[Pathological neocortical findings in patients with medication-resistant medial temporal lobe epilepsy submitted to surgery]. / Hallazgos patológicos neocorticales en pacientes con epilepsia del lóbulo temporal medial farmacorresistente sometidos a cirugía.

INTRODUCTION: The dual pathology consisting of hippocampal sclerosis plus focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is often reported in patients with medication-resistant medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). AIMS: To determine the histopathological changes that take place in the neocortex of patients with medication-resistant MTLE submitted to surgery and to evaluate the relation between the histopathological changes, pathological background and the clinical course of patients who had received surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tissue obtained by en bloc resection from the neocortex of 18 patients with MTLE refractory to medical treatment was processed histologically and a tailored temporal lobectomy was performed with electrocorticography. RESULTS: Dual pathology was diagnosed in 13 patients (72.2%). Imaging studies confirmed the existence of mesial sclerosis of the temporal in 100% of cases and there was no evidence of neocortical lesions. Histologically, 46.15% and 38.46% of the patients were diagnosed as belonging to FCD type 1a and FCD type 1b, respectively. Only one patient presented FCD type 2a. A statistically significant relation was found between the presence of dual pathology and the existence of an early precipitating injury (p = 0.04). One year after surgery, 72.7% (8/11) patients with dual pathology were classified as belonging to Engel class I. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with MTLE there are microscopic FCD-type alterations in the neocortex. There is an association between these alterations and the existence of an initial precipitating injury. Complete resection of the epileptogenic area, which is guaranteed by the lobectomy tailored by electrocorticography, allows patients to enjoy a favourable post-surgical progression one year after surgery.

[Presentation of distal saccular aneurysm as a subdural haematoma]. / Aneurisma sacular distal presentándose como hematoma subdural.

INTRODUCTION: Intracranial aneurysms are one of the most frequent vascular diseases. Nevertheless, saccular aneurysms that are not due to an inflammatory aetiology, which are located in the peripheral segment of the posterior circulation, are extremely rare. They are most frequently located in the thickest arterial branches within the region of the anterior brain circulation, as is the case of the complex made up of the anterior cerebral artery posterior communicating artery, middle cerebral artery and posterior communicating artery. No clinical manifestations are produced in many of these aneurysms, and their rupture and the subsequent development of a subarachnoid haemorrhage is the cause of the most intense neurological damage, which on occasions can lead to fatal consequences. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a patient who was a carrier of distal aneurysm, located in the posterior region of the brain circulation, and also the neuroradiological findings, the form of clinical presentation and surgical treatment carried out, which allowed us to identify and close the afferent vessel and the resection of the aneurysmatic sac. CONCLUSION: From the presentation of the symptoms of this patient in the form of a subarachnoid haemorrhage, accompanied by a subdural haematoma, it could be inferred that these clinical and imagenological findings point to the rupture of a distal aneurysm. Application of the stereotactic approach would be one of the first choice treatments for aneurysms in the distal region if we bear in mind the characteristics of the afferent vessel, the size of the neck and the morphology of the sac

[Stereotaxic microsurgical resection of intracranial tumors guided by imaging and assisted by computer]. / Resección microquirúrgica estereotáxica de tumores intracraneales guiada por imagen y asistida por computadora.

INTRODUCTION: The microsurgical techniques for resection of intracranial lesions are limited where anatomical references do not exist or cannot be used as guides in the dissection of deeply located lesions or in more superficial eloquent areas. The stereotaxic guide, guided by imaging gives precise volumetric and geometric definition in intracranial lesions. Its application in the resection of intracranial tumors has special characteristics due to their biological condition and varied localization. OBJECTIVES: Spatial orientation during surgery is essential. We show this application of stereotaxic surgery in the Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica (CIREN) in La Havana, Cuba, between May 1994 and February 1988, describing 65 microsurgical operations done using stereotaxis in 62 patients with intracranial cerebral tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The procedure was divided into three stages: acquiring an image, computerized axial tomography and surgical planning, with the STASSIS planning system and microsurgical procedures, including systems of stereotaxis: Leksell, Micromar and Estereoflex. RESULTS: Of the total, 27 of these patients had glial tumors, 33 non-glial tumors and only 2 had non-neoplastic lesions of different sites and sizes. A total of 30 resections were done. Surgical morbidity was minimal and there was no surgical mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The main advantages of this method are: exact localization of the site for craniotomy, easy spatial orientation and ease in distinguishing the delimitation between the tumour and the healthy tissue. It has been shown that Estereoflex may be used in cerebral microsurgery.