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Starting in November, 1993, until January, 1994, we performed a survey among 127 Neurosurgical Departments in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland concerning the practice of antiepileptic prophylaxis in head injured patients. Seventy seven percent of the 12-item multiple choice questionnaires were completed and returned. They indicate a variety of attitudes towards prophylaxis for seizures: in 12% of the responding institutions, antiepileptic prophylaxis is given to every brain trauma patient, in 36%, no prophylaxis is carried out. and in 52% some patients receive prophylaxis while others do not. Penetrating injuries, intracranial haemorrhages and electroencephalographic abnormalities were the most frequent reasons why prophylaxis was initiated. Phenytoin is by far the most popular drug, given usually for at least three months, and in most cases monitored by routine serum level observations. Nevertheless, about three out of four neurosurgeons conceded that a general renunciation of antiepileptic prophylaxis after brain trauma might be justified. There is no uniform way in which patients are informed about a possible risk of seizures, as it may be relevant, for instance, in respect of driving abilities.

As far as medical decision making is based on weighing up individual risks and chances of a certain patient receiving a certain treatment, some knowledge is required about signs and symptoms which are associated with a certain outcome: they are called risk factors, or predictive factors. In lumbar intervertebral disc surgery, the most frequent undesired effect of the treatment is unsuccessfulness. Reviewing the literature about risk factors for unsuccessfulness, one recognizes a lot of unconfirmed or even contradictory findings. This inconsistency can possibly be attributed to the common use of a very simplified, unidimensional definition of the target variable "success of treatment". That is why we performed a prospective observational trial on 109 patients in whom the success of lumbar intervertebral disc microsurgery was assessed after half a year using six different target variables. The rate of treatment success varied considerably, from 44% (when "return to previous occupation" served as the target variable) to 91% (with regard to "subjective contentedness"). Further target variables were intensity of sciatica, intensity of low back pain, activities of daily living, and postoperative paresis, giving intermediate success rates. We were able to identify some risk factors (for instance, duration of sick leave and of the recent pain episode, preoperative paresis, intensity of psychosomatic complaints), each of them being relevant to some of the target variables, but none of them associated with all of the target variables. We conclude that the multidimensional rating of treatment successes seems to promote risk research in multidimensional diseases.

A patient with obstructive sleep-apnea-syndrome and congenital temporal and cervical hemangiomas developed severe headache under nasal BiPAP ventilation. Internal hydrocephalus was diagnosed by CCT and MRI and rise of intracranial pressure (ICP) under artificial ventilation was supposed. Polysomnography, ICP-measurement with a ventricular catheter and resistance to outflow-measurement were used to clarify differential diagnosis. During periods of apnea ICP was raised severely with a maximum in REM-sleep. With nasal ventilation no apnea was observed and ICP was normalized. Resistance to outflow was normal. A disturbance of CSF-dynamics or CSF-absorption leading to the patient's headache could be excluded. Duplex-sonography and cerebral angiography did not provide further information. After exclusion of other causes artificial respiration dependent swelling of the subcutaneous temporal and cervical hemangiomas was the most likely cause triggering the headache. A sufficient therapy however was not yet available. Probably the patient suffers from an abortive form of a Sturge-Weber-Krabbe-Dimitri-Syndrome.

Stereotactic neurosurgery was the first "minimal invasive method" in the field of neurosurgery, later followed and partly replaced by endoscopic techniques. One reason for such an approach is sampling of small tissue probes for diagnosis, e.g. in brain tumours not accessible to open surgery. The appropriate method in the hands of the experienced is the "Quetsch" or smear technique. Its reliability is limited by the fact, that the "architectural" or "tissular" components of tumours lack in those purely cytological preparations. Tissue architecture however is crucial for the assessment of different grades in glial tumour progression. The grade of a glial tumour is the most critical information for the patient and the therapist; grading of the supratentorialf gliomas of the adult by means of cellular and tissue pleomorphism therefore forms the basis of Zülchs system of classification and grading of all intracranial tumours by comparison of postoperative survival. The resulting four grade system--slightly modified--is part of the old and new issue of the WHO classification of brain tumours. In order to specify the possibility of correct diagnosis and grading in probes gained by the minimal invasive techniques, we present results of three diagnostic approaches: First: We report results of a study performed during the last twelve years in which a diagnosis of smear preparations had been made on neurosurgical specimens prior to conventional handling. The "blind" cytological diagnosis was then compared with the final diagnosis of the tumour using light and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Second: We report results and estimates of tissue probes gained by the so called sandwich technique in which the removal of material for cytological analysis is done stepwise. By doing so, material representative for different compartments of the neoplasm is obtained. This implies collaboration between neurosurgeon and neuropathologist not only during the time of stereotactic action but also in the planing period; the correct interpretation of the different compartments delivered by imaging methods in this context is essential. Third: We present selected cases of probe sampling under direct visual control by endoscopy. This method is especially useful for tumours bordering the ventricular system. Surface structures and cyst linings can be visualized directly if the endoscopist is familiar with normal and pathological tissue appearance. The specimen for analysis may therefore be taken from the most relevant tumour region and the sandwich technic which means tissue damaging in multiple localisations can be partly or fully avoided.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Primary cerebral lymphomas are rare tumors. In the last years the frequency of these space occupying lesions is increasing. Diagnosis by image-generating methods is often difficult. Stereotactic biopsy is a reliable diagnostic tool. Explorative craniotomy with tumor resection should be avoided if possible. An effective multimodal therapeutic regimen is the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Epidemiologic data, diagnostic methods and therapeutic proceedings are presented and discussed on a series of 7 patients with primary cerebral lymphomas treated in our department.

In a prospective sequential trial we investigated the incidence of symptomatic deep vein thrombosis of the legs in 304 patients after microsurgical operation for lumbar intervertebral disc disease or osteogenic root compression. None of these developed signs or symptoms of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, neither when receiving pharmacological prophylaxis, nor without it. Superficial phlebitis was found almost exclusively in patients with preexisting varicosis, developing mainly in the 3rd week after the operation.