Dural Venous Sinus Stent Placement Reduces Dosage Requirements for Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors in Patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

This retrospective single-center study evaluated the change in required dosage of acetazolamide and topiramate before and after dural venous sinus stent placement (VSSP) for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Adults diagnosed with IIH who failed optimized medical management and were treated with VSSP were included. This study comprised 55 patients who underwent VSSP for the diagnosis of IIH. The median preprocedural dosage of acetazolamide and topiramate was 1,000 mg (range, 500-4,000 mg) and 100 mg (range, 0-200 mg), respectively, among patients able to tolerate the medications. The median postprocedural dosage of acetazolamide and topiramate was 375 mg (range, 0-4,000 mg), with a mean reduction of 52.9% (P = .001), and 0 mg (range, 0-200 mg), with a mean reduction of 45.9% (P = .005), respectively. Dural VSSP significantly reduced dosage requirements for acetazolamide and/or topiramate, potentially reducing the morbidity secondary to medication side effects.

Parent vessel occlusion for treatment of cerebral aneurysms: Is there still an indication? A series of 17 patients.

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Flow diversion has allowed cerebrovascular neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists to treat complex, large aneurysms, previously treated with trapping, bypass, and/or parent vessel sacrifice. However, a minority of aneurysms remain that cannot be treated endovascularly, and microsurgical treatment is too dangerous. However, balloon test occlusion (macro and micro), micro WADA testing, ICG, intra-angiography and intra-operative monitoring are all available to clinically test the hypothesis that vessel sacrifice is safe. We describe a dual-institution series of aneurysms successfully treated with parent vessel occlusion (PVO). MATERIALS/METHODS: Prospectively collected databases of all endovascular and open cerebrovascular cases performed at Maine Medical Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center from 2011 to 2013 were screened for patients treated with primary vessel sacrifice. A total of 817 patients were screened and 17 patients were identified who underwent parent vessel sacrifice as primary treatment. RESULTS: All 17 patients primarily treated with PVO are described below. Nine patients presented with SAH, and 3/17 involved anterior circulation. Complete occlusion was achieved in 15/17 patients. In the remaining 2 patients, significant reduction in the aneurysm occurred. Modified Rankin Score (mRS) of 0, signifying complete independence, was achieved for 16/17 patients. One patient died due to an extracranial process. CONCLUSIONS: Parent vessel sacrifice remains a viable and durable solution in select ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Many adjuncts are available to aid in the decision making. In this small series, patients naturally divided into vertebral dissecting aneurysms, giant aneurysms and small distal aneurysms. Outcomes were favorable in this highly selected group.

Decompressive craniectomy for severe traumatic brain injury: clinical study, literature review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical and neurological outcome of patients who sustained a severe non-penetrating traumatic brain injury (TBI) and underwent unilateral decompressive craniectomy (DC) for refractory intracranial hypertension. DESIGN: Single center, retrospective, observational. SETTING: Level I Trauma Center in Portland, Maine. PATIENTS: 31 patients aged 16-72 of either sex who sustained a severe, non-penetrating TBI and underwent a unilateral DC for evacuation of parenchymal or extra-axial hematoma or for failure of medical therapy to control intracranial pressure (ICP). INTERVENTIONS: Review of the electronic medical record of patients undergoing DC for severe TBI and assessment of extended Glasgow Outcome Score (e-GOS) at 6-months following DC. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The mean age was 39.3y ± 14.5. The initial GCS was 5.8 ± 3.2, and the ISS was 29.7 ± 6.3. Twenty-two patients underwent DC within the first 24 h, two within the next 24 h and seven between the 3rd and 7th day post injury. The pre-DC ICP was 30.7 ± 10.3 and the ICP was 12.1 ± 6.2 post-DC. Cranioplasty was performed in all surviving patients 1-4 months post-DC. Of the 29 survivors following DC, the e-GOS was 8 in seven patients, and 7 in ten patients. The e-GOS was 5-6 in 6 others. Of the 6 survivors with poor outcomes (e-GOS = 2-4), five were the initial patients in the series. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with intractable cerebral hypertension following TBI, unilateral DC in concert with practice guideline directed brain resuscitation is associated with good functional outcome and acceptable-mortality.

Microparticles Impair Hypotensive Cerebrovasodilation and Cause Hippocampal Neuronal Cell Injury after Traumatic Brain Injury.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and extracellular signal-regulated kinases-mitogen activated protein kinase (ERK-MAPK) are mediators of impaired cerebral hemodynamics after fluid percussion brain injury (FPI) in piglets. Microparticles (MPs) are released into the circulation from a variety of cells during stress, are pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory, and may be lysed with polyethylene glycol telomere B (PEG-TB). We hypothesized that MPs released after traumatic brain injury impair hypotensive cerebrovasodilation and that PEG-TB protects the vascular response via MP lysis, and we investigated the relationship between MPs, tPA, ET-1, and ERK-MAPK in that process. FPI was induced in piglets equipped with a closed cranial window. Animals received PEG-TB or saline (vehicle) 30-minutes post-injury. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were sampled and pial arteries were measured pre- and post-injury. MPs were quantified by flow cytometry. CSF samples were analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MP levels, vasodilatory responses, and CSF signaling assays were similar in all animals prior to injury and treatment. After injury, MP levels were elevated in the serum of vehicle but not in PEG-TB-treated animals. Pial artery dilation in response to hypotension was impaired after injury but protected in PEG-TB-treated animals. After injury, CSF levels of tPA, ET-1, and ERK-MAPK were all elevated, but not in PEG-TB-treated animals. PEG-TB-treated animals also showed reduction in neuronal injury in CA1 and CA3 hippocampus, compared with control animals. These results show that serum MP levels are elevated after FPI and lead to impaired hypotensive cerebrovasodilation via over-expression of tPA, ET-1, and ERK-MAPK. Treatment with PEG-TB after injury reduces MP levels and protects hypotensive cerebrovasodilation and limits hippocampal neuronal cell injury.

Re-treatment rates after treatment with the Pipeline Embolization Device alone versus Pipeline and coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms: a single-center experience.

OBJECT The optimal strategy for use of the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED, ev3 Neurovascular) has not been clearly defined. The authors examined re-treatment rates after treatment with PED alone versus PED and adjunctive coil embolization (PED/coil). METHODS The authors retrospectively examined cerebral aneurysms treated with the PED from May 2011 to March 2014. Overall, 133 patients (25 men, 108 women; mean age 60.4 years, range 23-85 years) were treated for 140 aneurysms (mean size 11.8 ± 8.3 mm) requiring 224 PEDs (mean 1.7 PEDs per patient). Sixty-eight patients (13 men, 55 women) were treated with PED alone for 73 aneurysms (mean size 10.6 ± 9.2 mm) and 65 patients (12 men, 53 women) were treated with PED/coil for 67 aneurysms (mean size 12.8 ± 7.4 mm). RESULTS Eight aneurysms in 8 patients were re-treated in the PED-alone cohort versus only 1 aneurysm in 1 patient in the PED/coil cohort for re-treatment rates of 11.8% (8/68) and 1.5% (1/65), respectively (p = 0.03). Two patients in the PED-alone cohort were re-treated due to PED contraction, while the other 6 were re-treated for persistent filling of the aneurysms. The PED/coil patient experienced continued filling of a vertebrobasilar artery aneurysm. No aneurysms in either group ruptured after treatment. CONCLUSIONS Adjunctive coil embolization during flow diversion with the PED resulted in a significantly lower re-treatment rate compared with PED alone, suggesting an added benefit with adjunctive coil embolization. This result may provide the basis for future evaluation with randomized, controlled trials.

Endoscopic approaches to brainstem cavernous malformations: Case series and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic cavernous malformations involving the brainstem are frequently difficult to access via traditional methods. Conventional skull-base approaches require significant brain retraction or bone removal to provide an adequate operative corridor. While there has been a trend toward limited employment of the most invasive surgical approaches, recent advances in endoscopic technology may complement existing methods to access these difficult to reach areas. CASE DESCRIPTIONS: Four consecutive patients were treated for symptomatic, hemorrhagic brainstem cavernous malformations via fully endoscopic approaches (endonasal, transclival; retrosigmoid; lateral supracerebellar, infratentorial; endonasal, transclival). Together, these lesions encompassed all three segments of the brainstem. Three of the patients had complete resection of the cavernous malformation, while one patient had stable residual at long-term follow up. Associated developmental venous anomalies were preserved in the two patients where one was identified preoperatively. Three of the four patients maintained stable or improved neurological examinations following surgery, while one patient experienced ipsilateral palsies of cranial nerves VII and VIII. The first transclival approach resulted in a symptomatic cerebrospinal fluid leak requiring re-operation, but the second did not. Although there are challenges associated with endoscopic approaches, relative to our prior microsurgical experience with similar cases, visualization and illumination of the surgical corridors were superior without significant limitations on operative mobility. CONCLUSION: The endoscope is a promising adjunct to the neurosurgeon's ability to approach difficult to access brainstem cavernous malformations. It allows the surgeon to achieve well-illuminated, panoramic views, and by combining approaches, can provide minimally invasive access to most regions of the brainstem.

Cerebral hemodynamics at altitude: effects of hyperventilation and acclimatization on cerebral blood flow and oxygenation.

OBJECTIVE: Alterations in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral oxygenation are implicated in altitude-associated diseases. We assessed the dynamic changes in CBF and peripheral and cerebral oxygenation engendered by ascent to altitude with partial acclimatization and hyperventilation using a combination of near-infrared spectroscopy, transcranial Doppler ultrasound, and diffuse correlation spectroscopy. METHODS: Peripheral (Spo2) and cerebral (Scto2) oxygenation, end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2), and cerebral hemodynamics were studied in 12 subjects using transcranial Doppler and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) at 75 m and then 2 days and 7 days after ascending to 4559 m above sea level. After obtaining baseline measurements, subjects hyperventilated to reduce baseline ETCO2 by 50%, and a further set of measurements were obtained. RESULTS: Cerebral oxygenation and peripheral oxygenation showed a divergent response, with cerebral oxygenation decreasing at day 2 and decreasing further at day 7 at altitude, whereas peripheral oxygenation decreased on day 2 before partially rebounding on day 7. Cerebral oxygenation decreased after hyperventilation at sea level (Scto2 from 68.8% to 63.5%; P<.001), increased after hyperventilation after 2 days at altitude (Scto2 from 65.6% to 69.9%; P=.001), and did not change after hyperventilation after 7 days at altitude (Scto2 from 62.2% to 63.3%; P=.35). CONCLUSIONS: An intensification of the normal cerebral hypocapnic vasoconstrictive response occurred after partial acclimatization in the setting of divergent peripheral and cerebral oxygenation. This may help explain why hyperventilation fails to improve cerebral oxygenation after partial acclimatization as it does after initial ascent. The use of DCS is feasible at altitude and provides a direct measure of CBF indices with high temporal resolution.

Elderly patients with intracranial aneurysms have higher quality of life after coil embolization: a decision analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a decision analytic model to calculate outcomes after treatment of cerebral aneurysms in elderly patients. Neurosurgical clipping and endovascular coiling for both ruptured and unruptured aneurysms were compared with predicted health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after treatment. METHODS: A Medline search of articles published in English between 1995 and June 2012 was performed using key words: 'intracranial aneurysms', 'treatment', or various combinations of 'elderly', 'older', or 'decade'. Reports that met inclusion criteria used either the Glasgow Outcome Score or the modified Rankin Scale for outcomes, age >69, and intracranial aneurysm that was treated by endovascular coiling or surgical clipping. Data were collected by performing a comprehensive review of published reports. Meta-analysis (inverse variance-weighted, random effects) was used to calculate pooled values for probabilities and HRQoL. RESULTS: HRQoL was significantly higher for patients with coiled rather than clipped aneurysms in both ruptured (p<0.01) and unruptured (p<0.01) aneurysm groups. Periprocedural mortality rates were significantly lower among patients with a coiled, unruptured aneurysm than among patients with a clipped, unruptured aneurysm (p=0.032). Sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation for both ruptured and unruptured aneurysms showed that overall HRQoL was significantly higher in coiled than in clipped patients. CONCLUSIONS: As life expectancy increases, treatment of cerebral aneurysms in the elderly becomes more important. Given the results of this decision analysis and the continuous refinement in endovascular technology, embolization should strongly be considered as a first-line treatment for cerebral aneurysms in the elderly.

Critical assessment of complications associated with use of the Pipeline Embolization Device.

BACKGROUND: The Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) has become an important tool in the treatment of complex cerebrovascular pathology since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in April 2011. OBJECTIVE: To determine the overall complication rate (permanent and transient) associated with the use of this new device from a single institution. METHODS: We retrospectively examined a prospectively maintained database of our patients treated with the PED since its availability to the current time. 126 patients (24 men, 102 women; age range 14-83 years, mean 59.8 years) were treated for a total of 137 intracranial aneurysms, one cervical internal carotid artery dissection, one cervical vertebral artery dissection, and one carotid-cavernous fistula with a total of 217 PEDs (1.72 PED/patient). RESULTS: A total of 40 complications were experienced by 33 patients in our cohort. Four complications (4/126, 3.2%) in four patients were permanent, resulting in three deaths and one permanent disability. The other 36 complications (28.6%) occurred in 29 patients, all of whom went on to recover completely. The total complication rate associated with the use of the PED was 31.7% (40/126). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a low rate of permanent complications associated with the PED in this series, the total complication rate was high. This finding supports the conclusion that this device should be reserved for the most challenging aneurysms. Patients should be advised of this higher rate of transient periprocedural complications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRB#:14BN027 Q7.

Endovascular approaches to pial arteriovenous malformations.

Endovascular approaches to arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are often necessary to define and help treat these often complex lesions. Angiography provides important information to help plan surgical or radiosurgical approaches. Modern embolization techniques allow AVMs to be treated with the goals of making surgery safer and easier, eliminating high-risk features in patients with AVMs who are otherwise not candidates for treatment, and even potentially curing the patient of the lesion. Liquid embolic agents have significantly advanced what is possible with endovascular treatment of AVMs.

Response of brain oxygen to therapy correlates with long-term outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Brain oxygen (PbtO2) monitoring can help guide care of poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients. The relationship between PbtO2-directed therapy and long-term outcome is unclear. We hypothesized that responsiveness to PbtO2-directed interventions is associated with outcome. METHODS: Seventy-six aSAH patients who underwent PbtO2 monitoring were included. Long-term outcome [Glasgow Outcome Score-Extended (GOS-E) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS)] was ascertained using the social security death database and structured telephone interviews. Univariate and multivariate regression were used to identify variables that correlated with outcome. RESULTS: Data from 64 patients were analyzed (12 were lost to follow-up). There were 530 episodes of compromised PbtO2 (<20 mmHg) during a total of 7,174 h of monitor time treated with 1,052 interventions. Forty-two patients (66 %) survived to discharge. Median follow-up was 8.5 months (range 0.1-87). At most recent follow-up 35 (55 %) patients were alive, and 28 (44 %) had a favorable outcome (mRS ≤3). In multivariate ordinal regression analysis, only age and response to PbtO2-directed intervention correlated significantly with outcome. Increased age was associated with worse outcome (coeff. 0.8, 95 % CI 0.3-1.3, p = 0.003), and response to PbtO2-directed intervention was associated with improved outcome (coeff. -2.12, 95 % CI -4.0 to -0.26, p = 0.03). Patients with favorable outcomes had a 70 % mean rate of response to PbtO2-directed interventions whereas patients with poor outcomes had a 45 % response rate (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Response to PbtO2-directed intervention is associated with improved long-term functional outcome in aSAH patients.

Acquired arteriovenous fistula associated with traumatic oroantral fistula: endovascular treatment.

BACKGROUND: Oroantral fistulas are pathologic connections between the oral cavity and the maxillary sinus. Arteriovenous fistulas are abnormal connections between an artery and a vein with no intervening capillary network. METHODS: We present an extremely rare case of barotrauma-related oroantral fistula with an associated arteriovenous fistula between the internal maxillary artery and the ophthalmic venous system. RESULTS: The patient developed an oroantral fistula from barometric pressure changes in the setting of sinusitis. After closure and revision of the oroantral fistula, he developed proptosis and chemosis. Angiography revealed an arteriovenous fistula between the internal maxillary artery and the ophthalmic venous drainage system in the area of the oroantral fistula, which was treated with endovascular embolization. CONCLUSIONS: Arteriovenous fistulas may accompany oroantral fistulas created by trauma or surgery and should be considered in patients presenting with chemosis and proptosis. Treatment with embolization should be performed before surgical intervention.

Cost-effectiveness of confirmatory techniques for the placement of lumbar pedicle screws.

OBJECT: There is considerable variation in the use of adjunctive technologies to confirm pedicle screw placement. Although there is literature to support the use of both neurophysiological monitoring and isocentric fluoroscopy to confirm pedicle screw positioning, there are no studies examining the cost-effectiveness of these technologies. This study compares the cost-effectiveness and efficacy of isocentric O-arm fluoroscopy, neurophysiological monitoring, and postoperative CT scanning after multilevel instrumented fusion for degenerative lumbar disease. METHODS: Retrospective data were collected from 4 spine surgeons who used 3 different strategies for monitoring of pedicle screw placement in multilevel lumbar degenerative disease. A decision analysis model was developed to analyze costs and outcomes of the 3 different monitoring strategies. A total of 448 surgeries performed between 2005 and 2010 were included, with 4 cases requiring repeat operation for malpositioned screws. A sample of 64 of these patients was chosen for structured interviews in which the EuroQol-5D questionnaire was used. Expected costs and quality-adjusted life years were calculated based on the incidence of repeat operation and its negative effect on quality of life and costs. RESULTS: The decision analysis model demonstrated that the O-arm monitoring strategy is significantly (p < 0.001) less costly than the strategy of postoperative CT scanning following intraoperative uniplanar fluoroscopy, which in turn is significantly (p < 0.001) less costly than neurophysiological monitoring. The differences in effectiveness of the different monitoring strategies are not significant (p = 0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Use of the O-arm for confirming pedicle screw placement is the least costly and therefore most cost-effective strategy of the 3 techniques analyzed.

Temporal dynamics of microparticle elevation following subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECT: Microparticles (MPs), small membrane fragments shed from various cell types, have been implicated in thrombosis, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. Their involvement in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and the development of cerebral infarction and clinical deterioration caused by delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) remain ill defined. The authors sought to quantify the magnitude of elevations in MPs, delineate the temporal dynamics of elevation, and analyze the correlation between MPs and DCI in patients with SAH. METHODS: On the day of hemorrhage and on Days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 after hemorrhage, peripheral blood samples were drawn from 22 patients with SAH. Plasma samples were labeled with Annexin V and CD142, CD41a, CD235a, CD146, CD66b, or von Willebrand factor (vWF) and were quantified by flow cytometry. Clinical data, including the 3-month extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS-E) scores, infarction as measured on MRI at 14 days after SAH, and vasospasm as measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography and angiography, were collected and compared with the MP burden. RESULTS: When averaged over time, all MP subtypes were elevated relative to controls. The CD235a+(erythrocyte)-, CD66b+(neutrophil)-, and vWF-associated MPs peaked on the day of hemorrhage and quickly declined. The CD142+(tissue factor [TF])-associated MPs and CD146+(endothelial cell)-associated MPs were significantly elevated throughout the study period. There was a strong negative correlation between TF-expressing and endothelial-derived MPs at Day 1 after SAH and the risk of infarction at Day 14 after SAH. CONCLUSIONS: Microparticles of various subtypes are elevated following SAH; however, the temporal profile of this elevation varies by subtype. Those subtypes closely associated with thrombosis and endothelial dysfunction, for example, CD145+(TF)-associated MPs and CD146+(endothelial cell)-associated MPs, had the most durable response and demonstrated a significant negative correlation with radiographic infarction at 14 days after SAH. Levels of these MPs predict infarction as early as Day 1 post-SAH.

Hyponatremia following endoscopic third ventriculostomy: a report of 5 cases and analysis of risk factors.

OBJECT: Electrolyte and endocrinological complications of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) are infrequent but serious events, likely due to transient hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction. While the incidence of diabetes insipidus is relatively well known, hyponatremia is not often reported. The authors report on a series of 5 patients with post-ETV hyponatremia. METHODS: The records of patients undergoing ETV between 2008 and 2010 were reviewed. All ETVs were performed with a rigid neuroendoscope via a frontal bur hole, standard third ventricle floor blunt perforation, Fogarty catheter dilation, and intermittent normal saline irrigation. Postoperative MR images were evaluated for endoscope tract injury as well as the trajectory from the bur hole center to the fenestration site. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (20 male and 12 female) underwent ETV. Their median age was 6 years (range 3 weeks-28 years). Hydrocephalus was most commonly due to nontumoral aqueductal stenosis (43%), nontectal tumor (25%), or tectal glioma (13%). Five patients (16%) had multicystic/loculated hydrocephalus. Five patients (16%) developed hyponatremia between 1 and 8 days following ETV, including 2 patients with seizures (1 of whom was still hospitalized at the time of the seizure and 1 of whom was readmitted as a result of the seizure) and 3 patients who were readmitted because of decline in their condition following routine discharge. No hypothalamic injuries were noted on imaging. Univariate risk factors consisted of age of 2 years or less (p = 0.02), presence of cystic lesions (p = 0.02), and ETV trajectory angle 10° or more from perpendicular (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy is a well-tolerated procedure but can result in serious complications. Hyponatremia is rare and may be more likely in younger patients or those with cystic loculations. Patients with altered craniometry may be at particular risk with a rigid endoscopic approach requiring greater manipulation of subforniceal or hypothalamic structures.

Endoscopic, endonasal, transclival resection of a pontine cavernoma: case report.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Hemorrhagic, symptomatic cavernous malformations in the brainstem are difficult to access. Conventional approaches such as the transpetrosal approach often require significant brain retraction. We present the successful purely endoscopic, endonasal, transclival resection of a symptomatic cavernoma located in the ventromedial pons. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 17-year-old male patient presented with acute onset of headache, facial numbness, and tingling. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an enhancing lesion in the pons consistent with a cavernous malformation. Over the course of the next 3 weeks, the patient had 2 additional episodes of acutely worsening neurological deficits that left him with left-sided hemiparesis, a right sixth nerve palsy, and dysphagia. A purely endoscopic, endonasal, transclival approach was used to resect the cavernoma. Postoperatively, he had a transient worsening of his left-side motor function and restricted horizontal gaze, but at the last follow-up, his hemiparesis had improved and his magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a radiographic cure. He developed a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak despite prophylactic lumbar CSF drainage for 2 days and the use of bilateral vascularized nasoseptal flaps. The CSF leak was repaired with CSF diversion and a second surgical procedure; at the last follow-up, he had no recurrence of the leak. CONCLUSION: An endoscopic, endonasal, transclival approach is a novel and effective approach to cavernous malformations presenting to the ventral surface of the pons. Recently developed techniques for closure and repair of the skull base defect have minimized but have not eliminated the risk of CSF leak in these procedures.

Is aggressive treatment of traumatic brain injury cost-effective?

OBJECT: The object of this study was to determine whether aggressive treatment of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), including invasive intracranial monitoring and decompressive craniectomy, is cost-effective. METHODS: A decision-analytical model was created to compare costs, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of 3 strategies for treating a patient with severe TBI. The aggressive-care approach is compared with "routine care," in which Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines are not followed. A "comfort care" category, in which a single day in the ICU is followed by routine floor care, is included for comparison only. Probabilities of each treatment resulting in various Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) scores were obtained from the literature. The GOS scores were converted to quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), based on expected longevity and calculated quality of life associated with each GOS category. Estimated direct (acute and long-term medical care) and indirect (loss of productivity) costs were calculated from the perspective of society. Sensitivity analyses employed a 2D Monte Carlo simulation of 1000 trials, each with 1000 patients. The model was also used to estimate these values for patients 40, 60, and 80 years of age. RESULTS: For the average 20-year-old, aggressive care yields 11.7 (± 1.6 [SD]) QALYs, compared with routine care (10.0 ± 1.5 QALYs). This difference is highly significant (p < 0.0001). Although the differences in effectiveness between the 2 strategies diminish with advancing age, aggressive care remains significantly better at all ages. When all costs are considered, aggressive care is also significantly less costly than routine care ($1,264,000 ± $118,000 vs $1,361,000 ± $107,000) for the average 20-year-old. Aggressive care remains significantly less costly until age 80, at which age it costs more than routine care. However, even in the 80-year-old, aggressive care is likely the more cost-effective approach. Comfort care is associated with poorer outcomes at all ages and with higher costs for all groups except 80-year-olds. CONCLUSIONS: When all the costs of severe TBI are considered, aggressive treatment is a cost-effective option, even for older patients. Comfort care for severe TBI is associated with poor outcomes and high costs, and should be reserved for situations in which aggressive approaches have failed or testing suggests such treatment is futile.

Bioresorbable anterior cervical plate device for multi-level degenerative disc disease: case report with 8-year follow-up.

Anterior cervical decompression and fusion is most successful when bone graft is combined with stabilizing instrumentation. The use of bioresorbable anterior cervical plates has been reported recently instead of the traditional titanium plate. We report a novel application of a bioresorbable plate in the management of a 69-year-old Caucasian female with multi-level, long-standing cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The patient previously had a failed anterior fusion with allograft and titanium instrumentation, and due to worsening symptoms, she underwent a revision anterior fusion using a bioresorbable cervical plate and a fibular allograft, in conjunction with posterior fusion with metal instrumentation. Successful fusion is visualized on CT imaging at 8-year follow-up. To our knowledge this is the first report of long-term follow-up showing successful fusion with this technology.

A patient with thoracic intradural disc herniation.

Intradural disc herniation is a rare disease that occurs most commonly in the lumbar region, while fewer than 5% occur in the thoracic and cervical regions. We report a patient with thoracic intradural disc herniation at T12-L1 who presented with radiculopathy and motor weakness. The preoperative MRI did not demonstrate an intradural lesion, and it was identified intraoperatively by inspection and palpation of the thecal sac. The disc was removed, and the patient experienced good neurological recovery and remains pain free 1 year after surgery.