Bilateral abducens and facial nerve palsies following fourth ventriculoperitoneal shunt with laparoscopic-assisted abdominal catheter placement.

Introduction: Hydrocephalus, altering cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics, affects 175 per 100,000 adults worldwide. Ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS) manage symptomatic hydrocephalus, with 125,000 cases annually. Despite efficacy, VPS face complications, necessitating interventions. Research question: "What are the mechanisms and risk factors for bilateral VIth and VIIth lower motor neuron palsies in hydrocephalus patients with a fourth ventriculoperitoneal shunt?" Material and methods: This study details a 36-year-old female with a neonatal meningitis history, multiple shunt replacements, admitted for abdominal pain secondary to pelvic inflammatory disease. An abdominal shunt catheter removal and external ventricular drain placement occurred after consultation with a general surgeon. A cardiac atrial approach and subsequent laparoscopic abdominal approach were performed without complications. Results: After one month, the patient showed neurological complications, including decreased facial expression, gait instability, and bilateral VIth and VIIth lower motor neuron palsies, specifically upgazed and convergence restriction. Discussion: The complication's pathophysiology is discussed, attributing it to potential brainstem herniation from over-drainage of CSF. Literature suggests flexible endoscopic treatments like aqueductoplasty/transaqueductal approaches into the fourth ventricle. Conclusions: This study underscores the need for increased awareness in monitoring neurological outcomes after the fourth ventriculoperitoneal shunt, particularly in cases with laparoscopic-assisted abdominal catheter placement. The rarity of bilateral abducens and facial nerve palsies emphasizes the importance of ongoing research to understand pathophysiology and develop preventive and therapeutic strategies for this unique complication.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Oswestry disability index for Mexican population.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to adapt a Spanish translation of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) into a cross-cultural version for the Mexican population. The objectives were to verify the validity and reliability of the adapted ODI and to compare pain perception between patients with and without obesity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 102 patients with low back pain from two neurosurgery departments in Mexico. The ODI questionnaire was translated and culturally adapted. Validity and construct were evaluated using exploratory factor analysis, and the external convergent validity was assessed by correlating ODI scores with pain intensity, age, and obesity. Test-retest reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient, and confirmatory analysis was employed to validate the factorial structure. RESULTS: Patients with obesity were older and had higher pain scores than patients without obesity. The exploratory analysis of the ODI in Mexican Spanish showed good reliability (Cronbach's alpha of 0.923) and validity (factorial loading range, 0.681 - 0.818). The confirmatory analysis showed almost null or very low discrepancy between the proposed model and the real data. CONCLUSIONS: A Spanish translation of ODI was cross-culturally adapted for the Mexican population. The Mexican version of the ODI showed good reliability and validity in Mexican culture.

The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is a widely used tool to measure physical disability in daily activities due to low back pain.A Spanish-language version has not been culturally adapted and validated for Mexican habits and lifestyle.This study describes the process of the Spanish ODI translation and cultural adaptation, showing it is a reliable and valid tool for assessing disability in patients with low back pain, with a good factorial structure.

Transcranial electric stimulation motor evoked potentials for cervical spine intraoperative monitoring complications: systematic review and illustrative case of cardiac arrest.

PURPOSE: We show a systematic review of known complications during intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) using transcranial electric stimulation motor evoked potentials (TES-MEP) on cervical spine surgery, which provides a summary of the main findings. A rare complication during this procedure, cardiac arrest by cardioinhibitory reflex, is also described. METHODS: Findings of 523 scientific papers published from 1995 onwards were reviewed in the following databases: CENTRAL, Cochrane Library, Embase, Google Scholar, Ovid, LILACS, PubMed, and Web of Science. This study evaluated only complications on cervical spine surgery undergoing TES-MEP IONM. RESULTS: The review of the literature yielded 13 studies on the complications of TES-MEP IONM, from which three were excluded. Five studies are case series; the rest are case reports. Overall, 169 complications on 167 patients were reported in a total of 38,915 patients, a global prevalence of 0.43%. The most common complication was tongue-bite in 129 cases, (76.3% of all complication events). Tongue-bite had a prevalence of 0.33% (CI 95%, 0.28-0.39%) in all patients on TES-MEP IONM. A relatively low prevalence of severe complications was found: cardiac-arrhythmia, bradycardia and seizure, the prevalence of this complications represents only one case in all the sample. Alongside, we report the occurrence of cardiac arrest attributable to TES-MEP IONM. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review shows that TES-MEP is a safe procedure with a very low prevalence of complications. To our best knowledge, asystole is reported for the first time as a complication during TES-MEP IONM.

Extent of resection and survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) owes an ominous prognosis: its mean overall survival is 14 months. The extent of surgical resection (ESR) highlights among factors in which an association has been found to a somewhat better prognosis. However, the association between greater ESR and prolonged overall (OS) survival is not a constant finding nor a proven cause-and-effect phenomenon. To our objective is to establish the strength of association between ESR and OS in patients with GBM through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: In accordance with PRISMA-P recommendations, we conducted a systematic literature search; we included studies with adult patients who had undergone craniotomy for GBM. Our primary outcome is overall postoperative survival at 12 and 24 months. We reviewed 180 studies, excluded 158, and eliminated 8; 14 studies that suited our requirements were analyzed. RESULTS: The initial level of evidence of all studies is low, and it may be degraded to very low according to GRADE criteria because of design issues. The definition of different levels of the extent of resection is heterogeneous and poorly defined. We found a great amount of variation in the methodology of the operation and the adjuvant treatment protocol. The combined result for relative risk (RR) for OS for 12 months analysis is 1.25 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.14-1.36, P < .01], absolute risk reduction (ARR) of 15.7% (95% CI 11.9-19.4), relative risk reduction (RRR) of 0.24 (95% CI 0.18-0.31), number needed to treat (NNT) 6; for 24-month analysis RR is 1.59 (95% CI 1.11-2.26, P < .01) ARR of 11.5% (95% CI 7.7-15.1), relative risk reduction (RRR) of 0.53 (95% CI 0.33-0.76), (NNT) 9. In each term analysis, the proportion of alive patients who underwent more extensive resection is significantly higher than those who underwent subtotal resection. CONCLUSION: Our results sustain a weak but statistically significant association between the ESR and OS in patients with GBM obtained from observational studies with a very low level of evidence according to GRADE criteria. As a consequence, any estimate of effect is very uncertain. Current information cannot sustain a cause-and-effect relationship between these variables.

Efficacy of an intervention program to prevent patient safety indicators in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Patient safety indicators (PSI) are a set of potentially preventable events related to patient safety and opportunities for improvement. Eight pertinent PSI have been identified in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (ASAH), such as decubitus ulcer, and central line-related bacteraemia. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of a health care quality protocol to prevent the appearance of PSI in ASAH patients. METHODS: Adult patients treated for ASAH were included in a retrospective control group of 35 patients and a prospective experimental group of 35 patients when the prevention program was implemented. We evaluated the occurrence of PSI, and its relation to age, sex, Hunt and Hess scale grade, type of aneurysm treatment, length of hospital stay, and Glasgow Outcome Scale scores. RESULTS: Both groups had similar characteristics except for a longer hospital stay in the control group. The overall PSI prevalence decreased significantly in the experimental group compared to the control group. The experimental group had a decreased risk for having at least one PSI: OR = 0.21 (0.08-0.57, CI 95%). The absolute risk reduction is 37.1% (58.9%-15.4%), the preventable fraction for the population is 28.3% (10.6%-40.0%), and the number needed to treat is 2.69. CONCLUSIONS: The health care quality protocol is effective to prevent ISP in ASAH patients. Implementing this prevention program has no effect on the neurological state of the patient at the hospital discharge. Still, it is successful in decreasing the PSI prevalence and the days of hospital stay.

Association between the Symptomatic Appearance of Dural Arteriovenous Fistula and Trigeminal Ganglion Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation.

Fluoroscopy-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the trigeminal ganglion is an alternative treatment for symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia. The most common complications of the procedure are circumscribed to sensitivity alterations. We report a case of an 83-year-old female patient with a history of petroclival meningioma resection, radiotherapy at the level of the petrous apex, and radiofrequency thermocoagulation for trigeminal neuralgia who developed a symptomatic dural arteriovenous fistula as an early complication, which required selective embolization. Dural arteriovenous fistula as an immediate complication of percutaneous thermocoagulation of the trigeminal ganglion has not been previously reported.

Prevalence of Incidental Clinoid Segment Saccular Aneurysms.

INTRODUCTION: Clinoid segment aneurysms are cerebral vascular lesions recently described in the neurosurgical literature. They arise from the clinoid segment of the internal carotid artery, which is the segment limited rostrally by the dural carotid ring and caudally, by the carotid-oculomotor membrane. Even although clinoid segment aneurysms represent a common incidental finding in magnetic resonance studies, its prevalence has not been yet reported. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of incidental clinoid segment saccular aneurysms diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging as well as their anatomic architecture and their association with smoking, arterial hypertension, age, and sex of patients. METHODS: A total of 500 patients were prospectively studied with magnetic resonance imaging time-of-flight sequence and angioresonance with contrast material, to search for incidental saccular intracranial aneurysms. The site of primary interest was the clinoid segment, but the presence of aneurysms in any other location was determined for comparison. The relation among the presence of clinoid segment aneurysms, demographic factors, and secondary diagnosis of arterial hypertension, smoking, and other vascular/neoplastic cerebral lesions was analyzed. RESULTS: We found a global prevalence of incidental aneurysms of 7% (95% confidence interval, 5-9), with a prevalence of clinoid segment aneurysms of 3% (95% confidence interval, 2-4). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed a statistically significant relationship among incidental aneurysms, systemic arterial hypertension (P = 0.000), and smoking (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In the studied population, incidental clinoid segment aneurysms constitute the variety with highest prevalence.

Prevalence of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Safety Indicators and Their Relation with Health Care Outcomes in a Mexican Population.

BACKGROUND: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (ASAH) is a serious and unstable condition. Patient safety indicators (PSI) are a group of potentially preventable events in patient health care. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of 8 relevant PSI in a group of patients with ASAH and their relation with 2 health care outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all patients admitted with ASAH. A total of 35 patients were selected with the following variables: age, sex, Hunt and Hess scale at admission, brain aneurysm treatment, length of hospital stay, and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score with the presence or absence of all 8 PSI: decubitus ulcer, pneumothorax, bacteremia, perioperative hematoma, postoperative respiratory failure, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary thromboembolism, and accidental puncture or laceration. RESULTS: Average age (±standard deviation) was 53 ± 13.9 years, with a female predominance of 63%. The most common PSI was decubitus ulcer followed by central line-related bacteremia. Prolonged hospital stay was increased for inpatients with DVT. Males had a risk effect (odds ratio, 6.25) in relation to the appearance of pulmonary thromboembolism as well as a poor neurologic condition according to the GOS (GOS score <4) related to the appearance of DVT (odds ratio, 8.0). CONCLUSIONS: In our study population, we found 3 PSI related to a poor outcome measured with the GOS or to a longer hospital stay: decubitus ulcer, central line-related bacteremia, and DVT. PSI have been academically considered as useful tools in clinical, epidemiologic, and research outcome scenarios. An adequate prevention protocol for these indicators could produce better outcomes in medical care for patients with ASAH.

[Traumatic occipitocervical and atlantoaxial dislocation with clivus fracture in a child. Case report]. / Luxación traumática occipitocervical y atlantoaxial con fractura del clivus en un paciente pediátrico. Reporte de un caso.

BACKGROUND: Cranieovertebral junction lesions in the paediatric population are associated with a low survival rate, which has declined in recent years. Neurological disability is a major concern due to the high economical cost it represents. Paediatric patients are more susceptible to this lesion because of hyperextension capacity, flat articulation, and increased ligamentous laxity. Survival after these kinds of injuries has been more often reported in adults, but are limited in the paediatric population. CLINICAL CASE: A case is reported of an 8-year-old male with occipitocervical and atlantoaxial dislocation associated with clivus fracture, brain oedema, and post-traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). A halo vest system was placed with no traction. One month after the trauma the patient was surgically treated with C1 and C2 trans-articular screws, occipitocervical fixation with plate and screws, and C1- C2 fixation with tricortical bone graft and wires without complication. He has now returned to school and is self-sufficient. CONCLUSIONS: With better pre-hospital medical care and with improved surgical techniques the mortality rate has declined in this kind of lesion.

Endoscopic approach for the treatment of pineal region tumors.

Tumors of the pineal region account for 3 to 8% of the tumors involving the central nervous system. The most common are germ cell tumors (39%). Less common examples include teratomas, primitive neuroectodermic tumors, astrocytomas, and choriocarcinomas. Clinical presentation in pediatric patients is in direct relation to the anatomical structures surrounding the pineal region and to the associated hydrocephalus that is present in almost 90% of cases. The diagnosis of a tumor in the pineal region is based on radiological findings and the presence of tumor markers such as α-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotrophic hormone subfraction ß. Neuroendoscopy is considered to be one of the minimally invasive techniques useful for the management of such patients. This minimally invasive approach to pineal region tumors allows the treatment of hydrocephalus in a safe and effective way, avoiding the complications derived from other procedures such as external ventricular drainage or shunt surgery.

Pituitary tumor surgery: review of 3004 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To report the efficacy, safety, and outcomes through time of the biggest series to our knowledge of pituitary surgery using transcranial, transsphenoidal, and endoscopic techniques. METHODS: An observational, retrospective, and descriptive review was performed of 3004 patients surgically treated by the senior author from 1973 to June 2011 in Mexico City. A sublabial approach was used in 3000 patients, and a transnasal approach was used in the remaining 4 patients. Tumors were classified according to size as microadenomas or macroadenomas. RESULTS: During the time period of this study, 3004 patients were surgically treated; there were 510 prolactinomas, 822 growth hormone adenomas, 62 adrenocorticotropic hormone-producing adenomas, 8 tumors that produced Nelson syndrome, and 1562 adenomas that were not biologically active. The cure rate of prolactinoma was 82% for microadenomas and 9% for macroadenomas. Gender distribution showed a male predominance of 57.1%. Cure rate for growth hormone adenomas was 87%. Adrenocorticotropic hormone adenomas showed no cure rate; surgery simply aided pharmacologic control. Global mortality rate was 1.6%. The main complications were cerebrospinal fluid fistula, diabetes insipidus, and meningitis. CONCLUSIONS: The sum of this 38-year experience of managing pituitary pathology and its surgical treatment shows the importance of working together with other specialists such as endocrinologists, ophthalmologists, and radiologists. The correct treatment approach for each case must be individually selected. Transsphenoidal surgery is an effective and safe treatment for most patients with pituitary adenoma and could be considered the first-choice therapy in all cases except for prolactinomas that respond to pharmacologic therapy (dopamine agonist).

Cerebral salt wasting syndrome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Hydroelectrolytic disturbances are part of the complications of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral salt wasting syndrome (CSWS) must be considered when hyponatremia is associated with a decrease in circulating volume. We performed this study to determine the clinical characteristics and management paradigm of patients with serum sodium concentration abnormalities and aneurysmatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively clinical and laboratory data from eight patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of an intracranial saccular aneurysm and cerebral salt wasting syndrome. Their course, as well as their clinical findings and treatment, are described. RESULTS: In eight patients, hyponatremia that lasted for more than 24 hours was detected (serum sodium under 135 mEq/l). The sodium disturbance occurred between day 3 and day 10 in all cases, in six of them in day 7 or day 8. The specific treatment for CSWS was to increase volume delivery according to the characteristics of the patient. Except for one case, none of the remaining patients required more than 72 hours of treatment to correct hyponatremia. No treatment-related complications were found CONCLUSION: Cerebral salt wasting syndrome, occurring in some patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, is more commonly related to certain specific anatomic locations of the ruptured aneurysm, responds to sodium replacement therapy and fluids and can be diagnosed and treated based on the clinical, hydroelectrolytic and hemodynamic course of the patient. Further studies are needed to define the underlying mechanism of this condition.

Paraganglioma de la cola de caballo con patrón papilar y expresión de citoqueratina: dos causas potenciales de error diagnóstico reporte de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Cauda equina paraganglioma with papillary pattern and cytokeratin expression: two potential causes of misdiagnosis: case report and literature review

Los paragangliomas son tumores neuroendocrinos poco usuales. En cola de caballo y filum terminale resultan raros. Por su baja frecuencia, patrones histológicos no típicos e inmunofenotipo dual (epitelial-paraganglionar), pueden confundirse con otras neoplasias más frecuentes en la región. Es nuestro propósito informar un caso de paraganglioma de la cola de caballo y el filum terminale (PGCCFT), destacando su aspecto histológico, inmunohistoquímico, diagnóstico diferencial, pronóstico y tratamiento. Revisamos la clínica, imagen por RMN y morfología de un PGCCFT, diagnosticado en el Departamento de Patología Quirúrgica del Centro Médico ABC, en la Ciudad de México. Presentación del caso: Masculino de 26 años de edad, que consulta por dolor lumbar bajo de un año de evolución. La RMN mostró lesión heterointensa, bien delimitada, de 2 cm, a nivel de vértebras lumbares 1era y 2da, sugiriendo ependimoma. El tumor fue resecado totalmente. Microscópicamente resultó predominante papilar, sus células principales se tiñeron con cromogranina, sinaptofisina y citoqueratina. Las escasas células sustentaculares fueron S100 positivas. El paciente evolucionó satisfactoriamente. Conclusiones: El diagnóstico de certeza y diferencial de los PGCCFT precisa correlación entre patrón morfológico e inmunofenotipo, y este último debe ser interpretado en el contexto peculiar de esta región anatómica.

Comportamiento de los clips metálicos intracraneales en Resonancia Magnética (Estudio Experimental I) / Experimental study of the movement of metalic clips in magnetic fields

La Resonancia Magnética (RM) es actualmente una de las modalida, modalidades diagnósticas más importantes en la patología vascular cerebral. Existen ciertas contraindicaciones para su realización, tales como implantes metálicos cocleares, presencia de neuroestimuladores y clips metálicos intracraneales. En la actualidad, para evitar este inconveniente, los clips son elebados con material no ferromagnético y constan de diversas aleaciones. Se estudiaron 20 lips para aneurisma en un equipo de Resonancia Magnética de 1.5 Tesla, para valorar la presencia de movimiento y la fuerza de desplazamiento de los clips, observando que el 95 por ciento de los clips presentaron cierto grado de movimiento, por lo que sugerimos que ningún clip sea implantado antes de que se analicen sus propiedades, si el paciente no conoce el tipo de clip que le ha sido implantado no deberá ser sometido a estudios de Resonancia Magnética a menos de que el beneficio que se pueda obtener sea realmente mayor a las complicaciones que pudiesen surgir

Transplante hepático ortatópico en perros: la importancia de la utilización de un cortocircuito veno-venosa portasistémico / Orthotopic liver transplant in dogs. The importance of using a veno-venous portasystemic shunt

Las dificultades técnicas del trasplante hepático se han reducido con la utilización de un cortocircuito veno-venoso portosistémico. Con un sistema diseñado en nuestro laboratorio realizamos 11 trasplantes hepáticos ortotópicos en perros, utilizando la técnica quirúrgica descrita por Starzl y colaboradores. Los resultados preliminares muestran que el cortocircuito diseñado es seguro, fácil de implementar, económico y con un bajo índice de complicaciones, lo que nos ha permitido desarrollar un modelo experimental con el cual hemos iniciado un protocolo tendiente a investigar diversos problemas del trasplante hepático