Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy for posterior fossa neoplasms.

PURPOSE: Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) has been increasingly used to treat a number of intracranial pathologies, though its use in the posterior fossa has been limited to a few small series. We performed a multi-institutional review of targets in the posterior fossa, reporting the efficacy and safety profile associated with laser ablation in this region of the brain. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients undergoing LITT in the posterior fossa was performed from August 2010 to March 2020. Patient demographic information was collected alongside the operative parameters and patient outcomes. Reported outcomes included local control of the lesion, postoperative complications, hospital length of stay, and steroid requirements. RESULTS: 58 patients across four institutions underwent LITT in the posterior fossa for 60 tumors. The median pre-ablation tumor volume was 2.24 cm3. 48 patients (50 tumors) were available for follow-up. An 84% (42/50) overall local control rate was achieved at 9.5 months median follow up. There were two procedural complications, including insertional hemorrhage and laser misplacement and 12/58 (21%) patients developed new neurological deficits. There was one procedure related death. The median length of hospital stay was 1 day, with 20.7% of patients requiring discharge to a rehabilitation facility. CONCLUSIONS: LITT is an effective approach for treating pathology in the posterior fossa. The average target size is smaller than what has been reported in the supratentorial space. Care must be taken to prevent injury to surrounding structures given the close proximity of critical structures in this region.

Safety and effectiveness of stereotactic laser ablation for epileptogenic cerebral cavernous malformations.

OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance (MR) thermography-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy, or stereotactic laser ablation (SLA), is a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery for focal epilepsy caused by cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs). We examined the safety and effectiveness of SLA of epileptogenic CCMs. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 19 consecutive patients who presented with focal seizures associated with a CCM. Each patient underwent SLA of the CCM and adjacent cortex followed by standard clinical and imaging follow-up. RESULTS: All but one patient had chronic medically refractory epilepsy (median duration 8 years, range 0.5-52 years). Lesions were located in the temporal (13), frontal (five), and parietal (one) lobes. CCMs induced magnetic susceptibility artifacts during thermometry, but perilesional cortex was easily visualized. Fourteen of 17 patients (82%) with >12 months of follow-up achieved Engel class I outcomes, of which 10 (59%) were Engel class IA. Two patients who were not seizure-free from SLA alone became so following intracranial electrode-guided open resection. Delayed postsurgical imaging validated CCM involution (median 83% volume reduction) and ablation of surrounding cortex. Histopathologic examination of one previously ablated CCM following open surgery confirmed obliteration. SLA caused no detectable hemorrhages. Two symptomatic neurologic deficits (visual and motor) were predictable, and neither was permanently disabling. SIGNIFICANCE: In a consecutive retrospective series, MR thermography-guided SLA was an effective alternative to open surgery for epileptogenic CCM. The approach was free of hemorrhagic complications, and clinically significant neurologic deficits were predictable. SLA presents no barrier to subsequent open surgery when needed.

The role of diffusion tensor imaging in spinal pathology: A review.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) allows for noninvasive, in vivo visualization of white matter fiber tracts in the central nervous system by measuring the diffusion of water molecules. It provides both quantitative and qualitative (i.e., tractography) means to describe a region-of-interest. While protocols for the use of DTI are better established in the brain, the efficacy and potential applications of DTI in spinal cord pathology are less understood. In this review, we examine the current literature regarding the use of DTI in the spinal cord pathology, and in particular its diagnostic and prognostic value in traumatic injury, spinal tumors, cervical myelopathies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis. Although structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has long been the gold standard for noninvasive imaging of soft tissues, DTI provides additional tissue characteristics not found in the conventional MRI. We place emphasis on the unique characteristics of DTI, its potential value as an adjunct imaging modality, and its impact on clinical practice.

Spinal cord ependymoma: a review of the literature and case series of ten patients.

Spinal cord ependymoma (SCE) is a rare tumor that is most commonly low-grade. Complete surgical resection has been established as first-line treatment and can be curative. However, SCEs tend to recur when complete tumor resection is not possible. Evidence supporting the use of adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy is not definitive. We review the most recent literature on SCE covering a comprehensive range of topics spanning the biology, presentation, clinical management, and outcomes. In addition, we present a case series of ten SCE patients with the goal of contributing to existing knowledge of this rare disease.

Rate of Reoperation Following Decompression-Only Procedure for Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis: A Systematic Review of Literature.

Background: Management of lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis with decompression-only procedure has been performed for its added benefit of a shorter duration of surgery, lower blood loss, and shorter hospital stay. However, reported failure rates for decompression-only procedures vary depending on the methods utilized for decompression. Hence, we aim to identify the failure rates of individual methods of decompression-only procedures performed for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Methods: An independent systematic review of 4 scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, clinicaltrials.gov, Web of Science) was performed to identify relevant articles as per the preferred reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines. Studies reporting on failure rates defined by reoperation at the index level following decompression-only procedure for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis were included for analysis. Studies were appraised using ROBINS tool of Cochrane, and analysis was performed using the Open Meta[Analyst] software. Results: The overall failure rate of decompression-only procedure was 9.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] [6.5-11.7]). Furthermore, open decompression had failure rate of 10.9% (95% CI [6.0-15.8]), while microendoscopic decompression had failure rate of 6.7% (95% CI [2.9-10.6]). The failure rate gradually increased from 6.9% (95% CI [2.0-11.7]) at 1 year to 7% (95% CI [3.6-10.3]), 11.7% (95% CI [4.5-18.9]), and 11.7% (95% CI [6.6-16.7]) at 2, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Single level decompression had a failure rate of 9.6% (95% CI [6.3-12.9]), while multilevel decompression recorded a failure rate of 8.7% (95% CI [5.6-11.7]). Conclusion: High-quality evidence on the decompression-only procedure for degenerative spondylolisthesis is limited. The decompression-only procedure had an overall failure rate of 9.1% without significant differences between the decompression techniques. Level of Evidence: Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Comparing Cortical Bone Trajectory and Traditional Pedicle Screws in Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Retrospective Cohort Study of One-Year Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: This is a retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) at a single institution. The objective of this study was to compare the long-term results associated with cortical bone trajectory (CBT) and traditional pedicle screw (TPS) via posterolateral approach in TLIF. METHODS: Consecutive patients treated from November 2014 to March 2019 were included in the CBT TLIF group, while consecutive patients treated from October 2010 to August 2017 were included in the TPS TLIF group. Inclusion criteria comprised single-level or two-level TLIF for degenerative spondylolisthesis with stenosis and at least one year of clinical and radiographic follow-up. Variables of interest included pertinent preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data. Non-parametric evaluation was performed using the Wilcoxon test. Fisher's exact test was used to assess group differences for nominal data. RESULTS: Overall, 140 patients met the inclusion criteria; 69 patients had CBT instrumentation (mean follow-up 526 days) and 71 patients underwent instrumentation placement via TPS (mean follow-up 825 days). Examination of perioperative and postoperative outcomes demonstrate comparable results between the groups with perioperative complications, length of stay, discharge destination, surgical revision rate, and fusion rates all being similar between groups (p = 0.1; p = 0.53; p = 0.091; p = 0.61; p = 0.665, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: CBT in the setting of TLIF offer equivalent outcomes to TPS with TLIF at both short- and long-term intervals of care.

Complication rate of overlapping versus nonoverlapping functional and stereotactic surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Overlapping surgery, in which one attending surgeon manages two overlapping operating rooms (ORs) and is present for all the critical portions of each procedure, is an important policy that improves healthcare access for patients and case volumes for surgeons and surgical trainees. Despite several studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of overlapping neurosurgical operations, the practice of overlapping surgery remains controversial. To date, there are no studies that have investigated long-term complication rates of overlapping functional and stereotactic neurosurgical procedures. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the 1-year complication rates and OR times for nonoverlapping versus overlapping functional procedures. The secondary objective was to gain insight into what types of complications are the most prevalent and test for differences between groups. METHODS: Seven hundred eighty-three functional neurosurgical cases were divided into two cohorts, nonoverlapping (n = 342) and overlapping (n = 441). The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scale score was used to compare the preoperative risk for both cohorts. A complication was defined as any surgically related reason that required readmission, reoperation, or an unplanned emergency department or clinic visit that required intervention. Complications were subdivided into infectious and noninfectious. Chi-square tests, independent-samples t-tests, and uni- and multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine significance. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in mean ASA scale score (2.7 ± 0.6 for both groups, p = 0.997) or overall complication rates (8.8% nonoverlapping vs 9.8% overlapping, p = 0.641) between the two cohorts. Infections accounted for the highest percentage of complications in both cohorts (46.6% vs 41.8%, p = 0.686). There were no statistically significant differences between mean in-room OR time (187.5 ± 141.7 minutes vs 197.1 ± 153.0 minutes, p = 0.373) or mean open-to-close time (112.2 ± 107.9 minutes vs 121.0 ± 123.1 minutes, p = 0.300) between nonoverlapping and overlapping cases. CONCLUSIONS: There was no increased risk of 1-year complications or increased OR time for overlapping functional and stereotactic neurosurgical procedures compared with nonoverlapping procedures.

The Utility of Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Resection of Cerebellar Hemispheric Pilocytic Astrocytomas: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The mainstay of treatment for cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas in the pediatric population is surgery. The use of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) as a surgical adjunct may lower the likelihood of reoperation. Studies have examined iMRI in heterogenous tumor populations, but few have looked at single pathologies. OBJECTIVE: To compare iMRI vs non-iMRI for hemispheric cerebellar pilocystic astrocytomas, specifically looking at revision surgeries and residual disease in follow-up. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records for 60 sequential patients with cerebellar hemispheric pilocytic astrocytoma at a single institution was conducted. Thirty-two patients with cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma underwent surgery without iMRI, whereas 28 patients underwent surgical resection with iMRI. All patients had at least 3-year follow-up. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the patient populations in age, tumor size, or need for cerebrospinal fluid diversion between groups. Operative time was shorter without iMRI (without iMRI 4.4 ± 1.3 hours, iMRI 6.1 ± 1.5, P = .0001). There was no significant difference in the patients who had repeat surgery within 30 days (9% without iMRI, 0% iMRI, P = .25), residual disease at 3 months (19% without iMRI, 14% iMRI, P = .78), or underwent a second resection beyond 30 days (9% without iMRI, 4% iMRI, P = .61). There were more total reoperations in the group without iMRI, although this did not reach significance (19% vs 4%, P = .11). CONCLUSION: For hemispheric cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas, iMRI tended to leave less residual and fewer reoperations; however, neither of these outcomes achieved statistical significance leaving utilization to be determined by the surgeon.

Revascularization Is Associated With a Reduced Stroke Risk in Patients With Sickle Cell-Associated Moyamoya Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Moyamoya syndrome refers to a progressive stenosis of the internal carotid arteries and can be associated with sickle cell disease. These codiagnoses result in severe risk for stroke, even in patients on optimal medical management. Surgical revascularization has been shown to be safe in small case series. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of revascularization with direct comparison to a medically managed control group within a single institution. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of medically managed vs surgically revascularized patients with moyamoya syndrome and sickle cell disease was conducted. Demographic data and outcomes including the number of prediagnosis, postdiagnosis, and postrevascularization strokes were collected. Risk factors for stroke were identified using a binary logistic regression model, and stroke rates and mortality between groups were compared. RESULTS: Of the 29 identified patients, 66% were medically managed and 34% underwent surgical revascularization (50% direct and 50% indirect). Calculated stroke rates were 1 per 5.37 (medical management), 1 per 3.43 (presurgical revascularization), and 1 per 23.14 patient-years (postsurgical revascularization). There was 1 surgical complication with no associated permanent deficits. No risk factors for stroke after time of diagnosis were found to be significant. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that revascularization is associated with a significant reduction in stroke risk, both relative to prerevascularization rates and compared with medical management. According to these findings, surgical revascularization offers a safe and durable preventative therapy for stroke and should be pursued aggressively in this patient population.

Telemedicine in Spine Surgery: Outcomes for 138 Patients With Virtual Preoperative Assessment Compared to Historical Controls.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has accelerated the use of telemedicine in all aspects of health care delivery, including initial surgical evaluation. No existing literature investigates the safety and efficacy of telemedicine to preoperatively evaluate spine surgery candidates. Our objectives were: (1) Compare the change in visual analogue scale (VAS) scores between the telemedicine preoperative visit and in-person preoperative visit groups. (2) Compare the average surgical time, estimated blood loss (EBL), length of hospital stay (LOS), rates of intraoperative complications, rates of readmission, and rates of reoperation between the telemedicine preoperative visit and in-person preoperative visit groups. METHODS: The previously stated metrics were collected for 276 patients, 138 who were exclusively evaluated preoperatively with telemedicine and 138 historical controls who were evaluated preoperatively in person. We used χ2 and independent samples t tests to determine significance. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the mean change in VAS scores (-2.7 ± 3.1 telemedicine vs. -2.2 ± 3.7 in-person, P = 0.317), mean percentage change in VAS scores (-40.5% ± 54.3% vs. -39.5% ± 66.6%, P = 0.811), mean surgical time (2.4 ± 1.4 hours vs. 2.3 ± 1.3 ours, P = 0.527), mean EBL (150.4 ± 173.3 mL vs. 156.7 ± 255.0 mL, P = 0.811), mean LOS (3.3 ± 2.4 days vs. 3.3 ± 2.5 days, P = 0.954), intraoperative complication rates (0.7% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.558), reoperation rates (7.9% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.208), or readmission rates (10.1% vs. 5.1%, P = 0.091) between the telemedicine preoperative visit and in-person preoperative visit groups. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative evaluation via telemedicine leads to the same short-term surgical outcomes as in-person evaluation with no increased risk of surgical complications.

Spinal Arachnoid Webs: Presentation, Natural History, and Outcomes in 38 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Spinal arachnoid webs are rarely described bands of thickened arachnoid tissue in the dorsal thoracic spine. Much is unknown regarding their origins, risk factors, natural history, and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To present the single largest case series, detailing presenting symptoms and outcomes amongst operative and nonoperative patients, to better understand the role of intervention. METHODS: This retrospective chart review identified 38 patients with arachnoid webs. Patient demographics, radiologic signs, symptoms, and surgical history data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Symptoms were divided by location and character. 28 patients were successfully contacted for follow up outcome surveys. RESULTS: 26 patients (68%) underwent surgical intervention, 12 (32%) were managed non-operatively. 15 (39%) patients had undergone a previous unsuccessful surgery at a different site for their symptoms prior to arachnoid web diagnosis. Commonly presenting symptoms included myelopathy (68%), focal thoracic back pain (68%), lower extremity weakness (45%), numbness and sensory changes (58%), and lower extremity radicular pain (42%), upper extremity weakness (24%), and radicular pain (37%). Focal thoracic pain was associated with thoracic level (P < .02). Myelopathic symptoms were less common in postoperative patients. Postoperative patients described significantly more upper extremity (P < .01) and thoracic (P < .01) numbness and paresthesias. Surveyed nonoperative patients universally described their symptoms as either stable or worsening. CONCLUSION: Spinal arachnoid webs present with thoracic myelopathy and back pain but can also present with upper extremity symptoms. Surgical intervention stabilizes or improves symptoms and is well received. Nonoperative patients do not spontaneously improve.

Complication Rates in Early Versus Late Cranioplasty-A 14-Year Single-Center Case Series.

BACKGROUND: Cranioplasty (CP) following decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a common neurosurgical procedure for cranial cosmesis and protection. There is uncertainty regarding the complication rates and potential benefits related to the timing of CP. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of the timing of CP on complication rates for different etiologies of DC. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of all CP cases between 2004 and 2018 for traumatic and nontraumatic indications of DC. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and complications were collected. Early and late CP were defined as replacement of the bone flap at ≤90 and >90 d following DC, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 278 patients were included, receiving 81 early and 197 late CPs. When analyzing all patients, early CP was associated with a statistically significant higher odds of any complication (odds ratio [OR]: 3.25, P < .001), reoperation (OR: 2.57, P = .019), hydrocephalus (OR: 6.03, P = .003), and symptomatic extra-axial collections (OR: 9.22, P = .003). Subgroup analysis demonstrated statistically significant higher odds of these complications only for the CP trauma subgroup, but not the nontrauma subgroup. The odds of complications postCP demonstrated a statistically significant decrease of 4.4% for each week after DC (Unit Odds Ratio [U-OR]: 0.956, P = .0363). CONCLUSION: In our retrospective series, early CP was associated with higher odds of postoperative complications compared to late CP in the trauma subgroup. Greater care should be taken in preoperative planning and increased vigilance postoperatively for complications with this potentially more vulnerable subpopulation. Future prospective controlled trials are needed to elucidate optimal timing for CP.

Feasibility and Morbidity of Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Stereotactic Laser Ablation of Deep Cerebral Cavernous Malformations: A Report of 4 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) has been used successfully to treat epileptogenic cortical cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM). It is unclear whether MRgLITT would be as feasible or safe for deep CCMs. OBJECTIVE: To describe our experience with MRgLITT for symptomatic deep CCMs. METHODS: Patients' records were reviewed retrospectively. MRgLITT was carried out using a commercially available system in an interventional MRI suite with efforts to protect adjacent brain structures. Immediate postoperative imaging was used to judge ablation adequacy. Delayed postoperative MRI was used to measure lesion volume changes during follow-up. RESULTS: Four patients with CCM in the thalamus, putamen, midbrain, or subthalamus presented with persistent and disabling neurological symptoms. A total of 2 patients presented with disabling headaches and sensory disturbances and 2 with recurrent symptomatic hemorrhages, of which 1 had familial CCM. Patients were considered by vascular neurosurgeons to be poor candidates for open surgery or had refused it. Multiple trajectories were used in most cases. Adverse events included device malfunction with leakage of saline causing transient mass effect in one patient, and asymptomatic tract hemorrhage in another. One patient suffered an expected mild but persistent exacerbation of baseline deficits. All patients showed improvement from a previously aggressive clinical course with lesion volume decreased by 20% to 73% in follow-up. CONCLUSION: MRgLITT is feasible in the treatment of symptomatic deep CCM but may carry a high risk of complications without the benefit of definitive resection. We recommend cautious patient selection, low laser power settings, and conservative temperature monitoring in surrounding brain parenchyma.

Telemedicine in the Evaluation and Management of Neurosurgical Spine Patients: Questionnaire Assessment of 346 Consecutive Patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective questionnaire study of all patients seen via telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic at a large academic institution. OBJECTIVE: This aim of this study was to compare patient satisfaction of telemedicine clinic to in-person visits; to evaluate the preference for telemedicine to in-person visits; to assess patients' willingness to proceed with major surgery and/or a minor procedure based on a telemedicine visit alone. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: One study showed promising utility of mobile health applications for spine patients. No studies have investigated telemedicine in the evaluation and management of spine patients. METHODS: An 11-part questionnaire was developed to assess the attitudes toward telemedicine for all patients seen within a 7-week period during the COVID-19 crisis. Patients were called by phone to participate in the survey. χ2 and the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum Test were performed to determine significance. RESULTS: Ninety-five percent were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their telemedicine visit, with 62% stating it was "the same" or "better" than previous in-person appointments. Patients saved a median of 105 minutes by using telemedicine compared to in-person visits. Fifty-two percent of patients have to take off work for in-person visits, compared to 7% for telemedicine. Thirty-seven percent preferred telemedicine to in-person visits. Patients who preferred telemedicine had significantly longer patient-reported in-person visit times (score mean of 171) compared to patients who preferred in-person visits (score mean of 137, P = 0.0007). Thirty-seven percent of patients would proceed with surgery and 73% would proceed with a minor procedure based on a telemedicine visit alone. CONCLUSION: Telemedicine can increase access to specialty care for patients with prolonged travel time to in-person visits and decrease the socioeconomic burden for both patients and hospital systems. The high satisfaction with telemedicine and willingness to proceed with surgery suggest that remote visits may be useful for both routine management and initial surgical evaluation for spine surgery candidates.Level of Evidence: 3.

Imaging of meningioma progression by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Often considered benign, meningiomas represent 32% of intracranial tumors with three grades of malignancy defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) histology based classification. Malignant meningiomas are associated with less than 2 years median survival. The inability to predict recurrence and progression of meningiomas induces significant anxiety for patients and limits physicians in implementing prophylactic treatment approaches. This report presents an analytical approach to tissue characterization based on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI TOF) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) which is introduced in an attempt to develop a reference database for predictive classification of brain tumors. This pilot study was designed to evaluate the potential of such an approach and to begin to address limitations of the current methodology. Five recurrent and progressive meningiomas for which surgical specimens were available from the original and progressed grades were selected and tested against nonprogressive high-grade meningiomas, high-grade gliomas, and nontumor brain specimens. The common profiling approach of data acquisition was compared to imaging and revealed significant benefits in spatially resolved acquisition for improved spectral definition. A preliminary classifier based on the support vector machine showed the ability to distinguish meningioma image spectra from the nontumor brain and from gliomas, a different type of brain tumor, and to enable class imaging of surgical tissue. Although the development of classifiers was shown to be sensitive to data preparation parameters such as recalibration and peak picking criteria, it also suggested the potential for maturing into a predictive algorithm if provided with a larger series of well-defined cases.

Tensor kernels for simultaneous fiber model estimation and tractography.

This paper proposes a novel framework for joint orientation distribution function estimation and tractography based on a new class of tensor kernels. Existing techniques estimate the local fiber orientation at each voxel independently so there is no running knowledge of confidence in the measured signal or estimated fiber orientation. In this work, fiber tracking is formulated as recursive estimation: at each step of tracing the fiber, the current estimate of the orientation distribution function is guided by the previous. To do this, second-and higher-order tensor-based kernels are employed. A weighted mixture of these tensor kernels is used for representing crossing and branching fiber structures. While tracing a fiber, the parameters of the mixture model are estimated based on the orientation distribution function at that location and a smoothness term that penalizes deviation from the previous estimate along the fiber direction. This ensures smooth estimation along the direction of propagation of the fiber. In synthetic experiments, using a mixture of two and three components it is shown that this approach improves the angular resolution at crossings. In vivo experiments using two and three components examine the corpus callosum and corticospinal tract and confirm the ability to trace through regions known to contain such crossing and branching.

Outcomes in Patients with Moyamoya Syndrome and Sickle Cell Disease: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Moyamoya syndrome, a progressive, idiopathic stenosis of the internal carotid arteries, results in increased risk for both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Revascularization procedures have been shown in small studies to be both safe and efficacious for these patients; however, randomized controlled trials are lacking. The goal of this systematic review is to organize the literature evaluating surgical intervention versus conservative medical management. METHODS: A systematic review was performed including studies with 3 or more participants with moyamoya syndrome in the setting of sickle cell disease and a measured outcome after either medical or surgical intervention. Relevant studies were identified using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria and a set of predetermined key words. RESULTS: Sixty-one articles were identified with 6 articles ultimately included in this review (N = 122). Of the patients, 73 (59.8%) were revascularized surgically (all indirect procedures), whereas 49 (40.2%) remained on chronic transfusion therapy. Of the patients that underwent indirect revascularization surgery, a total of 1 perioperative (1.4%) and 4 postoperative strokes (5.5%) were reported over 44 months (1 stroke per 53.3 patient-years). In comparison, an average of 46.5% of patients who were receiving chronic transfusions had major events (stroke or transient ischemic attack) while undergoing therapy (1 stroke per 13.65 patient-years, P = 0.00215). CONCLUSIONS: We present a large systematic review of the literature regarding outcomes of surgical and medical management for patients with moyamoya syndrome and sickle cell disease. The findings redemonstrate the efficacy and safety of surgical revascularization, and advocate for earlier discussion around surgical intervention.

Safety Profile and Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes of Stand-Alone 2-Level Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Case Series of 41 Consecutive Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The use of stand-alone 2-level anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) for degenerative lumbar disease has been increasing as an alternative to routinely augmenting these constructs with posterior fixation or fusion. Despite the potential benefits of a stand-alone approach (decreased cost and operative time, decreased pain and early mobilization), there is a paucity of information regarding these operations in the literature. This investigation aimed to determine the safety profile, radiographic outcomes including fusion rates, improvement in preoperative pain, and spinopelvic parameter modification, for patients undergoing stand-alone 2-level ALIF. METHODS: This retrospective case series involved a chart review of all patients undergoing 2-level stand-alone ALIF at a single tertiary hospital from 2008 to 2018. Data included patient demographics, hospitalization, complications and radiological studies. Visual analog scale (VAS) back and leg scores were measured via patient-administered surveys preoperatively and up to 18 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: Forty-one patients who underwent L4-S1 stand-alone ALIF were included. Sixteen (39%) of patients had undergone previous posterior lumbar surgery. Length of stay averaged 4.2 days. Complication rates were comparable to 1-level ALIF. Two patients required reoperation. Fusion rates were 100% for L4-5 and 94.4% for L5-S1. There was no significant change in lumbar lordosis (LL) or LL-pelvic incidence (PI), but there was improved segmental lordosis (SL) and disc height at L4-S1 on final follow-up imaging. There was also modest but statistically significant improvement in VAS back and leg scores. CONCLUSIONS: Stand-alone 2-level ALIF is an option for a surgeon to perform in the absence of significant instability, even in the setting of prior posterior surgery. These procedures increase SL and disc height, but do not have the same effect on LL or LL-PI.

Endovascular sacrifice of the proximal posterior inferior cerebellar artery for treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Ruptured aneurysms of the intracranial vertebral artery (VA) or posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) are challenging to treat as they are often dissecting aneurysms necessitating direct sacrifice of the diseased segment, which is thought to carry high morbidity due to brainstem and cerebellar stroke. However, relatively few studies evaluating outcomes following VA or proximal PICA sacrifice exist. We sought to determine the efficacy and outcomes of endovascular VA/PICA sacrifice. METHODS: A retrospective series of ruptured VA/PICA aneurysms treated by endovascular sacrifice of the VA (including the PICA origin) or proximal PICA is reviewed. Collected data included demographic, radiologic, clinical, and disability information. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were identified. Median age was 57 years (IQR 11); 15 were female. The Hunt and Hess grade was mostly 3 and 4 (18/21). Seven cases (33%) involved VA-V4 at the PICA take-off, and 14 cases (67%) involved the PICA exclusively. For VA pathology, V4 was sacrificed in all cases, while for PICA pathology, sacrificed segments included anterior medullary (4/14), lateral medullary (7/14), and tonsillomedullary (3/14) segments. Four patients went to hospice (19%). Twelve patients (57%) had evidence of stroke on follow-up imaging: cerebellar (8), medullary (1), and both (3). One patient required suboccipital decompression for brainstem compression. No aneurysm re-rupture occurred. Median discharge modified Rankin Scale score was 2.0 (IQR 2), which decreased to 1.0 (IQR 1) at median follow-up of 6.5 months (IQR 23). CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular sacrifice of V4 or PICA aneurysms may carry less morbidity than previously thought, and is a viable alternative for poor surgical candidates or those with good collateral perfusion.

Early Cranioplasty is Associated with Greater Neurological Improvement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cranioplasty after decompressive craniectomy is a common neurosurgical procedure, yet the optimal timing of cranioplasty has not been well established. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the timing of cranioplasty is associated with differences in neurological outcome. METHODS: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was performed using MEDLINE, Scopus, and the Cochrane databases for studies reporting timing and neurological assessment for cranioplasty after decompressive craniectomy. Pre- and postcranioplasty neurological assessments for cranioplasty performed within (early) and beyond (late) 90 d were extracted. The standard mean difference (SMD) was used to normalize all neurological measures. Available data were pooled to compare pre-cranioplasty, postcranioplasty, and change in neurological status between early and late cranioplasty cohorts, and in the overall population. RESULTS: Eight retrospective observational studies were included for a total of 528 patients. Studies reported various outcome measures (eg, Barthel Index, Karnofsky Performance Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Glasgow Coma Scale, and Glasgow Outcome Score). Cranioplasty, regardless of timing, was associated with significant neurological improvement (SMD .56, P = .01). Comparing early and late cohorts, there was no difference in precranioplasty neurological baseline; however, postcranioplasty neurological outcome was significantly improved in the early cohort (SMD .58, P = .04) and showed greater magnitude of change (SMD 2.90, P = .02). CONCLUSION: Cranioplasty may improve neurological function, and earlier cranioplasty may enhance this effect. Future prospective studies evaluating long-term, comprehensive neurological outcomes will be required to establish the true effect of cranioplasty on neurological outcome.