Wide Craniotomy Research Articles

Purely endoscopic subtemporal keyhole anterior transpetrosal approach to access the petrous apex region: surgical techniques and early results.

The anterior transpetrosal approach using a microscope to provide wider access to the petrous apex region has been described for radical resection of lesions of the middle and posterior skull base. The microscopic anterior transpetrosal approach (mATPA) requires a wide craniotomy and meticulous epidural procedures to minimize temporal lobe retraction. Recently, the clinical application of transcranial endoscopic keyhole approaches for minimally invasive surgery has been steadily expanding. In this study, the details of the purely endoscopic subtemporal keyhole ATPA (eATPA) for petrous apex lesions are described and its initial results are reported. Between May 2022 and May 2023, the authors performed eATPA in 10 patients with petrous apex lesions, of which 6 were meningiomas, 3 were trigeminal schwannomas, and 1 was epidermoid cyst. The surgical procedure of the purely eATPA is as follows. After a small temporal craniotomy, the endoscopic procedure is started. The anterior rim of the petrous bone and Meckel's cave are exposed via an intradural subtemporal approach. The lesion is removed with additional drilling of Kawase's triangle, cutting the superior petrosal sinus, opening Meckel's cave, and cutting the tentorium. The authors also compared the outcomes of mATPA versus eATPA for consecutive cases of petrous apex lesions. Gross-total resection was achieved in 8 of the 10 patients. The average operative time was 4 hours 13 minutes. There were 3 cases of transient abducens nerve palsy and 1 case of trochlear nerve palsy in the postoperative period. No new-onset motor deficits or CSF leakage was noted in any of these patients. Only 1 patient exhibited postoperative asymptomatic temporal lobe edema. The Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) scores remained unchanged or improved for all patients postoperatively. Compared with mATPA, eATPA achieved a similar extent of resection and comparable postoperative KPS scores with a significantly shorter mean operative time, much smaller temporal craniotomy, and thus less mean blood loss during surgery with lower rates of new-onset temporal lobe edema in the postoperative period. An eATPA allows a direct route to access Meckel's cave and posterior cranial fossa lesions similar to conventional mATPA, with shortening the operative time and reducing the risk of postoperative temporal lobe edema. This eATPA is considered one of the new surgical techniques that can be expected to develop in the future.

Letter: Wide Arterial Sparing Encephalo-Duro-Synangiosis for Moyamoya: Surgical Technique and Outcomes.

To the Editor, We read with great interest the article by Dawkins and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin1 regarding a new operative technique to revascularize the brain in pediatric patients with Moyamoya disease. We admired the ingenuity of their approach—multiple dural and arachnoid incisions along the course of the middle meningeal artery and its branches and the use of a wide craniotomy—but felt that they overlooked an opportunity to emphasize the role of preoperative arteriography to define the importance of preexisting middle meningeal collateral to the brain, which we feel is critical for preoperative planning to reduce postoperative ischemic complications.2

Cryptogenic subdural empyema mimicking subacute-subdural hematoma on CT imaging in the pediatric group: a clinical case series

Introduction: Subdural empyema (SDE) is a rare but potentially life-threatening intracranial infection that is invariably fatal if left untreated. As clinical and radiologic features may be subtle or uncertain, early diagnosis may be a challenge but is crucial in reducing morbidity and mortality. SDE should always be suspected especially in a paediatric group with a history of fever, focal seizures, meningism and neurological deficit. The management of SDE has been debated in the literature for decades. Being one of the most serious neurosurgical emergencies, goals include surgical evacuation where both burr-hole drainage and craniotomy are primary surgical options, treatment of pus, and establishing the etiologic agent which subsequently guides antibiotic therapy for a favourable outcome.
 Case presentation: We present three cases of immunocompetent patients, 4 and 6-month-old infants with a 14-year-old adolescent presenting with SDE without underlying risk factors. Non-contrast computed tomography imaging was equivocal for SDE. All of them required surgery. The two infants underwent burr holes and subsequently a wide craniotomy with intravenous antibiotics therapy while the adolescent required craniectomy because of swollen brain. They all had a favourable outcome on long term follow up.
 
 Conclusion: Paediatric supratentorial SDE, although rapidly fatal if not identified promptly, can be effectively managed with early surgical drainage preferably craniotomy, eradication of the source, and sensitive IV broad-spectrum antibiotics. In this article, we discuss the clinical presentation, diagnostic tools, treatment options and outcomes for SDE with an emphasis on the challenges.

Current Trends in Endoscopic Ear Surgery.

Current Trends in Endoscopic Ear Surgery.

Bypass Surgery for Moyamoya Disease, Part 1: Special Considerations and Techniques

In this review article, the author describes the eligible patients, concept, surgical technique, and long-term outcome of the superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery(STA-MCA)anastomosis and the ultimate indirect bypass, called encephalo-duro-myo-arterio-pericranial synangiosis(EDMAPS)for adult moyamoya disease, in addition to the novel diagnostic criteria. The procedure dramatically improves or normalizes the cerebral blood flow immediately after surgery and thus contributes to preventing ischemic complications during and after surgery. However, the arterial wall of these patients is extremely thin and fragile; therefore, the surgeons should be trained extensively and have absolute confidence in their ability to perform this procedure. The surgeons should be aware that STA-MCA anastomosis frequently induces the hyper-perfusion phenomenon in adult patients with moyamoya due to prolonged cerebral ischemia. The extent of craniotomy determines the amount of surgical collaterals after indirect surgery; thus, a wide craniotomy including most of the frontal area, especially the medial frontal area, is critical to improve the postoperative prognosis. This procedure can markedly diminish the dangerous periventricular collateral channels and provides excellent long-term outcomes for up to 20 years after surgery. Long-term follow-ups longer than 20 years are important to monitor the patients with this unique and peculiar disease.

Intraoperative neuromonitoring in surgery of supratentorial brain tumors. Part 1. Assessment of motor conductivity

Monitoring of motor evoked potentials in surgery of supratentorial tumors estimates integrity of cortical motor centers and subcortical pathways. Violation of motor evoked potentials takes place in mechanical injury or ischemia of motor neurons. Decrease of amplitude of motor evoked potentials more than 50 % is predictor of permanent neurological deficit.Cortical mapping gives a possibility to discover eloquent brain areas before their resection. To reveal motor centers activating stimulation is applied, to find out speech or sensory areas – the inhibiting one. Positive brain mapping allows to exclude technical fault in selection of stimulation threshold but it demands a wide craniotomy. Negative mapping is more widespread, gives opportunity to use tailored craniotomy that reduces surgical injury and duration of operation. One of the most valuable factors in cortical and subcortical brain mapping is the stimulation threshold. With monopolar «train» stimulation current 1 mA spreads into approximately 1 mm. The safe value of current intensity during tumor resection in eloquent areas is 3–5 mA.Monopolar stimulation demands less time for location of eloquent brain areas, it is as accurate as the bipolar mapping and more rarely leads to intraoperative seizures. Combination of monopolar stimulator with aspirator gives opportunity to continuously allocate pyramidal tract in tumor resection.

Surgical Management of a Post-traumatic Intracranial Hematoma

Surgery is one of the primary options for the management of traumatic brain injury(TBI). We focused on operative techniques, additional options, and potential pitfalls of surgical intervention for intracranial hematomas, such as acute subdural hematoma(ASDH), acute epidural hematoma(AEDH), cerebral contusion, and intracerebral hematoma. A wide craniotomy covering the hematoma was recommended for a case of AEDH to evacuate the hematoma, control bleeding, and prevent blood reaccumulation. Combined multiple craniotomies leaving a bone bridge over the sinus for dural tenting sutures enabled safe surgical intervention in a case of AEDH with sinus injuries. Different surgical techniques have been advocated for the evacuation of ASDH. Large craniotomy is often chosen as it can easily be shifted to decompressive craniectomy in case of brain swelling. It is important to pay attention to injuries of dural sinuses and bridging veins, and to expose the floor of the middle cranial fossa. Small craniotomy or endoscopic burr-hole evacuation of ASDH has been accepted as a way to avoid large craniotomies and additional morbidity, particularly for patients who are poor surgical candidates. Contusion necrotomy is performed for satisfactory control of progressive elevation in intracranial pressure and clinical deterioration.

Videoimage endoscopy in surgical treatment of patients with upper orbital roof fractures

The study objective is to assess the effectiveness and safety of videoimage endoscopy during minimally invasive surgery in fractures of the upper orbital roof.Materials and methods. We examined and operated 9 patients (7 men and 2 women) aged 16 to 53 years (mean age 28.4 years) with fractures of the upper orbital roof with intraorbital (n = 7) and intracranial (n = 2) fragments displacement. Surgery was aimed at eliminating oculomotor disorders, preventing purulent-septic complications and restoring tightness of the intracranial space and orbital anatomy. All patients were operated using 4 mm rigid endoscopes with 0 and 30° viewing angles.Results. All patients underwent fraction resection and intraorbital structures decompression. No case of intraoperative liquorrhea was registered. The surgery did not change visual acuity. Ocular motility disturbances were eliminated in all patients. Videoimage endoscopy made it possible to avoid wide craniotomy used to approach orbital roof and to shorten the rehabilitation period and hospitalization time. With intraorbital fragments displacement it allowed to reconstruct the orbit with minimal eyeball traction, while preserving important neurovascular bundles, as well as simultaneously revise dura mater and anterior cranial base in order to exclude intraoperative liquorrhea. No complications of surgical treatment were reported.Conclusion. The results demonstrate the wide possibilities of endoscopy in cranioorbital lesions surgery.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Informed consent. All patients gave written informed consent to participate in the study

Recurrent Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Report of 13 Cases.

Chronic subdural hematoma is a frequent type of hemorrhage, which terminates with mortality if not diagnosed and treated early. The aim of this clinical study is to evaluate the patients with unilateral and bilateral recurrent chronic subdural hematoma.The study group consisted of 13 cases with unilateral and bilateral recurrent chronic subdural hematomas who underwent aggressive wide craniotomy, duraectomy, inner and outer membranectomy, dural border coagulation, incision through cortical vein trace and hang up of dural edge, between 2009 - 2016. All of our patients were diagnosed by preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging. We evaluated the age, gender, complaints and neurologic signs, localization and thickness of the hematoma.We can estimate that wide craniotomy, duraectomy and membranectomy is a good option in preventing recurrent chronic subdural hematoma and complications.

Neuro-Endoscopic Surgery for Multi-Lobular Chronic Subdural Hematoma

Chronic subdural hematoma(CSDH)generally occurs in the elderly, and is usually treated by burr-hole craniotomy with closed-system drainage. Treatment of recurrent CSDH is more challenging, especially when the hematoma is multi-lobular. A variety of approaches to the management of multi-lobular CSDH have been described, including evacuation through a wide craniotomy, placement of an Ommaya reservoir, subdural peritoneal shunting, and embolization of the middle meningeal artery. We have previously reported a method of evacuating multi-lobular CSDH through a small craniotomy using a rigid endoscope and aspiration tube. The objective of this study was to compare our operative method with others from the literature. Between January 2012 and October 2016, eight patients diagnosed with multi-lobular CSDH using computed tomography(CT)imaging underwent endoscopic evacuation. First, we established a 3×3cm craniotomy at a position where a rigid endoscope and aspiration tube would be able to reach as much of the hematoma cavity as possible in the longitudinal plane. Second, after identifying and removing the outer membrane of the CSDH with the scope, we evacuated the hematoma longitudinally, keeping the inner membrane intact. We also applied monopolar diathermy to any obvious bleeding points and the capillary network on the outer membrane of the CSDH, using the aspiration tube. The mean duration of surgery was 42 minutes. Follow-up CT scan revealed no recurrence in any of the cases, and neurologic function improved in all patients postoperatively. A multi-lobular CSDH can be drained quickly and effectively using a rigid endoscope and aspiration tube through a small craniotomy. In a cohort of eight patients, postoperative neurologic recovery was observed in all cases with no evidence of recurrence. This technique could be used in any facility with ready access to CT imaging and a rigid endoscope.

Recurrent Atypical Meningiomas: Combining Surgery and Radiosurgery in One Effective Multimodal Treatment

Owing to their rarity and proteiform pathologic features, the clinical behavior of atypical meningiomas is not yet well characterized. Though the extent of resection is believed to be a key determinant of prognosis, limited data exist regarding optimal management of patients with recurrent disease. In this 20-year retrospective case series, we reviewed the medical records of 46 patients with recurrent atypical meningiomas (185 lesions, 89 of which were local, 78 marginal, and 18 distant recurrences); treatment was radiosurgery (n = 60), surgery (n = 56), or both (n = 8). The median follow-up period was 53 months. Outcome measures were length of overall survival and disease-free intervals and prognostic factors for survival. Overall, the median progression-free survival was 26 months at the first recurrence and 100 months thereafter (the sum of the later intervals). Multivariate analysis showed that no treatment-related factors influenced prognosis, whereas recurrence at the skull base was a significant tumor-related factor limiting further treatment. Irrespective of treatment type, the recurrence-free interval was increasingly shorter during the clinical course, with a higher occurrence of marginal and distant lesions migrating to the midline and to the skull base. In sporadic cases, disease-free intervals were longer after wide craniotomy, tumor and dural resection with tumor-free margin. The disease-free interval was substantially similar after surgery and radiosurgery for treating recurrent disease in patients with atypical meningiomas. Surgery is the mainstay for prolonging survival, while radiosurgery can be an adjuvant strategy to gain time for clinical observation and planning aggressive surgical treatment.

Viability of anastomoses with coupler in extra-intracranial bypass: cadaveric study.

The time required to perform an anastomosis in extra-intracranial bypass is approximately 20 to 60 minutes. The search for alternative methods to reduce the ischemic time remains vital. To evaluate Coupler anastomosis for extra-intracranial bypass in cadavers. In 8 fresh adult cadavers, the saphenous vein and radial artery were used as donor vessels. The superficial temporal and the extracranial internal and external carotid arteries were dissected. A wide craniotomy with a sylvian fissure opening was performed, exposing the middle cerebral and supraclinoid internal carotid arteries. The Coupler devices were tested in all 8 cadavers. The diameter of the donor and recipient vessels as well as the time required to perform the anastomosis were measured. Bypass permeability was evaluated by injecting saline solution under pressure, checking for leaks. The anastomoses were successfully performed in all specimens. The size of the head of the fitting Coupler required the performance of a wide craniotomy (6 × 6 cm) and a wide opening of the sylvian fissure. The time required to perform each anastomosis ranged from 4 to 7 minutes, being easier with the radial artery than with the saphenous vein. Coupler devices are helpful to perform the anastomoses, because they significantly reduce ischemia time. Their use is easier at the M1 segment, just before the bifurcation and after takeoff of the lenticulostriate arteries, and in the M2 segment. It would be advisable to have a smaller coupling system, allowing maneuverability in the deeper areas where space is limited.

Analysis of the risk factors for development of post-operative extradural hematoma after intracranial surgery

Objective. Post-operative extradural hematoma (EDH) is a relatively common complication in patients undergoing intracranial operations. The risk factors associated with the occurrence of EDH are not well described in the literature. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors and the incidence of post-operative EDH adjacent and regional to the craniotomy or the craniectomy site. Method. This was a retrospective study of 24 (2.6% of total) patients who underwent extradural hematoma evacuation after primary intracranial supratentorial surgery between January 2005 and December 2011. During this period, 941 intracranial operations were performed. The control group (72 patients) was selected on the basis of having undergone the same pre-operative diagnosis and treatment within 2 months of the operations for the 24 hematoma patients. The Glasgow Coma Scale score and operation character (emergency or elective) of the hematoma and control group were individually matched to minimize pre-operative conditional bias. The ages of both groups were individually matched with similar ages within 10 years of each other to minimize age bias. Result. Univariate analysis showed that the significant pre-operative and intra-operative factors associated with post-operative EDH were an intra-operative blood loss of greater than 800 mL (p = 0.007), maximal craniotomy length of greater than or equal to 100 mm (p = 0.001), and craniotomy area of greater than or equal to 71.53 cm2 (p = 0.018). In multivariate analysis, intra-operative blood loss exceeding 800 mL (median of total patients) placed a patient at significantly increased risk for post-operative EDH. Conclusion. The data did not examine established risk factors for post-operative hematoma, such as thrombocytopenia, anti-coagulant and anti-platelet therapy, and a history of heavy alcohol consumption and/or tobacco intake. Recognizing the limitations of the study, large intra-operative blood loss and wide craniotomy area are implicated with an increased risk of post-operative EDH after intracranial surgery.

Peculiarities of surgical treatment of craniofacial osteomas

The purpose. To study features of craniofacial osteomas clinical flow and their surgical treatment.Materials and methods. The results of examination and surgical treatment of 14 patients with craniofacial osteomas and 2 — with fibrous dysplasia were analyzed.Results. In 9 patients wide craniotomy (bifrontal and frontotemporal approaches) was performed. At smaller tumor size, in particular, it’s intracranial part, we used subcranial approach (in 5 cases); at deeply located tumor — endoscopic endonasal approach was applied (in 2 cases).Conclusions. Optimal surgical approaches were proposed taking into consideration features of craniofacial osteomas, in particular, their possible giant size and tissue hardness. The possibility to minimize surgical approach was proved.

Abstract WP171: Surgical Strategy And Results Of Additional Bypass For Patients With Moyamoya Disease Refractory To Previous Surgery

Introduction —It is well known that surgical revascularization can improve cerebral hemodynamics and prevent further ischemic cerebrovascular events in moyamoya disease. However, a certain subgroup of patients repeats ischemic attacks even after surgery because of insufficient surgery or disease progression during follow-up periods. Hypothesis —Relevant designs and techniques in additional bypass surgery can resolve ischemic cerebrovascular events in patients with moyamoya disease refractory to previous bypass surgery. Methods —This study included totally 7 patients (9 hemispheres) with moyamoya disease refractory to previous bypass surgery. There were 5 children and 2 adults. They underwent previous bypass surgery in Japan and Europe 6 to 240 months before admission. Based on precise clinical and radiological analysis, cerebrovascular events were considered to occur because of insufficient bypass surgery in 5 patients and disease progression in the ipsilateral posterior cerebral artery in 2. Surgical strategies included wide craniotomy to cover the area where cerebral hemodynamics is still impaired and appropriate bypass procedures such as STA-MCA anastomosis, OA-PCA anastomosis, and indirect bypass. Using [123]I-IMP SPECT or [15]O-gas PET, cerebral hemodynamics was precisely examined before and after surgery Results —Postoperative course was uneventful and cerebral hemodynamics significantly improved in all 7 patients. Postoperative cerebral angiography revealed that additional bypass provided collateral blood flow to ischemic area before surgery. Ischemic cerebrovascular events rapidly resolved in 5 patients and gradually decreased in 2. Conclusion —This study strongly suggests adequate surgical design and procedures can resolve ischemic cerebrovascular events in patients with moyamoya disease refractory to previous bypass surgery.

Acute spontaneous subdural hematoma of arterial origin: A report of four cases and review of literature

Acute spontaneous subdural hematoma of arterial origin, a neurosurgical emergency resulting from rupture of the perisylvian cortical artery, is a rare occurrence. We report four such patients who presented with progressive neurological deterioration. All the patients were operated and perisylvian cortical artery was identified as the source of bleeding in all the patients. Three of the patients had associated hypertension. We reviewed the clinical characteristics, etiology, and outcome of the reported cases in the literature. A high index of suspicion is necessary even in young patients in view of the phenomenon of re-rupture mimicking stroke. Early diagnosis and a wide craniotomy over the sylvian fissure to obtain hemostasis of bleeding points results in good outcome.

Growing skull fractures (craniocerebral erosion).

The incidence of growing skull fractures ranges from less than 0.05% to 1.6%. We reviewed 22 growing skull fracture patients retrospectively. There were 15 boys and seven girls ranging in age from newborn to 6 years (mean: 12.4 months) at the time of injury. Falling was the most frequent cause of injury. In total, 17 patients presented with a scalp mass. The scalp was sunken over the bone defect in three patients. Other symptoms and signs were seizure in five patients, hemiparesis in four, recurrent meningitis in one, and pulsatile exophthalmus in one. The most common location was the parietal region. The extent of dural defect was always greater than that of bony defect, except in one case that had been previously shunted for hydrocephalus. In another patient with a growing fracture in the posterior cranial fossa, the dural edges could not be exposed, although a wide craniotomy was performed. Therefore, a cystoperitoneal shunt was inserted. Gliotic tissue was present in all the patients. Cyst or cystic lesions were observed in only nine patients, duraplasty was performed in 21, 16 were neurologically intact, and six had minor deficits. All patients under the age of 3 years with a diastatic skull fracture should be closely followed up. A sustaining diastatic fracture and brain herniation through the skull defect shown on CT or MRI imply a growing skull fracture.

A modified retrosigmoid approach for direct exposure of the fundus of the internal auditory canal for hearing preservation in acoustic neuroma surgery.

This is a clinical report on a modified retrosigmoid approach with direct exposure of the fundus of the internal auditory canal for hearing preservation in acoustic neuroma surgery. Retrospective case review. Tertiary referral center of an ear, nose, and throat department in a public hospital. One hundred fifty consecutive procedures were reviewed, including 61 males and 89 females with an age range of 13 to 69 years and a mean age of 47 years. There were 15 patients with tumor occupying solely the internal auditory canal and 135 patients with extension into the cerebellopontine angle with an extrameatal diameter of up to 52 mm and a mean of 11.5 mm. The retrosigmoid approach included a wide craniotomy, a perimeatal petrous bone removal up to the blue line of the labyrinth, and a direct exposure of the fundus at the orifices of the facial and cochlear nerves. The quadrant of the superior vestibular nerve remained unexposed. Hearing was measured according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery criteria for reporting results of hearing preservation and by comparison with the preoperative level. Facial nerve function was measured using the House-Brackmann grading. The radicality of tumor removal was investigated with mid- to long-term magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Measurable hearing was preserved in 45.3%, and in 32.4% of these cases, it was within 15 dB/15% discrimination. Grade 1 or 2 facial function was preserved in 85.3%. MRI follow-up revealed a 3.3% tumor residual or regrowth in the complete series. No residual tumor was found at the 3-year MRI in the last series of patients operated on with direct control of the fundus. This modified retrosigmoid approach permits the direct exposure of the facial and cochlear quadrants of the fundus. This allows tumor dissection under direct visual control. Removing the tumor from the vestibular quadrant of the fundus is done blindly in a minority of cases and carries a minimal risk of residual tumor. This technique requires only conventional equipment and skills of neurotology.

Transorbital-transpetrosal Penetrating Cerebellar Injury —Case Report—

A 4-year-old boy presented with a transorbital-transpetrosal penetrating head injury after a butter knife had penetrated the left orbit. The knife tip reached the posterior fossa after penetrating the petrous bone. Wide craniotomy and the pterional, subtemporal, and lateral suboccipital approaches were performed for safe removal of the object. The patient was discharged with left-sided blindness, complete left ophthalmoplegia, and hypesthesia of the left face. Early angiography is recommended to identify vascular injury which could result in fatal intracranial hemorrhage.

Stroke in the developing world

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in most western populations after coronary-heart disease and cancer? It is thus the commonest life-threatening neurological disorder, and the resulting disability is the most important single cause of severe disability among western people living in their own homes) The burden of stroke on patients, their families, and society is, correctly, publicised in most developed countries. Stroke in the developing world is less well documented, and some data are not retrievable because of the language barrier or the limited dissemination of data collected. However, more than two-thirds of the world's population live in developing countries, and one of the consensus statements from the Asia-Pacific Consensus Forum on Stroke Management predicts that "In the next 30 years the burden of stroke will grow most in developing countries rather than in developed countries"? Thus stroke in developing countries ought to be examined further--in particular, the similarities and differences in stroke between developed and developing countries.