Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) hormones 6 months after cranial radiotherapy in adult patients with primary brain tumors outside the HPA region.

BACKGROUND: Cranial radiotherapy is a common treatment for brain tumors, but it can affect the hypothalamic-pituitary (H-P) axis and lead to hormonal disorders. This study aimed to compare serum levels of HPA hormones before and after cranial radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study involved 27 adult patients who underwent brain tumor resection before the initiation of radiotherapy, and none had metastatic brain tumors. All participants had the HPA within the radiation field, and their tumors were located in brain areas outside from the HPA. Serum levels of HPA hormones were recorded both before and 6 months after cranial radiotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 27 adult patients, comprising 16 (59.3%) males and 11 (40.7%) females, with a mean age of 56.37 ± 11.38 years, were subjected to evaluation. Six months post-radiotherapy, serum levels of GH and TSH exhibited a significant decrease. Prior to radiotherapy, a substantial and direct correlation was observed between TSH and FSH (p = 0.005) as well as LH (p = 0.014). Additionally, a significant and direct relationship was noted between serum FSH and LH (p < 0.001) before radiotherapy. After radiotherapy, a significant and direct correlation persisted between TSH and FSH (p = 0.003) as well as LH (p = 0.005), along with a significant and direct relationship between serum FSH and LH (p < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant and direct association was identified between changes in serum GH levels and FSH (p = 0.04), as well as between serum LH and FSH (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Reduced serum levels of HPA hormones are a significant complication of cranial radiotherapy and should be evaluated in follow-up assessments.

Xanthogranulomatous hypophysitis: A rare presentation in a young female patient.

Hypophysitis is a rare inflammatory condition that may present both clinically and radiologically as a neoplastic lesion. Xanthogranulomas are rare intracranial lesions with controversial etiology. Here, we report a clinical case of histologically confirmed xanthogranulomatosis hypophysitis in a young female with type I diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism.

Rhinitis as the Presenting Symptom of Pineal Region Epidermoid Tumor: A Case Report.

Brain tumors are the rarest cause of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. Non-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is also a relatively rare condition. It may be misdiagnosed as allergic rhinitis or chronic sinusitis and lead to unsuitable treatment. We described a 34-year-old man who came to our allergy clinic with a chief complaint of clear rhinorrhea from his left nostril with more than four years of duration. Onlyhypertrophy of left inferior concha was found in the clinical examination. His rhinorrhea aggravated when bending forward. So we were suspicious of CSF rhinorrhea. MRI was done for him and demonstrated a large tumor in the pineal region. The patient underwent surgery with resection of the mass via an infratentorial-supracerebellar approach. This case showed the role of maintaining differential diagnosis for a common complaint; rhinitis which is seen as usual.

Rate and Risk Factors of Early Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Revision: A Five-Year Retrospective Analysis of a Referral Center.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral shunts are the mainstay treatment of hydrocephalus. Because most previous studies have focused on factors related to long-term outcomes of shunt surgery, we aimed to assess the rates and causes of 30-day ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) failure in a single referral center over 5 years in both adult and pediatric patients. METHODS: Patients who underwent VPS surgery from February 2012 to February 2017 in Ghaem Teaching Hospital, Mashhad, Iran were evaluated retrospectively through clinical history, operative reports, imaging studies, and follow-up notes. Data of 12 possible factors related to shunt failure were collected comprising age, gender, household income, level of education, cause of hydrocephalus, causes of revision, type of failure, anatomic site, duration of operation, time of surgery, surgeons' level of expertise, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. RESULTS: Among 403 VPS placements, 121 VPS revisions were performed, and 82 eligible patients were included in the study (57.3% male and 42.7% female). The 30-day shunt failure rate was 24.4% among all revisions. Obstruction and malposition were the most common causes of early revisions. Six factors were statistically significant in the univariate analysis. After adjustment in a logistic regression model, 2 factors, namely surgeons' level of expertise (odds ratio, 10.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-98.80) and anatomic site of the shunt (odds ratio, 10.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-87.35) were associated with early shunt revision. CONCLUSIONS: Shunt surgeries performed by junior residents and shunts placed in the frontal site were associated with early shunt failure.

A Self-Made, Reusable, and Adjustable Device for Making Burr Hole Bone Plugs: Doing More with Less.

BACKGROUND: Burr hole craniotomy is a daily procedure in neurosurgery. Defects after burr hole craniotomies will not spontaneously heal and can result in skin dents and cosmetic dissatisfaction. We have introduced a self-made, reusable, and adjustable bone plug packer to use in the repair of burr holes via packing of autologous bone dust. Our bone plug packer is free of charge and can be readily available in neurosurgical operating rooms. METHODS: We have produced a stainless steel bone packer device that can be assembled without the use of a special wrench. The instrument consists of a container plate and a main cylinder for packing, in which an adjustable airtight piston is placed to compress the bone dust and create a bone plug of the desired dimensions. RESULTS: Some recent studies have shown that burr holes filled by autologous bone dust will result in good cosmetic and osteogenic outcomes. Although we did not perform a long-term follow-up assessment of the burr holes filled with bone plugs, in the short term, we have not seen any local reactions or infections in our patients. The autologous bone plug is a more affordable and available option with no technical or clinical complications in the short term. CONCLUSION: We have introduced a practical, convenient, and cost-effective bone packer device. Bone plugs formed using our device can be a potential substitute for expensive covering materials in countries with limited access to other repair options. Providing proper evidence will require the performance of large studies to assess our suggested method in the long term and, possibly, compare it with the usual options in controlled studies.

Association of Opium Addiction with Rupture of Intracranial Aneurysms: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Disorders related to opioid use account for the most substantial burden of disease attributable to drug use disorders. We aimed to justify if there is an association between either opium consumption or addiction and rupture of intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: In this case-control study, we enrolled 50 cases with ruptured intracranial aneurysms and 43 control subjects with an incidental finding of an intracranial aneurysm without history of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Four major risk factors of rupture including age, sex, size, and site of aneurysm were matched among both groups. All participants were asked about cigarette smoking state, opium addiction, opium consumption, and duration and route of opium consumption. Eight other trigger factors were assessed in the period soon before SAH (hazard period). The odds ratio (OR) of all factors was calculated separately, and then a logistic regression for the factors with significant odds was calculated. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of cases and 32.6% of control subjects were addicted to opium. The OR for opium consumption in the hazard period was 8.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-30.1) and for opium addiction was 3.3 (95% CI, 1.4-7.9). Of those trigger factors, cola consumption was included in the logistic regression model. After adjustment, results demonstrated an OR of 9.2 (95% CI, 2.4-34.7) for opium consumption in the hazard period. CONCLUSIONS: There is an association between opium addiction and opium consumption in the hazard period with the occurrence of aneurysmal SAH. Replication of the study with a larger sample size and conduction of prospective studies is suggested.

Giant Tarlov Cyst of Infancy.

We report an 8-month-old female infant with complaints of irritability and recent inability to sit in a stable position. On physical examination, a palpable mass in the left upper quadrant of her abdomen was evident. Sonography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a giant cyst, consisting of 2 communicating compartments: dorsal and ventrolateral. The dorsal part compressed the conus medullaris, and the ventrolateral part compressed the left kidney. Partial cyst wall resection and imbrication for the dorsal pouch were done, and diagnosis of Tarlov cyst was confirmed via the visualization of the endocystic nerve root during surgery. Familiarizing physicians with this unusual presentation of Tarlov cyst may help them in early recognition of this lesion, and subsequent surgery might be considered to prevent clinical sequela. To our knowledge, a lumbar Tarlov cyst presenting as a giant abdominal cyst in an infant has not been reported in the English-language literature.

Five-Level Posterior Total En Bloc Spondylectomy of Severe Myelomeningocele Kyphosis.

BACKGROUND: In this case report we discuss a case of thoracolumbar kyphectomy associated with myelomeningocoele. To our knowledge, no such total spondylectomy and fascinating alignment, with no skin defect on the outcome, has been reported in the literature. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 15-year-old paraplegic girl, suffering from severe kyphosis, was not able to sit in a wheelchair. Her lumbar myelomeningocele was repaired perinatally. Surgery reduced the 137-degree angle deformity to a 30-degree kyphosis. At 12-month follow-up, the fusion consolidated as shown on the computed tomography scans and the instruments were good position with a 5-degree correction loss. CONCLUSIONS: In most cases of kyphosis, anterior wedging occurs in the vertebral body where the apex of the deformity is located. In our patient kyphosis had a round curve with no definite apex that could be marked out. These deformities demand special attention regarding the surgical techniques and postoperative course.

17-Year-Delayed Fistula Formation After Elective Spinal Instrumentation: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: A late-developing infection after an uneventful initial spinal instrumentation procedure is rare. Delayed infection and new fistula formation have been reported from a few months to 13 years. Here we report an unusual 17-year-delayed fistula formation after primary spinal instrumentation. The patient underwent hardware removal surgery with antibiotic therapy as a definitive treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: Here we report an unusual 17-year delayed fistula formation after primary spinal instrumentation due to spinal trauma. He was admitted to Ghaem General Hospital, a chief referral center, Mashhad, North-East of Iran in August 2014. The patient underwent hardware removal surgery with antibiotic therapy as a definitive treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Late inflammation may occur around spinal instruments and results in cutaneous fistula formation. After oral or intravenous antibiotic treatment, total device extraction is the cornerstone of treatment.

Remote transplantation of a third ventricle colloid cyst: case report.

The authors report the case of a 15-year-old girl with a third ventricle colloid cyst. She presented with prolonged headache, nausea, vomiting, and loss of visual acuity with bilateral papilledema. Computed tomography and MRI revealed severe biventricular hydrocephalus with transependymal periventricular fluid and a minimally enhancing cystic mass of the third ventricle. The patient was diagnosed with a colloid cyst and obstructive hydrocephalus, and endoscopic resection with ablation of the cyst remnant was performed. While attempting to extricate the cyst from the patient's head, control of the cyst was lost and the cyst fell into the lateral ventricle beyond the surgeon's view. Postoperative imaging showed that the cyst had settled in the right occipital horn. After 3 years of follow-up, imaging suggests growth of the cyst in its new position without necrosis or displacement on prone imaging.

Transvenous embolization of a carotid cavernous fistula complicated by a hematoma at the tentorial edge.

Indirect (dural) carotid cavernous fistulae are generally treated by endovascular surgery primary transvenous embolization that is safe and effective. We describe here a case of a left indirect carotid cavernous fistula that presented with proptosis and eye redness. The patient underwent transvenous embolization of carotid cavernous sinus. The procedure was complicated by a haemorrhage from the cavernous sinus. The post procedural CT scan showed a haematoma at the tentorial edge. Precise diagnosis and prompt treatment could prevent severe complications.