Consensus statement from the international consensus meeting on post-traumatic cranioplasty.

BACKGROUND: Due to the lack of high-quality evidence which has hindered the development of evidence-based guidelines, there is a need to provide general guidance on cranioplasty (CP) following traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as identify areas of ongoing uncertainty via a consensus-based approach. METHODS: The international consensus meeting on post-traumatic CP was held during the International Conference on Recent Advances in Neurotraumatology (ICRAN), in Naples, Italy, in June 2018. This meeting was endorsed by the Neurotrauma Committee of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Neurotrauma, and several other neurotrauma organizations. Discussions and voting were organized around 5 pre-specified themes: (1) indications and technique, (2) materials, (3) timing, (4) hydrocephalus, and (5) paediatric CP. RESULTS: The participants discussed published evidence on each topic and proposed consensus statements, which were subject to ratification using anonymous real-time voting. Statements required an agreement threshold of more than 70% for inclusion in the final recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: This document is the first set of practical consensus-based clinical recommendations on post-traumatic CP, focusing on timing, materials, complications, and surgical procedures. Future research directions are also presented.

Social media for dissemination and public engagement in neurosurgery-the example of Brainbook.

BACKGROUND: Public engagement has become one of the most effective tools in gaining feedback and perspectives from members of the public, involving patients with decisions, and inspiring young people to carry the medical profession forwards. Brainbook is a multi-platform, social media-based resource that was created specifically to enhance public engagement in neurosurgery and results from one of its case discussions will be reported in this paper. METHODS: A Brainbook case was created in collaboration with the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Neurotrauma and presented over 3 days (23-25 February 2018). YouTube videos were created depicting the management of an acute subdural haematoma using patient interviews, medical illustration, consultant-led discussion and operative footage. Content was shared across all Brainbook social media platforms and analytics were gathered through social media applications. RESULTS: Over a 72-hour time period, and across multiple social media accounts, 101,418 impressions were achieved (defined as penetrance onto individual media feeds and total views of the content), with active discussion on social media. CONCLUSIONS: Neurosurgical content published across multiple social media outlets represents an encouraging and exciting potential for global engagement across multiple audiences. Social media can be an effective method of not only disseminating neurosurgical knowledge, but activating and engaging the public, allied healthcare professionals, medical students and neurosurgeons.

Anterior trans-frontal endoscopic management of colloid cyst: an effective, safe, and elegant way of treatment. Case series and technical note from a multicenter prospective study.

Different management options are available for the treatment of colloid cysts. Goals of those procedures are to achieve a complete resection avoiding potential long-term recurrence along with CSF pathways restoration with minimal morbidity and mortality. The two main surgical options are endoscopic resection or direct removal by either transfrontal or transcallosal approach. The efficacy of endoscopic technique to achieve gross total colloid cyst excision has been well documented. In the present study, authors describe a series of 29 patients who underwent surgery by a variation of the standard worldwide implemented endoscopic technique. Using a more anterior approach, it is easier to reach the roof of the cyst, its possible adherences with the tela choroidea, plexus, and the internal cerebral veins. The described approach has shown to be safe, quick, and very effective with a total cyst removal rate of 86.2%.

Adenoma, advanced adenoma and colorectal cancer prevalence in asymptomatic 40- to 49-year-old subjects with a first-degree family history of colorectal cancer.

AIM: First-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) have an increased CRC risk. Few studies have addressed if adenoma and advanced adenoma risk is increased among individuals, 40-49 years of age, with a family history of CRC. Therefore, the aim of the study was to define the prevalence and location of adenoma, advanced adenoma and CRC, according to age, in asymptomatic individuals with a family history of CRC. METHOD: Retrospective study of asymptomatic FDRs, 40 to ≥70 years of age undergoing first screening colonoscopy over a 3-year period, of CRC patients. RESULTS: Among 464 individuals studied, the prevalence of adenoma and advanced adenoma was 18.1% and 6.4%, respectively. According to age intervals, the prevalences of adenoma and advanced adenoma were 14% and 3.5%, respectively, in subjects 40-49 years of age; 14.4% and 6.3%, respectively, in subjects 50-59 years of age; 27% and 8%, respectively, in subjects 60-69 years of age; and 25% and 14%, respectively, in subjects ≥70 years of age; no significant difference was found among the four groups. No difference in lesion location was found, with similar numbers of preneoplastic lesions being present in the right colon and the left colon. CRC was diagnosed in three (0.64%) subjects, one of whom was in the 40-49 years age group. CONCLUSION: In our population of FDRs of CRC patients, 40-49 years of age, the prevalences of adenoma and advanced adenoma were similar to those observed in older subjects with the same CRC risk. Our data support the current indication to perform screening colonoscopy earlier than 45 years of age in subjects at high CRC risk.

Neuroendoscopic management of posterior third ventricle and pineal region tumors: technique, limitation, and possible complication avoidance.

The endoscopic approach has gained an increased popularity in recent years for the biopsy and, in selected cases, the removal of tumors of the posterior third ventricle and pineal region. The authors report their experience on a series of 20 patients discussing also the technical limitations and complication avoidance. This is a prospective study of 20 patients with posterior third ventricle and pineal region tumors surgically managed by endoscopic biopsy and/or excision and simultaneous third ventriculostomy. The removal of the lesion could be achieved in 12 cases whereas in 8, only a biopsy could be performed. A histological diagnosis could be obtained in all cases. No delayed third ventricular stoma failures were recorded in any patient at the latest follow-up (mean follow-up, 39 months). Severe postoperative complications were recorded in 2 out of 12 cases of tumor removal attempt and in zero out of eight cases of biopsy. A delayed (3 weeks) postoperative mortality occurred in a patient harboring a GBM that developed an intratumoral hematoma 48 h postoperatively, one patient was in a vegetative state. Transient postoperative complications included: nausea and vomiting (five cases) and diplopia (two cases). One patient developed a bilateral ophthalmoplegia that recovered within 6 months due to residual tumor hemorrhage. Higher rate of complications was found in the case of vascularized and/or larger lesions. Endoscopic management of posterior third ventricle lesions may represent an effective option. However, though biopsies remain often a safe procedure, tumor excision should be limited to highly selected cases (cystic, poorly vascularized, and/or smaller than 2.5-cm lesions).

Analysis of MGMT promoter methylation status on intraoperative fresh tissue section from frameless neuronavigation needle biopsy of 25 patients with brain tumor.

Formalin fixation under conditions that adversely affected the quality of the DNA, or indeterminant assay, or extensive tumor necrosis can compromise the genetic analysis of a brain bioptic sample. The success of DNA extraction and Methyl Guanine Methyl Transferase (MGMT) promoter methylation testing could be improved by freezing of fresh tumor tissue at the moment of biopsy. To ensure an increased concentration of the DNA samples the withdrawal should be performed in an area with high probability of neoplastic cells. From May 2007 to January 2011 fifty-two frameless neuronavigation brain needle biopsy were performed at the Neurosurgery Unit of the "Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova" City Hospital of Reggio Emilia. The "image-guided" neuronavigated protocol sampling provided withdrawal specimens highly correlated with neuroimaging characteristics of the lesions. In this study the Authors report the genetic analysis on 24 cases of freezing fresh tissue from brain needle bioptic sample starting from July 2008. The molecular determination of MGMT promoter was assessed with the Nested-Methylation Specific-Polymerase Chain Reaction on fresh or cryopreserved needle bioptic tissue. The genetic characterization was feasible in all the bioptic samples. The MGMT promoter was methylated in eleven patients, including a brain infection. The diagnostic yield of brain biopsy could be increased by the neuronavigated trajectories and the intraoperative frozen sections. In the future the availability of the molecular-genetic characterization of a brain tumor before open surgery will provide important information for the optimal treatment. The MGMT promoter status analysis on needle bioptic fresh tissue could be available also for that patient not eligible for surgical remotion of the tumor.

Detection of IDH1 mutations and the status of MGMT promoter on intraoperative fresh tissue section from frameless neuronavigation needle biopsy. Analysis on 17 patients with brain glial tumor ineligible for craniotomy and tumor resection.

It is well known that primary and secondary glioblastomas are histologically largely indistinguishable. Therefore, the detection of IDH1 mutations or the status of the MGMT promoter on a simple bioptic sample could be one of major diagnostic and prognostic importance for glial patients that complements clinical criteria for distinguishing secondary from primary glioblastomas and to predict a more favourable prognosis. Currently, biopsy is the method of choice to obtain tissue from intracranial lesions with uncertain neurodiagnostic findings or in deep locations, with a minimal invasive approach. The needle biopsy with frameless neuronavigation could provide a sampling with elevated diagnostic yield and high concentration of DNA, due to the "image-guided" computer assisted technique of needle insertion through the most neurodiagnostic representative tumor area. The freezing of fresh tumor tissue at biopsy could greatly improve the success of DNA extraction. The concentration of the DNA samples can also improved from a withdrawal in an area with high probability of neoplastic cells. The present study reports the results of 17 patients who had undergone frameless image-guided intracranial needle biopsy from April 2008 until July 2010 at Neurosurgery Unit of the "Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova" of Reggio Emilia. For these patients the molecular determination of MGMT promoter was assessed with the Nested-Methylation Specific-Polymerase Chain Reaction and the screening of mutations in IDH1 e IDH2 genes was performer by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing on fresh or cryopreserved needle bioptic tissue.

Observational approach to subjects with mild-to-moderate head injury and initial non-neurosurgical lesions.

BACKGROUND: The model of care for patients with mild-to-moderate head injury and CT-detected lesions that do not require an immediate intervention is a matter of debate. This study compared the effects on outcome of a model based either on observation in a neurosurgical unit (NSU) or in a peripheral hospital (PH), making use of neurosurgical expertise via a teleradiology system. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The investigation reviewed the data that was prospectively collected in 865 cases with mild-to-moderate head injury and positive CT scan, not needing immediate neurosurgical evacuation. Outcome was determined at 6 months. The predictive value of location of observation on outcome was evaluated by logistic regression, after adjustment for the propensity score to the type of observation (calculated on main entry variables). FINDINGS: 700 subjects had a mild head injury, 105 had a moderate injury with GCS 13-11 and 60 with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 10-9. Only 152/865 subjects (17.6%) were admitted to a NSU. During observation, neurosurgery was necessary in 117 cases (13.5%), 74/152 (48.7%) NSU-observed patients and 43/713 (6.0%; p<0.001) PH-observed cases. The outcome was unfavourable in 18% of the NSU cases versus 10% of the PH cases (p = 0.143). After correction for propensity, no significant differences were found between models of observation (NSU vs. PH; odds ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.49 to 1.75). INTERPRETATION: A model of care based on observation in PH with neurosurgical consult by teleradiology system, repeat CT scanning and transfer time 30-60 min to a NSU is not detrimental for subjects with initial non-neurosurgical lesions after mild-to-moderate head injury.

Early predictors of unfavourable outcome in subjects with moderate head injury in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Subjects with moderate head injury are a particular challenge for the emergency physician. They represent a heterogeneous population of subjects with large variability in injury severity, clinical course and outcome. We aimed to determine the early predictors of outcome of subjects with moderate head injury admitted to an Emergency Department (ED) of a general hospital linked via telemedicine to the Regional Neurosurgical Centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed, prospectively, 12,675 subjects attending the ED of a General Hospital between 1999 and 2005 for head injury. A total of 309 cases (2.4%) with an admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 9-13 were identified as having moderate head injury. The main outcome measure was an unfavourable outcome at 6 months after injury. The predictive value of a model based on main entry variables was evaluated by logistic regression analysis. FINDINGS: 64.7% of subjects had a computed tomographic scan that was positive for intracranial injury, 16.5% needed a neurosurgical intervention, 14.6% had an unfavourable outcome at 6 months (death, permanent vegetative state, permanent severe disability). Six variables (basal skull fracture, subarachnoid haemorrhage, coagulopathy, subdural haematoma, modified Marshall category and GCS) predicted an unfavourable outcome at 6 months. This combination of variables predicts the 6-month outcome with high sensitivity (95.6%) and specificity (86.0%). INTERPRETATION: A group of selected variables proves highly accurate in the prediction of unfavourable outcome at 6 months, when applied to subjects admitted to an ED of a General Hospital with moderate head injury.

Primary pituitary neuroendocrine tumor: Case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) originate from the diffuse neuroendocrine system. These can arise in almost every organ of the body, although they are most commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system. The skull base and sellar region are extremely rare sites for neuroendocrine carcinoma. Consequently, in this case, both diagnosis and definition of surgical goals, as well as further treatment strategies were challenging. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 65-year-old woman was admitted to our Neurosurgery Department with a rapidly progressive visus reduction, drowsiness, polyuria, and polydipsia. Neuroimaging showed a sellar/suprasellar mass (diameter of 2 cm) with a heterogeneous signal compressing the optic chiasm and extending laterally toward the cavernous sinus. Differential diagnosis based on imaging included pituitary macroadenoma or metastasis. The patient underwent endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery. A total resection of the mass was impossible because of the infiltration of the optic chiasm and the intraoperative histological diagnosis of malignant epithelial neoplasm. Further histological evaluation revealed that the lesion was a NET with no other primary or metastatic sites detectable. Subsequently, the patient was successfully treated with fractioned stereotactic radiotherapy and polychemotherapy. Four years after the surgery, follow-up magnetic resonance imaging showed stability of the residual disease. Neurologic examination revealed a complete visual recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Primary pituitary NET, though rare, should be included in the differential diagnosis of sellar lesions. A multimodality treatment approach is needed. Finally, the present case highlights, that in the case of a pituitary lesion infiltrating the optic chiasm, including NET, the endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal subtotal resection followed by fractioned stereotactic radiotherapy and chemotherapy may represent an effective and safe choice of treatment.

Decompressive craniectomy in traumatic brain injury: the randomized multicenter RESCUEicp study (www.RESCUEicp.com).

The RESCUEicp (Randomized Evaluation of Surgery with Craniectomy for Uncontrollable Elevation of intracranial pressure) study has been established to determine whether decompressive craniectomy has a role in the management of patients with traumatic brain injury and raised intracranial pressure that does not respond to initial treatment measures. We describe the concept of decompressive craniectomy in traumatic brain injury and the rationale and protocol of the RESCUEicp study.

Cerebral blood flow mapping in two different subtypes of intraparenchymal hemorrhagic traumatic lesions.

The pathogenesis and the viability of edematous tissue may be different in traumatic hematomas and traumatic contusions. We tested the hypothesis that mapping of regional Cerebral Blood Flow (rCBF) was different in these two subtypes of traumatic intraparenchymal lesions. We evaluated rCBF by means of Xenon-enhanced computerized tomography (Xe-CT) in 59 traumatic intracerebral lesions from 43 patients with severe head injury. One-hundred-nine intracerebral lesions/Xe-CT CBF measurements were obtained. The rCBF was measured in the hemorrhagic core, in the intralesional oedematous low density area and in a 1 cm rim of apparently normal perilesional parenchyma of both lesion subtypes. Not statistically significant lower rCBF levels were found in the edematous area of traumatic contusions. In traumatic hematomas rCBF levels were lower in the core than in the low density area, suggesting that rCBF in edematous area is marginally involved in the initial traumatic injury and that edema is probably influenced by the persistence of the hemorrhagic core. Conversely, in the traumatic contusions a difference in rCBF values was found between core, low density area and perilesional area, indicating that rCBF of the low density area is related to a concentrical distribution of the initial injury.

Isolated glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves palsy due to fracture involving the left jugular foramen.

This report describes a case of delayed post-traumatic glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves palsy (i.e. dysphonia and swallowing dysfunction). A high resolution CT study of the cranial base detected a fracture rim encroaching on the left jugular foramen. Treatment consisted in supportive measures with incomplete recovery during a one-year follow-up period. Lower cranial nerves palsies after head trauma are rare and, should they occur, a thorough investigation in search of posterior cranial base and cranio-cervical lesions is warranted. The presumptive mechanism in our case is a fracture-related oedema and ischemic damage to the nerves leading to the delayed occurrence of the palsy.

Defining acute mild head injury in adults: a proposal based on prognostic factors, diagnosis, and management.

The lack of a common, widely acceptable criterion for the definition of trivial, minor, or mild head injury has led to confusion and difficulty in comparing findings in published series. This review proposes that acute head-injured patients previously described as minor, mild, or trivial are defined as "mild head injury," and that further groups are recognized and classified as "low-risk mild head injury," "medium risk mild head injury," or "high-risk mild head injury." Low-risk mild injury patients are those with a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 15 and without a history of loss of consciousness, amnesia, vomiting, or diffuse headache. The risk of intracranial hematoma requiring surgical evacuation is definitively less than 0.1:100. These patients can be sent home with written recommendations. Medium risk mild injury patients have a GCS of 15 and one or more of the following symptoms: loss of consciousness, amnesia, vomiting, or diffuse headache. The risk of intracranial hematoma requiring surgical evacuation is in the range of 1-3:100. Where there is one computed tomography (CT) scanner available in an area for 100,000 people or less, a CT scan should be obtained for such patients. If CT scanning is not so readily available, adults should have a skull x-ray and, if this shows a fracture, should be moved to the "high-risk" category and undergo CT scanning. High-risk mild head injury patients are those with an admission GCS of 14 or 15, with a skull fracture and/or neurological deficits. The risk of intracranial hematoma requiring surgical evacuation is in the range 6-10:100. If a CT scan is available for 500,000 people or less, this examination must be obtained. Patients with one of the following risk factors--coagulopathy, drug or alcohol consumption, previous neurosurgical procedures, pretrauma epilepsy, or age over 60 years--are included in the high-risk group independent of the clinical presentation.

Intensive care management of head-injured patients in Europe: a survey from the European brain injury consortium.

OBJECTIVES: (a) to describe current practice in the monitoring and treatment of moderate and severe head injuries in Europe; (b) to report on intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure monitoring, occurrence of measured and reported intracranial hypertension, and complications related to this monitoring; (c) to investigate the relationship between the severity of injury, the frequency of monitoring and management, and outcome. METHODS: A three-page questionnaire comprising 60 items of information has been compiled by 67 centres in 12 European countries. Information was collected prospectively regarding all severe and moderate head injuries in adults (> 16 years) admitted to neurosurgery within 24 h of injury. A total of 1005 adult head injury cases were enrolled in the study from 1 February 1995 to 30 April 1995. The Glasgow Outcome Scale was administered at 6 months. RESULTS: Early surgery was performed in 346 cases (35%); arterial pressure was monitored invasively in 631 (68%), ICP in 346 (37%), and jugular bulb saturation in 173 (18%). Artificial ventilation was provided to 736 patients (78%). Intracranial hypertension was noted in 55% of patients in whom ICP was recorded, while it was suspected in only 12% of cases without ICP measurement. There were great differences in the use of ventilation and CPP monitoring among the centres. Mortality at 6 months was 31%. There was an association between an increased frequency of monitoring and intervention and an increased severity of injury; correspondingly, patients who more frequently underwent monitoring and ventilation had a less favourable outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In Europe there are great differences between centres in the frequency of CPP monitoring and ventilatory support applied to head-injured patients. ICP measurement disclosed a high rate of intracranial hypertension, which was not suspected in patients evaluated on a clinical basis alone. ICP monitoring was associated with a low rate of complications. Cases with severe neurological impairment, and with the worse outcome, were treated and monitored more intensively.

Asymptomatic acute bilateral epidural hematoma: results of broader indications for computed tomographic scanning of patients with minor head injuries.

The authors report the case of a patient with an apparently minor head injury in whom broader indications for computed tomographic (CT) scanning allowed the early detection and treatment of an acute bilateral extradural hematoma. CT scanning of adult patients with linear skull fractures should be done whenever possible.

Evolving brain lesions in the first 12 hours after head injury: analysis of 37 comatose patients.

From January 1, 1990, to April 30, 1994, 412 patients were admitted to our intensive care unit in coma after head injuries. Our study group consisted of 37 patients who were retrospectively identified as harboring lesions or developing new lesions within a 12-hour period from the time of admission. We defined the evolution of a lesion as an increase or decrease in the size of an already present hematoma or as the appearance of a totally new lesion. There were 25 male and 12 female patients (mean age, 34.9 yr), and the cause of trauma was road traffic accidents in 32 patients. Nine patients presented with shock, and six had evidence of abnormal coagulation at admission. Patients were divided into two different groups. In Group 1, 15 patients harbored lesions that evolved toward reabsorption. In Group 2, 22 patients harbored hematomas that evolved toward lesions requiring surgical removal. Fifteen of these patients had initial diagnoses of diffuse injury that evolved in this manner, whereas the remaining seven patients had already been operated upon and had developed second, noncontiguous, surgical lesions. Patients with lesions that required surgical evacuation had their computed tomographic (CT) scans obtained earlier and had a higher incidence of clinical deterioration. There was a significant difference in the evolution of the different lesions (P < 0.001), with subdural hematomas being more prone to reabsorption and intracerebral and extradural hematomas being more likely to increase in size or to appear as new lesions. Second CT scans were obtained because of clinical deterioration in 10 patients and because of increase in intracranial pressure in 5 patients. Scheduled CT scans were obtained in 13 patients, whereas in the remaining 9 patients, the diagnosis emerged from a combination of scheduled CT scans and intracranial pressure monitoring. There was a trend toward a poorer result among the patients with clinical deterioration, which, however, was not significant. A significant proportion of post-traumatic patients, particularly those who are unconscious, harbor early evolving intracranial lesions. When the first CT scan is performed within 3 hours after injury, a CT scan should be repeated within 12 hours.