Forty one patients with the clinical diagnosis of Behçet's syndrome from two teaching hospitals in Kuwait were studied. There were 34 male and seven female patients. Age at presentation ranged from 14 to 48 years. Neurological manifestations were present in 24 patients. Eleven patients showed evidence of increased intracranial pressure, and 10 of these had radiologically confirmed dural sinus thrombosis. Five patients presented with a meningoencephalitic or meningomyelitic picture, three with a stroke-like picture, and three with primarily brain stem signs. One patient developed trigeminal neuritis, and five patients exhibited (along with other features) variable degrees of psychological manifestations. All patients with neurological involvement were treated with steroids, and some also had courses of other immunosuppressant drugs and colchicine. The disease took a relatively benign course, except those patients with meningoencephalitic and meningomyelitic presentation, one of whom died from the disease. Those treated early had a better prognosis. The incidence of dural sinus thrombosis in this series of patients is unusually high. In most patients, the course of the disease was more favourable than reported in the literature. This may be attributed to early and aggressive treatment. (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1998;64:382-384)

ContextThe development of diabetes insipidus (DI) following transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas has been associated with higher postsurgical morbidity and longer hospitalizations. Identifying these patients promptly and efficiently can lead to improved health care outcomes.ObjectiveWe evaluated our institution’s incidence of DI following pituitary adenoma resection and assessed for preoperative risk factors that were associated with postoperative DI.DesignA retrospective review of 271 patients who underwent endoscopic endonasal resection of a pituitary adenoma between July 2010 and December 2016 by a single neurosurgical provider was completed.SettingAll cases were from a single-center, academic institution.PatientsPatients with a pituitary adenoma diagnosis confirmed on histology were included in the study. Those with previous surgery by a different provider were excluded.ResultsThe incidence of DI at our institution was 16.6% (45 of 271 patients), with only 4% (11 patients) having permanent DI. The presence of visual abnormalities (CI 1.29 to 4.75), suprasellar extension (CI 1.36 to 6.88), and maximal tumor diameter (1.02 to 1.08) was significantly associated with an increased incidence of postoperative DI (P < 0.05). Hyperprolactinemia, tumor functionality, and cerebrospinal fluid exposure were not associated with higher rates of postoperative DI (P > 0.05).ConclusionPituitary adenoma patients presenting with visual abnormalities, suprasellar extension, or large tumors are at higher risk of developing DI postoperatively. These patients warrant closer postoperative monitoring as well as adequate preoperative counseling to decrease their postsurgical morbidity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neonates with vein of Galen malformations are split into 2 cohorts: one needing urgent neonatal embolization, with relatively high mortality and morbidity even with expert care, and a cohort in which embolization can be deferred until infancy, with far better prognosis. We aimed to identify brain MR imaging characteristics obtained from fetal and early neonatal scans that can predict the clinical presentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Patients with vein of Galen malformations were stratified into a neonatal at-risk cohort if the patient needed urgent neonatal intervention or if neonatal death occurred; or an infantile treatment cohort if they were stable enough not to require treatment until .1 month of age. Twelve vascular MR imaging parameters, measured by 2 independent observers, were systematically correlated with the need for early neonatal intervention and/or neonatal mortality.RESULTS: A total of 32 neonatal patients (21 patients in the neonatal at-risk cohort, 11 in the infantile treatment cohort) were identified. Maximal mediolateral diameter (area under the curve ¼ 0.866, P , .001) and cross-sectional area (area under the curve ¼ 0.836, P ¼ .002) at the narrowest point of the straight or falcine sinus were most predictive of clinical evolution into the neonatal at-risk cohort. There were 15 patients who had fetal MRIs (10 in the neonatal at-risk cohort and 5 in the infantile treatment cohort). Here too, maximal mediolateral diameter (area under the curve ¼ 0.980, P ¼ .003) and cross-sectional area (area under the curve ¼ 0.941, P ¼ .007) at the narrowest point of the straight or falcine sinus were highly predictive of the neonatal at-risk cohort. CONCLUSIONS:Early neonatal and fetal MR imaging can be readily used for accurate early risk stratification, assisting in directing resources, timing treatment decisions, and identifying appropriate cohorts for novel interventions.

NA Laryngoscope, 2473-2477, 2018.