Serum assessment of traumatic axonal injury: the correlation of GFAP, t-Tau, UCH-L1, and NfL levels with diffusion tensor imaging metrics and its prognosis utility.

OBJECTIVE: Diagnosis of traumatic axonal injury (TAI) is challenging because of its underestimation by conventional MRI and the technical requirements associated with the processing of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Serum biomarkers seem to be able to identify patients with abnormal CT scanning findings, but their potential role to assess TAI has seldomly been explored. METHODS: Patients with all severities of traumatic brain injury (TBI) were prospectively included in this study between 2016 and 2021. They underwent blood extraction within 24 hours after injury and imaging assessment, including DTI. Serum concentrations of glial fibrillary acidic protein, total microtubule-associated protein (t-Tau), ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) were measured using an ultrasensitive Simoa multiplex assay panel, a digital form of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended score was determined at 6 months after TBI. The relationships between biomarker concentrations, volumetric analysis of corpus callosum (CC) lesions, and fractional anisotropy (FA) were analyzed by nonparametric tests. The prognostic utility of the biomarker was determined by calculating the C-statistic and an ordinal regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 87 patients were included. Concentrations of all biomarkers were significantly higher for patients compared with controls. Although the concentration of the biomarkers was affected by the presence of mass lesions, FA of the CC was an independent factor influencing levels of UCH-L1 and NfL, which positioned these two biomarkers as better surrogates of TAI. Biomarkers also performed well in determining patients who would have had unfavorable outcome. NfL and the FA of the CC are independent complementary factors related to outcome. CONCLUSIONS: UCH-L1 and NfL seem to be the biomarkers more specific to detect TAI. The concentration of NfL combined with the FA of the CC might help predict long-term outcome.

Patients awaiting surgery for neurosurgical diseases during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: a multicentre cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The large number of infected patients requiring mechanical ventilation has led to the postponement of scheduled neurosurgical procedures during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aims of this study were to investigate the factors that influence the decision to postpone scheduled neurosurgical procedures and to evaluate the effect of the restriction in scheduled surgery adopted to deal with the first outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain on the outcome of patients awaiting surgery. DESIGN: This was an observational retrospective study. SETTINGS: A tertiary-level multicentre study of neurosurgery activity between 1 March and 30 June 2020. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 680 patients awaiting any scheduled neurosurgical procedure were enrolled. 470 patients (69.1%) were awaiting surgery because of spine degenerative disease, 86 patients (12.6%) due to functional disorders, 58 patients (8.5%) due to brain or spine tumours, 25 patients (3.7%) due to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) disorders and 17 patients (2.5%) due to cerebrovascular disease. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was mortality due to any reason and any deterioration of the specific neurosurgical condition. Second, we analysed the rate of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: More than one-quarter of patients experienced clinical or radiological deterioration. The rate of worsening was higher among patients with functional (39.5%) or CSF disorders (40%). Two patients died (0.4%) during the waiting period, both because of a concurrent disease. We performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine independent covariates associated with maintaining the surgical indication. We found that community SARS-CoV-2 incidence (OR=1.011, p<0.001), degenerative spine (OR=0.296, p=0.027) and expedited indications (OR=6.095, p<0.001) were independent factors for being operated on during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Patients awaiting neurosurgery experienced significant collateral damage even when they were considered for scheduled procedures.

Intracranial Pressure Monitoring in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Extension of the Recommendations and the Effect on Outcome by Propensity Score Matching.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is recommended for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) <9 on admission and revealing space-occupying lesions or swelling on computed tomography. However, previous studies that have evaluated its effect on outcome have shown conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of ICP monitoring on outcome after adjustment of patient's characteristics imbalance and determine the potential benefit on patients with higher GCS that deteriorates early or in the absence of computed tomography results suggesting high ICP. METHODS: We searched for adult patients with TBI admitted between 1996 and 2020 with a GCS <9 on admission or deterioration from higher scores within 24 hours after TBI. Patients were divided into groups if they fulfilled strict (Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines) or extended criteria (patients who worsened after admission or without space-occupying lesions) for ICP monitoring. Propensity score analyses based on nearest neighbor matching was performed. RESULTS: After matching, we analyzed data from 454 patients and 184 patients who fulfilled strict criteria or extended criteria for ICP monitoring, respectively. A decreased on in-hospital mortality was detected in monitored patients following strict and extended criteria . Those patients with a higher baseline risk of poor outcome showed higher odds of favorable outcome if they were monitored. CONCLUSION: ICP monitoring in patients with severe TBI within 24 hours after injury following strict and extended criteria was associated with a decreased in-hospital mortality. The identification of patients with a higher risk of an unfavorable outcome might be useful to better select cases that would benefit more from ICP monitoring.

Densitometric analysis of brain computed tomography as a new prognostic factor in patients with acute subdural hematoma.

OBJECTIVE: Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Surgical evacuation is the mainstay of treatment in patients with altered neurological status or significant mass effect. Nevertheless, concerns regarding surgical indication still persist. Given that clinicians often make therapeutic decisions on the basis of their prognosis assessment, to accurately evaluate the prognosis is of great significance. Unfortunately, there is a lack of specific and reliable prognostic models. In addition, the interdependence of certain well-known predictive variables usually employed to guide surgical decision-making in ASDH has been proven. Because gray matter and white matter are highly susceptible to secondary insults during the early phase after TBI, the authors aimed to assess the extent of these secondary insults with a brain parenchyma densitometric quantitative CT analysis and to evaluate its prognostic capacity. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis among their prospectively collected cohort of patients with moderate to severe TBI. Patients with surgically evacuated, isolated, unilateral ASDH admitted between 2010 and 2017 were selected. Thirty-nine patients were included. For each patient, brain parenchyma density in Hounsfield units (HUs) was measured in 10 selected slices from the supratentorial region. In each slice, different regions of interest (ROIs), including and excluding the cortical parenchyma, were defined. The injured hemisphere, the contralateral hemisphere, and the absolute differences between them were analyzed. The outcome was evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended at 1 year after TBI. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (38.5%) had a favorable outcome. Collected demographic, clinical, and radiographic data did not show significant differences between favorable and unfavorable outcomes. In contrast, the densitometric analysis demonstrated that greater absolute differences between both hemispheres were associated with poor outcome. These differences were detected along the supratentorial region, but were greater at the high convexity level. Moreover, these HU differences were far more marked at the cortical parenchyma. It was also detected that these differences were more prone to ischemic and/or edematous insults than to hyperemic changes. Age was significantly correlated with the side-to-side HU differences in patients with unfavorable outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The densitometric analysis is a promising prognostic tool in patients diagnosed with ASDH. The supplementary prognostic information provided by the densitometric analysis should be evaluated in future studies.

Transcranial cerebellar herniation following craniotomy: Case report and literature review / Herniación cerebelosa transcraneal tras una craneotomía: reporte de un caso y revisión de la literatura

To report a case of post-surgical encephalocele through craniotomy burr holes following the resection of a meningioma of the posterior fossa. A 49-year-old female presented in the emergency room with cephalea. The MRI showed a meningioma of the convexity of the posterior fossa. A resection was performed and the bone flap replaced. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged. After 30 days the patient consulted referring cephalea, vomiting and imbalance. Brain MRI revealed a trans-cranial cerebellar herniation through the craniotomy burr holes. An urgent surgery was performed to repair the encephalocele. Post-surgical brain MRI was performed and did not show complications. Post-surgical encephalocele is an uncommon complication after the resection of a posterior fossa lesion. To avoid this complication, it is recommended thorough dural and bony closure, particularly in the posterior fossa surgeries and in high-risk patients

Reportamos un caso de un encefalocele posquirúrgico tras la realización de una craneotomía para la resección de un meningioma de fosa posterior. Se trata de una mujer de 49 años que acude al servicio de urgencias por cefalea. Se realizó una resonancia magnética (RM) cerebral que mostró un meningioma de la convexidad en fosa posterior. Se realizó su resección quirúrgica y reposición del colgajo óseo. La paciente se recuperó sin incidencias y fue dada de alta. Treinta días más tarde consultó por cefalea, vómitos e inestabilidad. Se realizó una RM que mostró una herniación cerebelosa a través de los orificios de trépano de la craneotomía, por lo que se llevó a cabo una reparación quirúrgica urgente del encefalocele. Se realizó una RM posquirúrgica, la cual no mostró complicaciones. El encefalocele posquirúrgico es una complicación poco frecuente tras la resección de un meningioma de fosa posterior. Para evitar esta complicación se recomienda realizar un cierre dural y una reposición ósea cuidadosos, particularmente en las cirugías de fosa posterior y en pacientes con alto riesgo

Transcranial cerebellar herniation following craniotomy: Case report and literature review.

To report a case of post-surgical encephalocele through craniotomy burr holes following the resection of a meningioma of the posterior fossa. A 49-year-old female presented in the emergency room with cephalea. The MRI showed a meningioma of the convexity of the posterior fossa. A resection was performed and the bone flap replaced. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged. After 30 days the patient consulted referring cephalea, vomiting and imbalance. Brain MRI revealed a trans-cranial cerebellar herniation through the craniotomy burr holes. An urgent surgery was performed to repair the encephalocele. Post-surgical brain MRI was performed and did not show complications. Post-surgical encephalocele is an uncommon complication after the resection of a posterior fossa lesion. To avoid this complication, it is recommended thorough dural and bony closure, particularly in the posterior fossa surgeries and in high-risk patients.