Incidence and Recurrence of Deep Spine Surgical Site Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. OBJECTIVE: To determine a pooled incidence rate for deep surgical site infection (SSI) and compare available evidence for deep SSI management among instrumented spinal fusions. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Deep SSI is a common complication of instrumented spinal surgery associated with patient morbidity, poorer long-term outcomes, and higher health care costs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We systematically searched Medline and Embase and included studies with an adult patient population undergoing posterior instrumented spinal fusion of the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine, with a reported outcome of deep SSI. The primary outcome was the incidence of deep SSI. Secondary outcomes included persistent deep SSI after initial debridement, mean number of debridements, and microbiology. The subsequent meta-analysis combined outcomes for surgical site infection using a random-effects model and quantified heterogeneity using the χ 2 test and the I2 statistic. In addition, a qualitative analysis of management strategies was reported. RESULTS: Of 9087 potentially eligible studies, we included 54 studies (37 comparative and 17 noncomparative). The pooled SSI incidence rate was 1.5% (95% CI, 1.1%-1.9%) based on 209,347 index procedures. Up to 25% of patients (95% CI, 16.8%-35.3%), had a persistent infection. These patients require an average of 1.4 (range: 0.8-1.9) additional debridements. Infecting organisms were commonly gram-positive, and among them, staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent (46%). Qualitative analysis suggests implant retention, especially for early deep SSI management. Evidence was limited for other management strategies. CONCLUSIONS: The pooled incidence rate of deep SSI post-thoracolumbar spinal surgery is 1.5%. The rate of recurrence and repeat debridement is at least 12%, up to 25%. Persistent infection is a significant risk, highlighting the need for standardized treatment protocols. Our review further demonstrates heterogeneity in management strategies. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to develop better evidence around deep SSI incidence and management in the instrumented thoracolumbar adult spinal fusion population.

Reoperation in adult patients with recurrent glioblastoma: A matched cohort analysis.

Background: Despite maximal safe cytoreductive surgery and postoperative adjuvant therapies, glioblastoma (GBM) inevitably recurs and leads to deterioration of neurological status and eventual death. There is no consensus regarding the benefit of repeat resection for enhancing survival or quality of life in patients with recurrent GBM. We aimed to examine if reoperation for GBM recurrence incurs a survival benefit as well as examine its complication profile. Methods: We performed a single-center retrospective chart review on all adult patients who underwent resection of supratentorial GBM between January 1, 2008 and December 1, 2013 at our center. Patients with repeat resection were manually matched for age, sex, tumor location, and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) with patients who underwent single resection to compare overall survival (OS), and postoperative morbidity. Results: Of 237 patients operated with GBM, 204 underwent single resection and 33 were selected for repeat surgical resections. In a matched analysis there was no difference in the OS between groups (17.8 ± 17.6 months vs 17 ± 13.5 months, P = .221). In addition, repeat surgical resection had a higher rate of postoperative neurological complications compared to the initial surgery. Conclusions: When compared with matched patients who underwent a single surgical resection, patients undergoing repeat surgical resection did not show significant increase in OS and may have incurred more neurological complications related to the repeat resection. Further studies are required to assess which patients would benefit from repeat surgical resection and optimize timing of the repeat resection in selected patients.

Management of deep surgical site infections of the spine: a Canadian nationwide survey.

Background: Deep surgical site infections after spinal instrumentation represent a significant source of patient morbidity and poorer outcomes. Given lack of evidence or guidelines on the variety of procedural options in the management of deep spine surgical site infections, the purpose of this survey was to document and investigate the use of these techniques across Canada. Methods: A 34-question survey evaluating surgical techniques for irrigation and debridement in postoperative thoracolumbar infection was distributed to Canadian adult spine surgeons. Results were analyzed qualitatively, and comparisons by specialty, years of training, and number of cases were completed using Fischer's exact tests. We defined consensus as >70% agreement. Results: We received 53 responses (62% response rate) from a comprehensive sample of Canadian adult spine surgeons. There was a consensus to retain hardware (80%) and interbody implants (93%) in acute infection, to retain interbody implants in chronic/recurrent infection (71%), and application of topical antibiotics in recurrent infection (85%). There was consensus on the use of absorbable suture to close fascia in acute (83%) and chronic (87%) infection. Eighty-five percent of surgeons used nonabsorbable materials such as Nylon or staples for skin closure in chronic infection, however, there was no consensus in acute infection. Surgeons varied significantly in type, volume and pressure of fluids, adjuvant solvents, graft management, use of topical antibiotics acutely, and the use of negative pressure wound therapy. Partial hardware exchange was controversial. Additionally, specialty or surgeon experience had no impact on management strategy. Conclusions: This survey demonstrates significant heterogeneity amongst Canadian adult spine surgeons regarding key steps in the surgical management of deep instrumented spine infection, concordant with scarce literature addressing these steps.

Seizures following cervical laminectomy and lateral mass fusion: case report and review of the literature.

Incidental durotomy can occur as a complication of spine surgery, which may potentially result in serious intracranial complications. We report a case of a 72 years old male with significant cervical spinal stenosis from C3 to C5 with spinal cord myelomalacia who underwent a posterior cervical decompression with instrumentation and fusion from C3-C5. An incidental dural tear was encountered during the surgery, with a sudden gush of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) managed intraoperatively. Unfortunately, he developed generalized tonic-clonic seizures subsequently in the immediate post-operative period. Computerized tomography (CT) scan was urgently done which revealed intracranial pneumocephalus, subarachnoid hemorrhage and a right acute subdural hematoma. This case illustrates the intracranial hemorrhage potential subsequent to iatrogenic dural tear and CSF leak manifested by generalized seizures. The repair of incidental durotomy should be done immediately to decrease the amount of CSF leak and prevent any devastating effects of intracranial hemorrhage. The mechanism of this type of bleeding, risk factors and appropriate management are discussed, along with a review of the literature.

Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Clinical Presentation, Assessment, and Natural History.

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of spinal cord injury and a major contributor to morbidity resulting from narrowing of the spinal canal due to osteoarthritic changes. This narrowing produces chronic spinal cord compression and neurologic disability with a variety of symptoms ranging from mild numbness in the upper extremities to quadriparesis and incontinence. Clinicians from all specialties should be familiar with the early signs and symptoms of this prevalent condition to prevent gradual neurologic compromise through surgical consultation, where appropriate. The purpose of this review is to familiarize medical practitioners with the pathophysiology, common presentations, diagnosis, and management (conservative and surgical) for DCM to develop informed discussions with patients and recognize those in need of early surgical referral to prevent severe neurologic deterioration.

Survey of lumbar discectomy practices: 10 years in the making.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar discectomy is a common spinal procedure. The purpose of this survey is to ascertain neurosurgeons' practices in the surgical management of one-level lumbar discectomies in the Canadian adult population and to determine changes over a 10-year period. METHODS: One-page questionnaire distributed electronically to neurosurgeons in Canada and results were compared with similarly completed survey from 2007. RESULTS: A total of 109 completed surveys were returned representing 43.8% response rate. This is compared to 112 completed surveys in 2007 reaching 64.4% response rate. Statistically significant differences between the two points in time were noted. There was an increase in spine fellowship training [26 (33.3%) 2017 vs. 15 (15.3%) 2007 (P=0.007)], use of pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [65 (83.3%) 2017 vs. 27 (27.6%) 2007] (P<0.001), use of intramuscular injection [58 (74.4%) 2017 vs. 43 (43.9%) 2007 (P<0.001)], use of both microscope and loupes [20 (25.6%) 2017 vs. 3 (3.1%) 2007 (P<0.001)], use of tubular retraction [26 (33.3%) 2017 vs. 12 (12.2%) 2007 (P=0.001)], use of fibrin glue for a durotomy [72 (92.3%) 2017 vs. 75 (76.5%) 2007 (P=0.007)]. There was an increased rate of same-day discharge in 2017 [46 (59.0%) vs. 18 (18.4%) 2007 (P<0.001)], and quicker return to work [62.8% in 6 weeks or less vs. 39.7% (P=0.003)]. No statistical differences were noted with pre-incision localization, pre-op antibiotics, pre-incision local anesthetic use, use of fat graft or epidural steroids. In either survey the majority would not perform lumbar discectomy on a patient whose primary complaint is back pain. CONCLUSIONS: Our survey identified changes in practice patterns amongst Canadian neurosurgeons with respect to performing one-level lumbar discectomy over the past 10 years. These changes include increased preference for minimally invasive surgical technique, same-day discharge and sooner return to work. Randomized trials would be helpful to provide evidence regarding which practices are associated with better outcomes.

The Role of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion on Relieving Axial Neck Pain in Patients With Single-Level Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the effects of anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) on axial neck pain in adult patients receiving surgery for myelopathy, radiculopathy, or a combination of both. METHODS: Two independent reviewers completed a librarian-assisted search of 4 databases. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores were extracted preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 48+ months postoperatively for ACDF groups and pooled using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Of 17 850 eligible studies, 37 were included for analysis, totaling 2138 patients analyzed with VAS and 2477 with NDI score. Individual VAS mean differences were reduced at 6 weeks (-2.5 [95% confidence interval (CI): -3.5 to -1.6]), 3 months (-2.9 [-3.7 to -2.2]), 6 months (-3.2 [-3.9 to -2.6]), 12 months (-3.7 [-4.3 to -3.1]), 24 months (-4.0 [-4.4 to -3.5]), 48 months (-4.6 [-5.5 to -3.8]), and >48 months (-4.7 [-5.8 to -3.6]) follow-up (P < .0001 for all endpoints). Individual NDI mean differences were reduced at 6 weeks (-26.7 [-30.9 to -22.6]), 3 months (-29.8 [-32.7 to -26.8]), 6 months (-31.2 [-35.5 to -26.8)], 12 months (-29.3 [-33.2 to -25.4]), 24 months (-28.9 [-32.6 to -25.2]), 48 months (-33.1 [-37.4 to -28.7]), and >48 months (-37.6 [-45.9 to -29.3]) follow-up (P < .0001 for all endpoints). CONCLUSIONS: ACDF is associated with a significant reduction in axial neck pain compared with preoperative values in patients being treated specifically for myelopathy or radiculopathy. This influences the preoperative discussions surgeons may have with patients regarding their expectations for surgery. The effects seen are stable over time and represent a clinically significant reduction in axial neck pain.

Patients' Attitudes Toward Nonphysician Screening of Low Back and Low Back Related Leg Pain Complaints Referred for Surgical Assessment.

STUDY DESIGN: A questionnaire survey. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore patient attitudes toward screening to assess suitability for low back surgery by nonphysician health care providers. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Canadian spine surgeons have shown support for nonphysician screening to assess and triage patients with low back pain and low back related leg pain. However, patients' attitudes toward this proposed model are largely unknown. METHODS: We administered a 19-item cross-sectional survey to adults with low back and/or low back related leg pain who were referred for elective surgical assessment at one of five spine surgeons' clinics in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The survey inquired about demographics, expectations regarding wait time for surgical consultation, as well as willingness to pay, travel, and be screened by nonphysician health care providers. RESULTS: Eighty low back patients completed our survey, for a response rate of 86.0% (80 of 93). Most respondents (72.5%; 58 of 80) expected to be seen by a surgeon within 3 months of referral, and 88.8% (71 of 80) indicated willingness to undergo screening with a nonphysician health care provider to establish whether they were potentially a surgical candidate. Half of respondents (40 of 80) were willing to travel >50 km for assessment by a nonphysician health care provider, and 46.2% were willing to pay out-of-pocket (25.6% were unsure). However, most respondents (70.0%; 56 of 80) would still want to see a surgeon if they were ruled out as a surgical candidate, and written comments from respondents revealed concern regarding agreement between surgeons' and nonphysicians' determination of surgical candidates. CONCLUSION: Patients referred for surgical consultation for low back or low back related leg pain are largely willing to accept screening by nonphysician health care providers. Future research should explore the concordance of screening results between surgeon and nonphysician health care providers. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Subdural Hematoma Mimickers: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: A variety of subdural pathologies that may mimic hematomas are reported in the literature. We aimed to identify the atypical clinical and radiologic presentations of subdural masses that may mimic subdural hematomas. METHODS: A systematic review of MEDLINE and Embase was conducted independently by 2 reviewers to identify articles describing subdural hematoma mimickers. We also present a patient from our institution with a subdural pathology mimicking a subdural hematoma. We analyzed patient clinical presentations, underlying pathologies, radiologic findings, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: We included 43 articles totaling 48 patients. The mean ± SD patient age was 55.7 ± 16.8 years. Of the 45 cases describing patient history, 13 patients (27%) had a history of trauma. The underlying pathologies of the 48 subdural collections were 10 metastasis (21%), 14 lymphoma (29%), 7 sarcoma (15%), 4 infectious (8%), 4 autoimmune (8%), and 9 miscellaneous (19%). Findings on computed tomography (CT) scan were 18 hyperdense (41%), 11 hypodense (25%), 9 isodense (20%), 3 isodense/hyperdense (7%), and 3 hypodense/isodense (7%). Thirty-four patients (71%) were treated surgically; among these patients, 65% had symptom resolution. Neither the pathology (P = 0.337) nor the management strategy (P = 0.671) was correlated with improved functional outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of atypical history and radiologic features should prompt further diagnostic tests, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to elucidate the proper diagnosis, given that certain pathologies may be managed nonsurgically. A subdural collection that is hyperdense on CT scan and hyperintense on T2-weighted MRI, along with a history of progressive headache with no trauma, may raise the suspicion of an atypical subdural pathology.

Myelopathic signs and functional outcome following cervical decompression surgery: a proposed myelopathy scale.

OBJECTIVE Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in adults. In spite of this, the impact of the changes in myelopathic signs following cervical decompression surgery and their relationship to functional outcome measures remains unclear. The main goals of our study were to prospectively assess changes in myelopathic signs with a functional outcome scale (the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association [mJOA] scale) following cervical decompression surgery and to objectively test a proposed new myelopathy scale (MS). METHODS Between 2008 and 2011, 36 patients with CSM were observed following cervical decompression surgery. Patient data including mJOA and MS scores were prospectively collected and analyzed preoperatively and at 1 year after surgery. RESULTS In this cohort, reflex, Babinski, and proprioception signs showed statistically significant improvement following surgery at 1 year (p = < 0.001, p = 0.008, and p = 0.015, respectively). A lesser degree of improvement was observed with the Hoffman sign (p = 0.091). No statistically significant improvement in clonus occurred (p = 0.368). There was a significant improvement in mJOA (p ≤ 0.001) and MS (p ≤ 0.001) scores at 1 year compared with the preoperative scores. The results showed an inverse correlation between MS and mJOA scores both pre- and postoperatively (Spearman's correlation coefficient = -0.202 preoperatively and -0.361 postoperatively). CONCLUSIONS Improvement in myelopathic signs was noted following cervical decompression surgery in patients with CSM. The newly devised MS scale demonstrated these findings, and the new MS scale correlates with improvement in mJOA scores in this patient cohort.

Biopsy versus partial versus gross total resection in older patients with high-grade glioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Optimal extent of surgical resection (EOR) of high-grade gliomas (HGGs) remains uncertain in the elderly given the unclear benefits and potentially higher rates of mortality and morbidity associated with more extensive degrees of resection. METHODS: We undertook a meta-analysis according to a predefined protocol and systematically searched literature databases for reports about HGG EOR. Elderly patients (≥60 y) undergoing biopsy, subtotal resection (STR), and gross total resection (GTR) were compared for the outcome measures of overall survival (OS), postoperative karnofsky performance status (KPS), progression-free survival (PFS), mortality, and morbidity. Treatment effects as pooled estimates, mean differences (MDs), or risk ratios (RRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined using random effects modeling. RESULTS: A total of 12 607 participants from 34 studies met eligibility criteria, including our current cohort of 211 patients. When comparing overall resection (of any extent) with biopsy, in favor of the resection group were OS (MD 3.88 mo, 95% CI: 2.14-5.62, P < .001), postoperative KPS (MD 10.4, 95% CI: 6.58-14.22, P < .001), PFS (MD 2.44 mo, 95% CI: 1.45-3.43, P < .001), mortality (RR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.12-0.61, P = .002), and morbidity (RR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.46-1.46, P = .514) . GTR was significantly superior to STR in terms of OS (MD 3.77 mo, 95% CI: 2.26-5.29, P < .001), postoperative KPS (MD 4.91, 95% CI: 0.91-8.92, P = .016), and PFS (MD 2.21 mo, 95% CI: 1.13-3.3, P < .001) with no difference in mortality (RR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.05-5.71, P = .600) or morbidity (RR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.18-1.49, P = .223). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest an upward improvement in survival time, functional recovery, and tumor recurrence rate associated with increasing extents of safe resection. These benefits did not result in higher rates of mortality or morbidity if considered in conjunction with known established safety measures when managing elderly patients harboring HGGs.

Surgical outcomes and natural history of intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations: a single-center series and meta-analysis of individual patient data: Clinic article.

OBJECT: Information pertaining to the natural history of intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations (ISCCMs) and patient outcomes after surgery is scarce. To evaluate factors associated with favorable outcomes for patients with surgically and conservatively managed ISCCMs, the authors performed a systematic review and metaanalysis of the literature. In addition, they included their single-center series of ISCCMs. METHODS: The authors searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and The Cochrane Library for studies published through June 2013 that reported cases of ISCCMs. Data from all eligible studies were used to examine the epidemiology, clinical features, and neurological outcomes of patients with surgically managed and conservatively treated ISCCMs. To evaluate several variables as predictors of favorable neurological outcomes, the authors conducted a meta-analysis of individual patient data and performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Variables included patient age, patient sex, lesion spinal level, lesion size, cerebral cavernomas, family history of cavernous malformations, clinical course, presenting symptoms, treatment strategy (operative or conservative), symptom duration, surgical approach, spinal location, and extent of resection. In addition, they performed a meta-analysis to determine a pooled estimate of the annual hemorrhage rate of ISCCMs. RESULTS: Eligibility criteria were met by 40 studies, totaling 632 patients, including the authors' institutional series of 24 patients. Mean patient age was 39.1 years (range 2-80 years), and the male-to-female ratio was 1.1:1. Spinal levels of cavernomas were cervical (38%), cervicothoracic (2.4%), thoracic (55.2%), thoracolumbar (0.6%), lumbar (2.1%), and conus medullaris (1.7%). Average cavernoma size was 9.2 mm. Associated cerebral cavernomas occurred in 16.5% of patients, and a family history of cavernous malformation was found for 11.9% of evaluated patients. Clinical course was acute with stepwise progression for 45.4% of patients and slowly progressive for 54.6%. Symptoms were motor (60.5%), sensory (57.8%), pain (33.8%), bladder and/or bowel (23.6%), respiratory distress (0.5%), or absent (asymptomatic; 0.9%). The calculated pooled annual rate of hemorrhage was 2.1% (95% CI 1.3%-3.3%). Most (89.9%) patients underwent resection, and 10.1% underwent conservative management (observation). Outcomes were better for those who underwent resection than for those who underwent conservative management (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.46-5.33, p = 0.002). A positive correlation with improved neurological outcomes was found for resection within 3 months of symptom onset (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.31-3.41, p = 0.002), hemilaminectomy approach (OR 3.20, 95% CI 1.16-8.86, p = 0.03), and gross-total resection (OR 3.61, 95% CI 1.24-10.52, p = 0.02). Better outcomes were predicted by an acute clinical course (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.10-2.68, p = 0.02) and motor symptoms (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.08-2.86, p = 0.02); poor neurological recovery was predicted by sensory symptoms (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.35-0.98, p = 0.04). Rates of neurological improvement after resection were no higher for patients with superficial ISCCMs than for those with deep-seated ISCCMs (OR 1.36, 95% CI 0.71-2.60, p = 0.36). CONCLUSIONS: Intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations tend to be clinically progressive. The authors' findings support an operative management plan for patients with a symptomatic ISCCM. Surgical goals include gross-total resection through a more minimally invasive hemilaminectomy approach within 3 months of presentation.

A cancer stem cell model for studying brain metastases from primary lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Brain metastases are most common in adults with lung cancer, predicting uniformly poor patient outcome, with a median survival of only months. Despite their frequency and severity, very little is known about tumorigenesis in brain metastases. METHODS: We applied previously developed primary solid tumor-initiating cell models to the study of brain metastases from the lung to evaluate the presence of a cancer stem cell population. Patient-derived brain metastases (n = 20) and the NCI-H1915 cell line were cultured as stem-enriching tumorspheres. We used in vitro limiting-dilution and sphere-forming assays, as well as intracranial human-mouse xenograft models. To determine genes overexpressed in brain metastasis tumorspheres, we performed comparative transcriptome analysis. All statistical analyses were two-sided. RESULTS: Patient-derived brain metastasis tumorspheres had a mean sphere-forming capacity of 33 spheres/2000 cells (SD = 33.40) and median stem-cell frequency of 1/60 (range = 0-1/141), comparable to that of primary brain tumorspheres (P = .53 and P = .20, respectively). Brain metastases also expressed CD15 and CD133, markers suggestive of a stemlike population. Through intracranial xenotransplantation, brain metastasis tumorspheres were found to recapitulate the original patient tumor heterogeneity. We also identified several genes overexpressed in brain metastasis tumorspheres as statistically significant predictors of poor survival in primary lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, we demonstrate the presence of a stemlike population in brain metastases from the lung. We also show that NCI-H1915 tumorspheres could be useful in studying self-renewal and tumor initiation in brain metastases. Our candidate genes may be essential to metastatic stem cell populations, where pathway interference may be able to transform a uniformly fatal disease into a more localized and treatable one.

Lumbar discectomy: a national survey of neurosurgeons and literature review.

BACKGROUND: To ascertain neurosurgical practices in the surgical management of one-level lumbar discectomies in the Canadian adult population. METHODS: One page questionnaire faxed to each Neurosurgeon in Canada with questions relating to their practice in the management of this common neurosurgical procedure. All data analyzed using Chi-square statistics. RESULTS: 112 completed surveys were returned hence, giving a 64% response rate with the respondents being predominantly adult neurosurgeons. Of the respondents, 88% perform lumbar discectomy in adults. Only 15% of respondents had a Spine Fellowship. For preoperative imaging, 44% use BOTH CT and MRI whereas 28% use only MRI and 15% use only CT. Prior to initial skin incision, 57% use a localization X-ray image. Preoperative antibiotics are prescribed by 92% of respondents. Majority of respondents (60%) use a pre-incision local anesthetic, whereas only a minority (44%) of respondents employ pre-closure intramuscular injection. With respect to magnification, 70% use microscope, 19% loupes, and 8% neither. Only 12% use minimally invasive tubular retractors. 68% remove "as much disc as possible", while 31% remove "ONLY herniated part". In the case of dural tears, 77% of respondents use fibrin glue (Tisseel). Prior to skin closure, majority of neurosurgeons do NOT use a fat graft (72%), whereas 61% of respondents use epidural steroids. With respect to discharge from the hospital, 58% are discharged on the next day, 18% on the same day, and 23% in two days. Return to work is not recommended until at least six weeks post-op (96%). Most neurosurgeons (93%) would not operate on an individual with a chief complaint of low back pain. CONCLUSIONS: Our survey has identified variations in practice patterns amongst Canadian Neurosurgeons with respect to performing one-level lumbar discectomies. This survey is expected to form a basis for the design of a randomized controlled trial in the evaluation of the best management approach for this common neurosurgical procedure.

Intraparenchymal supratentorial neurenteric cyst.

BACKGROUND: Neurenteric cysts are congenital cysts of the central nervous system that are believed to be of endodermal origin. In this report we present the unique case of a supratentorial neurenteric cyst that is contained entirely within the brain parenchyma. METHODS: A patient presented with an intraparenchymal cystic lesion that was subsequently identified as a neurenteric cyst. This lesion is reviewed in light of the available literature. CASE REPORT: A 35-year-old female presented with a one year history of progressive headaches and seizure-like episodes. Her examination revealed no deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 4 cm x 4 cm x 4 cm cystic lesion within the parenchyma of the right frontal lobe. A right frontal craniotomy and complete excision of the cystic lesion was performed. Pathologic examination confirmed that it was a neurenteric cyst. Postoperatively the patient's symptoms improved. CONCLUSION: Review of the literature revealed this to be the first case of a surgically excised, pathologically confirmed supratentorial neurenteric cyst, contained entirely within the brain parenchyma.

Imaging correlates of molecular signatures in oligodendrogliomas.

Molecular subsets of oligodendroglioma behave in biologically distinct ways. Their locations in the brain, rates of growth, and responses to therapy differ with their genotypes. Retrospectively, we inquired whether allelic loss of chromosomal arms 1p and 19q, an early molecular event and favorable prognostic marker in oligodendrogliomas, were reflected in their appearance on magnetic resonance imaging. Loss of 1p and 19q was associated with an indistinct border on T(1) images and mixed intensity signal on T(1) and T(2). Loss of 1p and 19q was also associated with paramagnetic susceptibility effect and with calcification, a common histopathological finding in oligodendrogliomas. These data encourage prospective evaluation of molecular alterations and magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of glial neoplasms.

Castleman's disease and spinal cord compression: case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Castleman's disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder most often found in the mediastinum. Localized forms are usually benign, whereas multicentric forms may be aggressive. We report a patient with Castleman's disease who presented with spinal cord compression, and we review previously published cases of Castleman's disease involving the central nervous system. To our knowledge, this is only the second case of Castleman's disease presenting as a spinal epidural mass with cord compression. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 44-year-old otherwise healthy woman presented acutely with difficulty walking. Examination revealed mild myelopathy in her legs. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a posterior epidural mass compressing the thoracic spinal cord at T3-T5. INTERVENTION: Thoracic laminectomy and gross total resection of the lesion were performed. Pathological examination of the lesion identified the hyaline-vascular type of Castleman's disease. The patient's symptoms resolved postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Castleman's disease presenting as a spinal epidural mass lesion with cord compression is rare. Surgical treatment can result in an excellent outcome.