Search

The Institute of Medicine best practice recommendation to review guidelines every 5 years is followed by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Guidelines Committee. The aim of this work was to provide an updated literature review and evidence-based recommendations on the topic of diagnosis and treatment of patients with progressive glioblastoma (pGBM).To review the literature published since the last guidelines on pGBM dated 2014, with literature search ending in June 2012.PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched for the period July 1, 2012, to March 31, 2019, using search terms and search strategies to identify pertinent abstracts. These were then screened using published exclusion/inclusion criteria to identify full-text review articles. Evidence tables were constructed using data derived from full-text reviews and recommendations made from the evidence derived.From the total 8786 abstracts identified by the search, 237 full-text articles met inclusion/exclusion criteria and were included in this update. Two new level II recommendations derived from this work. For the diagnosis of patients with GBM, the use of diffusion-weighted images is recommended to be included in the magnetic resonance images with and without contrast used for surveillance to detect pGBM. For the treatment of patients with pGBM, repeat cytoreductive surgery is recommended to improve overall survival. An additional 21 level III recommendations were provided.Recent published literature provides new recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of pGBM. The Central Nervous System Guidelines Committee will continue to pursue timely updates to further improve the care of patients with diagnosis.https://www.cns.org/guidelines/browse-guidelines-detail/guidelines-management-of-progressive-glioblastoma.

Promoting workplace diversity leads to a variety of benefits related to a broader range of perspectives and insights. Underrepresented in medicine (URiM), including African Americans, Latinx, and Natives (Americans/Alaskan/Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders), are currently accounting for approximately 40% of the US population.To establish a snapshot of current URiM representation within academic neurosurgery (NS) programs and trends within NS residency.All 115 NS residencies and academic programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in 2020 were included in this study. The National Residency Matching Program database was reviewed from 2011 to 2020 to analyze URiM representation trends over time within the NS resident workforce. The academic rank, academic and clinical title(s), subspecialty, sex, and race of URiM NS faculty (NSF) were obtained from publicly available data.The Black and Latinx NS resident workforce currently accounts for 4.8% and 5.8% of the total workforce, respectively. URiM NSF are present in 71% of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited NS programs and account for 8% (148 of 1776) of the workforce. Black and Latinx women comprise 10% of URiM NSF. Latinx NSFs are the majority within the URiM cohort for both men and women. URiM comprise 5% of all department chairs. All are men. Spine (26%), tumor (26%), and trauma (17%) were the top 3 subspecialties among URiM NSF.NS has evolved, expanded, and diversified in numerous directions, including race and gender representation. Our data show that ample opportunities remain to improve URiM representation within NS.

Question What are the indications for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment vs observation for patients with intracanalicular vestibular schwannomas without evidence of radiographic progression? Recommendation Level 3: If tinnitus is not observed at presentation, it is recommended that intracanalicular vestibular schwannomas and small tumors (

Background Women represent a growing cohort of US neurosurgeons. Objective To describe postresidency fellowship, practice environment, and updated academic rank among female neurosurgeons. Methods Databases from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) from 1964 to 2013 were reviewed for female neurosurgery residency graduates. Data on postresidency fellowships, practice environment (private vs academic), academic rank, board certification, and AANS/CNS (Congress of Neurological Surgeons) Joint Section on Women in Neurosurgery (WINS) membership were collected in 2016. Academic rank was verified from program websites and electronic correspondence. Faculty members were asked to report directorships and tenure. The AANS/CNS Joint Section on Women in Neurosurgery verified WINS membership. Results A total of 379 female neurosurgery residency graduates were identified in this 50-yr span. Of these, 70% became ABNS certified, and 2.1% left neurosurgery. Twenty-seven percent of women (n = 103) pursued fellowships, with pediatric neurosurgery (33%) the most common. Regarding practice environment, 26% entered academic medicine (n = 91), with 42 at the rank of assistant professor, 33 at the rank of associate professor, and 16 reaching the rank of full professor. Conclusion Upon completion of training, 27% of women pursue fellowships. The distribution of women in private vs academic practice environments is proportionate to male neurosurgeons; however, the number women in academic leadership positions remains exceedingly low, with disproportionate representation in higher academic ranks. Women in national organized neurosurgery are increasing. Tracking the career paths of women in neurosurgery is a necessary step to identifying current achievements and opportunities for future progress.

OBJECTIVE: Computer-assisted frameless navigation techniques are used in many centers for intracranial neurosurgical procedures. In this study, we assessed the accuracy and the clinical usefulness of a frameless system based on the optical digitizer in a variety of intracranial procedures. METHODS: The optical digitizer (StealthStation, Sofamor Danek, Memphis, TN) was used to perform 170 neurosurgical operations. Its accuracy was judged before and after each operation by comparing the computer-estimated error with the real estimated error measured on the patient's anatomy. Several objective factors were evaluated to assess the clinical usefulness of the optical digitizer. For craniotomies, the intraoperative extent of resection based on computer-generated images was compared with that on postoperative images, and the length of hospital stay of patients undergoing frameless procedures was compared with that of patients undergoing conventional procedures. For needle biopsies, clinical usefulness was based on the rate of success in establishing a histological diagnosis. RESULTS: The optical digitizer was accurate to within 2 mm for all procedures. The computer-estimated error was not significantly different from the real estimated error. The intraoperative extent of resection was accurate in 58 of 60 tumor resection patients, as confirmed on postoperative images. Patients undergoing frameless procedures had a significantly shorter hospital stay than those undergoing conventional procedures (7.5 ± 1 versus 10.8 ± ± 1.3 d, P < 0.05). All biopsies were diagnostic. CONCLUSION: The optical digitizer is an accurate frameless device that offers clinical benefits. These include precise surgical resection, decreased hospitalization time, and accurate tissue diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE In vitro evidence suggests that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) promotes tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the early and delayed effects of recombinant human bFGF on the early and late phases of in vivo, in situ tumorigenesis in rats. METHODS Brain tumors were induced by transplacentally exposing fetal rats to N-nitrosoethylurea on Day 17 of pregnancy. On postnatal (PN) Day 60 or 90, N-nitrosoethylurea-exposed rats underwent stereotactic intraventricular implantation of Gelfoam saturated with bFGF (60 micrograms) or vehicle; the rats were killed 4 days (early group) or 30 days (delayed group) later. The early and delayed effects of bFGF on the early phase of tumorigenesis (PN Day 60) were evaluated in 14 and 10 rats, respectively; early and delayed effects on the late phase of tumorigenesis (PN Day 90) were evaluated in 12 rats each. RESULTS Histological examination 30 days after implantation showed a significantly higher tumor rate in rats that had been treated with bFGF on PN Day 90, compared with vehicle-treated control rats (P < 0.05); furthermore, in the bFGF-treated animals there was significantly greater intratumoral and periventricular glial fibrillary acidic protein expression, as determined immunohistochemically. Increased vascularity in the tumor ipsilateral to the implant was found in 2 of 14 rats that had been treated with bFGF on PN Day 60. CONCLUSION These findings support in vitro evidence that bFGF and its receptor complex are implicated in the genesis and progression of N-nitrosoethylurea-induced brain tumors in this animal model.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the available clinical data on postoperative intracerebral hemorrhages that occur in locations remote from the sites of craniotomy. METHODS: The findings of 37 cases of postoperative intracerebral hemorrhages occurring remote from the craniotomy sites were reviewed (5 from our records and 32 from the literature). RESULTS: Remote postoperative intracerebral hemorrhages presented within the first few hours postoperatively in 78% of the patients and were not related to the types of lesions for which the craniotomies were performed. Supratentorial procedures that produced infratentorial hemorrhages involved operations in the deep sylvian fissure and paraclinoid region in 81% of the patients and hemorrhages in the cerebellar vermis in 67% of the patients. Infratentorial procedures that produced supratentorial hemorrhages were performed with the patient in the sitting position for 87% of the patients. The remote supratentorial hemorrhages that occurred were superficial and lobar in 84% of the patients, as opposed to deep and basal ganglionic, which are classic locations for hypertensive hemorrhages. Remote intracerebral hemorrhages occurring after craniotomies were not associated with hypertension, coagulopathy, cerebrospinal fluid drainage, or underlying occult lesions. These hemorrhages commonly led to significant complications; 5 of 37 patients(14%) were left severely disabled, and 12 of 37 patients (32%) died. CONCLUSIONS: Remote intracerebral hemorrhage is a rare complication of craniotomy with significant morbidity and mortality. Such hemorrhages likely develop at or soon after surgery, tend to occur preferentially in certain locations, and can be related to the craniotomy site, operative positioning, and nonspecific mechanical factors. They do not seem to be related to hypertension, coagulopathy, cerebrospinal fluid drainage, or underlying pathological abnormalities.