cistern. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A baclofen pump system was removed from a 47-year-old man with spasticity related to multiple sclerosis. A section retained in the spinal canal extended up to the T9 level. Ten days after the pump and lower portion of the catheter were removed, the patient presented with a severe headache and a classic aneurysmal pattern of SAH. The patient's catheter was found to have migrated adjacent to the basilar artery at the level of the superior cerebellar artery. An extensive evaluation, including computed tomography angiography, digital subtraction angiography performed twice, magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic resonance angiography, showed no apparent cause for the hemorrhage. Initially, the catheter was left in place. However, 5 months after the SAH, the patient elected to have the catheter removed. INTERVENTION: The catheter was pulled out from below through a C6-C7 laminoplasty without complications. The patient made an excellent recovery. DISCUSSION: Cephalad catheter migration is a rare phenomenon. The mechanism of rostral migration remains unclear. The forces that propel a free fragment of catheter under these circumstances seem to be sufficient to cause a small vessel to rupture and bleed. Given the lack of an observed arterial injury, we postulate that venous bleeding caused this hemorrhage.