Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach for pediatric craniopharyngiomas: A case series.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyze our series of pediatric patients who underwent craniopharyngioma resection using the endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EETA). METHODS: We collected clinical and surgical data from the charts of 20 children who underwent craniopharyngioma removal surgery using the EETA from 2007 to 2017. From the charts, we collected demographic information, results of imaging tests (size and extension of the tumor), and information regarding the surgical procedure and postoperative complications. RESULTS: From the 20 patients included in this series (12 women and eight men), 17 underwent EETA as a primary procedure, and the remaining three underwent EETA as a secondary procedure due to a relapsing tumor following previous transcranial surgery. The mean age of the patients at the time of the surgical procedure was 7.5 years (range 3-18 years). Regarding their location, 12 tumors were in the sellar and suprasellar regions, three extended into the third ventricle, and five were exclusively intrasellar. We achieved a gross total resection (GTR) of the tumor in 14 patients (70%), subtotal in five (25%), and partial in one (5%). One patient (5%) developed a cerebrospinal fluid fistula after the surgical procedure. In the postoperative follow-up period (mean time = 5.3 years; range = 2-9 years), 11 (55%) patients developed panhypopituitarism, and a relapsing tumor was later found in three (15%) patients. Regarding visual impairment, four patients had visual abnormalities preoperatively (amaurosis, n = 2; bilateral visual acuity decrease, n = 1; bilateral visual field defect, n = 1), and those did not improve or worsened postoperatively. None of the patients who did not have vision problems before the surgery developed those postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the EETA is a safe and effective approach for removing craniopharyngiomas in children, as it associated with low operative morbidity and complication rates. Also, our data demonstrated that the EETA may be performed regardless of the size of the nasal cavity, pneumatization of the sphenoid sinuses, and location or extension of the tumors.

The role of maxillary sinus puncture on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hospital-acquired rhinosinusitis.

UNLABELLED: Rhinosinusitis is one of the most common causes of fever of unknown origin in critically ill patients and should be systematically searched. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic effect of maxillary sinus puncture performed at the bedside in patients with infective rhinosinusitis hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit of a high complexity care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study looks into patients on mechanical ventilation with fever of unknown origin and signs of rhinosinusitis on CT images who were submitted to inferior meatus maxillary sinus puncture. RESULTS: The total study sample consisted of 27 patients (70.3% male; mean age 45.3 years). The most common Intensive Care Unit admission diagnoses were head trauma and stroke. CT scans revealed the maxillary (85.2%) and sphenoid (74.1%) sinuses were the most involved paranasal sinuses. Middle meatus purulent drainage was seen in 30.7% of the nasal cavities. Fever was reduced in 70.4% of the patients after puncture (p < 0.001). The most commonly found organisms in sinus aspirates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. CONCLUSION: Maxillary sinus puncture performed at the bedside of the patients is an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool for critically ill patients.

Papel da punção do seio maxilar no diagnóstico e no tratamento de pacientes com rinossinusite hospitalar / The role of maxillary sinus puncture on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hospital-acquired rhinosinusitis

A rinossinusite é uma das principais causas de febre em pacientes críticos e deve ser sistematicamente pesquisada. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o impacto da punção do seio maxilar à beira leito, no diagnóstico e no tratamento dos pacientes com rinossinusite infecciosa internados em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva de um hospital universitário de alta complexidade. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo que avaliou os pacientes em ventilação mecânica com febre de origem indeterminada e sinais tomográficos de rinossinusite submetidos à punção do seio maxilar pelo meato inferior. RESULTADOS: A amostra total do estudo consistiu de 27 pacientes (70,3% do sexo masculino com média de idade 45,3 anos). Os diagnósticos de admissão mais frequentes na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva foram Trauma Crânio Encefálico e Acidente Vascular Cerebral. No exame tomográfico, os seios paranasais mais acometidos foram o maxilar, em 85,2%, e esfenoidal, em 74,1%. A secreção purulenta foi visualizada no meato médio em 30,7% das fossas nasais. Os microrganismos mais frequentes nos aspirados dos seios foram Pseudomonas aeruginosa e Acinetobacter baumannii. CONCLUSÃO: A punção do seio maxilar à beira leito demonstrou-se uma importante ferramenta diagnóstica e terapêutica nos pacientes de UTI com rinossinusite hospitalar, submetidos à ventilação mecânica invasiva.

Rhinosinusitis is one of the most commom causes of fever of unknown origin in critically ill patients and should be systematically searched. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic effect of maxillary sinus puncture performed at the bedside in patients with infective rhinosinusitis hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit of a high complexity care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study looks into patients on mechanical ventilation with fever of unknown origin and signs of rhinosinusitis on CT images who were submitted to inferior meatus maxillary sinus puncture. RESULTS: The total study sample consisted of 27 patients (70.3% male; mean age 45.3 years). The most common Intensive Care Unit admission diagnoses were head trauma and stroke. CT scans revealed the maxillary (85.2%) and sphenoid (74.1%) sinuses were the most involved paranasal sinuses. Middle meatus purulent drainage was seen in 30.7% of the nasal cavities. Fever was reduced in 70.4% of the patients after puncture (p < 0.001). The most commonly found organisms in sinus aspirates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. CONCLUSION: Maxillary sinus puncture performed at the bedside of the patients is an important diagnostic and theraupetic tool for critically ill patients.

Rinossinusite em pacientes de unidades de terapia intensiva: um diagnóstico esquecido / Rhinosinusitis in intensive care unit pacients: a forgotten diagnosis

Introdução: Infecções nosocomiais são uma das principais complicações que ocorrem em pacientes internados em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI). Estudos apresentam a rinossinusite como a segunda causa dessas infecções, porém sua apresentação clínica é bastante pobre, já que praticamente não há queixas ou sinais clínicos. Acredita-se, portanto, que a rinossinusite é subdiagnosticada e seu tratamento instituído tardiamente nestes centros. Objetivo: O presente estudo visa avaliar o tempo levado para suspeita clínica de sinusite infecciosa e seu diagnóstico. Método: Estudo retrospectivo com os seguintes critérios de inclusão: tempo de internação em UTI maior que 48 horas febre após 24 horas da entrada diagnóstico tomográfico de sinusite ausência e/ou outros focos infecciosos controlados. Colhido dados de início do quadro infeccioso, antibioticoterapia em vigor e data da avaliação otorrinolaringológica. Resultados: Foram incluídos 37 pacientes ao estudo. O tempo entre o início da febre e a avaliação do otorrinolaringologista foi, em média, de 10,32 dias e no momento da avaliação todos os pacientes já utilizavam antimicrobianos. Conclusão: Rinossinusite infecciosa é causa comum de febre em pacientes de UTI, porém continua sendo subdiagnosticada devendo, portanto, ser adicionada a protocolos de pacientes febris em UTI visto que um diagnóstico mais rápido estará reduzindo a morbimortalidade dos pacientes com tal afecção.

Coma metabólico / Methabolic coma

Coma pode ser definido como um estado de não-responsividade e não-reatividade do organismo, e o seu diagnóstico é feito quando temos uma Escala de Coma de Glasgow menor ou igual a 7. De acordo com a literatura médica, aproximadamente 60 por cento dos casos de coma têm origem em desordens metabólicas, que levam a alterações no suprimento de metabólitos ou modificações da excitabilidade neuronal.