OBJECT Surgical decompression is the intervention of choice for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) when nonoperative treatment has failed. Standard open laminectomy is an effective procedure, but minimally invasive laminectomy through tubular retractors is an alternative. The aim of this retrospective case series was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of this procedure in patients who underwent LSS and to compare outcomes in patients with and without preoperative spondylolisthesis. METHODS Patients with LSS without spondylolisthesis and with stable Grade I spondylolisthesis who had undergone minimally invasive tubular laminectomy between 2004 and 2011 were included in this analysis. Demographic, perioperative, and radiographic data were collected. Clinical outcome was evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores, as well as Macnab's criteria. RESULTS Among 110 patients, preoperative spondylolisthesis at the level of spinal stenosis was present in 52.5%. At a mean follow-up of 28.8 months, scoring revealed a median improvement of 16% on the ODI, 2.75 on the VAS back, and 3 on the VAS leg, compared with the preoperative baseline (p < 0.0001). The reoperation rate requiring fusion at the same level was 3.5%. Patients with and without preoperative spondylolisthesis had no significant differences in their clinical outcome or reoperation rate. CONCLUSIONS Minimally invasive laminectomy is an effective procedure for the treatment of LSS. Reoperation rates for instability are lower than those reported after open laminectomy. Functional improvement is similar in patients with and without preoperative spondylolisthesis. This procedure can be an alternative to open laminectomy. Routine fusion may not be indicated in all patients with LSS and spondylolisthesis.

The authors found that GKS was an effective treatment modality for cavernous hemangiomas, especially for those located within the brainstem, basal ganglia, or deep portions of the brain. It can reduce seizure frequency significantly although this takes time. In the group receiving a marginal dose below 15 Gy the patients fared better than when the dose exceeded 15 Gy.

A minimally invasive, facet-sparing contralateral approach is an effective technique for treatment of radiculopathy due to foraminal compression. It also allows for decompression of lumbar spinal stenosis and bilateral lateral recess decompression without the need for fusion.

ObjectiveChronic subdural hematoma drainage is one of the most common procedures performed in neurosurgical practice. Not only burr hole drainage but also small craniotomy (diameter 3–5 cm) is frequently used neurosurgical treatment of chronic subdural hematomas. We assessed to compare the postoperative recurrence rates between burr hole drainage versus small craniotomy with closed-system drainage for chronic subdural hematomas.MethodsFrom January 2016 to December 2018, 75 patients who were treated with burr hole drainage and small craniotomy with closed system drainage for the symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma were enrolled. Pre and postoperative computed tomography (CT) were used for radiologic evaluation. The choice of procedure was decided by preoperative CT images.Results60 patients out of 75 patients underwent burr hole drainage, whereas 15 patients underwent small craniotomy. The overall postoperative recurrence rate was 16%. The recurrence occurred in 8 patients out of 60 patients in burr hole drainage group (13.3%) and 7 patients out of 15 patients in small craniotomy group (46.7%). The number of days of hospitalization was 10.3 days in burr hole drainage group and 15.7 days in small craniotomy group.ConclusionBurr hole drainage would be sufficient to evacuate chronic subdural hematoma with lower recurrence rate, but small craniotomy was also needed in some cases such as hematoma has solid portion or multiple septum.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a disease of unknown etiology developing following ossification of the antero-lateral ligaments of the spine. Mostly, prevailing elderly adult males, it is an uncommon cause of dysphagia and dysphonia. We report three cases of DISH with metabolic syndrome. They were complained of neck movement restriction and dysphagia. At first, They all visited ear, nose, and throat outpatient department. The initial impression was gastroesophageal reflux, and an endoscopy excluded esophageal lesion. Cervical spine radiologic imaging revealed ossification of the cervical anterior longitudinal ligament with large, conspicuous osteophytes from cervical spine lesion, producing compression of pharyngoesophagus and upper airway; these images corresponded to DISH. Cervical osteophyte surgical removal resulted in a complete alleviation from dysphagia for the patient. DISH should be considered in the differential diagnosis of dysphagia.

BackgroundLateral mass screw fixation is the treatment of choice for posterior cervical stabilization. Long or misdirected screws carry a risk of injury to spinal nerve roots or vertebral artery. This study was aimed to assess the gross anatomic and CT measurements of typical cervical vertebrae for the selection of lateral mass screws.

Objective: Microsurgical treatment could be a good alternative for the treatment of recurrent cerebral aneurysm after coil embolization. The purpose of this study was to present our experience of microsurgical treatment for recurrent cerebral aneurysm previously treated using coil embolization. Methods: From June 2012 to May 2019, 34 patients consecutively received microsurgical treatment for a recurrent cerebral aneurysm previously treated using coil embolization after it ruptured. Results: Of the 34 patients with aneurysm, 33 had the aneurysm located in the anterior circulation. The most common location was the anterior communicating artery (13 cases). Immediate radiologic outcome at coil embolization was completed (n=6), residual neck (n=26), and residual sac (n=2). The reason for microsurgical treatment included rebleeding (n=12), persistent residual sac (n=1), and recurrence on follow-up study (n=21). Rebleeding occurred within 10 days after coil embolization in 10 cases, and the other 2 were due to regrowth. In the 20 recurred and saccular aneurysms, coil compaction was present in 11 aneurysms and regrowth in 9 aneurysms. Simple neck clipping (n=29) and clipping with coil mass extraction (n=3) was possible in the saccular aneurysms. The blood blister like aneurysm (n=2) were treated using bypass and endovascular internal carotid artery trapping. In the follow-up study group after microsurgical treatment there were no severe complications due to the treatment. Age, cause of retreatment, and modified Rankin Scale before microsurgery were associated with good outcome (p<0.001). Conclusions: Microsurgical treatment may be a viable and effective option for treating recurrent aneurysms previously treated by endovascular techniques.

Object. The purpose of this study was to assess the benefits of radiosurgery for cavernous hemangioma. Methods. Sixty-five cavernous hemangiomas were treated with gamma knife surgery (GKS) between October 1994 and December 2002. Forty-two patients attended follow up. The mean patient age was 37.6 years (range 7–60 years). The lesions were located in the frontal lobe in 12 cases, deep in the parietal lobe in five, in the basal ganglia in five, in the temporal in three, in the cerebellum in three, in the pons/midbrain in six, and in multiple locations in eight cases. The presenting symptoms were seizure in 12, hemorrhage in 11, and other in 19. The maximum dose was 26.78 Gy, and the mean margin dose was 14.55 Gy. The mean follow-up period after radiosurgery was 29.6 months (range 5–93 months). The tumor decreased in size in 29 cases, was unchanged in 12, and increased in size in one. In the seizure group, seizures were controlled without anticonvulsant medication in nine cases (81.8%) after 31.3 months (range 12–80 months). After 93 months, one patient developed a cyst, which was resected. Rebleeding occurred in one case (2.3%). On T2-weighted imaging changes were seen in 11 cases (26.2%), in three (7.1%) of which neurological deterioration was correlated with imaging changes. In other cases these deficits were temporary. Conclusions. The authors found that GKS was an effective treatment modality for cavernous hemangiomas, especially for those located within the brainstem, basal ganglia, or deep portions of the brain. It can reduce seizure frequency significantly although this takes time. In the group receiving a marginal dose below 15 Gy the patients fared better than when the dose exceeded 15 Gy.