527 fully endoscopic resections of vestibular schwannomas.

BACKGROUND: We report a series of 527 patients with unilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS) who underwent fully endoscopic resection of their tumors during the period of October, 2001 to July, 2010. Patients' outcomes were evaluated, with specific regard to hearing preservation, facial nerve function, postoperative complications and completeness of the resection. METHODS: The patient population consisted of 527 cases with unilateral VS(s); patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NFT2) were excluded from this study. Tumors ranged in size from 0.3-5.8 cm, most tumors were less than 4 cm in diameter (mean: 2.8 cm). Tumors were removed via 2.0 cm "keyhole" retrosigmoid craniotomies. RESULTS: Utilizing the fully endoscopic technique, 94% of tumors were completely removed; subtotal removal was performed in 6% of patients in an attempt to preserve their hearing. Anatomic preservation of the facial nerve was achieved in all of the patients. Functionally, measurable hearing (serviceable/some) was preserved in 57% of cases that had either "serviceable" or "some" hearing pre-operatively. There were no major neurological complications such as quadriparesis, hemiparesis, bacterial or aseptic meningitis, permanent lower cranial nerve deficits, or deaths. CONCLUSION: From our experience, we conclude that the endoscope is ideally suited for a minimally invasive approach for resection of vestibular schwannomas.

High prevalence of normal tests assessing hypercortisolism in subjects with mild and episodic Cushing's syndrome suggests that the paradigm for diagnosis and exclusion of Cushing's syndrome requires multiple testing.

Many Endocrinologists believe that a single determination of eucortisolism or a single demonstration of appropriate suppression to dexamethasone excluded Cushing's syndrome, except in what was previously thought to be the rare patient with episodic or periodic Cushing's syndrome. We hypothesize that episodic Cushing's syndrome is relatively common and a single test assessing hypercortisolism may not be sufficient to accurately rule out or diagnose Cushing's syndrome and retrospectively examined the number of normal and abnormal tests assessing hypercortisolism performed on multiple occasions in 66 patients found to have mild and/or episodic Cushing's syndrome compared to a similar group of 54 patients evaluated for, but determined not to have Cushing's syndrome. We found that 65 of the 66 patients with Cushing's syndrome had at least one normal test of cortisol status and most patients had several normal tests. The probability of having Cushing's syndrome when one test was negative was 92% for 23:00 h salivary cortisol, 88% for 24-h UFC, 86% for 24-h 17OHS, and 54% for nighttime plasma cortisol. These results demonstrated that episodic hypercortisolism is highly prevalent in subjects with mild Cushing's syndrome and no single test was effective in conclusively diagnosing or excluding the condition. Rather, the paradigm for the diagnosis should be a careful history and physical examination and in those patients in whom mild Cushing's syndrome/disease is strongly suspected, multiple tests assessing hypercortisolism should be performed on subsequent occasions, especially when the patient is experiencing signs and symptoms of short-term hypercortisolism.

Dynamic pituitary MRI has high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of mild Cushing's syndrome and should be part of the initial workup.

AIM: The diagnosis of mild or episodic Cushing's syndrome is difficult. The standard tests include 24-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC), night-time blood, or salivary cortisol measurements, and dexamethasone suppression tests. Imaging studies of the pituitary have not been recommended as part of the initial workup (only to help distinguish pituitary Cushing's disease from the ectopic ACTH syndrome) because of poor sensitivity and specificity. With the development of dynamic pituitary MRI which uses multiple coronal dynamic sequences following gadolinium intravenous contrast, we hypothesized that the sensitivity and specificity would be increased and MRI would provide useful information for the initial diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review examining charts from 87 consecutive patients who were evaluated for Cushing's syndrome in a tertiary Endocrinology clinic over a one-year period. Most patients had mild and/or episodic hypercortisolism. Of these patients, 24 eventually were diagnosed with pituitary Cushing's syndrome by biochemical testing (24-h UFC and urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, 11 PM salivary cortisol measurements, evening plasma cortisol), and 22 had the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome excluded. Dynamic pituitary MRI (1.5 Tesla) was performed on all patients. The reader of the MRI was blind to the diagnosis. RESULTS: Twenty-three of 24 patients had a MRI consistent with a pituitary lesion (21 with a microadenoma, two with pituitary asymmetry). In contrast, only 3 of 20 patients (2 patient did not have MRIs) in the Cushing's excluded group had a pituitary lesion on dynamic MRI. Dynamic pituitary MRI had the highest sensitivity and negative predictive value of any testing modalities and its specificity and positive predictive value were similar to that of other tests. CONCLUSION: We conclude that almost all patients in this series with Cushing's syndrome have a lesion on dynamic pituitary MRI, a rate much higher than the 50-60% rate reported for non-dynamic MRIs. The false positive rate of 16% in our group of Cushing's excluded patients is similar to the literature value of 10% seen in normal volunteers and is acceptable since MRI is not used solely as a determinant for the diagnosis. While a negative MRI will miss those patients with adrenal or ectopic Cushing's syndrome, those patients can usually be diagnosed by other testing. Thus this preliminary study implies that dynamic pituitary MRI adds valuable information to assist in the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome and should be ordered as part of the initial workup.

A series of 112 fully endoscopic resections of vestibular schwannomas.

We report a consecutive series of 112 patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma (VS) having undergone fully endoscopic resection of their tumors in the period from October, 2001 to January, 2005. Patients' outcomes were evaluated especially with regards to cochlear nerve (hearing) preservation, facial nerve preservation, postoperative complications and completeness of the resection. The patient population consisted of 112 consecutive cases with unilateral, "de novo" VS(s); patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NFT2) or with a recurrent tumor were excluded from this study. Tumors ranged in size from 0.6-5.7 cm, most tumors were less than 3 cm in diameter (mean: 2.6 cm). This shift towards smaller and also less symptomatic tumors may be due to an increase in the awareness of patients and earlier detection of their tumors (MRI era). Tumors were removed via 1.5-cm "keyhole" retrosigmoid craniotomies. Utilizing the fully endoscopic technique, 106/112 (95%) tumors were completely removed; subtotal removal was performed in 6/112 (5%) patients in an attempt to preserve their hearing. Anatomic preservation of the facial nerve was achieved in all of the patients and of the cochlear nerve in 83/101 (82%) hearing ears. Functionally, measurable hearing (serviceable/some) was preserved in 59/101 (58%) cases who had either "serviceable" or "some" hearing preoperatively, 2 patients who had "some" hearing preoperatively had an improvement that was more than 30 db in their hearing postoperatively. There were no major neurological complications such as quadriparesis, hemiparesis, bacterial or aseptic meningitis, lower cranial nerve deficits, or deaths. From our experience, we conclude that the endoscope is ideally suited for a minimally invasive approach for the resection of vestibular schwannomas.

Endoscopic vascular decompression versus microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve.

Microvascular decompression (MVD) is a highly accepted and effective method for treatment of patients with trigeminal neuralgia in whom compression of the nerve by a vascular structure is implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, recent reports have highlighted the advantages of the endoscope in visualizing structures within the cerebellopontine angle. Additional research, using the endoscope to supplement the microscopic procedure, has demonstrated improved localization of neurovascular conflicts. In this report we present the results of our series utilizing a fully endoscopic vascular decompression (EVD) technique, and compare these results to those published for microvascular decompression. From September 1999 until October 2004, 255 patients underwent endoscopic vascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve. These patients' records were retrospectively reviewed, and additional data from follow-up visits were collected and analyzed to ascertain success rates and review the incidence of complications. From a total of 255 patients who underwent EVD of the trigeminal nerve we noted an initial, complete, postoperative success rate in 95 % of patients. Initial, being defined as within the first 3 months postoperative, and "complete" being judged if the patient reported 98 % relief of pain postoperatively without the need for medication (Barker's classification). Additionally, we documented a 93 % complete success rate for 118 patients who completed at least a three-year follow-up period. Complication rates were compared to those reported for MVD. There were no serious complications or mortality in this series. We conclude that EVD is a safe and effective method to remove neurovascular conflicts related to the trigeminal nerve. The results of this series demonstrate an improved rate of trigeminal neuralgia relief with EVD when compared to MVD, a lower incidence of complications and a better outcome.

Fully endoscopic endonasal vs. transseptal transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.

A long-term retrospective study of 300 patients who underwent fully endoscopic endonasal pituitary adenoma resection between November 1998 and October 2004. The patients' records as well as the data obtained from postoperative follow-up visits was used to determine outcomes. Additionally, the data were then compared to mean values calculated from several transseptal-transsphenoidal reports. From a total of 300 pituitary adenomas, 139 (46 %) were hormonally active, while 161 (54 %) were non-functioning. Mean follow-up period was 38.2 months. The average length of hospital stay (LOS) was 1.4 days. All patients had postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies to assess residual or recurrent disease; all patients with hormonally active tumors had additional postoperative hormonal studies. Remission, being defined as no hormonal or radiological evidence of recurrence within the time-frame of the follow-up, was demonstrated in 127/134 (95 %) of enclosed and 144/166 (87 %) of invasive adenomas. A comparison of fully endoscopic endonasal vs. transseptal-transsphenoidal remission results revealed an improved outcome using the fully endoscopic endonasal technique: ACTH (86 % vs. 81 %), PRL (89 % vs. 66 %) and GH (85 % vs. 77 %). The remission rate for non-functioning adenomas was 149/161 (93 %). Additionally, we noted a marked reduction in complications related to the endoscopic procedure. Our results conclude that the fully endoscopic endonasal technique is a safe and effective method for removal of pituitary adenomas providing more complete tumor removal and reducing complications.

Fully endoscopic excision of vestibular schwannomas.

New applications for intracranial endoscopic surgery continue to evolve. The endoscope provides improved visualization of the skull base, where narrow recesses and angled trajectories impair the direct forward view of the operating microscope. Endoscopic surgery allows for a smaller craniotomy, less dissection and minimal retraction, without compromising the goals of the operation. Articles describing the use of angled endoscopes to assist microscopic removal of vestibular schwannomas suggest that endoscopes allow for complete visualization of the most lateral aspect of the internal auditory canal, identify exposed air cells, and provide more detailed images of the surrounding neurovascular structures. In this report we describe three fully endoscopic excisions of 2 - 3.5 cm vestibular schwannomas via 1.5 cm keyhole retrosigmoid craniotomies. The 0 degrees and 30 degrees endoscopes provided excellent exposure, allowing complete visualization of the most lateral aspect of the internal auditory canal, insuring complete tumor removal. The patients had excellent outcomes and were discharged within 72 hours post-operatively. From our experience we conclude that the endoscope is ideally suited for a minimally invasive retrosigmoid approach to vestibular schwannomas.

A new powered endoscope holding arm for endoscopic surgery of the cranial base.

Over the past 20 years endoscopy has become an essential part of nearly all surgical specialities. In the field of skull base surgery recent articles describe new applications and highlight improved results in pituitary adenoma removal, vascular decompression surgery, and in the resection of many other skull base tumors. The strength of the endoscope in skull base surgery lies in its ability to see behind bony apices and neurovascular structures, which normally obscure the view of the operating microscope. Paramount to the success of the endoscope in skull base and pituitary surgery is the ability to secure the arm in position. Operating in the confined spaces of the skull, the instability and difficult adjustment of currently available endoscope holding arms is cumbersome for the surgeon and dangerous to the patient. Many surgeons have commented that the currently available endoscope holding arms are inadequate for contemporary applications of endoscopic skull base surgery. In this article we describe a new pneumatically powered endoscope holding arm, which provides the level of stability and ease of adjustment necessary for current and future applications of endoscope skull base surgery.

Trigeminocardiac reflex: a unique case of recurrent asystole during bilateral trigeminal sensory root rhizotomy.

BACKGROUND: The trigeminocardiac reflex is the sudden-onset of dysrhythmia and hypotension during manipulation of any of the branches of the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve and cardioinhibitory vagus nerve constitute the afferent and efferent pathways in the reflex arc. The trigeminocardiac reflex has been reported to occur during craniofacial surgery, balloon-compression rhizolysis of the trigeminal ganglion, and tumour resection in the cerebellopontine angle. PATIENT & METHOD: A 2-year-old male patient with haemangioma near the sella turcica underwent rhizotomies of both sides of the dorsal sensory roots, of the trigeminal nerves for palliation of intractable trigeminal pain. RESULTS: In this report, we experienced two unexpected episodes of asystole after transection of the sensory roots of the trigeminal nerves. CONCLUSION: Sectioning of the intracranial dorsal sensory root of the trigeminal nerve provides clear evidence of the central role of the trigeminal nerve as the afferent pathway of the trigeminocardiac reflex arc.

Fully endoscopic vascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve.

Microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve is an accepted and effective means of treating patients with trigeminal neuralgia in whom compression of the nerve by a vascular structure is implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. The current standard technique uses the binocular operating microscope for all intra-operative visualization. Posterior fossa endoscopy has demonstrated that the endoscope provides more comprehensive views of the anatomy of the cerebellopontine angle than does the operating microscope. To date, endoscopy has only been used to supplement microscopy in cranial nerve decompression surgery. In this report, we describe our completely endoscopic surgical technique as we present the case of a patient with trigeminal neuralgia who underwent successful vascular decompression by this approach. Using this technique the offending vessel was separated from the nerve with minimal brain retraction or dissection of surrounding structures. This report represents the first documented case where the endoscope was used as the exclusive imaging modality for decompression of the trigeminal nerve. From our experience we conclude that the endoscope's superior visualization more accurately identifies neurovascular conflicts, and provides a comprehensive evaluation of the completeness of the decompression. Additionally, this new method minimizes the risks of brain retraction and extensive dissection often required for microscopic exposure. From this study we conclude that completely endoscopic vascular decompression represents the next step forward in the safe and effective surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

A rare symptomatic presentation of ecchordosis physaliphora and unique endoscope-assisted surgical management.

We report on the presentation, diagnosis, and surgical management of a rare symptomatic case of ecchordosis physaliphora, including the use of endoscopy as a valuable imaging device in its operative management. A 49-year-old male presented with a intradural extra-axial mass located to the left of the basilar artery in the prepontine space. The tumor was exposed via a transmaxillary transclival approach and resected under binocular microscopic visualization. Prior to and following resection, endoscopes were introduced into the surgical field to conduct anatomic surveys of the region and to assess the completeness of tumor removal. Ecchordosis physaliphora is an uncommon benign lesion originating from embryonic notochordal remnants. It rarely causes clinical symptoms due to its slow growth patterns. Although similarities between EP of the spheno-occiput and chordomas of the clivus make distinction obscure, differentiation is important. Differences in these lesions impact upon patient prognosis as well as therapeutic strategies. The use of endoscopy in the resection of this mass marks an innovative approach to intraoperative imaging of the clival region; improved visualization of the prepontine area allows for more accurate defintion of the surgical anatomy of the tumor and for thorough assessment of the completeness of tumor removal.

A dedicated craniofacial trauma team improves efficiency and reduces cost.

BACKGROUND: In this era of limited medical resources there is ever increasing pressure to lower costs, while preserving high-quality patient care. A dedicated craniofacial and skull base trauma team (SBT) was established at our Level I trauma center in July 1998. Previously, a rotating call panel of multiple private surgical subspecialists consulted on trauma patients with craniofacial or skull base injuries (Pre-SBT). This study was designed to assess the impact a dedicated craniofacial and skull base trauma team has on the cost and quality of patient care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of the trauma registry and charts was performed including all craniofacial and skull base trauma cases in the 18 months Pre-SBT and 18 months following the establishment of a SBT. RESULTS: During the Pre-SBT period there were 29 craniofacial and skull base operations, whereas 28 such cases were performed by the SBT. The age, sex, injury severity score (ISS), mechanism of injury, and type of craniofacial/skull base injuries were comparable between groups. The SBT group demonstrated a reduction in the number of patients transferred to other institutions for definitive care (7 vs 1, P = 0.05) and statistically significant reduction in the number of subspecialty consultations (2.4 vs 1.3), time to operation (7.5 vs 3.0 days), and length of hospitalization (11.8 vs 6.8, all with P

Retained foreign body in the orbit and cavernous sinus with delayed presentation of superior orbital fissure syndrome: case report.

Reports of delayed onset of neurological symptoms after penetrating intracranial trauma are rare. We present the case of a patient who presented with superior orbital fissure syndrome 72 hours after reported trauma to the right eye. Subsequent workup revealed a foreign body located within the orbit, passing through the superior orbital fissure and into cavernous sinus, impinging on the right cavernous carotid artery. Evidence of an intraorbital abscess was also present. Surgical management consisted of a combination of frontopterional and orbital approaches to fully expose both the cavernous sinus and the orbital contents. The foreign body was removed and the abscess was drained. The carotid artery was found to be intact. At 10-month follow-up examination, a slight ptosis and medial gaze of the right eye persist. All other symptoms have resolved.

Fully endoscopic vascular decompression of the facial nerve for hemifacial spasm.

Hemifacial spasm is an uncommon disorder manifesting as a unilateral, involuntary, sporadic contraction of the musculature innervated by the seventh cranial nerve. Although debated, the etiology of hemifacial spasm is generally accepted as compression of the facial nerve by vessels of the posterior circulation. Early surgical techniques were ineffective and fraught with morbidity. Over the past 25 years microvascular decompression surgery has allowed the safe and effective treatment of hemifacial spasm. Recent reports combining microsurgical and endoscopic techniques have documented the advantages of the endoscope in exposing the anatomy of this region. Enhanced visualization allows a less traumatic dissection and increases the surgeon's ability to locate nerve-vessel conflicts often difficult to identify through the limited view of the microscope. This article reviews the history of hemifacial spasm and describes the first three cases of fully endoscopic vascular decompression for hemifacial spasm, emphasizing the advantages of this novel surgical approach.

Assessment of the efficacy of endoscopy in pituitary adenoma resection.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain objective evidence that the use of endoscopy in the surgical management of pituitary tumors improves intraoperative visualization and significantly impacts operative outcomes. DESIGN: Case series of pituitary adenomas treated surgically by endoscope-assisted microscopic resection. SETTING: University-affiliated tertiary care medical center. PATIENTS: Consecutive sample of 9 patients referred for surgical management of pituitary adenoma. INTERVENTIONS: Each patient underwent transseptal transsphenoidal microscopic tumor resection. The procedure was modified by the use of intrasellar endoscopy as an adjunctive imaging modality. Following complete microscopic resection of tumor, rigid 0 degrees and 30 degrees 4.0-mm endoscopes were used to conduct a final survey of the sellar and parasellar spaces. Residual tumor fragments identified during this endoscopic examination were removed. OUTCOME MEASURES: Endoscopes were thought to have a significant impact on surgical therapy in cases where residual tumor that was not detected microscopically was identified and removed during endoscopic examination. Analysis of each case included correlation between intraoperative findings and retrospective review of dictated operative reports and intraoperative videotape. RESULTS: Three of the patients with macroadenoma (33% of total, 43% of macroadenoma cases) had tumor fragments that were only identified and removed endoscopically. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopy provides distinct advantages over microscopy in imaging intrasellar and parasellar structures during pituitary tumor resection. These data support the numerous anecdotal accounts of the usefulness of pituitary endoscopy and are consistent with the small amount of objective evidence offered on the subject. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2000;126:1487-1490

Pituitary lymphoma: a case report and literature review.

We report the case of a B-cell type pituitary lymphoma in a 65 year-old male immunocompetent patient who presented with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and central hypothyroidism and subsequently developed pulmonary lymphoma. Only three cases of pituitary lymphoma have been previously reported, one in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, one case of T-cell lymphoma reported in the Japanese literature, and one case of B-cell lymphoma. The previously reported immunocompetent patients presented with signs and symptoms of optic chiasm compression as contrasted to our patient's endocrinologic presentation. B-cell lymphoma of the pituitary gland is a exceedingly rare though distinct clinical entity.

Long-acting peptidomimergic control of gigantism caused by pituitary acidophilic stem cell adenoma.

Gigantism is caused by GH hypersecretion occurring before epiphyseal long bone closure and usually is associated with pituitary adenoma. A 15-yr-old female patient presented with accelerated growth due to a large pituitary tumor that was surgically resected to relieve pressure effects. Second surgery to remove residual tumor tissue was followed by administration of octreotide LAR, a long-acting depot somatostatin analog, together with long-acting cabergoline. Height was over the 95th percentile, with evidence of a recent growth spurt. Serum GH levels were more than 60 ng/mL (normal, <10 ng/mL) with no suppression to 75 g oral glucose, and serum PRL (>8,000 ng/mL; normal, <23 ng/mL) and insulin-like growth factor I levels (845 ng/mL; age-matched normal, 242-660 ng/mL) were elevated. Histology, immunostaining, and electron microscopy demonstrated a pituitary acidophil stem cell adenoma. Tumor tissue expressed both somatostatin receptor type 2 and dopamine receptor type 2. The Gs alpha subunit, GHRH receptor, and MEN1 genes were intact, and tumor tissue abundantly expressed pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG). Serum GH and PRL levels were controlled after two surgeries, and with continued cabergoline and octreotide LAR GH, PRL, and insulin-like growth factor I levels were normalized. In conclusion, administration of long-acting somatostatin analog every 4 weeks in combination with a long-acting dopamine agonist biweekly controlled biochemical parameters and accelerated growth in a patient with gigantism caused by a rare pituitary acidophil stem cell adenoma.

Endoscope-assisted microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve.

Twenty-one patients with classic symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia underwent microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve through a retrosigmoid approach to the cerebellopontine angle. Endoscopy was used as an adjunctive imaging modality to microscopy. Specifically, endoscopes were used to confirm nerve-vessel conflicts identified by the microscope and to reveal others that escaped microscopic survey. Endoscopes were also used to assess the adequacy of the decompression performed microscopically. A total of 51 nerve-vessel conflicts were identified and treated, 14 of which were discovered only after endoscopy. Additionally, in 5 patients endoscopic examination of the surgical intervention demonstrated that further maneuvers were required to completely decompress the nerve. These results highlight the value of endoscopy in the diagnosis and therapy of cranial nerve pathology in the posterior fossa.

Growth restriction of cranial sutures in the fetal lamb causes deformational changes, not craniosynostosis.

Newborns with in utero cranial vault molding can present with severe forms of plagiocephaly. Intrauterine constraint has been proposed as one cause for craniosynostosis. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether rigid plate fixation across a fetal cranial suture, representing a severe form of growth restriction in utero, would lead to cranial suture fusion in a fetal lamb model. Six fetal lambs at 85 to 95 days gestation (term = 145 days) underwent laparotomy, hysterotomy, fetal coronal scalp incision, and miniplate screw fixation across the right coronal suture in utero. Two unoperated twins and four unoperated age-matched lambs were used as controls (n = 12). Animals were killed at both 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively. Fetal head analysis consisted of gross examination, photography, basilar and lateral radiographs, and three-dimensional computed tomographic scans. Cranial suture analysis consisted of imaging by computed tomographic scan (axial and sagittal cuts) and histology of experimentally plated coronal sutures, contralateral nonplated coronal sutures and twin control coronal sutures. Gross examination, radiographs, and three-dimensional computed tomographic analysis of heads with cranial suture plating showed ipsilateral forehead flattening, contralateral forehead bossing, superiorly displaced ipsilateral orbital rim, anterolateral projection of ipsilateral malar eminence, and anterior position of the ipsilateral ear point compared with the contralateral side of the same animal and normal controls. There was no change in nasal root, chin point, or predentition occlusal plane. Although analysis of the plated coronal sutures by computed tomographic scans showed diminished width or even stenosis, the histology revealed narrowed but patent experimental coronal sutures at 4 and 8 weeks. Contralateral, nonplated coronal sutures were not only patent, but widened compared with normal control sutures. This finding may have represented compensatory changes in the contralateral coronal suture caused by growth restriction at the plated suture. These data demonstrate that intrauterine growth restriction across a cranial suture caused by compression plate fixation resulted in deformational skull changes, not craniosynostosis. In addition, these data strongly support a role for in utero positional molding secondary to growth restriction in the maternal pelvis as a cause for nonsynostotic plagiocephaly seen in newborns.

Cerebellopontine angle metastasis from papillary carcinoma of the thyroid: case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common type of well-differentiated thyroid malignancy and typically has an excellent prognosis and a low incidence of distant metastasis. However, once metastasis has developed in a distant site, prognosis is markedly diminished. Brain metastases from papillary thyroid carcinoma are extremely rare. Currently, there are no established therapeutic guidelines for treating brain metastases from thyroid carcinoma. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report on the case of a patient who presented with worsening neurological symptoms 3 years after resection of a thyroid papillary carcinoma. Magnetic resonance imaging identified a lesion of the cerebellopontine angle that encased the lower cranial nerves. The patient underwent a left retrosigmoid craniotomy with a 98% resection of the mass and received postoperative adjuvant radioiodine therapy, external beam radiation, and Gamma Knife radiosurgery. The patient tolerated the procedure well and demonstrated significant progressive improvement in her neurological symptoms postoperatively. After the multimodal approach to therapy, she remains symptom-free at 3-year follow-up. Radiographic monitoring of the small tumor remnant reveals a decrease in size from the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: This article is the first formal case report of cerebellopontine angle metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma. Therapeutic protocols for brain metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma are not firmly established. This case illustrates the unique event of a cerebellopontine angle metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma, which was successfully treated with a combination of surgical, chemical, and radiological modalities. This aggressive course of therapy has resulted in an excellent outcome in this instance.