Seven years of cranioplasty in a regional neurosurgical centre.

INTRODUCTION: In recent years craniectomy has been widely used in the management of traumatic brain injury and ischaemic stroke. The objective of this study was to evaluate the indications, techniques and outcomes for patients undergoing cranioplasty over a recent 7-year period in a geographically distinct population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational study was performed retrospectively, with review of case records from 2004 to 2011. Demographic, clinical and outcome data were collected, and complications were classified as major and minor. A multi-variant analysis was performed to identify patient and management factors that influenced outcome. RESULTS: Data were collected on a total of 87 cranioplasty patients with a median age of 42 and a mean follow-up time of 3 years and 10 months. The main indications for craniectomy were trauma (46%), infection (19%) intracranial haemorrhage (15%), tumour (13%) and ischaemic stroke (6%). Eight percent of patients had a synchronous craniectomy and cranioplasty, 14% had cranioplasty within 3 months of craniectomy, 21% within 3-6 months, 35% within 6-12 months, 14% over 1 year and 8% over 2 years later. The most frequently implanted cranioplasty material was titanium (53%), followed by autologous bone (26%) and acrylic (15%). Administration of prophylactic antibiotics was recorded in 97% of cases. Major complications occurred in 20% of patients, including 2 deaths (2%), 5 extradural haemorrhages (6%) and 9 infections (10%). A further 10% of cases experienced minor or cosmetic complications. CONCLUSIONS: Cranioplasty is often considered as a low-risk procedure following craniectomy. In our cohort, a 20% risk of major complications, including death, was identified. These findings contribute to the literature, emphasising that cranioplasty is a high-risk procedure. Whilst compelling reasons may guide the undertaking of craniectomy, it is essential that consideration is given to the significant subsequent risks of cranioplasty.

Are people who claim compensation "cured by a verdict"? A longitudinal study of health outcomes after whiplash.

This study examines whether the lure of injury compensation prompts whiplash claimants to overstate their symptoms. Claim settlement is the intervention of interest, as it represents the point at which there is no further incentive to exaggerate symptoms, and neck pain at 24 months is the outcome of interest. Longitudinal data on neck pain scores and timing of claim settlement were regressed, controlling for the effect of time on recovery, to compare outcomes in claimants who had and had not settled their compensation claims. The results show clearly that removing the financial incentive to over-report symptoms has no effect on self-reported neck pain in a fault-based compensation scheme, and this finding concurs with other studies on this topic. Policy decisions to limit compensation in the belief that claimants systematically misrepresent their health status are not supported empirically Claimants do not appear to be "cured by a verdict".

Pituitary apoplexy within a macroprolactinoma.

BACKGROUND: A 61-year-old lady was admitted to hospital with sepsis due to a urinary tract infection. Three days after admission, she suddenly started to have severe headache with visual disturbance and right third nerve palsy. Urgent magnetic resonance angiography excluded internal carotid artery aneurysm but showed a large lesion extending superiorly from the clivus towards the right cerebral peduncle, which was confirmed by a CT scan of the brain. The lesion was initially thought to be a primary or a metastatic brain tumor. CT scans of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis showed no evidence of metastatic disease. MRI scan revealed a huge pituitary adenoma containing hemorrhage. Subsequent pituitary function tests indicated a grossly elevated serum prolactin level and hypopituitarism. INVESTIGATIONS: Magnetic resonance angiography of the head; CT scans of the brain, thorax, abdomen and pelvis; MRI scan of the pituitary gland; and baseline and dynamic anterior pituitary function testing. DIAGNOSIS: Pituitary apoplexy within a macroprolactinoma. MANAGEMENT: Steroid replacement, careful control of fluid and electrolyte balance and conservative nonsurgical management with the dopamine agonist cabergoline resulted in resolution of the patient's headache, improvement of the third nerve palsy and subsequent normalization of the prolactin level, with reduction in size of the prolactinoma on MRI scan.

Research on injury compensation and health outcomes: ignoring the problem of reverse causality led to a biased conclusion.

OBJECTIVE: This study highlights the serious consequences of ignoring reverse causality bias in studies on compensation-related factors and health outcomes and demonstrates a technique for resolving this problem of observational data. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Data from an English longitudinal study on factors, including claims for compensation, associated with recovery from neck pain (whiplash) after rear-end collisions are used to demonstrate the potential for reverse causality bias. Although it is commonly believed that claiming compensation leads to worse recovery, it is also possible that poor recovery may lead to compensation claims--a point that is seldom considered and never addressed empirically. This pedagogical study compares the association between compensation claiming and recovery when reverse causality bias is ignored and when it is addressed, controlling for the same observable factors. RESULTS: When reverse causality is ignored, claimants appear to have a worse recovery than nonclaimants; however, when reverse causality bias is addressed, claiming compensation appears to have a beneficial effect on recovery, ceteris paribus. CONCLUSION: To avert biased policy and judicial decisions that might inadvertently disadvantage people with compensable injuries, there is an urgent need for researchers to address reverse causality bias in studies on compensation-related factors and health.

Persistent CSF Rhinorrhoea, Pneumocephalus, and Recurrent Meningitis Following Misdiagnosis of Olfactory Neuroblastoma.

A 41-year-old female patient was admitted with streptococcal meningitis on a background of 5-month history of CSF rhinorrhoea. Imaging revealed an extensive skull base lesion involving the sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses, the pituitary fossa with suprasellar extension and bony destruction. Histological examination of an endonasal transethmoidal biopsy suggested a diagnosis of olfactory neuroblastoma. A profuse CSF leak occurred and the patient developed coliform meningitis. A second endonasal endoscopic biopsy was undertaken which demonstrated the tumour to be a prolactinoma. Following endonasal repair of the CSF leak and lumbar drainage, she developed profound pneumocephalus. The patient underwent three further unsuccessful CSF leak repairs. Definitive control of the CSF leak was finally achieved through a transcranial approach with prolonged lumbar drainage. This case illustrates some of the potentially devastating complications which can occur as a consequence of complex skull base lesions. A multidisciplinary approach may be required to successfully manage such cases.