Pathophysiology and surgical treatment of spinal adhesive arachnoid pathology: patient series.

BACKGROUND: Spinal adhesive arachnoid pathology is a rare cause of myelopathy. Because of rarity and variability, mechanisms of myelopathy are unknown. The authors retrospectively analyzed patients to understand pathophysiology and provide implications for surgical treatment. OBSERVATIONS: Nineteen consecutive patients were studied. Thirteen patients had a secondary pathology due to etiological disorders such as spinal surgery or hemorrhagic events. They received arachnoid lysis (4 patients), syringo-subarachnoid (S-S) shunt (8 patients) with or without lysis, or anterior decompression. Three of them developed motor deterioration after lysis, and 6 patients needed further 8 surgeries. Another 6 patients had idiopathic pathology showing dorsal arachnoid cyst formation at the thoracic level that was surgically resected. With mean follow-up of 44.3 months, only 4 patients with the secondary pathology showed improved neurological grade, whereas all patients with idiopathic pathology showed improvement. LESSONS: The idiopathic pathology was the localized dorsal arachnoid adhesion that responded to surgical treatment. The secondary pathology produced disturbed venous circulation of the spinal cord by extensive adhesions. Lysis of the thickened fibrous membrane with preservation of thin arachnoid over the spinal veins may provide safe decompression. S-S shunt was effective if the syrinx extended to the level of normal subarachnoid space.

Sub-classification of apraxia of speech in patients with cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

Some studies have hypothesized that primary progressive apraxia of speech (ppAOS) consists of heterogeneous symptoms that can be sub-classified; however, no study has classified stroke-induced AOS (sAOS) and ppAOS according to common criteria. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the symptoms and relevant brain regions associated with sAOS and ppAOS for sub-classification. Participants included 8 patients with sAOS following lesions in the left precentral gyrus and/or underlying white matter, and 3 patients with ppAOS. All patients with sAOS could be classified into three subtypes: type I, with prominent distorted articulation; type II, with prominent prosodic abnormalities or type III, with similarly distorted articulation and prosodic abnormalities. This sub-classification was consistent with the subtypes of ppAOS proposed in previous reports. All patients with ppAOS were classified as type III, and exhibited three characteristics distinguishable from those of sAOS. First, they showed prominent lengthened syllables compared with the segmentation of syllables. Second, they could not always complete the production of multi-syllabic single words in one breath. Finally, they showed dysfunctional lesions in the bilateral supplementary motor area. We conclude that sAOS and ppAOS can be sub-classified and are universal symptoms that are common between the English and Japanese populations.

Impacts of pressure bonding fixation on a bone flap depression and resorption in patients with craniotomy.

Fixation of bone flaps after craniotomy is a routine part of every neurosurgical procedure. Common problems encountered are bone flap depression and resorption. Authors performed the pressure-bonding bone flap fixation (PBFF) using absorbable craniofix (AC) and hydroxyapatite wedge (HW). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of PBFF to prevent a bone flap depression and resorption in patients treated with craniotomy. Four-hundred fifty-four patients underwent craniotomies. Authors collected the following data: age, sex, type of craniotomy, what kind of surgery, whether bypass surgery was performed, whether surgery was the initial, whether AC and the HW were used, bone flap depression and resorption at 6-month after the craniotomy. PBFF was defined as a bone flap fixation using both AC and HW to impress a bone flap to forehead. The mean age was 62±13years and 404 (89%) patients were women. PBFF was performed in 71 patients (16%), either AC or HW was used in 141 (31%), only AC was used in 116 (25%), and only HW was used in 25 (5.5%). At 6-month after the surgery, a bone flap depression was seen in 38 patients (8.4%), and a bone flap resorption was seen in 66 (15%). Multivariate analysis showed that only a PBBF showed a negative correlation with bone flap depression (p=0.044) and resorption (p=0.011). The results of the present study showed that PBFF reduced a bone flap depression and resorption and provided excellent postoperative cosmetic results.

Occipital artery-to-posterior inferior cerebellar artery anastomosis with multiple-layer dissection of suboccipital muscles under a reverse C-shaped skin incision.

Although occipital artery (OA)-to-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) anastomosis is the most familiar reconstruction for posterior cerebral circulation, the procedure is considered difficult because of the anatomical complex course of OA and the depth of the operative field at the anastomosis site. Therefore, we attempted a safe and reliable method for OA-to-PICA anastomosis under multiple-layer dissection of suboccipital muscles and a reverse C-shaped skin incision. We reviewed the clinical records of patients who underwent OA-to-PICA anastomosis in our institute, and report the outcome with special emphasis on graft patency and surgical complications. Nine patients are described. In one patient the bypass was accomplished at the cortical segment of the PICA and in all others at the caudal loop. The average time for de-clamping the PICA was 29 min and 29 s. Although the overall graft patency rate was 100%, one patient showed a new medulla infarction at the time of post-operatory three-dimensional computed tomography angiography. Besides a secure OA-to-PICA anastomosis, this technique allows safe harvest of the OA and the creation of a shallow and wide anastomosis field.

[Carotid endarterectomy for high cervical internal carotid artery stenosis: study of 22 consecutive patients].

In general, carotid endarterectomy(CEA)for high cervical internal carotid artery(ICA)stenosis is considered a difficult technique. Among 132 patients who underwent CEA between May, 1996 and December, 2012 in our institute, 22 showed high cervical ICA stenosis. A wide operation field was obtained by wide range dissection of shallow anatomical structures without special techniques and the first cervical vertebra was palpable in all patients. All patients underwent CEA and adverse events occurred in 4 patients. We describe the technique and pitfalls of CEA for high cervical ICA stenosis from the anatomical viewpoint.

Hydrocephalus due to diffuse villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus.

An 8-month-old female presented with hydrocephalus caused by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) overproduction due to bilateral choroid plexus enlargement, which was clinically diagnosed as diffuse villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus, but differentiation from bilateral choroid plexus papilloma was difficult. She initially underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery, but developed marked retention of ascites. Therefore, the peritoneal end of the shunt was removed for external drainage, but excessive CSF (1,500 ml/day) was collected. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed marked symmetric enhancement of the choroid plexuses in the bilateral lateral ventricles. Thallium-201 chloride single-photon emission computed tomography showed pronounced uptake on both early and delayed images, and good washout. CSF examination revealed no abnormalities such as atypical cells, and a ventriculoatrial shunt was inserted, achieving good control of the hydrocephalus.

[A case of brain herniation due to delayed bone flap sinking].

Marked depression of the skin flap after external decompressive craniotomy, affecting the brain function, is known as sinking flap syndrome. However, to our knowledge, there have been no reports of delayed sinking of the entire bone flap after the procedure, inducing neurological symptoms. We encountered a patient with neurological symptoms due to sinking of the entire bone flap 15 years after the first operation. A 59-year-old male underwent clipping by craniotomy due to subarachnoid hemorrhage resulting from the rupture of a left internal carotid aneurysm 15 years earlier. He was discharged, but developed paresis in the right upper and lower limbs 6 months before symptom onset. CT showed sinking of the free bone flap, while MRI revealed left uncal herniation. After uncal resection and free flap fixation, the symptoms improved. This case confirmed the necessity of firm bone flap fixation at the time of cranial closure.