Expanding cyst following temporal lobectomy: an unusual complication of epilepsy surgery.

Following anterior temporal lobectomy performed to control intractable complex partial seizures (CPS), it is rare to find a symptomatic cyst at the lobectomy site causing increased intracranial pressure and neurological deterioration. We report a 24-year-old lady who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy with extended amygdalohippocampectomy for CPS of temporal lobe origin. Ten months following the procedure, she developed a large expanding cyst at the temporal lobectomy site manifesting with recurrence of CPS, progressive focal neurological deficit and increased intracranial pressure. The patient underwent a repeat craniotomy, decompression of the cyst along with wide excision of the wall and fenestration of the arachnoid membrane into the basal cisterns. Following the procedure, the features of increased intracranial pressure and focal neurological deficit promptly improved and her seizures became better controlled. Craniotomy and fenestration of a symptomatic iatrogenic cyst following temporal lobectomy results in clinical improvement, obviating the need for a permanent cystoperitoneal shunt.     

Postoperative mutism after removal of an anterior falcine meningioma.

Postoperative mutism is rare. We present a 65-year-old man who had transient mutism after resection of anterior falx meningioma. Mild left hemiparesis and palmomental reflex on the right were the only abnormal signs on neurological examination. CT scan and MRI demonstrated a mass at the anterior one-third portion of the falx just superior to the corpus callosum. The mass enhanced homogenously with administration of gadolinium DTPA. The patient underwent surgical resection of the lesion and adjacent falx cerebri. The operation was uneventful. On the second postoperative day he became mute. He could follow verbal commands, and write and read. Postoperative CT scan revealed a hypodense area in the right frontal lobe including a part of the anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior part of the corpus callosum. Histopathological examination revealed a mixed meningioma. Ten days postoperatively, he began to say simple words, and three weeks later he could talk normally. We consider that lesion of the supplementary motor area (SMA) may be responsible for postoperative mutism.     

A proposed scheme for the classification and surgical planning of falcine meningioma treatment

Falcine meningiomas (FM) represent a surgical challenge even in the microsurgical era. An individualised surgical approach to different FM is indispensable, but there have been few reports in this regard. Thus, based on our series of 20 patients with FM who underwent surgery between October 2001 and June 2010, we propose a classification scheme for FM removal and demonstrate its effectiveness. FM in our series were classified into four types, according to tumour growth patterns on coronal MRI: Type I, hemispheroid-shaped tumours invaginating deeply into one hemisphere without shifting the falx (10 patients); Type II, olive-shaped tumours shifting the falx substantially to the contralateral side (six patients); Type IIIA, globular- or dumbbell-shaped tumours extending into both hemispheres, but to different extents (one patient); and Type IIIB, globular- or dumbbell-shaped tumours extending into both hemispheres to approximately equal extent (three patients). An ipsilateral interhemispheric approach was performed for Type I tumours, and a contralateral transfalcine approach for Type II. Type IIIA tumour was approached from the side where the smaller tumour was located. Type IIIB tumours were approached from the non-dominant hemisphere. Simpson grade I resection was achieved in all 20 patients. The follow-up ranged from 12 months to 114 months. There was no postoperative mortality, serious neurological deficits, or tumour recurrence. The preliminary results suggest that the proposed scheme can facilitate surgical planning and accomplish complete tumour resection with minimal invasion.     

Thirty days complication rate following surgery performed for deep-brain-stimulation.

Serious adverse events (SAEs) during the first 30 postoperative days after stereotactic surgery for Deep-Brain-Stimulation performed in 1,183 patients were retrospectively collected from five German stereotactic centers. The mortality rate was 0.4% and causes for death were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, hepatopathy, and a case of complicated multiple sclerosis. The permanent surgical morbidity rate was 1%. The most frequently observed SAEs were intracranial hemorrhage (2.2%) and pneumonia (0.6%). Skin infection occurred in 5 of 1,183 patients (0.4%). Surgical complications caused secondary AEs (e.g. pneumonia) preferentially in older patients and in patients treated for Parkinson's disease (PD). Complication rates did not differ among the five centers.     

Zoster related multiple cranial nerve palsies: an unusual complication following percutaneous balloon compression for trigeminal neuralgia

A patient demonstrating multiple cranial nerve palsies involving the IXth, Xth, XIth and XIIth cranial nerves following percutaneous balloon compression of the trigeminal ganglion for post-herpetic trigeminal neuralgia is presented. This collection of lower cranial nerve palsies, including the accessory nerve, has not been previously described as a complication of this procedure. This unusual group of cranial nerve palsies resulted from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) secondary to the procedure.     

Hemichorea, an unusual complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt.

We report an unusual case of left hemichorea in a 24-year-old male patient that followed the insertion of a right ventriculoperitoneal shunt. This completely resolved after removal of the shunt. A review of the available literature and the possible aetiopathogenesis is discussed.     

Late-onset, "Gastaut type", childhood occipital epilepsy: an unusual evolution.

We report on two girls and one boy with clinical and electroencephalographic features of late-onset childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms of the "Gastaut type", showing an unusual evolution. Neurological examination and brain imaging were normal in all three. At the age of 7.5 years, eight years and ten years respectively, the three children presented with episodes of visual symptoms when awake, and in one of them, the seizures were occasionally followed by oculocephalic deviation. The interictal EEG showed bilateral occipital spike-wave activated by eye closing. In two patients, the occipital seizures had been immediately followed by typical absences, since onset; in the other patient, five months after onset. The ictal EEG showed irregular bilateral occipital spike-wave discharges during the visual symptoms, followed by generalized spike-wave activity during the typical absences. The typical absences were activated by hyperventilation; the EEG did not show continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep. These three patients, with typical electroclinical features of "Gastaut type", childhood occipital epilepsy, demonstrated an evolution which, to our knowledge, has not been previously described. We investigated whether this unusual, age-dependent evolution was due to secondary bilateral synchrony or if these electroclinical features represent two types of idiopathic epileptic syndromes in the same patients.     

An unusual growth of an intraventricular meningioma: a case report

Intraventricular meningiomas are rare often histologically benign tumors arising most always from the trigonal region of the lateral ventricle. We report the first described case of a rapidly growing histologically benign intraventricular meningioma in a 68-year-old woman whose magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) executed 1 year before surgical operation was negative for intracranial mass lesion.     

Acute tension pneumocephalus as a complication of surgical procedures of the posterior cranial fossa in prone position

The authors describe a case of acute tension pneumocephalus (TP) developing as a complication of an operation in the posterior cranial fossa, in a boy aged 3 years with a large cystic tumour of the vermis, operated on in prone position with flexed head. The authors discuss the circumstances leading to development of tension pneumocephalus.     

A case of Mycobacterium fortuitum meningitis following surgery for meningioma]

A 57-year-old woman had undergone surgery for meningioma. After the surgery, she suffered from repeated fever and headache. One year after surgery, she was admitted to our hospital for further examination. Cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) findings indicated bacterial meningitis infection. Germ culture, acid-fast bacterium culture, PCR for mycobacteriosis and cryptococcus antigens as well as cytological examination of CSF were checked repeatedly. However, all examinations were negative and etiology was unknown. We treated with many anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-tubercular drugs, but CSF findings were not improved. We repeated CSF examination and finally Mycobacterium fortuitum (M. fortuitum) was isolated. Clarithromycin (CAM) was started for M. fortuitum meningitis. After drug sensitivity testing, levofloxacin (LVFX), which was effective against M. fortuitum, was added to CAM, after which clinical and CSF findings improved dramatically. M. fortuitum rarely causes CNS infection. Several English literatures on M. fortuitum meningitis after traumatic injury and surgery have been published. Its CSF findings distinctly resemble those of bacterial meningitis, but are resistant to the usual antituberculosis drugs. We reported a case of M. fortuitum meningitis associated with surgery for meningioma.     

Symptomatic tension pneumocephalus: An unusual post-operative complication of posterior spinal surgery

Pneumocephalus is a rare, but serious complication of spinal surgery and its management and physiology is not widely recognized. Symptomatic tension pneumocephalus secondary to iatrogenic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak after surgical intervention, and drainage with a vacuum suction device, has not been previously reported. We report a patient who underwent intervertebral disc surgery who developed pneumoencephalus after drainage with a vacuum suction device. Imaging showed significant pneumocephalus in the subarachnoid space of the frontal region and in the cisterns. The condition was resolved by discontinuation of the suction drainage, bed rest and hyperhydration. Thus, spinal drainage may predispose to entry of air intracranially and pneumocephalus. It is important to be aware of this serious post-operative complication in patients with a CSF fistula.     

Clinical analysis for an unusual large cystic meningioma: case report and review of the literature

The authors report the case of a 17-year-old boy with an unusual large cystic meningioma (Nauta type II) in the right hemisphere. The imaging appearances of this patient were very unusual. The shape of the huge cyst was crescentic and similar to subdural hematoma. It lay between the dura and the solid tumor parts. In addition there was a small intracystic nodule attached to the cyst wall. The patient underwent a right hemisphere craniotomy. At surgery it was found that the cyst contained a large amount of xanthochromic fluid and some semitransparent serumlike sediment. The intracystic nodule was proved to be necrotic substance without tissue and cell structure. Histological examination displayed an anaplastic meningioma, of which the cyst wall also consisted of meningioma tissue. To the best of the authors' knowledge, such an unusual case of cystic meningioma has not been reported. The authors review the literature with reference to intratumoral cyst associated with meningiomas, analyze the unusual imaging appearances of this patient, and explore the mechanism of cyst formation. The mechanism of cyst formation associated with meningiomas is not perfectly understood. Intratumoral cyst formation may be attributed to microcystic degeneration, ischemic necrosis, intratumoral hemorrhage, transudation and secretory changes within the tumor.     

Intratumoral abscess: an unusual complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection

Introduction Ventriculoperitoneal shunts were routinely used in the past in children with posterior fossa tumors and hydrocephalus. They can, however, cause a multitude of problems.Case report This report highlights a previously unencountered phenomenon of a pyogenic abscess forming within a posterior fossa ependymoma as a result of shunt infection. The shunt was exteriorized and the child treated with antibiotics before surgery was done. Only a partial excision of the tumor was possible, as the inflammatory response caused by the abscess had obliterated tissue planes.     

Cerebral fluid edema: an unusual complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts

Introduction A case of accumulation of CSF into the brain parenchyma simulating a brain tumor, secondary to an obstructed ventriculoperitoneal shunt, is presented. Until now, only seven cases of this rare complication have been described.Case report Magnetic resonance showed an expansive, low-density intracranial lesion on the right frontal and parietal lobe. This mass was biopsied, but no tumor was found and the diagnosis was brain edema.Conclusion The mistake in the diagnosis was due to the clinical symptoms and to the MR images.     

Umbilical perforation: an unusual complication of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Introduction Ventriculoperitoneal shunt operations are the most common pediatric neurosurgical procedures in the treatment of hydrocephalus. However, ventricular shunting is frequently associated with a wide variety of complications. Umbilical perforation is an extremely rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts.Case report We present an infant with umbilical abscess, meningitis, and umbilical perforation of the distal end of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which was placed for congenital hydrocephalus.     

Myocardial infarction: an unusual complication of neuroleptic malignant syndrome

A case of myocardial infarction in the absence of risk factors, concurrent with neuroleptic malignant syndrome, is presented, suggesting the existence of a causal relation between the two. Possible pathophysiological mechanisms will be discussed.     

Alexia for Braille following bilateral occipital stroke in an early blind woman

Recent functional imaging and neurophysiologic studies indicate that the occipital cortex may play a role in Braille reading in congenitally and early blind subjects. We report on a woman blind from birth who sustained bilateral occipital damage following an ischemic stroke. Prior to the stroke, the patient was a proficient Braille reader. Following the stroke, she was no longer able to read Braille yet her somatosensory perception appeared otherwise to be unchanged. This case supports the emerging evidence for the recruitment of striate and prestriate cortex for Braille reading in early blind subjects.