A Bibliometric Analysis of the Top 50 Most Influential Articles on External Ventricular Drains.

OBJECTIVE: External ventricular drains (EVDs) are commonly used to remove cerebrospinal fluid and monitor intracranial pressure in patients with neurological dysfunction. Often the first invasive procedure learned in training, ventricular drain placement is the quintessential neurosurgical procedure. This bibliometric analysis highlights the top contributing EVD articles in current evidence-based practice. METHODS: The Scopus database was used to perform a title-specific, keyword-based search for all publications until September 2022. The keywords "external ventricular drain" or "EVD" or "external ventriculostomy" were used. The 50 most cited articles were selected for analysis. Parameters included the following: title, citation count, citations per year, authors, specialty of first author, institution, country of origin, publishing journal, Source Normalized Impact per Paper, and Hirsch index. RESULTS: The keyword-based search showed that 8464 articles on EVDs were published between 1991 and 2022. The top 50 articles were published between 1999 and 2019. The top 50 articles acquired a total of 3343 citations with an average of 66.86 citations per paper. The rate of self-citations accounted for an average of 5.16% of the total number of citations. A majority of the top 50 articles focused on EVD infection and placement accuracy. The first and second most cited papers were authored by Zabramski et al and Fried et al, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The bibliometric analysis provides a quantitative overview of how topics and interventions are analyzed in academic medicine. In the present study, we evaluated the global trends in EVDs by analyzing the top 50 most cited papers.

A Bibliometric Analysis of the Top 100 Most Influential Articles on Cerebral Cavernous Malformations.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) or cavernomas, are low-flow sinusoidal vascular anomalies of the central nervous system comprised of capillary networks filled with blood in various stages of thrombosis. This bibliometric analysis summarizes the most-cited articles on CCM and highlights the contributing articles to today's evidence-based practice. METHODS: In the execution of this bibliometric-based review article, the Scopus database was used to perform a title-specific, keyword-based search for all publications until June 2022. The keyword "cerebral cavernous malformations" OR "cerebral cavernous hemangioma" OR "cerebral cavernous angioma" OR "cerebral cavernoma." was used. Our results were arranged in descending order based on the article's citation count. The 100 most-cited articles were selected for analysis. Parameters included the following: title, citation count, citations per year, authors, specialty of first author, institution, country of origin, publishing journal, Source Normalized Impact per Paper, and Hirsch index were collected. RESULTS: The keyword-based search showed that 806 articles were published between 1974 and 2022 on CCMs. The top 100 articles were published between 1980 and 2018. The top 100 most cited articles collected a total of 12,928 citations with an average of 129.3 citations per paper. The rate of self-citations accounted for an average of 2.79% of the total number of citations. CONCLUSIONS: The bibliometric analysis provides a quantitative overview of how medical topics and interventions are analyzed in academic medicine. In the present study, we evaluated the global trends in CCMs by analyzing the top 100 most cited papers.

An Analysis of Landmark Articles Regarding Aneurysms of the Middle Cerebral Artery.

OBJECTIVE: Aneurysms located on the middle cerebral artery (MCA) range from 22% to 31.5% in prevalence of all aneurysms in the anterior cerebral circulation. This bibliometric analysis summarizes the most cited articles on MCA aneurysms and highlights the landmark publications that contributed to evidence-based practice. METHODS: In the execution of this bibliometric-based review article, the Scopus database was used to perform a title-specific, keyword-based search for all publications until August 2022. The keyword "(middle cerebral artery OR MCA) AND aneurysm" was used. Our results were arranged in descending order based on the citation count of the article. The 100 most cited articles were selected for analysis. Parameters included the following: title, citation count, citations per year, authors, specialty of first author, institution, country of origin, publishing journal, Source Normalized Impact per Paper, and Hirsch index. RESULTS: The keyword-based search showed that 1206 articles on MCA aneurysms were published up to August 2022. The top 100 articles were published between 1940 and 2019. The top 100 most cited articles collected a total of 6232 citations with an average of 62.3 citations per article. The rate of self-citations accounted for an average of 5.75% of the total number of citations. CONCLUSIONS: The bibliometric analysis provides a quantitative overview of how medical literature and interventions are analyzed in academic medicine. In the present study, we evaluated the global trends in research regarding MCA aneurysms by finding the top 100 most cited articles.

Ruptured aneurysm of the artery of Davidoff and Schechter: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: The artery of Davidoff and Schechter (ADS) is an uncommonly encountered meningeal branch originating from the posterior cerebral artery typically identified in the setting of pathology, often dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs). Here, the authors describe the first reported case of an ADS aneurysm, discovered in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and complicating a high-grade DAVF. OBSERVATIONS: A 57-year-old female presented after experiencing the worst headache of her life. Noncontrast computed tomography scanning of the head demonstrated SAH. Angiography revealed a high-grade DAVF centered around the anterior straight sinus, consistent with the Galenic subtype of tentorial DAVF. Predominant arterial supply was from the bilateral middle meningeal and occipital arteries. Vertebral artery imaging revealed a 12-mm irregular aneurysm. The prospect that the target artery represented the noneloquent ADS was confirmed by Wada testing. Given the fusiform nature of the aneurysm, treatment required concomitant coil embolization of the aneurysm and parent artery sacrifice. A week later, the DAVF was treated with liquid embolic. The patient tolerated treatment without neurological compromise. LESSONS: The authors describe the first reported case of an ADS aneurysm discovered in the setting of SAH complicating a high-grade DAVF and the lessons learned during our experience managing this unique pathology.

Treatment Options for Pseudoaneurysm After Carotid Endarterectomy: A Systematic Review and Illustrative Case.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to systematically review the management and outcomes of patients who developed pseudoaneurysm (PA) after carotid endarterectomy (postendarterectomy PA [PEPA]). METHODS: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from date of inception to June 2022. Studies were selected based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Simultaneously, a retrospective review was conducted of patients who underwent neurosurgical evaluation of suspected PEPA at our institution. RESULTS: Of the 321 articles in the original literature search, 62 were selected. A total of 143 patients (93 men, 27 women; mean age, 70.7 years) diagnosed with PEPA were included. Mean time from carotid endarterectomy to PA diagnosis was 41.8 months. Primary repair data were available for 135 patients, including 19 with primary closures, 112 with patch or graft repairs, and 4 with eversion procedures. Fifty-five patients with PA (39%) presented with infection. Staphylococcal species were the most common causative organism. Of infected PAs, 89.1% were treated with open procedures. Overall complication rates of PAs treated via open, endovascular, and hybrid methods were 31%, 15.4%, and 0%, respectively. Open ligation (42.9%) and aneurysmectomy with grafting (36.4%) resulted in the highest rates of complications. CONCLUSIONS: Despite higher complication rates after open repair strategies, use of these techniques remains a viable option in situations requiring removal of infected patches or evacuation of large extravascular collections. Endovascular treatment options are associated with low numbers of complications and can be considered for primary PEPA treatment when infection is not present.

Volume staged stereotactic radiosurgery and endovascular embolization in the treatment of cerebral proliferative angiopathy: lessons learned.

Purpose of the ArticleCerebral proliferative angiopathy (CPA) is a rare and recently characterized vascular malformation that is often mistaken for a large, diffuse arteriovenous malformation (AVM). However, distinguishing the two entities is critical, as while the diseases may appear similar on imaging, they are completely different entities. The most distinguishing features of CPA compared to AVM are the presence of normal functioning brain within the 'nidus' of the abnormality and the proliferative nature of the nidus. While the management of AVM is considered well understood, the management of CPA is unclear. Typical treatment may include conservative management, targeted embolization, and/or surgical revascularization.Materials and MethodsHere, we present a patient who was initially diagnosed with a large, diffuse AVM in the posterior fossa. Initially managed conservatively, the development of progressive, debilitating neurologic symptoms prompted treatment. We pursued staged endovascular intervention and improved her initial outlook. Thereafter, volume-staged stereotactic radiosurgery (VS-SRS) was pursued to attempt to achieve a definitive treatment.Results and ConclusionsUltimately, while the treatment proved successful clinically and radiographically, the post-treatment course was exceptionally challenging. In retrospect, it is clear the working diagnosis was incorrect, and CPA was the true diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first known application of this treatment approach for CPA. However, the post-treatment course and final clinical outcome likely reflect the important differences between AVM and CPA. For these reasons, we are cautious to recommend the treatment course as prescribed in this case but hope to highlight important lessons learned in managing this rare condition.