The computerized tomography (CT) findings were analyzed in five cases of subdural tension pneumocephalus following surgery for chronic subdural hematoma. They were compared with CT scans in 14 cases of asymptomatic subdural pneumocephalus. In this study, two new CT findings were identified that suggest increased tension of the subdural air. Subdural air separates and compresses the frontal lobes, creating a widened interhemispheric space between the tips of the frontal lobes that mimics the silhouette of Mt. Fuji. The presence of air between the frontal tips associated with massive air inclusion over the frontal lobes presumably indicates increased tension of the subdural air. The "Mt. Fuji sign" was seen in four of the five cases with subdural tension pneumocephalus. The other finding was the presence of multiple small air bubbles scattered through several cisterns ("air bubble sign"). It is postulated that these air bubbles enter the subarachnoid space through a tear in the arachnoid membrane caused by increased tension of air in the subdural space. This finding was seen in four cases with subdural tension pneumocephalus. These two CT findings are helpful in making a diagnosis of subdural tension pneumocephalus following surgery for chronic subdural hematoma.
Lesions in the interpeduncular cistern include basilar tip aneurysms, craniopharyngiomas, and chordomas. The surgical approach to these lesions presents a special technical problem, particularly when they are located high in the interpeduncular fossa. For the purpose of minimizing brain retraction and achieving excellent exposure within the interpeduncular cistern, the authors have developed a new surgical technique which involves detachment of the zygomatic arch. The patient is placed in the supine position with the head rotated 45 degrees to the contralateral side and tilted down 30 degrees so that the surgeon can see into the interpeduncular cistern obliquely from below. The zygomatic arch of the temporal bone as well as a portion of the lateral orbital rim (the posterior ridge of the frontal process of the zygomatic bone) is removed to expose the anterior temporal base. With posterior retraction of the temporal lobe, the arachnoid membranes covering the Sylvian stem are opened in a retrograde fashion until the tentorial edge is sufficiently exposed. The posterior communicating artery and the optic tract are elevated to enter the interpeduncular cistern, after which the oculomotor nerve is dissected free of its surrounding arachnoid membranes and displaced posteroinferiorly. Two patients with basilar tip aneurysms were operated on with this zygomatic approach, and a subtemporal modification of the zygomatic approach was used to treat a craniopharyngioma and a chordoma in two other patients. The procedure is described and a short description of its clinical use is given.
Plasma cell myeloma (PCM) of the skull base is rarely encountered in neurosurgical practice. PCM has a wide spectrum of pathology, including a quite benign, solitary plasmacytoma (SPC), and an extremely malignant, multiple myeloma (MM) at the two ends of the spectrum. We have described two patients with PCM of the skull base, of which one harbored SPC, and the other progressed to MM. In case 1, a 46-year-old man presented with left multiple cranial nerve impairments and had a large skull base tumor. Subtotal removal was performed. The specimen and general examination, including bone marrow aspiration, revealed SPC. Postoperatively 50Gy of external radiotherapy was administered. The patient has no manifestation of MM 24 months after the initial presentation. In case 2, a 53-year-old woman presented with left abducens palsy and had a left petroclival osteolytic mass. Gross total resection was performed. The specimen revealed a plasmablastic tumor, i.e., myeloma. General examination established the diagnosis of MM. She was administrated adjuvant chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation. She is alive without local recurrence 30 months after the initial presentation.
A 28-year-old woman presented with a rare case of endodermal cyst located ventral to the lower brain stem manifesting as recurrent aseptic meningitis. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a cystic mass located ventral to the lower brain stem and extending from the prepontine to the upper cervical (C-2) cistern. The lesion was totally removed through a retrosigmoid craniotomy and C1-2 hemilaminectomy. Histological and immunohistochemical examination showed the cyst was derived from the endoderm. The histological diagnosis was endodermal cyst. Early diagnosis and surgical removal are important for patients with these cysts.
It is reasonable to assume that not only collateral circulation but also the site of occlusion plays an important role in the outcome of middle cerebral artery occlusion. Our finding that good collateral circulation improves the outcome for thrombotic occlusion of the proximal and distal M1 segments supports the possible benefits of such surgery.
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