RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Intradural spinal arachnoid cysts (SACs) are a rare cause of spinal cord compression. Treatment is centered on decompression of the spinal cord via laminectomy or laminoplasty followed by resection or fenestration of the cyst. Although laminectomy or laminoplasty access may be needed to achieve the desired result, either procedure can be associated with more extensive surgical dissections and long-term spinal stability concerns, including postsurgical kyphosis. OBSERVATIONS: The authors present a case of a cervical intradural SAC in a 4-month-old girl presenting with symptomatic compression. The patient was treated by laminotomy and endoscopic fenestration of the SAC with resolution of symptoms and no disease progression 10 months postoperatively, when the patient was 14 months old. LESSONS: Microsurgical endoscopic fenestration of an intradural SAC can provide a less invasive means of treatment while avoiding the risks associated with more invasive approaches.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Social media has irreversibly impacted global interpersonal connectivity. This study aims to understand how information discussed in condition-specific communities, called "subreddits," on the major social media platform Reddit, can improve education by medical providers. METHODS: The top 50 Reddit posts in each subreddit's "hot" tab were retroactively screened from June 1, 2022. Posts written by those 18 and older who had the condition or were engaging in a better understanding of the condition were included in the analysis. In addition, posts were placed in 1 of 6 categories based on the redditors' primary questions: social advice, health advice, providing health education or suggesting equipment, personal experience/progress, researchers recruiting patients for research, or others. RESULTS: We identified 605 posts within 15 subreddits related to cranial neurosurgical topics including epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumors/cancer, seizures, hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, Chiari malformations, aneurysms, pineal cysts, ataxia, and moyamoya. Asking for health advice was the most common form of information seeking across subreddits (53.6%), specifically treatment-related questions (41.0%). Redditors from r/epilepsy and r/seizures constituted 84.6% of nonsurgical treatment questions relating to antiepileptic dosing or side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Cranial neurosurgical disease can overwhelm patients, leaving them with unaddressed questions. Reddit provides anonymity and camaraderie within condition-specific communities not found at the doctor's office. The ease of access to an Internet community may encourage redditors to seek health information online.