There is an increased risk of PCF in patients undergoing primary TEP compared with secondary TEP following chemoradiation. No difference in acquisition of speech fluency was identified between the two groups. Patients undergoing primary TEP achieved fluent speech 62 days sooner than their secondary TEP counterparts.

Specific clinical features along with history and imaging findings may be used to identify patients at high risk of NCSE/NCS in the neurological ICU.

BACKGROUND Various studies suggest that the insular cortex may play an underappreciated role in pediatric frontotemporal/parietal epilepsy. Here, we report on the postsurgical outcomes in 26 pediatric patients with confirmed insular involvement by depth electrode monitoring. OBJECTIVE To describe one of the largest series of pediatric patients with medically refractory epilepsy undergoing laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) or surgical resection of at least some portion of the insular cortex. METHODS Pediatric patients in whom invasive insular sampling confirmed insular involvement and who subsequently underwent a second stage surgery (LITT or open resection) were included. Complications and Engel Class outcomes at least 1 yr postsurgery were compiled as well as pathology results in the open surgical cases. RESULTS The average age in our cohort was 10.3 yr, 58% were male, and the average length of follow-up was 2.43 ± 0.20 (SEM) yr. A total of 14 patients underwent LITT, whereas 12 patients underwent open resection. Complications in patients undergoing either LITT or open resection were mostly minimal and generally transient. Forty-three percent of patients who underwent LITT were Engel Class I, compared to 50% of patients who underwent open insular resection. CONCLUSION Both surgical resection and LITT are valid management options in the treatment of medically refractory insular/opercular epilepsy in children. Although LITT may be a less invasive alternative to craniotomy, further studies are needed to determine its noninferiority in terms of complication rates and seizure freedom, especially in cases of cortical dysplasia that may involve extensive regions of the brain.

Patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy (DRE) rarely achieve seizure freedom with medical therapy alone. Despite being safe and effective for select patients with DRE, epilepsy surgery remains heavily underutilized. Multiple studies have indicated that the overall rates of surgery in patients with DRE have stagnated in recent years and may be decreasing, even when hospitalizations for epilepsy‐related problems are on the rise. Ultimately, many patients with DRE who might otherwise benefit from surgery continue to have intractable seizures, lacking access to the full spectrum of available treatment options. In this article, we review the various factors accounting for the persistent underutilization of epilepsy surgery and uncover several key themes, including the persistent knowledge gap among physicians in identifying potential surgical candidates, lack of coordinated patient care, patient misconceptions of surgery, and socioeconomic disparities impeding access to care. Moreover, factors such as the cost and complexity of the preoperative evaluation, a lack of federal resource allocation for the research of surgical therapies for epilepsy, and difficulties recruiting patients to clinical trials all contribute to this multifaceted dilemma.

OBJECT The clinical significance of radiological measurements of the craniocervical junction in pediatric Chiari I malformation (CM-I) is yet to be fully established across the field. The authors examined their institutional experience with the pB–C2 line (drawn perpendicular to a line drawn between the basion and the posterior aspect of the C-2 vertebral body, at the most posterior extent of the odontoid process at the dural interface). The pB–C2 line is a measure of ventral canal encroachment, and its relationship with symptomatology and syringomyelia in pediatric CM-I was assessed. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective review of 119 patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University who underwent posterior fossa decompression with duraplasty, 78 of whom had imaging for review. A neuroradiologist retrospectively evaluated preoperative and postoperative MRI examinations performed in these 78 patients, measuring the pB–C2 line length and documenting syringomyelia. The pB–C2 line length was divided into Grade 0 (< 3 mm) and Grade I (≥ 3 mm). Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test analysis for categorical variables. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between pB–C2 line grade and clinical variables found significant on univariate analysis, controlling for age and sex. RESULTS The mean patient age was 8.5 years, and the mean follow-up duration was 2.4 years. The mean pB–C2 line length was 3.5 mm (SD 2 mm), ranging from 0 to 10 mm. Overall, 65.4% of patients had a Grade I pB–C2 line. Patients with Grade I pB–C2 lines were 51% more likely to have a syrinx than those with Grade 0 pB–C2 lines (RR 1.513 [95% CI 1.024–2.90], p = 0.021) and, when present, had greater syrinx reduction (3.6 mm vs 0.2 mm, p = 0.002). Although there was no preoperative difference in headache incidence, postoperatively patients with Grade I pB–C2 lines were 69% more likely to have headache reduction than those with Grade 0 pB–C2 lines (RR 1.686 [95% CI 1.035–2.747], p = 0.009). After controlling for age and sex, pB–C2 line grade remained an independent correlate of headache improvement and syrinx reduction. CONCLUSIONS Ventral canal encroachment may explain the symptomatology of select patients with CM-I. The clinical findings presented suggest that patients with Grade I pB–C lines2, with increased ventral canal obstruction, may experience a higher likelihood of syrinx reduction and headache resolution from decompressive surgery with duraplasty than those with Grade 0 pB–C2 lines.

IntroductionPregnancy has been linked to increased rates of arteriovenous malformation rupture. This link remains a matter of debate and very few studies have addressed the management of arteriovenous malformation in pregnancy. Unruptured arteriovenous malformations in pregnant woman generally warrant conservative management due to the low rupture risk. When pregnant women present with ruptured arteriovenous malformation, however, surgery is often indicated due to the increased risk of re-rupture and associated mortality. Endovascular embolization is widely accepted as an important component of contemporary, multimodal therapy for arteriovenous malformations. Although rarely curative, embolization can facilitate subsequent surgical resection or radiosurgery. No previous reports have been devoted to the endovascular management of an arteriovenous malformation in a pregnant woman.Case presentationA 23-year-old Caucasian woman presented with headache and visual disturbance after the rupture of a left parieto-occipital arteriovenous malformation in the 22nd week of her pregnancy. After involving high-risk obstetric consultants and taking precautions to shield the fetus from ionizing radiation, we proceeded with a single stage of endovascular embolization followed soon after by open surgical resection of the arteriovenous malformation. There were several goals for the angiography in this patient: to better understand the anatomy of the arteriovenous malformation, including the number and orientation of feeding arteries and draining veins; to look for associated pre-nidal or intra-nidal aneurysms; and to partially embolize the arteriovenous malformation via safely-accessible feeders to facilitate surgical resection and minimize blood loss and operative morbidity.ConclusionFrom our experience and review of the literature, we maintain that ruptured arteriovenous malformations in pregnancy may be managed in a similar manner to those in non-gravid women. Precautions should be taken to reduce the operative time and exposure of the fetus to ionizing radiation and contrast agents.

The aim of this study was to describe the feasibility, technique, and safety of distal transradial access in the anatomic snuffbox for diagnostic cerebral angiography. A retrospective review of diagnostic cerebral angiograms obtained during a 6-month period with distal transradial access was performed. Thirty-four successful procedures were performed via distal transradial access. There were 4 failed attempts. This single-center experience using distal transradial access suggests that this technique is safe and effective.ABBREVIATIONS: dTRA ¼ distal transradial access; TFA ¼ transfemoral approach; TRA ¼ transradial approach W hile the transradial approach (TRA) has been used by car-

Object Intracranial hypertension resulting from compression of the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) by an overlying depressed calvarial fracture is a rare condition. Primary surgical treatment for the symptomatic patient in this setting traditionally involves elevation of the fracture, which often carries significant associated morbidity. Methods The authors report a case involving a 6-year-old boy who suffered a closed, depressed, parietooccipital fracture as the result of an unhelmeted all-terrain vehicle accident. This fracture caused compression and subsequent thrombosis of the SSS, which resulted in CSF malabsorption and progressive intracranial hypertension. Initially headache free following the injury, he had developed severe and unremitting headaches by postinjury Day 7. A CT angiography study of the head obtained at this time exhibited thrombosis of the SSS underlying the depressed calvarial fracture. Subsequent lumbar puncture demonstrated markedly elevated intrathecal pressures. Large volumes of CSF were removed, with temporary improvement in symptoms. After medical management with anticoagulation failed, the decision was made to proceed with image-guided ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion. Results The patient's headaches resolved immediately following the procedure, and anticoagulation therapy was reinstituted. Follow-up images obtained 4 months after the injury demonstrated evidence of resolution of the depressed fracture, with recanalization of the SSS. The anticoagulation therapy was then discontinued. To the authors' knowledge, this report is the first description of ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion as the primary treatment of this infrequent condition. Conclusions This report demonstrates that select patients with this presentation can undergo CSF diversion in lieu of elevation of the depressed skull fracture—a surgical procedure shown to be associated with increased risks when the depressed fracture overlies the posterior SSS. The literature on this topic is reviewed and management of this condition is discussed.