OBJECTIVETranscranial magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound surgery (tcMRgFUS) is one of the emerging noninvasive technologies for the treatment of neurological disorders such as essential tremor (ET), idiopathic asymmetrical tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease (PD), and neuropathic pain. In this clinical series the authors present the preliminary results achieved with the world’s first tcMRgFUS system integrated with a 1.5-T MRI unit.METHODSThe authors describe the results of tcMRgFUS in a sample of patients with ET and with PD who underwent the procedure during the period from January 2015 to September 2017. A monolateral ventralis intermedius nucleus (VIM) thalamic ablation was performed in both ET and PD patients. In all the tcMRgFUS treatments, a 1.5-T MRI scanner was used for both planning and monitoring the procedure.RESULTSDuring the study period, a total of 26 patients underwent tcMRgFUS thalamic ablation for different movement disorders. Among these patients, 18 were diagnosed with ET and 4 were affected by PD. All patients with PD were treated using tcMRgFUS thalamic ablation and all completed the procedure. Among the 18 patients with ET, 13 successfully underwent tcMRgFUS, 4 aborted the procedure during ultrasound delivery, and 1 did not undergo the tcMRgFUS procedure after stereotactic frame placement. Two patients with ET were not included in the results because of the short follow-up duration at the time of this study. A monolateral VIM thalamic ablation in both ET and PD patients was performed. All the enrolled patients were evaluated before the treatment and 2 days after, with a clinical control of the treatment effectiveness using the graphic items of the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin tremor rating scale. A global reevaluation was performed 3 months (17/22 patients) and 6 months (11/22 patients) after the treatment; the reevaluation consisted of clinical questionnaires, neurological tests, and video recordings of the tests. All the ET and PD treated patients who completed the procedure showed an immediate amelioration of tremor severity, with no intra- or posttreatment severe permanent side effects.CONCLUSIONSAlthough this study reports on a small number of patients with a short follow-up duration, the tcMRgFUS procedure using a 1.5-T MRI unit resulted in a safe and effective treatment option for motor symptoms in patients with ET and PD. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first clinical series in which thalamotomy was performed using tcMRgFUS integrated with a 1.5-T magnet.

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Radiofrequency ablation combined with vertebroplasty seems to achieve rapid and lasting improvement in clinical symptoms in patients with malignant vertebral lesions. There was wide diffusion of PMMA in the vertebral body, with a mean cement volume of 4.5 ml.

We report a case of a giant intra and extradural cervical schwannoma in a patient affected by a severe myelo-radiculopathy. Clinical features, diagnosis and the issues concerning the surgical management of this benign tumor are discussed. We also review similar cases previously reported in the literature. A 50-year old caucasian woman was complaining of a 1 year of neck pain and worsening motor impairment in all four limbs causing the inability to walk. Neuroradiological assessment revealed a suspected schwannoma involving the nerve roots from C3 to C5, compressing and deviating the spinal cord. The vertebral artery was also encased within the lesion, but still patent. A posterior cervical laminectomy with a microsurgical extradural resection of the lesion was performed. Moreover, an accurate dissection of the lesion from the vertebral artery and the resection of the intraspinal component was achieved. Vertebral fixation with screws on the lateral masses of C3, C5 and C6 and a hook on C1 was performed. The procedure was secured using electroneurophysiological monitoring. A progressive improvement of the motor functions was achieved. A cervical post-contrast MRI revealed optimal medullary decompression and a gross-total resection of the lesion. Schwannomas are benign, slowly growing lesions which may cause serious neurological deficit. Early diagnosis is necessary and it maybe aided by imaging studies such as MRI or CT. The accepted treatment for these tumors is surgical resection and, when indicated, vertebral fixation. (2016) Spinal schwannomas are benign slow-growing tumors, representing~30% of all primary spinal cord tumors. Schwannomas more frequently (70%) arise from sensory root, rather than motor roots (20%). Rarely, 10% of their origin is undefined or from both motor and sensory roots. Spinal Cord Series and Cases1,2 The vast majority of spinal schwannomas are intradural. The extradural localization is less common.3 Dumbbell schwannomas have been reported as a separate group of spinal tumors, which characteristically involve both the intra and the extradural compartments, occupying the intervertebral foramen. Such tumors are most frequently located in the cervical segment of the spine, but the existing literature reports only a few cases of giant lesions extending to different vertebral levels. [4][5][6] Moreover, the cervical localization of an extradural schwannoma may raise several issues related to the extended involvement of the extradural neural vascular structure, such as the high spinal nerve roots and the vertebral artery.The aim of this report is to describe the successful surgical management of these kind of lesions, focusing on the pre-operative planning and surgical management. The role of new technologies in supporting these surgical procedures, as well as, the importance of knowledge of the anatomic and pathological features of these lesions will be emphasized.A 50-year-old lady was admitted to our institution complaining of neck pain, moderate weakness of the left arm, severe weakness in...

Background: Skull reconstructive surgery is critical to prevent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulas and infections, and to ensure good aesthetic results in meningiomas surgery. Methods: A 65-year-old woman was surgically treated for a bilateral parasagittal meningioma with complete superior sagittal sinus (SSS) involvement, and an intra-extracranial extension, determining a significant cranial defect at the vertex. A Simpson I resection was achieved. Postoperatively a considerable and not conservatively repairable CSF leak was detected. Surgical revision of the wound with repair of the fistula and complex reconstructive operation was performed including a combination of techniques and devices such as autologous fibrin glue and reparation of the extracranial planes by an autologous vascularized vastus lateralis pedicled muscle flap. Results: No postoperative complications, infections or new neurological deficits were detected, and the CSF leak definitively ceased after surgery; the aesthetic results were satisfactory. Conclusions: Reparation of CSF fistulas that arise after meningioma surgery can require a complex reconstructive surgery of the superficial layers; when cranioplasty is not feasible or indicated, a meticulous reconstruction of the extracranial soft tissues is possible also by using vascularized autologous distal muscular tissue, with close interdisciplinary cooperation.