Volume 04 · Issue 03 · 2018

The ExcelsiusGPS^® (Globus Medical, Inc., Audubon, PA) is a next-generation spine surgery robotic system recently approved for use in the United States. The objective of the current study is to assess pedicle screw accuracy and clinical outcomes among two of the first operative cases utilizing the ExcelsiusGPS^® robotic system and describe a novel metric to quantify screw deviation.

Two patients who underwent lumbar fusion at a single institution with the ExcelsiusGPS^® surgical robot were included. Pre-operative trajectory planning was performed from an intra-operative CT scan using the O-arm (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN). After robotic-assisted screw implantation, a post-operative CT scan was obtained to confirm ideal screw placement and accuracy with the planned trajectory. A novel pedicle screw accuracy algorithm was devised to measure screw tip/tail deviation distance and angular offset on axial and sagittal planes. Screw accuracy was concurrently determined by a blinded neuroradiologist using the traditional Gertzbein-Robbins method. Clinical variables such as symptomatology, operative data, and post-operative follow-up were also collected.

Eight pedicle screws were placed in two L4-L5 fusion cases. Mean screw tip deviation was 2.1 mm (range 0.8–5.2 mm), mean tail deviation was 3.2 mm (range 0.9–5.4 mm), and mean angular offset was 2.4 degrees (range 0.7–3.8 degrees). All eight screws were accurately placed based on the Gertzbein-Robbins scale (88% Grade A and 12% Grade B). There were no cases of screw revision or new post-operative deficit. Both patients experienced improvement in Frankel grade and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score by 6 weeks post-op.

The ExcelsiusGPS^® robot allows for precise execution of an intended pre-planned trajectory and accurate screw placement in the first patients to undergo robotic-assisted fusion with this technology.

Children with brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVM) are at risk of life-threatening hemorrhage contributing to unfavorable neurological deficit in their early lives. Our aim was to propose a classification system predicting the unfavorable hemorrhage in children with bAVM.

We identified all consecutive children admitted to our institution for bAVMs between July 2009 and August 2015. A hemorrhage event was defined as unfavorable when it is life-threatening (requiring emergent invasive intervention) or with post-hemorrhage mRS > 3. The effects of demographic characteristics and bAVM morphology on unfavorable hemorrhage risk were studied using univariate and multivariable regression analyses, followed by discrimination analysis using area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) and 5-fold cross validation.

A total of 162 pediatric bAVM cases were identified, unfavorable hemorrhage occurred in 49 (30.2%). Periventricular nidus location (HR, 4.46; 95%CI, 1.93–10.31; P < 0.001), non-temporal lobe location (HR, 2.72; 95%CI, 1.20–6.15; P= 0.02) and long pial draining vein (HR, 3.26; 95%CI, 1.53–6.97; P= 0.002) were independent predictors of an earlier unfavorable hemorrhage in pediatric bAVMs. We further classified the bAVM into three types: Type I, periventricular and non-temporal location (Ia, deep location; Ib, superificial location); Type II, with long pial draining vein and non-periventricular or temporal location; Type III, non-periventricular or temporal location without long draining vein. Predictive accuracy of this classification for unfavorable hemorrhage was assessed with AUROC of 0.77 (95% CI 0.69–0.85) and remained stable after cross validation.

A morphologic model based on nidus location and venous drainage might predict unfavorable hemorrhage in children with bAVM.

The pineal region tumors are surrounded by important structures. Neuroendoscopy has been increasingly used at home and abroad. This study is to simulate pure neuroendoscopic infratentorial supracerebellar approach for resection of pineal region tumor from the cadaveric head, and discuss the advantages and safety through this corridor.

The anatomical structure for resection of pineal region tumor was visualized through pure neuroendoscopic infratentorial supracerebellar approach in three cadaveric heads. Three cases with pineal region tumors were retrospectively analyzed and summarized between June 2017 and December 2017. All cases were operated through pure neuroendoscopic infratentorial supracerebellar approach in the first affiliated hospital of Fujian medical university.

The anatomical structures of pineal region can be completely visualized by pure neuroendoscopic infratentorial supracerebellar corridor in the cadaveric head. Among the three cases, the first case was total resection, the second case was subtotal resection and the last case was partial resection. The postoperative pathology revealed cavernous hemangioma, germinoma and yolk sac tumor, respectively. The patients were followed-up for 1–6 months and had normal life.The KPS (karnofsky performance status) score was 100.

The anatomical structure of the pineal region can be completely visualized and the tumor can be safely removed through pure neuroendoscopic infratentorial supracerebellar approach.

A pituitary tumor is a tumor with a high incidence among brain tumors. Microscopic traditional STT approach with aid of endoscope has a high therapeutic effect and few complications.

The authors reviewed 146 patients who underwent STT resection of sellar masses between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2013. From this group, 40 patients who underwent microscopic STT surgery with aid of endoscope were included in the study. In this series, there were many nonfunctional and Growth Hormone(GH) secreting adenoma. In the study group, tumor size ranged from 60 to 79 mm in 3 cases. Pathophysiological studies, tumor sizes, clinical outcomes, extent of resection, visual function and complication were estimated.

In our study, gross-total resection(GTR) was achieved in 33 patients (82.5%), subtotal in 3 (7.5%), and partial in 4 (10%). Visual acuity were improved in 82.1%, while 17.9% were unchanged. Visual fields were improved in 81.2%. No deaths occurred in this cohort of patients.

Pituitary adenoma surgery under microscope with aid of endoscope is an effective treatment method, which results in high (> 90%) rates of resection. It is not associated with high rates of major complications and is safe when performed by experienced surgeons.

To identify the predictive factors associated with worse prognosis in the Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which can be helpful to fully evaluate the disease progression and provide proper treatments.

Clinical data of 111 GBS patients who were diagnosed from 2010 to 2015 were collected and retrospectively analyzed.

Patients with diabetes (P=0.031), high blood pressure at admission (P=0.034), uroschesis (P=0.028), fever (P<0.001), ventilator support (P<0.001) during hospitalization, disorder of consciousness (p=0.007) and absence of preceding respiratory infection(P=0.016) were associated with worse outcome at discharge, while abnormal sensation, ataxia, weakness and decrease of tendon reflex seemed not correlated with the Medical Research Council(MRC) score at discharge. Compared with the subtype of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, prognosis of Miller- Fisher syndrome (p<0.001) and cranial nerve variant (p<0.038) were better, but prognosis of acute motor axonal neuropathy(AMAN) was worse (p<0.032). Laboratory examinations at admission showed that hyperglycemia (P=0.002), high leukocyte count (P=0.010), hyperfibrinogenemia (P=0.001), hyponatremia (P=0.020), hypoalbuminemia (P=0.005), abnormal hepatic (P=0.048) and renal (P=0.009) functions were associated with poorer prognosis at discharge, while albuminocytologic dissociation in cerebrospinal fluid, GM1 and GQ1b antibody showed no correlation with the MRC score at discharge. γ-Globulin and glucocorticoid therapies showed no difference in the MRC score at the discharge.

AMAN, diabetes, high blood pressure, uroschesis, high body temperature, ventilator support, consciousness disorder, absence of upper respiratory tract preceding infection, hyperglycemia, hyponatremia, hypoalbuminemia, high leukocyte count, hyperfibrinogenemia, abnormal hepatic and renal function were demonstrated as poor prognostic factors.

Craniopharyngioma is a kind of intracranial benign tumor that is primarily treated with surgery. At present, a variety of surgical approaches are used for tumor resection. We have conducted a comparative analysis of the two approaches most used in our department.

The study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data from 65 patients with craniopharyngioma surgically treated by the two approaches mentioned above. Among these patients, 24 were treated by lateral supraorbital (LSO) approach and 41 by standard pterional approach. Indicators including, but not limited to, length of incision, operation time, postoperative pituitary function, urine volume, visual function improvement, and hospitalization were used to compare these two groups of patients.

The data shows that there was no significant difference in total tumor resection rate (P = 0.54), postoperative visual field improvement (P = 0.68) and postoperative function of endocrine. However, the LSO approach significantly reduced the operative incision (P = 0.001), shortened the operation time (P = 0.001) and operative complexity, while reducing the incidence of postoperative complications (P = 0.04).

In surgical treatment of craniopharyngioma, LSO approach has similar surgical effect with standard pterional approach, but it can significantly shorten the operation time, reduce surgical trauma and the incidence of complications. Therefore, LSO provides another alternative to surgical approach for microsurgical removal of craniopharyngioma.

Collision tumor is a very rare case of cerebral lesion. Approximately 50 reports of intracranial collision tumors were described in the literature. We present a case of supratentorial dural-based convexity collision tumor radiologically mimicking cavernous malformation and composed of cavernous malformation and meningioma.

The case presents a 63-year-old female having MR findings such as hemorraged supratentorial dural-based mass with "popcorn" signs and hemosiderin deposits. The patient underwent craniotomy and evacuation of the subdural hematoma with resection of the tumor mass. Histologically the lesion had signs of a cavernoma and meningioma. MRI in a year after surgery did not reveale residual tumor mass or recurrence.

Collision tumor is a very rare case. Preoperative diagnosis of a dural lesion is difficult and challenging. A neuroradiological differential diagnosis of similar cases needs focused attention.

The extrapontine myelinolysis (EPM) of osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS) is a rare and dangerous disorder of the central nervous system. The mechanism is not fully understood and the treatment is controversial. There are few reports of EPM occurred after endonasal endoscopic resection of pediatric craniopharyngioma.

We report two unusual cases of such a rare condition. Both are procedured uneventful endonasal endoscopical craniopharyngioma resection, after operation, the patients suffered serious diabetic insipidus with remarkable fluctuation of serum sodium though we applied pitutrin continual management to maintain everyday normal urine and correct serum sodium disorder. MR images occured caudal and lentiform nuclei myelinolysis following these serious conditions.

In this study relevant literatures are reviewed in order to further understand this complication and contribute to the prevention and treatment of EPM caused by inappropriate correction of serum sodium disorder.

In superficial temporal artery-to-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass surgery, indocyanine green video angiography (ICG-VA) is usually used to verify bypass patency. Less-commonly reported is the ability to use this technique to evaluate candidate recipient vessels based on either collateral flow or identification of the distal branch of interest.

An 82-year-old man presented with progressive cerebral infarction due to infarction of the M2 inferior trunk of the right middle cerebral artery. He underwent superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass to prevent further ischemia 1 week after the initial stroke. In the surgery, M4 cortical arteries fed by the inferior trunk could not be identified as recipient arteries. Intraoperative ICG-VA showed delayed luminescence of some M4 arteries. Because the M4 arteries fed by the inferior trunk showed delayed retrograde flows from the anterior cerebral artery on preoperative digital subtraction angiography, the M4 arteries with delayed luminescence on ICG-VA were considered to be M4 arteries fed by the inferior trunk and selected as the recipient arteries.

ICG-VA shows differences in flow speed as delayed luminescence. This finding may be useful for detecting target vessels.

Multiple arachnoid cysts are very rare within the central nervous system. The cysts will sometimes increase in size with age, lead to the mass effect or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow obstruction, and cause some symptoms, which requires the surgery intervention.

A 35-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with some symptoms related to hydrocephalus for 1 month. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed well-marginated cystic lesions with CSF signal intensity in the ventricular and cisternal systems, bilateral temporal lobes, and left occipital lobe. Cine phase-contrast MRI showed the aqueduct of sylvius was blocked by the cyst in the quadrigeminal cistern. We employed endoscopic ventriculocystostomy and septostomy to create the communication of the cyst with ventricular and cistern system. As a result, the patient’s symptoms were relieved.

Endoscopic management can be an effective way for treating intracranial multiple arachnoid cysts, which is the first report of this kind. We hope that this report could help improve the management of intracranial arachnoid cysts with the neuroendoscopic technology.