Practical method for hydroxyl-group protection using strontium metal and readily available silyl chlorides.

We have found that the etherification of silyl-protected secondary alcohols proceeds smoothly in the presence of strontium metal using silyl chloride instead of the expensive, yet more reactive, and commonly used silyl triflate. The reaction occurred almost completely with various alcohols.

[Endonasal endoscopic chiasmapexy for secondary empty sella syndrome following fenestration of a Rathke's cleft cyst].

Drainage by fenestration of the cyst wall via the transsphenoidal apporach is the most commonly used treatment for symptomatic Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC). The same procedure is usually adopted for recurrence of RCC. We have encountered a case of secondary empty sella syndrome presented with visual field defects after repeated surgery for RCC. Secondary empty sella syndrome following the surgery of RCC is rare. The condition was explained by the mechanism that the optic nerve adhered to the cyst wall and it was tethered downward as the cyst shrank after the surgery. We treated the patient via the endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal approach by placing holed silicone plates under the sellar floor to elevate the sellar contents and the optic nerve. Silicone plate is hard enough to support the sella and the small holes on it would facilitate drainage of the cyst contents. This method has proved useful as chiasmapexy for secondary empty sella syndrome after the surgery of RCC.

Endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal chiasmapexy with silicone plates for empty sella syndrome: technical note.

Silicone plates sutured together to form blocks were used for extradural elevation of the sella floor in two patients who underwent chiasmapexy for visual disturbance associated with empty sella syndrome. A 36-year-old woman had been treated for prolactinoma for about 19 years with bromocriptine and then presented with left visual disturbance. A 79-year-old man presented with right blurred vision of unknown cause other than empty sella. The sella turcica was accessed via the endonasal transsphenoidal approach under endoscopic guidance. The bony sellar floor was opened with a drill. Two or three pieces of 1-mm-thick silicone plate were sutured to make a block. Two or three blocks were inserted into the epidural space to elevate the sellar contents. Visual symptoms improved in both patients. Silicone is biocompatible and not absorbable. Silicone plates are elastic and easy to handle during insertion, but firm enough to support the sella. The elevation can be adjusted by changing the number of plates in the block. The endonasal endoscopic approach is minimally invasive and particularly suitable for transsphenoidal extradural chiasmapexy for empty sella syndrome.

Suture knot on the repair splint: a simple method to facilitate reconstruction of the sella turcica during endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. Technical note.

Reconstruction of the sellar floor after pituitary tumor removal is sometimes difficult because the repair graft is difficult to handle in the narrow space. This is especially problematic if the endonasal endoscopic approach is used. The authors devised a technique to facilitate this procedure by placing a suture knot on the repair splint. This allows the material to be grasped securely with forceps and improves manipulation even within the narrow nasal cavity. This technique has proved useful when performing the endonasal endoscopic approach, and it is also expected to be useful when conducting the conventional sublabial transsphenoidal approach.

[Pachymeningoencephalitis: case report].

A 59-year-old man presented with generalized convulsion. MR imaging demonstrated a homogeneously enhanced dural lesion infiltrating the parenchyma in the right parietal region. He had no history of sinusitis and the lesion a resembled malignant tumors, so surgical treatment was performed. The histopathological studies showed pachymeningitis extending to the cerebral parenchyma, so the diagnosis of pachymeningoencephalitis was made. After the operation, the patient had no neurological deficits and anticonvulsant therapy was continued. We report the third case of idiopathic local pachymenigoencephalitis that we could range extensively in the world. The clinical features and pathogenesis are discussed.

Repair of intractable cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea with mucosal flaps and recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor: technical case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Repair of a cerebrospinal fluid leak is not always easy, especially when a large fistula, with concomitant infection and injured mucosa, has developed from repeated transsphenoidal operations. We repaired such a sellar floor defect with mucosal flaps via the endonasal endoscopic approach and finally obliterated the fistula by promoting granulation-like tissue formation with recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old woman with intractable cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was referred to our department after repeated operations for a relapsing Rathke's cleft cyst. Endonasal endoscopic examination revealed a large bone defect on the sellar floor through which previously packed fat and fascia were exposed to the nasal cavity. INTERVENTION: Mucosal flaps were harvested endoscopically from the nasal septum and the superior and middle turbinates. These pedicled flaps were transposed to the sellar defect. The flaps survived but did not cover the whole area, resulting in gaps between the flaps through which cerebrospinal fluid still leaked. Recombinant bFGF was repeatedly applied endoscopically to the mucosal flaps. The flaps turned into granulation-like tissue, and complete mucosal covering was finally achieved. CONCLUSION: bFGF has a wide range of biological effects, including stimulation of fibroblast growth and promotion of angiogenesis. It accelerates wound healing and is used clinically to treat dermal ulcers. The method presented here to treat an intractable fistula with mucosal flap and recombinant bFGF may suggest a new clinical application of bFGF. This possibility should be examined in a large number of patients in the future.

Transaqueductal aspiration of pontine hemorrhage with the aid of a neuroendoscope. Technical note.

The authors advocate the use of a 1.7-mm fiberscope to evaluate a hypertensive bilateral tegmental pontine hemorrhage that has ruptured, in part, into the fourth ventricle. In applying this new technique, a fiberscope, which contains a guide tube in the working channel, is inserted into the aqueduct. After the endoscope has been removed, a silicone tube is slid along the guide tube. The hematoma is evacuated through the silicone tube and a potassium titanyl phosphate laser is used to achieve hemostasis.

Endoscopically assisted harvesting of the superficial temporal artery: technical note.

OBJECTIVE: We developed an endoscopic method for harvesting the superficial temporal artery (STA) through a small incision away from the artery. This method was used to harvest the frontal branch of the STA through an incision made along the parietal branch. METHODS: A 7-cm linear incision is made along the parietal branch of the STA. After the parietal branch has been exposed, the frontal branch is accessed through the incision with the use of an optical retractor and a 4-mm endoscope. The frontal branch is harvested subcutaneously, under endoscopic observation. Both branches of the STA are anastomosed to the middle cerebral artery via a small craniotomy made through the incision. This method was used for six patients who presented with ischemic symptoms attributable to hypoperfusion in the middle cerebral artery area. RESULTS: The frontal branch of the STA, measuring 6 to 8 cm, was harvested subcutaneously. The procedure required 30 to 60 minutes. The patency of the artery was verified with postoperative angiography. Hair loss or scalp necrosis was not noted for any patient. CONCLUSION: Our experience demonstrates that the STA can be harvested through a small incision distant from the artery. Postoperative scalp necrosis and hair loss can be avoided. This less-invasive method expands the use of the STA in revascularization surgery beyond the limitations imposed by its anatomic course.

Endoscopically aided retroperitoneal placement of a lumboperitoneal shunt. Technical note.

The authors developed a method for retroperitoneal placement of a lumboperitoneal (LP) shunt with the aid of endoscopic monitoring. To perform this procedure, the patient is positioned laterally, the retroperitoneum is entered and dilated with a balloon through a small incision in the flank, and the space is maintained with CO2 insufflation. A peritoneal catheter is introduced into the cavity from the lumbar incision, through which the spinal catheter has been inserted. With the aid of a percutaneous nephroscope inserted in the cavity, the peritoneum is opened with endoscopically guided forceps through the manipulation channel. The shunt tube is then inserted into the pelvic peritoneum with the same forceps. Only two small skin incisions are needed for this method, and the shunt system is shorter compared with the conventional LP setup, which may lessen the risk of obstruction. This method is advantageous in patients who have undergone previous abdominal surgery, because it provides access to the peritoneum without concern for the presence of peritoneal adhesions.

Osteomyelitis of the odontoid process associated with meningitis and retropharyngeal abscess--case report.

A 52-year-old man complaining of headache and nuchal pain was treated initially under a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. The meningitis resisted antibiotic therapy, and one week later was complicated by a ruptured retropharyngeal abscess, which led to the correct diagnosis of osteomyelitis of the odontoid process of the axis. His neck was immobilized in a high neck collar and the retropharyngeal abscess was treated by repeated drainage and irrigation. A long course of antibiotic administration finally resolved the infection. Osteomyelitis of the odontoid process is rare and presents with peculiar signs and symptoms. Careful consideration of the differential diagnosis is needed for the early detection of this potentially serious condition.

Endoscopic cranioplasty with calcium phosphate cement for pterional bone defect after frontotemporal craniotomy: technical note.

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative pterional depression is a minor but unpleasant sequela of frontotemporal craniotomy. We developed a simple method for repair of this condition with the use of an endoscope and calcium phosphate cement. METHODS: The cranial defect was approached by means of endoscopic visualization through a small incision within the hairline. The defect was repaired with an injectable calcium phosphate cement. RESULTS: The bone defect was easily accessed and readily repaired in all five patients. No adverse reactions to the implant were observed. Satisfactory cosmetic results were obtained in all patients treated with the use of this method. CONCLUSION: This minimally invasive cranioplasty technique proved to be effective for the repair of the postoperative pterional defect.

Headache associated with postpartum cerebral angiopathy: monitoring with transcranial color-coded sonography.

We report a case of postpartum cerebral angiopathy with headache; a rare entity that affects women within the early postpartum period. Cerebral angiography revealed multiple segmental narrowings of major cerebral arteries. The patient was monitored with transcranial color-coded sonography of the middle cerebral artery. Abnormally increased flow velocity within the middle cerebral artery decreased following initiation of steroid therapy, and the patient's headache improved dramatically.

[Extracorporeal ventriculoatrial shunt with the use of one-way ball valve].

We developed a simple system of an "extracorporeal" ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt using a one-way ball valve (Acty valve II, Kaneka Medix) to release the patient from postoperative constraint during the ventricular drainage. The system is constructed in such a way that the ventricular drainage tube is connected to the central venous catheter via a one-way valve. The CSF is regulated by using the valve and is diverted into the systemic circulation as in the conventional ventriculoatrial shunt. After 2 or 3 weeks of CSF diversion through the extracorporeal VA shunt, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt is placed if hydrocephalus is apparent by temporary occlusion of the system. We applied this system to 4 patients with hydrocephalus, and we found it useful and free from adverse effects. The patient was freed from physical constraint involved in conventional ventricular drainage and an effective program of early rehabilitation was able to be started.

Peritoneal shunt migration into the pulmonary artery--case report.

A 48-year-old man underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunting for hydrocephalus secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage due to left vertebral artery dissection, which had been successfully treated by trapping. The peritoneal catheter was correctly positioned via a right upper abdominal incision, and symptoms related to the hydrocephalus disappeared. One month later, the patient began to complain of pain on the right side of the neck. Chest radiography revealed that the peritoneal end of the catheter had migrated into the right pulmonary artery. The catheter route was explored through a small neck incision, and was found to enter the external jugular vein. The catheter was extracted and repositioned into the peritoneum. This type of shunt migration is quite unusual, but could be lethal by causing pulmonary infarction or arrhythmia. The catheter had probably entered the external jugular vein through a perforation caused by the shunt guide during the ventriculoperitoneal shunt operation. Follow-up radiography should be scheduled to detect such a complication.