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Background and Purpose: To develop recommendations for the establishment of comprehensive stroke centers capable of delivering the full spectrum of care to seriously ill patients with stroke and cerebrovascular disease. Recommendations were developed by members of the Brain Attack Coalition (BAC), which is a multidisciplinary group of members from major professional organizations involved with the care of patients with stroke and cerebrovascular disease., Summary of Review: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from 1966 through December 2004 using Medline and Pub Med. Articles with information about clinical trials, meta-analyses, care guidelines, scientific guidelines, and other relevant clinical and research reports were examined and graded using established evidence-based medicine approaches for therapeutic and diagnostic modalities. Evidence was also obtained from a questionnaire survey sent to leaders in cerebrovascular disease. Members of BAC reviewed literature related to their field and graded the scientific evidence on the various diagnostic and treatment modalities for stroke. Input was obtained from the organizations represented by BAC. BAC met on several occasions to review each specific recommendation and reach a consensus about its importance in light of other medical, logistical, and financial factors., Conclusions: There are a number of key areas supported by evidence-based medicine that are important for a comprehensive stroke center and its ability to deliver the wide variety of specialized care needed by patients with serious cerebrovascular disease. These areas include: (1) health care personnel with specific expertise in a number of disciplines, including neurosurgery and vascular neurology; (2) advanced neuroimaging capabilities such as MRI and various types of cerebral angiography; (3) surgical and endovascular techniques, including clipping and coiling of intracranial aneurysms, carotid endarterectomy, and intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy; and (4) other specific infrastructure and programmatic elements such as an intensive care unit and a stroke registry. Integration of these elements into a coordinated hospital-based program or system is likely to improve outcomes of patients with strokes and complex cerebrovascular disease who require the services of a comprehensive stroke center.

Objective and Importance: The clinical, pathological, and imaging findings in a patient with a chondromyxoid fibroma involving the C2 vertebra are reported. Seven cases that involve the cervical spine have previously been reported in the literature; the posterior vertebral body and posterior elements are the most frequently involved. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of C2 involvement and craniocervical instability., Clinical Presentation: A 20-year-old man presented with intermittent neck pain resulting from a fall 4 years earlier. X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a lytic lesion in the body of C2, as well as instability at C1-C2., Intervention: Preoperative transcatheter angiography and embolization were performed. An expansile tumor of the C2 vertebral body was resected via a transoral approach. Because of craniocervical instability, fusion from the occiput to posterior elements of C1 through C4 was performed., Conclusion: Chondromyxoid fibroma is a rare benign bone tumor that is uncommonly found in the spine and may mimic other lesions, particularly radiographically. We report the first known involvement of C2 by this tumor in the modern English-language literature. The patient has had excellent clinical and radiographic resolution of the prior instability with no neck pain, instability, or local recurrence.