Hearing Rehabilitation After Treatment of Sporadic Vestibular Schwannomas.

Background: Hearing preservation in vestibular schwannoma resection is a much-discussed topic in these times of functional preservation. Irrespective of the mode of treatment of large tumors, this becomes possible only in a lucky few. The overall burden of such deaf patients is on a rising trend, and therefore, it is high time neurosurgeons look into this often-neglected area of hearing rehabilitation. Objectives: In this review, the authors intend to provide a glimpse of available hearing rehabilitation modalities in the present era. Materials and Methods: : This review deals with both immediate and long-term hearing outcomes following both surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery for sporadic vestibular schwannoma and the need for hearing rehabilitation in these patients. Various databases, including PubMed, Medline/Medscape, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google Scholar were searched to find available literature on hearing rehabilitation after treatment of sporadic vestibular schwannoma. The searched MeSH terms were "Hearing", "Vestibular schwannoma", "Rehabilitation", and "Acoustic Neuroma", alone and in various combinations. Results: : The authors were surprised to find a paucity of literature. Even though neurosurgeons are at the forefront in managing vestibular schwannoma, they are not actively involved in hearing rehabilitation techniques possible for those who are rendered deaf following treatment. Conclusions: : The authors strongly believe that this review will be a wake-up call for neurosurgeons on a relatively untouched topic.

COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: A Cloud with a Silver Lining for the Road Traffic Accidents Pandemic.

Context: Effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown on road traffic accidents (RTAs) in Chhattisgarh, India. Background: Most neurosurgical emergencies are from brain and spine trauma. RTA is the leading cause of such injuries. While the nationwide lockdown was an extreme measure to control the COVID pandemic, it influenced the overall road traffic dynamics and neurotrauma. Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of the lockdown on neurotrauma. Methods and Materials: This retrospective study included all patients with brain and spine injuries who were admitted between January 17th and May 31st, 2020. The study population was divided into prelockdown (PL) and lockdown (L) groups. Results: Of the 668 patients, 436 were placed in the PL and 232 in the L group. The mean ages were 36.34 (SD = 17.96) and 35.98 (SD = 16.93), respectively. Male to female ratios were 82.3:17.7 in the PL group and 79.7:20.3 for the L group. RTA-related injuries were significantly lower during the lockdown period (n = 335 PL vs. 162 L [P = 0.048]). During the lockdown, there were more mild injuries (25.91% PL vs. 36.63% L) and less severe injuries (33.25% PL vs. 18.96% L [P = 0.0002]). Mortality was significantly less (P = 0.029) during the lockdown (n = 48 L vs. 124 PL). The proportion of RTA-related neurotrauma cases increased (33.33% L1, 57.14% L2, 73.13% L3, and 80.39% L4) with each phase of lockdown (L1-L4). Conclusions: During the lockdown period, the number of trauma cases had decreased, with a significant decrease in RTA-related admissions, along with their severity and mortality. The number of trauma cases and their severity increased gradually with each phase of lockdown.

Endoscopic Anatomy of Lateral and Third Ventricles: A must Know for Performing Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy is a safe alternative to ventriculo-peritoneal shunt for certain cases of obstructive hydrocephalus. It has the advantage of not leaving a permanent foreign body in-situ, besides preventing over-drainage and reducing chances of infection. A thorough knowledge of endoscopic anatomy of ventricles is a must for performing various endoscopic procedures. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the endoscopic anatomy of ventricles for educational purpose. PROCEDURE: ETV is done using a zero-degree LOTTA endoscope. Right Kocher's point is usually chosen as entry site into ventricle. The scope is negotiated into third ventricle through foramen of Monro. The premammillary membrane is perforated and dilated, thereby communicating the third ventricle to the chiasmatic, interpeduncular and prepontine cisterns. The video was recorded on Karl Storz recording system. It was edited using Imovie software. Photographs labeling was done using Windows PowerPoint 2018. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic anatomy knowledge allows a neurosurgeon to perform ETV safely.

Rapid Spontaneous Resolution of the Acute Subdural Hematoma: Case Series and Review of Literature.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is an oft encountered entity in neurosurgery. While resolution of such thick SDHs usually takes time, certain cases of rapid spontaneous resolution have also been reported. This article attempts to review the pathophysiology, clinical and radiological features of such cases, as well as provide an insight into decision making for their management. METHODS: Electronic literature search was done to look for similar cases of spontaneous rapid resolution of ASDH. Five of authors cases have been described. Their clinical and radiological features along with those of cases from literature search were tabulated and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 44 relevant cases were included for analyses. Of these, 39 cases were from 33 articles found in existing literature and 5 cases were from author's collection. The M:F ratio was 25:19 with a mean age was 41.84(SD-4.094) years. Twenty -six patients showed "Rapid" neurological improvement (24 hours) occurred in 10 patients. The mean hematoma resolution time on CT scan was 13.78 hours (SD 16.46) ranging from 1- 72 hours. Twenty-nine patients showed redistribution of hematoma, most commonly to tentorium and falx cerebelli. CT scan findings were classified into 5 types as per the nature of hypodensity around hematoma. The geometric mean time to resolution of hematoma was least for type 2 (7.27 hours) and type 1(7.52 hours) patients. CONCLUSION: Selected patients of ASDH with rapid neurological improvement and specific CT findings may show spontaneous resolution of ASDH. Multicentric studies with larger study population may provide better insight into the nature and outcomes of such entities.