The diagnostic value of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in distinguishing between subarachnoid hemorrhage and migraine.

OBJECTIVE: Migraine and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients present to emergency departments with the similar symptoms as headache, nausea, and vomiting. This study investigated whether the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could distinguish patients with SAH from those with migraine. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed after research ethics committee approval. Data were gathered from the ED and neurology clinics of a university hospital between January 2015 and January 2016, from patients with symptoms of headache (primarily), nausea and vomiting. One hundred and twenty one with SAH, 123 patients with migraine and 987 with other primary headache syndromes were considered. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios (NLR-1) were compared between groups on admission. In SAH patients NLR taken on the 24th-30th hour of admission (NLR-2) was compared to admission NLR. RESULTS: NLR values, showed that the median NLR values of SAH patients were significantly higher than migraine and other headaches group values (p<0.001; p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the NLR values of the migraine and control groups (p>0.05). An NLR cut-off value of 4.02 produced 85.95% sensitivity, 97.46% specificity, a 33.79 positive likelihood ratio (LR+), and a 0.14 negative likelihood ratio (LR-). A statistically significant increase was observed in median NLR-2 values compared to median NLR-1 values in SAH patients (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In this retrospective analysis, NLR distinguished patients with SAH from those with migraine. Presence of SAH should be evaluated from discharged and readmitted patients (with headache symptoms) when an increase in NLR between initial and readmission levels is observed.

Silent killer: A scalpel in the aortic wall after spinal surgery.

Iatrogenic vascular injury during lumbar spinal surgery is rare, but may lead to serious complications in unrecognized cases. Especially, injuries to aorta or its major branches may result in death unless diagnosed and treated immediately. We present a rare case of aortic injury with a scalpel in a 56-year-old male patient undergoing lumbar disk surgery. The vascular injury was successfully treated with open surgery. The post-operative period was uneventful and the patient was discharged in a healthy condition on the 8th day. This case once again reminds us that surgery is always open to complications and that early diagnosis and appropriate interventions are of paramount importance to overcome these complications.

May "Dubel" be a solution for pullout problem of the pedicle screws at osteoporotic spine?

AIM: To improve the strength of stabilization systems currently used in osteoporotic spinal fractures, essentially by increasing the fixation force of pedicle screws. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six human cadaveric vertebrae were used. Bone mineral densities of the specimens were measured with Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry in order to assess the osteoporosis. All vertebrae were found to be severely osteoporotic. Standard pedicle screws were applied to left pedicles of vertebrae. Pedicle screws reinforced by fixing plugs "Dubel" were applied to right pedicles of vertebrae. Afterwards the vertebrae were embedded in acrylic casts to prevent possible fracture of the osteoporotic vertebrae and to obtain a correct vertical pull-out vector. The biomechanical pullout tests were performed with biomechanical testing machine. Pullout forces in each group were recorded and compared with Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: The pedicle screws strengthened by "Dubel" were found to be four times stronger than the standard pedicle screws, in the osteoporotic human cadaveric vertebrae. CONCLUSION: "Dubel"-augmented pedicle screws may contribute to developing better stabilization systems for osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures needing surgery and in the revision of the previous fusion surgeries of the spine.

Coil embolization in 481 ruptured intracranial aneurysms: angiographic and clinical results.

PURPOSE: We aimed to report our 13-year experience with the embolization of ruptured cerebral aneurysms using detachable coils and postembolization angiographic and clinical results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 1998 and September 2011, 481 patients with ruptured aneurysms were referred for endovascular treatment with detachable coils at our center. The technical feasibility, procedural complications, morbidity, mortality, and initial angiographic and clinical results were evaluated. RESULTS: Endovascular treatment was successful in 95.6% of the patients. Postembolization angiography showed complete occlusion in 63.4%, a neck remnant in 30.8%, and incomplete occlusion in 5.8% of the aneurysms. A total of 331 patients were followed up. The overall angiographic results showed stable occlusion in 234 aneurysms (70.7%) and recurrence in 97 aneurysms (29.3%). During the follow-up period, stable angiographic occlusion was evident in 75% of the small, 61% of the large, and 38.5% of the giant aneurysms. Complications during the coiling procedure occurred in 75 procedures (15.6%). Ischemic complications were observed in 33 procedures (6.9%), and perforation of the aneurysm during the coiling occurred in 12 cases (2.5%). Five (41.7%) of 12 patients who had perforation during coiling died. The overall procedure-related morbidity and mortality were 5.6% and 2%, respectively. During the follow-up period, two patients (0.4%) had early rebleeding. None of the patients showed late rebleeding. In the follow-up, the retreatment rate was 12.6%. CONCLUSION: Our data confirm the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of endovascular coil embolization in patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms.

Urethral protrusion of the abdominal catheter of ventriculoperitoneal shunt: Case report of extremely rare complication.

Hydrocephalus in its various forms constitutes one of the major problems in pediatric neurosurgical practice. The placement of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is the most common form of treatment for hydrocephalus, so that all neurosurgeons struggle with shunt malfunctions and their complications. Well-known complications are connected with the use of the valve systems (malfunction, infectious, overdrainage, secondary craniosynostosis, etc.). We report an unusual case of protruding abdominal catheter from the urethra. This girl had received a VP shunt for hydrocephalus following surgery of posterior fossa medulloblastoma 4 years ago. After admission, the entire system was removed, antibiotic treatment was administered for 2 weeks, and a new VP shunt was placed. The postoperative course was uneventful. This complication is extremely rare.

Recurrent lumbar spinal intradural enterogenous cyst: a case report.

Enterogenous cysts mostly present in the cervical and thoracic region of the spinal canal and have only rarely been observed in the lumbar region. We report here a case of a recurrent enterogenous cyst in the lumbar spinal canal. A 24-year old woman presented with lower back and left radicular leg pain for 1 year. She had been operated on for mass lesion at the same level 10 years ago. Lumbar spine MRI showed a large intradural cyst at L2. Other congenital abnormalities were absent. The cyst was subtotally removed and the patient recovered well. Pathological examination revealed that the lesion was a typical enterogenous cyst.