The Uprising, a courageous act against the brutal Nazi oppressor, wasn't the only expression of defiance. Within the ghetto, a different, intellectual and spiritual form of resistance arose – medical resistance. Resistance arose from physicians, nurses, and allied healthcare professionals. Their medical assistance to the ghetto population wasn't limited to routine care. They undertook innovative research into hunger-related diseases, and established a hidden medical school to empower future generations of medical professionals. The valiant medical work within the Warsaw Ghetto exemplifies the triumph of the human spirit.
Brain metastases (BM) are a major contributor to the burden of illness and death for systemic cancer patients. Within the last two decades, there has been a considerable progress in controlling extra-cranial diseases, positively impacting the longevity of patients. In spite of this, a larger number of patients are now living long enough to ultimately develop BM. Neurosurgical and radiotherapy innovations have, in fact, established surgical resection and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) as indispensable elements in the treatment protocol for patients presenting with 1-4 BM. The expanded spectrum of therapeutic approaches, encompassing surgical resection, SRS, whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT), and more recently, targeted molecular therapies, has yielded a substantial, yet occasionally perplexing, body of published data.
Multiple research endeavors have revealed a correlation between increased precision in glioma resection and better patient survival outcomes. Intraoperative electrophysiology cortical mapping, demonstrating function, became a standard practice in modern neurosurgery, proving indispensable for achieving the maximal safe resection of tumors. This paper chronicles the historical progression of intraoperative electrophysiology cortical mapping, from the initial cortical mapping research in 1870 to the cutting-edge technology of broad gamma cortical mapping currently in use.
Within the field of neurosurgery, the treatment of intracranial tumors has been reshaped by the introduction of the disruptive therapeutic method of stereotactic radiosurgery in the past few decades. Radiosurgery, an outpatient procedure frequently performed in a single session, features tumor control rates exceeding 90%. This treatment, which does not require skin cuts, head shaving, or anesthesia, presents few and mostly temporary side effects. While ionizing radiation, the energy source in radiosurgery, is understood to be a carcinogen, radiosurgery-related tumors are exceedingly rare occurrences. The Hadassah group's report, appearing in this issue of Harefuah, presents a case of glioblastoma multiforme that arose from a previous radiosurgical treatment site of an intracerebral arteriovenous malformation. From this unfortunate circumstance, we explore the valuable insights that emerge.
As a minimally invasive approach, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is employed for the treatment of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Long-term monitoring of patients uncovered some late adverse effects, including instances of SRS-induced neoplasia. Despite this, the exact rate of this undesirable outcome is not definitively known. The topic of this article centers on an uncommon case, involving a young patient treated with SRS for an AVM, and the resulting development of a malignant brain tumor.
Within the realm of modern neurosurgery, intraoperative electrical cortical stimulation (ECS) is the accepted standard for functional mapping. High gamma electrocorticography (hgECOG) mapping displays encouraging results in recent deployments. Epigenetic Reader Do inhibitor The objective of this study is to contrast hgECOG, fMRI, and ECS in defining motor and language territories.
A retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted on patients who experienced awake tumor resection surgery between January 2018 and December 2021. The study group was constituted by the first ten successive patients who had undergone ECS and hgECOG for mapping their motor and language functions. Data sources for the analysis included pre-operative and intra-operative imaging, as well as electrophysiology data.
714% of patients showed functional motor areas, as seen by ECS mapping, compared to 857% with hgECOG mapping. The motor areas pinpointed by ECS were subsequently verified using hgECOG. Preoperative fMRI imaging showed motor areas in two patients that were not seen using either ECS or hgECOG-based mapping. In the language mapping study, involving 15 hgECOG tasks, 6 (40%) of the findings aligned with the ECS mapping. Two (133%) subjects' brains showed language areas resulting from the ECS method; further, other brain regions were not identified by ECS. Four correlations (267 percent) displayed language centers unseen in prior ECS research. Functional areas pinpointed by ECS in three mappings (representing 20% of the total) were not validated by hgECOG.
Mapping motor and language functions using intraoperative hgECOG is a quick and trustworthy approach, preventing stimulation-induced seizures from occurring. A deeper evaluation of postoperative functional outcomes for patients who have undergone tumor resection guided by hgECOG is warranted.
Intraoperative high-density electrocorticography (hgECOG) mapping of motor and language functions stands as a speedy and dependable procedure without the threat of stimulation-induced seizures. Assessment of the functional results for patients who have had their tumors removed by hgECOG-guided procedures necessitates further research.
Primary malignant brain tumor management now relies on the crucial procedure of fluorescence-guided resection, facilitated by 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). The metabolism of 5-ALA in tumor cells creates fluorescent Protoporphyrin-IX, allowing visual distinction under UV microscope illumination, highlighting the tumor in pink against the surrounding normal brain tissue. A more thorough removal of the tumor was observed using this real-time diagnostic feature, resulting in enhanced patient survival. Even with the high sensitivity and specificity demonstrated, 5-ALA metabolism in other pathological contexts can produce fluorescence that is strikingly similar to that seen in malignant glial tumors.
Developmental regression, mortality, and morbidity are frequently observed in children with drug-resistant epilepsy. Over the past several years, there has been a rising appreciation for the role of surgical procedures in treating refractory epilepsy, both diagnostically and therapeutically, thereby reducing the number and intensity of seizures. Technological progress in surgery has brought about a reduction in the extent of surgical procedures, thus lessening the health complications following surgery.
This retrospective analysis of cranial epilepsy surgery cases, performed between the years 2011 and 2020, details our surgical experiences. The data gathered highlighted various aspects of the epileptic condition, the surgical intervention, related complications, and the final outcome of the individual's epilepsy.
Over a decade, a total of 93 children underwent 110 cranial surgeries. The primary etiological factors were cortical dysplasia (29 cases), Rasmussen encephalitis (10 cases), genetic disorders (9 cases), tumors (7 cases), and tuberous sclerosis (7 cases). The surgical procedures of note were: lobectomies (32), focal resections (26), hemispherotomies (25), and callosotomies (16). Two children were subjected to laser interstitial thermal treatment (LITT), with MRI-guidance. blood biomarker Children who underwent hemispherotomy or tumor resection (100% of cases) exhibited the greatest enhancements following surgery. The surgical correction of cortical dysplasia led to a substantial improvement of 70%. Among children who underwent callosotomy, an impressive 83% demonstrated no additional drop seizures. A condition of zero mortality prevailed.
In some cases, the surgical intervention of epilepsy may cause significant improvement, and even completely cure the disease of epilepsy. biogenic amine Numerous epilepsy surgical procedures are employed by specialists. Children with epilepsy that does not respond to treatment should be referred for surgical evaluation as early as possible to minimize developmental damage and improve practical outcomes.
The undertaking of epilepsy surgery can frequently result in a marked enhancement and even a complete resolution of the condition. A wide assortment of epilepsy surgical procedures are utilized. Prompt surgical consideration for children with resistant epilepsy is vital in potentially decreasing developmental harm and improving functional results.
Creating a specialized team for endoscopic endonasal skull base surgeries (EES) demands a period of adjustment and integration into existing workflows. Surgeons with prior experience make up our team, which was founded four years past. The learning curve of this team formation was the subject of our examination.
All patients who underwent endoluminal esophageal surgery (EES) between January 2017 and October 2020 were examined. Patient cohorts were delineated, with the first forty patients defined as the 'early group' and the final forty patients classified as the 'late group'. Electronic medical records and surgical videos served as the source for the retrieved data. An assessment of the comparative performance of the study groups was conducted, including surgical complexity (II to V on the EES scale, excluding level I cases), surgical outcomes, and rates of complications.
The 'early group' patients were operated on at 25 months, while the 'late group' patients received surgery at 11 months. Pituitary adenomas, surgeries of Level II complexity, were the most common in both groups (77.5% and 60%, respectively); within this category, functional adenomas and reoperations were more frequent in the 'late group'. Level III-V advanced complexity surgeries were more prevalent in the 'late group' (40% compared to 225%), with level V surgeries appearing solely within that group. Surgical procedures and their associated complications demonstrated no considerable disparities; the incidence of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks was lower in the 'late group' (25%) compared to the 'early group' (75%).