脑立体定向内窥镜的研制及其临床应用

目的探讨经内窥镜切除脑肿瘤的可行性、适应证及优越性。方法自行设计生产一种工作道相对宽大、能在脑实质中进行操作的脑立体定向内窥镜,用来进行脑深部肿瘤切除手术和其它颅脑手术。临床试用３０例：颅内肿瘤１３例,颅内血肿１５例,脑脓肿１例,脑囊虫病１例。结果肿瘤全切除４例,次全及大部切除７例,活检２例。血肿全清除７例,大部清除８例。脑脓肿吸除１例,脑囊虫孤立病灶切除１例。全组术后无严重并发症。结论脑立体定向内窥镜切除脑深部肿瘤定位准确、损伤小,其适应证为边界清楚、血供不丰富的微小肿瘤。直视下迅速清除脑内血肿,能止血。内窥镜手术是神经外科的一种微侵袭性新技术     

CT indications for surgery and evaluation of prognosis in patients with spontaneous intracerebral haematomas

This study retrospectively analyzes the CT findings of 50 patients with spontaneous intracerebral haematomas and correlates them with the clinical condition at admission and the outcome. The volume of the haematoma was well correlated with the outcome and was a very useful indicator for surgery. In patients with haematoma volume lower than 25 ml and above 80 ml there was no indication for surgery; in patients with haematoma volume between 25 and 50 ml the operation does not significantly modify the survival rate, but favours a more rapid and complete recovery of the neurological deficits, whereas a haematoma volume between 50 and 80 ml favours the rate of survival.     

Surgical experience with massive lobar haemorrhage caused by cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Summary Nineteen patients with massive lobar haemorrhage without angiographic lesions received direct or stereotactic surgery, and biopsy specimens were examined histologically. Ten patients (53%) were found to have vessels positive for Congo-red staining, and demonstrating amyloid angiopathy. In the patients with amyloid angiopathy, CT scan and surgical findings were investigated. Subarachnoid haemorrhage (9/10), irregularly shaped haematoma (9/10) and fluid-blood density level in the haematoma cavity (7/10) were frequently found on CT scan. The characteristic surgical findings in patients treated by direct surgery were subarachnoid haemorrhage adjacent to intracerebral haematoma (8/8) and the existence of a tangle of vessels in the haematoma cavity (4/8). Evacuation of haematomas was relatively easy, and difficulty of haemostasis was not encountered during surgery.     

Indications and limitations for CT-guided stereotaxic surgery of hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhage,based on the analysis of postoperative complications and poor ability of daily living in 158 cases

Summary The authors have studied the indications and limitations for computerized tomography (CT) -guided stereotaxic surgery (CTGS Surgery) of hypertensive intracerebral haematomas (ICH), based on the analysis of 158 patients in our institutions. Of 158 patients, 120 had putaminal haemorrhage, 21 thalamic, 14 subcortical and 3 in other locations. The patients ranged in age from 37 to 82 years (average 60). Haematoma volume ranged from 8 to 140 ml (average 43).Eleven patients in the series worsened postoperatively because of rebleeding in 6 cases, cerebral infarction in 2, and unknown causes in the remaining 3 cases. Seven of the 11 patients pre-operatively had untreated hypertension and 3 had mild liver dysfunction without major haemorrhagic tendency. Most postoperative complications were seen in older patients and in those with severe neurological deficit or chronic disease. All these cases ended in poor outcome.From our study, we propose three indications for CTGS Surgery: absolute, aggressive and passive indications. The absolute indication is applied to those who would have been operated on by conventional open surgery. The aggressive indication is for those with mild neurological deficit so that early rehabilitation can be started to regain higher cerebral function. The passive indication is for elderly patients and those with severe neurological deficit or chronic disease. This indication must be decided carefully because poor outcome is likely.     

Intracerebral haemorrhage after carotid endarterectomy

Among 662 consecutive carotid endarterectomies eight cases of postoperative ipsilateral intracerebral haemorrhage were identified, occurring into brain areas which, preoperatively were without infarction. As blood pressures across the stenosis were routinely measured during surgery, the internal carotid artery (ICA) perfusion pressure could be related to the occurrence of haemorrhage. In addition, cerebral blood flow (CBF) was studied with the intravenous xenon-133 technique in four patients and histopathologic examination of the brain was available in four patients who died subsequent to their haemorrhage. All eight patients had a high grade of ICA stenosis and a marked reduction of ICA perfusion pressure (average of 40%) which was significantly greater than that observed (average of 6%) in the other patients undergoing carotid surgery (P less than 0.0001). Relative hyperperfusion of the ipsilateral hemisphere was seen in the four patients studied postoperatively. In at least two cases the haematoma was preceded by an asymptomatic postoperative ischaemic infarct. Histologic examination did not confirm previous findings of changes resembling those seen in malignant hypertensive encephalopathy. These results substantiate the view, that patients at risk of haemorrhage after endarterectomy are those with a low preoperative cerebral perfusion pressure and postoperative hyperperfusion. Postoperative silent brain infarction is an additional risk factor.     

Cerebral venous angiomas: Surgery as a mode of treatment for selected cases

Summary Eleven patients with venous angiomas, 6 males and 5 females ranging in age from 4 to 58, are presented. Four patients presented with intracerebral haematoma and 3 patients had associated cavernous angioma, respectively. Patients with intracerebral haematoma had signs and symptoms due to the localication of the haematoma. The other patients presented with headache, seizures, vertigo, ataxia and mental disturbances. Pre-operative diagnosis was based on computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral angiography. In 9 surgical cases it was confirmed by histopathological examination of operative specimens.After establishing the type, size and location of the lesion decision for operative treatment was made in nine cases, in four of them because of the presence of an intracerebral haematoma and in 5 of them due to severe disability. Eight of these 9 patients recovered completely and one improved. No severe cerebral oedema was encountered after converging medullary veins were excised and main draining veins partially coagulated.In this small series we encountered an unexpectedly large percentage of venous angiomas causing intracerebral haemorrhage which are commonly considered more benign than other vascular malformations. After reviewing previously reported cases of venous angiomas causing intracerebral haemorrhage and severe neurological deficit we think that the term benign is worth reconsidering. We propose a thorough examination of each case of venous angioma and the operative treatment when appropriate taking into account patients state and location of angioma.     

The use of computed tomography in the prediction of delayed cerebral infarction following acute aneurysm surgery for subarachnoid haemorrhage

Summary In order to predict the occurrence of cerebral infarction after aneurysmal surgery in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage, we measured the amount of subarachnoid blood on initial and on post-operative computed tomograms. We used a reliable grading method to estimate the amount of blood on computed tomograms in 24 patients with infarction due to vasospasm and 45 patients without cerebral infarction, all of whom underwent aneurysmal surgery within 48 hours after the ictus.The total amount of subarachnoid blood on admission and on the day after operation was more in the cerebral infarction group than in the non-infarction group. The clearance rate of subarachnoid blood by surgery was lower in patients with cerebral infarction than in patients without infarction and the predominant site of subarachnoid blood corresponded with the site of the infarct. Of 24 patients with cerebral infarction, 22 (92%) belonged to the group whose initial total blood score was more than 10 on admission and whose clearance rate by surgery was less than 50%.Therefore, we propose this range to be an indication for the occurrence of cerebral infarction in postoperative patients due to cerebral vasospasm.The presence of intracerebral haematoma and the amount of ventricular blood and their clearance by surgery were also estimated for the prediction of delayed cerebral infarction after aneurysmal surgery. However, they had no relation to the occurrence of cerebral infarction due to vasospasm.     

Treatment of spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage. A retrospective analysis of 74 consecutive cases with special reference to computertomographic data

The surgical treatment of spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (SIH) is still a matter of controversy, although most Neurosurgeons agree that surgery is indicated in selected cases. The introduction of computer tomography (CT) permits a more accurate determination of the localization, size and expansion of an intracerebral haemorrhage. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of surgical and conservative therapy in selected cases and to search for parameters that could help to predict the outcome and facilitate the decision between surgery and conservative therapy. Seventy-four patients treated following SIH during the years 1976-1980 were analyzed. The decision for surgical treatment was made on the basis of the patient's conditions and the findings in the CT scan. Thirty-nine patients with mainly medium-sized haemorrhages underwent surgery and 35 were conservatively treated. The mortality after three months was 5/39 (13%) in the surgical and 7/35 (20%) in the conservative group. The volume of haemorrhage was significantly larger in the patients who died and 9/10 patients with a haematoma volume above 80 ml died. Five of these 10 were operated and the other 5 not and surgery seemed to be of little benefit to this group. Dilatation of the contralateral ventricle is another indicator of a bad prognosis. Long-term follow-up investigation was carried out 4-38 months after the initial treatment. Total mortality was 19 out of 68 patients that could be reached for late follow-up. Eleven patients (29%) were fully recovered and 16 had minor neurological deficits. There was no difference in late results between the surgical and the conservative groups, but the patients in the surgical group were generally in a worse condition and had larger haemorrhages that the others. The fact that the total mortality in this material is lower than in other conservatively treated series favours surgery in selected cases of SIH. The use of CT gives valuable information as to the prognosis and especially the volume of haemorrhage seems to be a good prognostic factor.     

Considerations about the surgical indication of the spontaneous cerebral haematomas

We analyzed 50 cases of spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage, some treated by surgery, some by medical therapy. Our opinion is that, practically, the neurologic picture is the safer guide, in the selection of the patients by treated with surgery therapy. We concluded that surgical treatment by evacuation of haematoma increased the percentage of survival of the comatose patients. We described, besides, the technic that we made use for the evacuation of the haematoma.     

Experimental intracerebral haematoma: the role of blood constituents in early ischaemia

In patients with intracerebral haematoma, ischaemic damage and final outcome are often more serious than the size of the lesion would suggest. The aetiology of the ischaemia in relation to space-occupying effects or specific factors present in blood is unclear. In a rat model of an intracerebral space-occupying lesion, the pathophysiological effects of a haematoma were compared with those of an equal volume of inert fluid (mock cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] or silicone oil). Cerebral blood flow was measured at 1 min by 14C iodoantipyrine autoradiography, and ischaemic cell damage was assessed by light microscopy at 4 h. In all animals, cerebral blood flow was reduced immediately adjacent to the lesion. In the group with a haematoma, blood flow was reduced (p less than 0.001) over a greater radius and also in the ipsilateral frontal and parietal cortex. Ischaemic damage was seen in animals lesioned with blood or oil of blood viscosity, but not in animals with CSF lesions. These data suggest that both tissue pressure and vasoactive substances are components of the immediate reduction in blood flow following intracranial haemorrhage. Tissue pressure may be the more important factor in later ischaemic neuronal damage.     

Outcome of cerebral amyloid angiopathic brain haemorrhage

Background  Abnormal amyloid protein can be deposited in the wall of cerebral arteries leading to fragility and intracerebral haematoma in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Diagnosis can be done only histologically. The indication of surgically treating intracerebral haemorrhage caused by amyloid angiopathy is controversial. There are studies showing a high mortality and a high rate of recurrent bleeding. Others show almost no recurrent bleeding and a very low mortality and a third party states that even when recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage occurs, re-evacuation should be performed. In the present retrospective study a population of 99 patients suffering from cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related cerebral haemorrhage has been studied, to investigate the surgical outcome. Method  Ninety-nine patients were histologically diagnosed with cerebral amyloid angiopathy in our department from 1991–2004. The outcome has been established by the Glascow Outcome Score. Findings  It could be shown that intraventricular bleeding and age >75 years increased the mortality after operative evacuation. Recurrent bleeding occurred in 22% of patients. After re-evacuation at least half of the patients survived leading to the suggestion to re-operate a recurrent bleeding since patients have a chance to survive even when the Glascow Outcome Score is 3. The overall mortality in the observed population was 16% and 11% had a very good neurological recovery based on a Glascow Outcome Score of 4–5. The operative outcome in amyloid angiopathy related intracerebral haemorrhage is similar to this of intracerebral haemorrhage induced by other causes like hypertensive bleeding. Conclusions  Possible cerebral amyloid angiopathy is no contraindication for evacuation of brain-haematoma, and especially not in patients younger than 75 years old without an intraventricular haemorrhage.     

Cerebral Aneurysms in the Perforating Artery Manifesting Intracerebral and Subarachnoid Haemorrhage – Report of two Cases

BACKGROUND: An arteriosclerotic aneurysm in the perforating artery has been focused on as a causative factor for hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhage. However, its pathogenesis remains unknown, and its existence is still a controversy. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 62-year-old female and a 70-year-old male with a history of hypertension suffered from intracerebral haemorrhage accompanied by subarachnoid haemorrhage. Cerebral angiograms demonstrated an aneurysm arising from the perforating artery at the central location of the haematoma in both cases. The aneurysms were confirmed as the cause of bleeding during microsurgery, and were resected. Histological examination of the surgical specimens revealed that the walls of the aneurysms lacked internal elastic lamina and consisted only of the adventitia. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that the aneurysm in the perforating artery can be a causative factor for hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhage, and indicate that the loss of internal elastic lamina induced by hypertension may contribute to the formation of the aneurysm of the perforating artery.     

Emergency neurosurgery by general surgeons at a remote major hospital

BACKGROUND: Due to the geographical remoteness of Darwin, which has no resident neurosurgeon, emergency transfer of patients for neurosurgery is usually impractical. In Darwin emergency neurosurgery must be undertaken by general surgeons. METHODS: Data from the operating theatre, Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit were prospectively recorded on all patients who underwent an emergency neurosurgical procedure between January 1992 and June 2004. Outcomes were assessed by retrospective case note review. RESULTS: Three hundred and five neurosurgical procedures were performed upon 258 patients (average 26.5 procedures per year), including 130 craniotomies, 88 burr holes, 3 posterior fossa craniotomies, 2 decompressive frontal lobectomies, 4 decompressive craniectomies, 25 elevations of fracture and 33 ventricular drains only. Assault/domestic incident (31%) was a more common aetiology than motor vehicle accidents (29%). Outcome was best for extradural haematoma (82% good/moderate) and chronic subdural haematoma (84% good/moderate). In contrast, 44% with acute subdural haematoma and 77% with intracerebral haematoma died. Irrespective of type of bleed, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at presentation was a reliable predictor of outcome following surgery (61% correlation): 60% with GCS less than 9 died whereas 79% with GCS over 11 had a good recovery. Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation, version 2 and Simplified Acute Physiology Score, version 2 scores were also independent predictors of outcome. Time from presentation to operation for extradural haematoma and acute subdural haematoma was prolonged (more than 4 h) in 48% and was associated with worse outcome (P = 0.0001). Neither extremes of age nor the particular surgeon performing the operation affected outcome. CONCLUSIONS: General surgeons undertake a substantial number of procedures across a broad spectrum of emergency neurosurgery in Darwin. Outcomes following surgery appear acceptable.     

One-session operation via bilateral craniotomies for multiple aneurysms after subarachnoid haemorrhage

One-session bilateral craniotomies for radical clipping of multiple aneurysms have been performed in 14 patients after subarachnoid haemorrhage. Bilateral small or medium sized aneurysms in pre-operatively good-grade Hunt and Hess (HH)I-III) patients (nine cases) were clipped without mortality or morbidity. Four poor-grade patients (HH IV at admission, improving to HH III pre-operatively) were treated, with unfavourable outcome in one patient. Another poor-grade patient (HH IV at surgery) with bilateral large middle cerebral artery aneurysms, a large intracerebral haematoma and a pontine angle meningioma survived with dysphasia and short-memory dysfunction. A slack brain at surgery and a short operation time justify one-session bilateral craniotomies also in the early post-bleeding period.     

Endoscopic neurosurgery

Summary This paper describes an ultrasound-guided, laser-assisted, and TV-controlled endoscopic technique which has been used so far in 133 patients for a variety of intracranial lesions.Following CT or MRI image reconstruction, and a decision on the placement of a 1 cm or a 2 cm burrhole, a 1 cm 5.0 mHz or 7.5 mHz intraoperative ultrasound probe is used to direct the endoscope from the burrhole to the target area. A 22.5 cm long rigid endoscope tube with an outer diameter of 6 mm with an inbuilt suction irrigation system, Neodymium Yag laser with 600 m Quartz glass-fibre and an inlet for various microinstruments is then introduced. The attachment of a TV camera to the ocular lens allows the operator to control further surgical steps in the target area via the TV screen and thus warrants sterility in the operating field.The technique has been used for evacuation of 77 spontaneous intracerebral haematomas (lobar, putaminal, thalamic), 8 traumatic intracerebral haematomas, 13 ventricular haematomas, 8 cerebellar haematomas and 1 brainstem haematoma. Total or subtotal evacuation was achieved in 33% of intracerebral haematomas, removal of more than 50% of the clot in 55%.Twenty-four brain tumours (12 ventricular, 12 cystic cerebral or cerebellar tumours) were operated on for biopsy, evacuation of cyst, resection or removal of the cyst wall and/or laser irradiation of solid tumour or the inner cyst wall of cystic tumours.The complication rate probably related to surgery was 1.6%, morbidity 1.6%, mortality 0%.This high-tec endoscopic technique with its minimal surgical trauma and short operation time can be recommended as a low-risk alternative to conventional neurosurgical techniques.     

Anaesthetic management of bone marrow transplant recipients less than two years of age

The charts and anaesthetic records of 97 infants less than two years of age who underwent bone marrow transplantation at the University of Minnesota from 1978–1992 were retrospectively reviewed. These infants underwent 564 general anaesthetics. There were 48 perioperative complications, most (39) involving the airway. There were 20 difficult intubations occurring in 13 patients. The causes of the difficult intubations were anatomical abnormalities (12), mucositis (4), pharyngeal oedema (3) and emesis upon induction of anaesthesia (1). Four intraoperative deaths occurred. The deaths were caused by haemorrhage (2), pulmonary embolism (1) and myocardial ischaemia (1). Four patients died within 72 h of surgery; one from cerebral oedema following an intraoperative cardiac arrest, one from fungal septicaemia, one from haemorrhage and one from multiple organ failure following an intracerebral haematoma. Infants undergoing bone marrow transplantation are at high risk for perioperative morbidity and mortality, particularly from complications involving the airway, bleeding or sepsis.     

Surgical results of intracranial ruptured aneurysms in the acute stage

Summary To evaluate the operative mortality and morbidity of definitive intracranial microsurgical aneurysm obliteration as a function of timing of early operative intervention and as a function of clinical condition at the acute stage, we retrospectively review 164 consecutive patients who underwent surgery within 72 hours following haemorrhage. The series was divided into four operation periods (0–6, 6–12, 12–24, 24–72 hours), and patients were graded according to five clinical conditions described by Hunt and Hess. The mortality of the individual clinical condition at each operation period was to great extent independent of the timing of operation, and there was a distinct correlation between the surgical results and the form of bleeding visualized by C. T. In poor condition (grade 3, 4, and 5) patients, satisfactory surgical results were obtained in patients in whom cisternal blood clots, intracerebral haematoma, and subdural haematoma had been shown by C.T. The optimum operation times for each group were suggested.     

Monitoring intracranial pressure, perfusion and metabolism

Cerebral monitoring is important for management of severe headinjury. It is also used in subarachnoid haemorrhage, stroke,intracerebral haematoma, meningitis, encephalopathies, hepaticfailure, after neurosurgery and in patients undergoing carotidartery surgery. This article provides an overview of cerebralmonitoring techniques available in clinical practice.     

Meningioma Manifesting Intracerebral Haemorrhage: A Possible Mechanism of Haemorrhage

We present a possible mechanism of intracerebral peritumoural haemorrhage in meningioma based on the clinical data of three of our cases. A meningioma manifesting intracerebral haemorrhage is uncommon and some sporadic case reports have been presented, but without any proven mechanisms. We are presenting three cases of convexity meningioma manifesting spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage with apoplectiform onset. All three patients had no evidence of bleeding tendency or other predisposing factors for haemorrhage. Preoperative radiological studies showed a solid mass attached to the dura with intracerebral peritumoural haematoma. Total removal of the tumour and haematoma could be achieved in every case. Histological investigation revealed extensive tumour infarction in two cases and fibrosis related to pre-existing ischaemia in the other case. The diagnoses were atypical meningioma in two cases and transitional type in one case. We suggest that extensive tumour infarction might be a cause of spontaneous intracerebral peritumoural haemorrhage in our series of patients.     

Traumatic intracerebral lesions without extracerebral haematoma in 218 patients

Summary 218 of the 852 patients in the HIT-2 study of head injury had intracerebral lesions only. They were analysed to get more information on the optimal treatment of these severely injured patients. The initial CT scans were reviewed to exclude patients with extracerebral lesions, and to make a radiological diagnosis of contusion, contusion under a depressed fracture, diffuse axonal injury, or intracerebral haematoma. Deterioration after admission to hospital was seen in 71% of patients. Patients with contusions, and contusions from depressed fractures in particular showed a worse outcome than expected, while patients with diffuse injury had a tendency to improve rather than to deteriorate. Patients with intracerebral haematoma seemed to improve if the mass was evacuated. Nimodipine had an impact only in patients with contusions. Our findings mandate surgical evacuation of contusions and intracerebral haematomas in patients with lesions larger than 20 ml who also have radiological signs of a mass effect. Regardless of an apparently good clinical state in the early phase, intracerebral lesions larger than 50 ml seemed to benefit from surgery as compared to nonsurgical treatment.The findings indicated that a further refinement of diagnostic criteria may enable individually tailored head injury treatment to interfere with most important pathogenic mechanisms. More accurate diagnoses will improve head injury treatment and outcome, and are a prerequisite for making successful pharmaceutical trials of head injury in the future.