4. Intracranial pressure and cerebral blood flow monitoring in head injuries.

Increased intracranial pressure is a frequent complication of head injuries. Direct measurement of intracranial pressure is now possible; it is a useful guide to therapy and allows detection of pressure under circumstances where clinical examination is unreliable or when increased intracranial pressure is unexpected. It is also useful in monitoring the efficacy of treatment by such agents as mannitol. Measurements of cerebral blood flow are still at an investigative stage but the accumulating valuable data have influenced the treatment of head injuries.     

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of primary cutaneous meningioma: report of two cases

Two cases of primary cutaneous meningioma are described. A male and a female patient, aged 56 and 61 years, respectively, presented each with a solitary subepidermal nodule. The initial diagnosis was established in both patients by application of FNA biopsy. The subsequent histologic examination confirmed the cytologic diagnosis. Extensive investigation of the patients by computed tomography (CT) and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans failed to reveal any primary meningioma of the neuraxis. Neurologic examination and routine laboratory test results were all normal. The microscopic features, immunocytological study and histology, which all gave a similar pattern to that seen in intracranial meningiomas, are discussed. Distinction from other cutaneous lesions that may be considered in the differential diagnosis is made. A brief review of the literature is also presented.     

Head Injury and Early Signs of Tentorial Herniation: A Management Dilemma

In 100 patients intracranial exploration was done soon after severe head injury when signs of transtentorial herniation were present. A third of patients had extracerebral hematomas shown on initial burr hole examination. An additional 18 percent had parenchymal clots of clinical significance disclosed only by angiography after burr hole exploration or at autopsy. Half the patients in whom exploration was done did not have intracranial hematomas of sufficient size to warrant an operative approach. Detailed neurological examinations soon after injury and the availability of more rapid diagnostic tools may improve the accuracy of early diagnosis and allow more specific prognostication in patients with severe head injury.     

Craniofacial dermoids

Thirty-two patients with nasal dermal sinuses and cysts were treated during the 10-year period from 1978 to 1987. These patients presented with midline cysts (N = 18) or sinus ostia (N = 14). Only 6 of the 32 patients manifested intracranial extension (19 percent). All the patients with intracranial extension exhibited an intracranial mass on preoperative CT scans. Ten patients with no CT evidence of intracranial mass were noted to have only a fibrous cord extending to the base of the foramen cecum. In 4 of these 10 patients, craniotomy confirmed that there was no intracranial extension of the dermoid. Four other patients presented with sinus ostia at the base of the columella. None of these 4 patients had intracranial extension. Clinical examination and preoperative CT scans provide most of the information needed to determine the nature, course, and extent of these lesions.     

Management of craniosynostosis

Learning Objectives: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Review the etiopathogenesis of craniosynostosis and craniofacial anomalies. 2. Develop a basic understanding of the clinical manifestations and diagnosis of craniofacial anomalies. 3. Describe the surgical principles of managing craniosynostosis and craniofacial anomalies.Craniosynostosis, or the premature closure of calvarial sutures, results in deformed calvaria at birth. Although the etiology of craniosynostosis is currently unknown, animal experiments and a recent interest in molecular biology point toward interplay between the dura and the underlying brain. This interaction occurs by means of a local alteration in the expression of transforming growth factor, MSX2, fibroblast growth factor receptor, and TWIST. The fused suture restricts growth of the calvaria, thus leading to a characteristic deformation, each associated with a different type of craniosynostosis. Uncorrected craniosynostosis leads to a continuing progression of the deformity, and in some cases, an elevation of intracranial pressure. Clinical examination should include not only an examination of the skull but also a general examination to rule out the craniofacial syndromes that accompany craniosynostosis. Because deformational plagiocephaly, or plagiocephaly without synostosis, occurs secondary to sleeping in the supine position during the early perinatal period, the physician should be aware of this abnormality. Treatment for deformational plagiocephaly is conservative when compared with treatment for craniosynostosis, which requires surgery. Appropriate investigations should include genetic screening, radiologic examination with a computerized tomographic scan, and neurodevelopmental analysis. Surgical intervention should be performed during infancy, preferably in the first 6 months of postnatal life, to prevent the further progression of the deformity and possible complications associated with increased intracranial pressure. The principles of surgical intervention are not only to excise the fused suture but also to attempt to normalize the calvarial shape. Long-term follow-up is critical to determine the effect of the surgical outcome.     

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography: stereotactically guided examinations using magnetic resonance angiography]

The accurate localization of specific intracranial blood vessels is a major difficulty with transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD). It was the purpose of this study to develop a system enabling stereotactic navigation during a TCD examination on the basis of high-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiographic (MRA) data. During TCD, the examiner is provided--on a computer screen--with a projected view of the respective intracranial vessel anatomy. With the aid of an optoelectronic localization system, the spatial orientation and localization of the US probe is determined in real time, and correlated with the patient's MRA data using a dedicated stereotactic mask. Subsequently, the US beam and the points of insonation are displayed on the screen overlaid on the vessel anatomy. In this way the examiner gains real time control of the localization of the respective intracranial vessel insonated. Points of insonation can be stored and recalled for follow-up examinations. In addition to the successful verification of the system, it was shown that, in comparison with conventional TCD, stereotactic navigation distinctly improves the reproducibility of repeat TCD examinations.     

Intracranial tumors simulating vascular lesions of the brain; a preliminary report

Occasionally in the presence of atypical symptoms it is difficult to distinguish between cerebrovascular disorders and intracranial tumors. Intracranial tumor should be suspected in cases of atypical symptoms of vascular lesion or even in typical cases in which the patient does not show expected improvement. In a group of eight cases the problem of differential diagnosis was not confined to those in which the patients were elderly. Furthermore, papilledema and elevated spinal fluid pressure were absent in all these cases. The absence of these signs, therefore, does not eliminate the possibility of an intracranial tumor.The electroencephalogram is an important adjunct in differential diagnosis. In this series, electroencephalograms lateralized the lesion correctly in every case and localized it in one. The importance of repeated electroencephalographic examination if wave patterns are normal in the first tracing was clearly illustrated in three instances.Ventriculography, which in six cases finally established the diagnosis, and the site of the lesion, should not be postponed unnecessarily.     

Complicaciones de la otitis media con parálisis del sexto par craneal contralateral en pediatría

Otitis media is a frequent infection during childhood. Complications may be present in up to 4 of 100 children including serious neurological complications, particularly in developing countries.We report the case of a 9-year-old girl with no disease history who presented with otitis media, otorrhea, intracranial hypertension syndrome, and paralysis of the VI cranial nerve contralateral to the lesion. A computed tomography scan of the skull and a brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed chronic otomastoiditis, petrous apicitis, and thrombosis of the transverse and sigmoid sinus, the jugular bulb, and the right internal jugular vein. She received antibiotics and surgical treatment.This case shows the spectrum of intra and extracranial complications associated with acute otitis media in the antibiotic era. The physical examination allows early identification of intracranial hypertension with signs such as papilledema and sixth contralateral nerve palsy as an unusual finding.     

Intracranial hydatidosis. Report of a case diagnosed on cerebrospinal fluid cytology

BACKGROUND: Hydatidosis occurs due to infestation with the larval stage of the Echinococcus species. Humans are incidental hosts. Symptoms and signs in humans are a slowly growing mass lesion, especially in the central nervous system. Diagnosis depends on the appropriate presentation and history with corroborative radiology and serology. Microscopic detection of characteristic parasitic scolices and hooklets is confirmatory. CASE: A 10-year-old girl presented with complaints of headaches and convulsions for the preceding several months. Computed tomography findings showed asymmetric dilatation of the right lateral ventricle by an intraventricular, focally calcified mass. The radiologic suspicion was an intraventricular tuberculoma, hydatid cyst or choroid plexus papilloma. Cytologic examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) smears revealed characteristic echinococcal components. CONCLUSION: Intracranial hydatid cyst is a fairly uncommon manifestation of an echinococcal infestation and shares clinicoradiologic features with several intracranial, space-occupying lesions. Cytologic examination of CSF samples may be employed to detect confirmatory evidence of a clinical/radiologic suspicion.     

Craniofacial features resembling frontonasal dysplasia with a tubulonodular interhemispheric lipoma in the adult 3H1 tuft mouse

Intracranial lipomas are rare, but 45% of them occur along the midline cisterns between the hemispheres and are often associated with corpus callosum hypoplasia and craniofacial defects. They are difficult to detect as they are generally asymptomatic and visible by MRI or by postmortem examination. The exact cause of these interhemispheric lipomas is not known, but they arise from a developmental defect resulting in the maldifferentiation of mesenchymal cells into mesodermal derivatives that are not normally present. We have identified a new mouse mutant called tuft, exhibiting a forebrain, intracranial lipoma with midline craniofacial defects resembling frontonasal dysplasia (FND) that arose spontaneously in our wild-type 3H1 colony. The tuft trait seems to be transmitted in recessive fashion, but approximately 80% less frequent than the expected Mendelian 25%, due to either incomplete penetrance or prenatal lethality. MRI and histologic analysis revealed that the intracranial lipoma occurred between the hemispheres and often protruded through the sagittal suture. We also observed a lesion at the lamina terminalis (LT) that may indicate improper closure of the anterior neuropore. We have mapped the tuft trait to within an 18 cM region on mouse chromosome 10 by microsatellite linkage analysis and identified several candidate genes involved with craniofacial development and cellular differentiation of adipose tissue. Tuft is the only known mouse model for midline craniofacial defects with an intracranial lipoma. Identifying the gene(s) and mutation(s) causing this early developmental defect will help us understand the pathogenesis of FND and related craniofacial disorders.     

脑血吸虫与脑肺吸虫病的MRI 诊断与鉴别诊断

目的:探讨总结脑血吸虫病与脑肺吸虫病MRI影像特点,更好的指导临床早期诊断。方法:回顾分析10例脑血吸虫及9例脑肺吸虫的MRI影像特点,总结分析其影像征象及价值。结果:脑血吸虫和肺吸虫病临床表现类似,均以颅内压增高和癫痫为主要变现。MRI扫描脑血吸虫病呈多发结节信号,周围大片水肿,增强均匀或不均匀强化;肺吸虫呈斑片样及囊样信号,周围大片水肿,增强扫描环状及斑絮样强化。结论:脑血吸虫与脑肺吸虫病临床表现类似,但MRI有特定的影像特点,可以用来进行诊断。     

视频脑电图和影像学检查对继发性癫痫患儿的诊断价值研究

目的:研究视频脑电图(V-EEG)和影像学检查对继发性癫痫患儿的诊断价值。方法:选取从2014年3月到2017年4月在我院接受诊治的癫痫患儿168例纳入本次研究。分别对所有患儿实施V-EEG和核磁共振成像(MRI)诊断,比较两种方式的诊断价值。结果:168例患儿中,V-EEG监测到154例有异常的脑电信号,其中120例有痫样放电,V-EEG显示痫样放电分布在左侧和右侧导联的比例较双侧导联明显更高(P0.05),MRI检测结果显示,140例患儿有颅内有关结构的病变亦或是发育异常,28例未发现异常。168例患儿中,发作类型为单纯部分型者72例,占比最高,为42.86%;主要病因中,颅内感染的发作类型以全身型为主,占11.31%。脑梗塞的发作类型以单纯部分型为主,占8.33%。颅内软化灶的发作类型以复杂部分型为主,占6.55%。颅内肿瘤的发作类型以单纯部分型为主,占6.55%。MRI定位主要在单侧,其中左侧占38.10%,右侧占29.76%;而经V-EEG监测显示异常放电154例,占91.67%,其中颅内感染和脑梗塞以及颅内肿瘤和颅内软化灶的阳性检出比例最高,分别为24.40%,13.10%,11.90%和10.71%。V-EEG诊断灵敏度和特异度均明显高于MRI(P0.05)。结论:V-EEG较MRI对继发性癫痫患儿的诊断价值更高,能够更加准确地提供诊断结果数据,值得在临床诊治过程中给予推广和应用。     

我国首见斑替支孢瓶霉引起脑脓肿1例

目的报道1例斑替支孢瓶霉引起脑脓肿。方法抽取脑脓液作直接镜检和真菌培养,分离菌株行DNA序列分析、KOH耐受试验、温度试验和明胶液化试验。结果脑脓液直接镜检发现大量棕色、分隔或不规则膨胀菌丝,SDA培养出灰黑色、绒状、纽扣样菌落,微量培养可见棕色、单支或分支特长的孢子链结构,DNA序列分析属于斑替支孢瓶霉。菌株具有耐碱性,不能液化明胶,可在25-42℃环境下生长。脓肿穿刺术、两性霉素B脂质体静脉滴注和脓腔内注射等治疗无明显疗效,放弃治疗后死亡。结论根据其形态学特点和DNA序列分析,菌株被鉴定为斑替支孢瓶霉。该菌引起的脑脓肿为国内首例报道,脓肿穿刺术和单用两性霉素B治疗无明显疗效。     

Heterotopic neural nodules of the scalp

Congenital lesions of the scalp must be approached with caution because of the possibility of intracranial extension. Heterotopic neural nodules, a type of neuroectodermal malformation, are particularly dangerous. They manifest in the newborn as a small lump, are often confused with dermoid cysts, and may have a rudimentary stalk that communicates intracranially. The authors retrospectively reviewed the demographic, clinical, and histopathologic records of 11 infants with 12 heterotopic neural nodules of the scalp seen over the previous two decades. All lesions were located in the parietal or occipital region. All but one patient had an overlying area of alopecia surrounded by a ring of long, coarse hair (the "hair collar sign"), and nine of 11 children had a capillary stain surrounding the lesion. Preoperative imaging correctly identified calvarial defects in five patients. Excision was performed at an average age of 8.6 months. Histopathologic examination showed that nine lesions (nine patients) were heterotopic leptomeningeal tissue and three lesions (two patients) contained glial tissue. Heterotopic neural nodules of the scalp are rare congenital lesions with recognizable clinical and histologic features. Preoperative imaging is essential to document possible intracranial involvement and thus minimize possible penetration of the dura during resection.     

Diagnostic accuracy of cerebral angiography and computerized transaxial tomography.

Computer tomography (CT) of the brain has become widely accepted as an accurate method of studying a variety of intracranial diseases. In a prospective controlled study one group of radiologists interpreted cerebral angiograms and another interpreted CT studies undertaken in the same patients. The overall rates of diagnostic accuracy were similar (81 and 84% for angiography and CT, respectively), albeit less than reported in the literature, and thus support the contention that CT scanning should be available as the initial neuroradiologic examination whenever possible.     

Research on the peripheral hemodynamics by the method of ultrasonic doppler examination under the conditions of seven-day immersion

Peripheral blood circulation was investigated in the experiment with “dry” immersion by the method of ultrasonic Doppler examination, including transcranial Doppler examination. The linear blood velocity (LBV) in the main arteries and veins of the head and lower extremities was recorded in eight healthy volunteers who stayed in an immersion bath for seven days. The examinations were carried out on day 2 and 5 of immersion and on day 2 of the rehabilitation period. The results were compared with the background values of the blood velocities. The LBV was revealed to slow down in all the examined main arteries and veins of the head and lower extremities; the changes were the most pronounced in the venous system. The dynamics of the venous cerebral blood flow that indirectly attests to the elevation of intracranial pressure was observed on day 5 in some of the volunteers. In the period of recovery, the parameters of the arterial LBV mainly returned to the background values, while the venous blood circulation recovered slower, which indicated an aftereffect of support deprivation factors.     

Performing Behavioral Tasks in Subjects with Intracranial Electrodes

Patients having stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) electrode, subdural grid or depth electrode implants have a multitude of electrodes implanted in different areas of their brain for the localization of their seizure focus and eloquent areas. After implantation, the patient must remain in the hospital until the pathological area of brain is found and possibly resected. During this time, these patients offer a unique opportunity to the research community because any number of behavioral paradigms can be performed to uncover the neural correlates that guide behavior. Here we present a method for recording brain activity from intracranial implants as subjects perform a behavioral task designed to assess decision-making and reward encoding. All electrophysiological data from the intracranial electrodes are recorded during the behavioral task, allowing for the examination of the many brain areas involved in a single function at time scales relevant to behavior. Moreover, and unlike animal studies, human patients can learn a wide variety of behavioral tasks quickly, allowing for the ability to perform more than one task in the same subject or for performing controls. Despite the many advantages of this technique for understanding human brain function, there are also methodological limitations that we discuss, including environmental factors, analgesic effects, time constraints and recordings from diseased tissue. This method may be easily implemented by any institution that performs intracranial assessments; providing the opportunity to directly examine human brain function during behavior.     

Hemorrhage During Long-Term Anticoagulant Drug Therapy—Part I: Intracranial Hemorrhage

Intracranial hemorrhage was the most serious hemorrhage as measured by death and disability, occurring during long-term anticoagulant drug therapy of 1,626 patients. Among 95 hemorrhagic episodes considered life-threatening or potentially crippling, 30 were intracranial and 56 were gastrointestinal. Over two-thirds of the patients with intracranial hemorrhage died, as against one-tenth of those with gastrointestinal hemorrhage.The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage is increased among hypertensive patients, but the results of a controlled study indicate that the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage is not affected by whether or not the hypertensive patient is receiving anticoagulant therapy. Hypertension is the important precipitating factor, not the prothrombin level. Even at excessively low prothrombin levels only one intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 337 instances.In this series, reducing coagulability to a desirable range did not increase the probability of intracranial hemorrhage. Once bleeding occurred, however, it increased the risk of death and disability.     

Case report: Miliary blastomycosis with cerebral involvement

A patient was diagnosed as having labyrinthitis and an intracranial brain tumor. At the time a very fine nodularity to the bronchopulmonary markings was noted on the chest roentgenogram. Subsequent follow up examination revealed diffuse nodular densities throughout both lung fields having the appearance of a miliary distribution. Antituberculous therapy was begun empirically, but the patient expired within three weeks. At autopsy multiple granulomas were found in the cerebrum, cerebellum and meninges. By culture and histologic examination, these were determined to contain Blastomyces dermatitidis. The lungs contained numerous small granulomata almost to the exclusion of native pulmonary architecture. Lesions were also seen in spleen, lymph nodes and pancreas.     

颅内动脉瘤栓塞术的临床分析

目的：用动脉瘤栓塞体积比评价颅内动脉瘤栓基术的治疗效果,观察颅内动脉瘤栓塞术治疗颅内动脉瘤的影响因素及颅内动脉瘤栓塞术的术后情况。方法：选取112例行血管内栓塞治疗的患者为研究对象,按术后动脉瘤栓塞体积比分成VER〉25％和VER〈25％两组,观察不同的栓塞材料（电解可脱弹簧圈、水解可脱弹簧圈）和术中血管的痉挛程度（轻、中、重）对栓塞程度的影响;术后随访106例病人,按动脉瘤栓塞体积比分成VER〉25％和VER〈25％两组,统计两组患者的再出血率和复发率,用动脉瘤栓塞体积比评价栓塞术的预后效果。结果：动脉瘤栓塞体积比VER〉25％和VER〈25％两组间进行比较,不同血管痉挛情况下和使用不同的栓塞材料在两组间均存在显著差异（P〈O．05）,具有统计学意义;术后随访半年,比较VER〉25％和VER〈25％两组的再出血率也有显著差异（P〈O．05）,具有统计学意义。结论：动脉瘤栓塞体积比在评价颅内动脉瘤栓塞术中有重要意义,血管痉挛情况、栓塞材料是影响颅内动脉瘤栓塞术栓塞疗效的主要影响因素;术后随访证实动脉瘤栓塞体积比对评价动脉瘤栓塞术的预后有一定的作用。