Delayed symptomatic cerebral vasospasm following vestibular schwannoma resection: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic cerebral vasospasm following posterior fossa extraaxial tumor resection is a rare phenomenon, with only 13 cases previously reported in the literature. The condition appears similar to vasospasm following supratentorial tumor resection, intraaxial posterior fossa tumor resection, and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The majority of patients were not evaluated for vasospasm prior to symptom onset, leading to a delay in diagnosis. OBSERVATIONS: The authors present their experience in a 56-year-old female who developed delayed cerebral vasospasm after excision of a solid-cystic vestibular schwannoma. Routine postoperative brain computed tomography showed evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage in the basal cisterns. She was discharged on the 9th postoperative day. On the 11th day after tumor excision, she developed left hemiparesis, dysarthria, and dysphagia and was readmitted. Angiography confirmed bilateral diffuse cerebral vasospasm. The patient responded to standard hyperdynamic therapy used for vasospasm secondary to aSAH. LESSONS: Symptomatic distant cerebral vasospasm after posterior fossa extraaxial tumor excision is a rare but challenging complication with a very high morbidity rate in reported cases. A high index of suspicion is required for early diagnosis and prompt management for a favorable outcome.

Post covid cerebral phaeohyphomycosis by Rhinocladiella mackenziei: An unusual association.

Cerebral phaeohyphomycosis (CP) is a rare but a highly morbid fungal infection of the central nervous system caused by the fungi belonging to the order Chaetothyriales, which includes Cladophialophora bantiana, Exophiala dermatitidis, Rhinocladiella mackenziei (RM) etc. This disease is associated with poor clinical outcomes, with reported mortality of over 80%. We present the case of a 65-year gentleman who developed CP secondary to RM infection following COVID-19 and the associated challenges in his medical and surgical management.

Safety and Efficacy of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for the Management of Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Retrospective and Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Medical management is the first line of care for patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN), and carbamazepine is the drug of choice used alone or in combination with other drugs. Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has been an established option in the management of refractory TN based on its noninvasiveness and robust safety profile. Our study aims to confirm the safety and assess the efficacy of GKRS in the management of TN. Material and Methods: A retrospective review of the patients with refractory TN treated with GKRS from 1997 to March 2019 by the senior author was carried out. Out of 194 eligible patients, detailed clinical information was not available in 41 patients. The remaining 153 patients' case files (post-GKRS cohort) were reviewed, and data obtained were collated, computed, and analyzed. An additional cross-sectional analysis was carried out telephonically in the post-GKRS cohort in January 2021 using Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain scoring, to obtain the long-term efficacy of GKRS in TN. Results: The majority of the patients (96.1%) received a radiation dose of 80 Gy. At 6 months, 94.8% of patients had satisfactory response to GKRS. Follow-up ranged between 1 and 7.5 years. The recurrence rate was 9.2% and the complication rate was 4.6%. Facial numbness was the commonest complication. No mortality was reported. The cross-sectional arm of the study had a response rate of 39.2% (60 patients). Adequate pain relief (BNI I/II/IIIa/IIIb) was reported in 85% of patients. Conclusion: GKRS is a safe and effective modality of treatment for TN without any major complications. Both short-term and long-term efficacies are excellent.

Bilateral blindness following flow diverter placement in a giant thrombosed cavernous carotid aneurysm: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: The best treatment option for giant intracranial aneurysms (GIAs) is still debated. The authors report a case of a giant thrombosed cavernous carotid artery (CCA) aneurysm for which two sessions of flow diverter (FD) placement failed, leading to bilateral blindness. OBSERVATIONS: A 66-year-old man presented to an outside center with a history of rapid-onset right-sided retro-orbital pain, visual deterioration, and restricted eye movements associated with headache, vomiting, and diminished sensations on the right side of the face. He was diagnosed with an unruptured thrombosed giant CCA aneurysm and was treated twice with unsuccessful FDs. At follow-up, he developed blindness in both eyes. After 1.5 years, he presented to the authors' institution with headache, vomiting, and epistaxis, for which he underwent high-flow external carotid artery-M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery bypass grafting using the radial artery as a conduit and ligation of the internal carotid artery in the neck without any added neurological deficits. LESSONS: This dreadful complication of bilateral blindness after being treated with repeated unsuccessful FDs has not been reported in the literature. It could have been avoided if microsurgery had been the primary modality of treatment.