[Treatment of postoperative vasospasm after insular tumor removal by intra-arterial administration of verapamil (analysis of two clinical cases and a literature review)]. / Lechenie posleoperatsionnogo vazospazma posle udaleniia opukholi ostrovkovoi doli s pomoshch'iu intraarterial'nogo vvedeniia verapamila (analiz dvukh klinicheskikh nabliudenii i obzor literatury).

PURPOSE: We describe our experience of using intra-arterial administration of Verapamil to resolve vasospasm in two patients who underwent surgery for insular glial tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Severe vasospasm (an increased systolic LBFV in the M1 MCA, more than 250 cm/s, and a Lindegaard index of 4.1) was observed in 2 (3.2%) of 62 patients in the early postoperative period after removal of intracerebral insular tumors. In both cases, vasospasm was confirmed by angiography, was clinically significant, and manifested by the development of pyramidal hemisyndrome. RESULTS: Intra-arterial administration of Verapamil led to relief of angiospasm, which was confirmed by angiographic data, and complete regression of neurological symptoms. CONCLUSION: Vasospasm symptoms in patients after removal of insular tumors largely resemble those after aneurysm hemorrhage. An increase in the LBFV in the MCA and related neurological symptoms develop lately and persists for up to 2 weeks after surgery. LBFV values are similar to those in patients after SAH and reach 250-300 cm/s. Among the causes of focal symptoms developed after removal of insular tumors, injury to the inner capsule structures, injury to arteries of the MCA territory (especially perforators), and angiospasm should be differentiated.

[Preoperative and postoperative ophthalmic symptoms in patients with space-occupying lesions of the midbrain and pineal region]. / Oftal'mologicheskaia simptomatika u bol'nykh s ob''emnymi obrazovaniiami srednego mozga i pineal'noi oblasti do i posle khirurgicheskogo lecheniia.

The most common clinical manifestations of space-occupying lesions of the midbrain and pineal region are oculomotor and pupil disorders and ophthalmoscopic signs of intracranial hypertension. PURPOSE: To identify patterns of neuro-ophthalmic symptoms before and after surgical treatment in patients with space-occupying lesions of the midbrain and pineal region. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed neurological symptoms in 231 patients with space-occupying lesions of the midbrain and pineal region before and after surgical treatment. Malignant tumors were detected in 121 patients; benign tumors were present in 73 patients; 37 patients were diagnosed with pineal gland cysts. Patients with suspicion of germinoma underwent a tumor biopsy only; the other patients underwent tumor resection. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Before surgery, oculomotor and pupil disorders were detected in more than half of the (67%) patients; ophthalmoscopic signs of intracranial hypertension were present in 38% of the patients. Neuro-ophthalmic symptoms significantly more often occurred in patients with malignant tumors. Midbrain symptoms were significantly more pronounced in germ cell tumors than in other malignant neoplasms. In the early postoperative period after tumor resection, deterioration of oculomotor and pupillary functions occurred in 46% of cases; there were no changes in 51% of cases; improvement occurred in 3% of cases. After tumor biopsy, symptoms in all patients with germinomas remained at the preoperative level. Developed symptoms partially regressed in the long-term period, and finally, only 29% of patients had deterioration of oculomotor and pupillary functions compared to the preoperative level.

[Pineal cyst]. / Kista shishkovidnogo tela.

A pineal cyst (PC) is a benign neoplasm in the pineal region, or more precisely in the pineal body. Most cysts are incidental findings and are not associated with symptoms typical of patients seeking medical advice. Symptomatic cysts are discovered less often and, depending on the clinical picture, require different treatment approaches. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed the literature data about the clinical picture, diagnosis, and treatment of PCs for more than a century (1914-2016). CONCLUSION: To date, there is no single approach for managing PC patients. The indications for surgical treatment of symptomatic PCs are still not fully defined. It remains unclear which PC cases should be followed-up, and how often control examinations should be performed. More research of PCs is needed to develop new approaches to treatment of PC patients.

[The trans-eyebrow supraorbital approach for removal of anterior cranial fossa and suprasellar meningiomas]. / Supraorbital'nyi chrezbrovnyi dostup dlia udaleniia meningiom perednei cherepnoi iamki i supraselliarnoi oblasti.

Over the past two decades, improvements in surgical tools, navigation systems, and endoscopic techniques have resulted in the widespread use of keyhole surgery for a wide range of skull base tumors. Currently, the trans-eyebrow supraorbital approach is being increasingly used in surgery for anterior cranial fossa and parasellar tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 7 patients who underwent surgery for meningioma using the trans-eyebrow supraorbital approach at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute in the period between 2013 and 2017. The age of patients ranged from 51 to 75 years (median, 60 years); there were 5 females and 2 males. The maximum diameter of resected tumors ranged from 20 to 60 mm (median 40 mm). RESULTS: Total resection of the tumor was achieved in all 7 cases, which was confirmed by postoperative MRI control. All 7 patients had a good cosmetic result. In 1 case, there was postoperative cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea due to incomplete closure of the frontal sinus, which required the patient to be re-operated. None of 7 cases was associated with injury to the main vessels or cavernous sinus. CONCLUSION: Supraorbital trans-eyebrow craniotomy provides a minimally invasive approach for removing most anterior cranial fossa base and suprasellar tumors. The advantages of keyhole surgery, in comparison with traditional craniotomies, are minimal complications associated with the approach.