Asymptomatic Brain Abscess Following Decompressive Craniotomy for Stroke - A Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature.

Stroke is a significant health problem in both developed and developing nations. The treatment strategies of stroke differ among various centers depending on the available expertise. Nevertheless, stroke contributes to a major economic burden for patients and health institutions. The recovery period after stroke is a critical period wherein various complications can develop in survivors. Among these multiple complications, the formation of brain abscess in the infarcted brain tissue is rare and less well described in the literature. Fever or signs of raised intracranial pressure are the usual manifestation of poststroke brain abscess. We present two unique cases of large brain abscess in patients who survived a malignant stroke. Both the patients were recuperating well after decompressive craniectomy for stroke without any signs of intracranial infection or raised intracranial pressure. Both the patients underwent open drainage of brain abscess, followed by delayed cranioplasty. There are only a few cases of brain abscess reported in the literature in patients who underwent decompressive craniectomy for stroke.

The Outcome of Medical Management of Chronic Subdural Hematoma with Tranexamic Acid - A Prospective Observational Study.

INTRODUCTION: The conservative management of Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is controversial. Many drugs have been tried in the conservative management of CSDH. Tranexamic acid (Txa) is one such drug in the armamentarium for conservative management of CSDH. We conducted a prospective observational study about treatment of CSDH with Txa. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted over three years. The clinical grading was assessed by the Markwalder grading system. All patients who were relatively and mildly symptomatic and willing for conservative management were recruited for the study. All patients were given Txa in the dosage of 750 mg/day in divided doses. The patients were followed up in the neurosurgery out-patient department. RESULTS: There were 27 patients with 30 CSDH during this period who were treated with Txa. There were 20 cases of primary CSDHs and 7 cases of recurrent CSDHs following surgery that were enrolled in the Txa group. The mean volume of treated CSDH was 135.62 ± 92.90 SD. The mean thickness of CSDH enrolled in the study was 14.31 ± 5.47 SD. The mean number of days the patients treated with Txa was 64.83 ± 24.8 SD. There were no complications in any of the patients. All patients had good resolution of the hematomas, and none of the hematomas progressed during conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: The conservative management of CSDH with Txa is both a safe and effective alternative in the absence of life-threatening symptoms.

Spontaneous Change in Density of Colloid Cyst: An Unusual Phenomenon.

BACKGROUND: Colloid cysts of the third ventricle are benign congenital lesions. They are at times totally asymptomatic or may be detected in the evaluation for headache, neurologic disturbances, or psychiatric disturbances. They may sometimes cause grave consequences such as coma or even sudden death. The radiologic appearance is unique and important for making decisions in the management. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report a patient with a colloid cyst who presented to us after sudden deterioration in consciouness. It was noted that he underwent brain computed tomography (CT) scan 10 months ago in the evaluation of headache. Compared with previous CT scan, there was a sudden change in the density and size of the colloid cyst with obstructive hydrocephalus. This unique change in the character of the colloid cyst occurred without any intervention. We discuss the possible etiologies behind this phenomenon along with a review of the literature. CONCLUSIONS: This case stands out remarkably because it is only the second case in literature with similar natural history.

Flying with Colloid Cyst: A Cautionary Note.

BACKGROUND: Colloid cysts are benign and rare tumors of the brain. The growth rates of these tumors are unpredictable. These cysts can increase in size and obstruct the cerebrospinal fluid pathways producing obstructive hydrocephalus. Consequently, this can manifest as acute severe headaches followed by deterioration in consciousness, or even sudden death in patients. Such remarkable episodes occurring in patients during air travel have been reported sparsely in the literature. CASE DESCRIPTION: In this report, we narrate the ordeal of a patient who had severe headache followed by loss of consciousness during his air travel. After his arrival, he was taken to a referral center where the diagnosis of a colloid cyst obstructing the cerebrospinal fluid pathway resulting in acute obstructive hydrocephalus was revealed. We analyze the physiologic effects of cabin pressure and high altitude on the intracranial pressure and present a brief review of the literature. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in cabin pressure during flight may play a role in worsening of intracranial pressure in patients with colloid cyst with marginal brain compliance.

A shunt lost in the mists of time.

Ventriculo peritoneal shunts offer promising results in the management of hydrocephalus. However, they are not without complications. Shunt migrations and extrusions have been reported plenty of times in the literature. Migration of both the proximal and distal catheter has been reported. However; entire shunt migrations are rare and can result in worsening of the clinical condition of the patient. We report a case of entire shunt migration in to the abdominal cavity which was diagnosed during her childhood 8 years after shunt surgery. The parents of the child were advised shunt removal and new shunt insertion but they did not agree to it and they lost follow-up. The patient attended neurosurgery outpatient clinic 24 years later for evaluation of traumatic brain injury, when this finding was incidentally detected. She remained asymptomatic for this condition during all these years. To our knowledge, such incidence of entire shunt migration being remaining asymptomatic for such a long duration has never been reported in the literature.

Hemilaminectomy for Spinal Cord Intradural Tumors: An Institutional Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Laminectomy is the workhorse of spinal cord tumor surgery. This procedure is not without the debilitating sequelae of postoperative pain and delayed kyphosis. Hemilaminectomy is an alternate option to laminectomy which offers the advantage of preserving the posterior supporting structures of the spine on the contralateral side. In this study, we analyze the outcome of hemilaminectomy clinically with improvement in pain scores and Nurick's grade as well as radiologically by assessing for the development of delayed kyphosis. We also discuss the technique and operative nuances of hemilaminectomy in intradural extramedullary tumors of the spinal cord. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with intradural spinal cord tumors were included in the study. All patients underwent unilateral hemilaminectomy (UHL) depending on the laterality of the tumor on the preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Preoperative neurologic status was assessed with Nurick's grade for tumors involving the cervicothoracic region tumors, and visual analog scale scores were recorded for tumors of Thoracic, Lumbar and Lumbosacral regions. The postoperative outcomes were assessed by improvement in respective scales on follow-up. The occurrence of delayed spinal deformity was assessed by follow-up X-rays. Any complications whether intraoperative or postoperative were recorded. RESULTS: There were a total of 34 cases of intradural extramedullary tumors in this study. Patient population consisted of 11 males and 23 females. Total excision was achieved in 31 patients. In three patients, we were unable to achieve complete removal through UHL. In these patients the procedure was converted to total laminectomy. They were excluded from analysis. The distribution of the tumors was in cervical, cervicothoracic, thoracic, lumbar, and lumbosacral region. All patients presented with pain or varying degrees or neurologic deficits. Sixteen patients underwent UHL from the right side, while 18 from the left. There were no intraoperative complications. The neurological status and pain scores of all patients improved postoperatively at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. There was no radiological evidence of kyphosis of the involved segment. CONCLUSION: With a small learning curve, UHL is a good corridor for the removal of intradural extramedullary spinal cord tumors. This approach offers the advantage of less postoperative pain and no postoperative deformity.

Analysis and Clinical Importance of Skull Base Fractures in Adult Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Basal skull fracture (BSF) is rare in head injury (HI) patients and occasionally goes unnoticed which may lead to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula. With changing trends in HI, there is a need to reassess incidence and pattern of BSF pattern, CSF leak, meningitis, and management protocol, especially in this part of the world where detailed literature is lacking. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We closely followed adult patients admitted with BSF in our institute between January 2013 and December 2014. Associated clinical features were recorded. In case of CSF leak, detailed CSF study was done and patients were managed accordingly. Patients with persistent CSF leak were managed surgically. RESULTS: During the study period, 194 of 5041 HI patients had evidence of BSF (3.85%). BSF was most commonly associated with moderate-to-severe HI (73.19%). About 81.44% patients were male and 29.9% were <30 years. Most common cause was road traffic accident (84.54%). Isolated anterior cranial fossa (ACF) fracture was most common (50%). About 63.92% patients had raccoon eyes. Forty-three patients had CSF leak with CSF rhinorrhea being more common. Culture of only 5 patients suggested bacterial meningitis. CSF leak lasted for more than 10 days in 8 patients, of which 4 patients required surgical repair. CONCLUSIONS: BSF is rare in victims of HI. It is more common in young adult males. ACF fractures are most common in our setup. Clinical signs of BSF are supportive but not definitive; high resolution computed tomography head is gold standard to detect BSF. CSF leak is rare and most of the cases can be managed conservatively. Leak persisting more than 7-10 days has high risk of developing meningitis and likely to need surgical intervention.

The Conundrum of Ventricular Dilatations Following Decompressive Craniectomy: Is Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt, The Only Panacea?

INTRODUCTION: Ventriculomegaly and hydrocephalus (HCP) are sometimes a bewildering sequela of decompressive craniectomy (DC). The distinguishing criteria between both are less well defined. Majority of the studies quoted in the literature have defined HCP radiologically, rather than considering the clinical status of the patient. Accordingly, these patients have been treated with permanent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedures. We hypothesize that asymptomatic ventriculomegaly following DC should undergo aspiration with cranioplasty and be followed up regularly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with post-DC who were scheduled for cranioplasty and satisfied the radiological criteria for HCP were included. These patients were categorized into two groups. Group 1 included ventriculomegaly with clinical signs attributable to HCP and Group 2 constituted ventriculomegaly but no clinical signs attributable to HCP. All patients in Group 1 underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt followed by cranioplasty, whereas all patients in Group 2 underwent cranioplasty along with simultaneous ventriculostomy and temporary aspiration of the lateral ventricle. All patients were regularly followed as the outpatient basis. RESULTS: There were 21 patients who developed ventriculomegaly following DC. There were 10 patients in Group 1 and 11 patients in Group 2. The average duration of follow-up was from 6 months to 2 years. Two patients in the shunt group - (group 1) had over drainage and required revision. One patient in aspiration group - (group 2) required permanent CSF diversion. CONCLUSIONS: Cranioplasty with aspiration is a viable option in selected group of patients in whom there is ventriculomegaly but no signs or symptoms attributable to HCP.