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Background Remote intracerebral hemorrhage (RICH) is a severe complication following chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) drainage, and only case reports and small case series have been reported to date. The authors present an emblematic patient affected by RICH following cSDH drainage. A systematic review of the literature on diagnosis and management of patients affected by RICH following cSDH evacuation has also been performed.Methods A literature search according to the PRISMA statement was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases with the following Mesh terms: [(remote) AND (intracerebral hemorrhage or cerebral hematoma or cerebral infarction or cerebellar hemorrhage or cerebellar hematoma or cerebellar infarction) AND (chronic subdural hematoma)].Results The literature search yielded 35 results, and 25 articles met our inclusion criteria: 22 articles were case reports and 3 were case series including three to six patients. Overall, 37 patients were included in the study. Age was reported in all 37 patients, 26 males (70.3%) and 11 females (29.7%), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.4:1. The mean age at diagnosis was 64.6 years (range: 0.25–86 years). Only in 5 cases (13.5%) did the ICH occur contralaterally to the previously drained cSDH. The rapidity of drainage can lead to several types of intracranial hemorrhages, caused by a too rapid change in the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and/or tears of bridging veins. The average time interval between cSDH drainage and neurologic deterioration was 71.05 hours (range: 0–192 hours).Conclusions RICH following cSDH represents a rare occurrence and a serious complication, associated with elevated morbidity. Careful monitoring of drain speed after cSDH evacuation surgery is recommended, and minimally invasive techniques such as twist drill craniostomy are suggested, especially for massive cSDHs.

BACKGROUND To show a novel modified technique to perform minimally invasive anterior odontoid screw fixation. METHODS Twenty-nine patients with a mean age of 45 years were treated with a modified percutaneous anterior odontoid screw fixation. All patients were affected by Type II or rostral shallow Type III odontoid fractures. A modified guide tube was used in all these patients, with reduction of soft tissue dissection for percutaneous approach. RESULTS There were no complications related to the modified technique. Good results and optimal screw placement were achieved in 28 out of 29 patients. Only in 1 patient we observed, after mobilization, screw displacement, probably due to severe osteoporosis. CONCLUSIONS In our opinion, this modified percutaneous minimally invasive technique for anterior odontoid screw fixation, along with the use of a soft tissue dilator not fixed to the spine, has not yet been reported in literature and is strongly recommended to reduce invasiveness of odontoid screw placement.

Background: Roy-Camille reported only three patients in their Type 3 posttraumatic transverse sacral fracture (TSF) classification. A modified Roy-Camille classification has been already proposed by other authors suggesting further categorization of the TSFs as partially displaced or completely displaced to predict the rate of neurological recovery following lumbopelvic fixation. Materials and Methods: We reported three adult cases of surgical fixation of fracture–dislocation (3A and 3B) of the sacrum due to traumatic injuries and submitted to lumbopelvic posterior reconstruction. A case of a 15-year-old male patient affected by Type 3C with vascular pelvic injury was also reported. A comprehensive literature search was performed on evaluation and management of Type 3 TSFs. Results: In Type 3A, there is a minimal anterior dislocation and the reduction is feasible with good chance of recovery. In Type 3B, the anterior dislocation is severe, neurological deficits are present, reduction is difficult, and there is a risk of vascular injury both at the trauma and during the surgical reduction. In Type 3C, the anterior dislocation is massive, and the risk of vascular injury is very high requiring prompt vascular or endovascular treatment. Open reduction and posterior instrumentation are technically feasible in patients affected by Type 3 high TSFs. Conclusions: In our opinion, a modified Roy-Camille classification could be useful in the assessment of prognostic and therapeutic aspects of such fractures, In our opinion, a modified Roy-Camille classification could help assess the prognostic and therapeutic aspects of such fractures, in which the severity of the dislocation affects the surgical technique, the chance of neurological recovery, and the patient's life expectancy.

Posterior epidural intervertebral disc migration and sequestration (PEIMS) is a rare and debilitating complication of degenerative disc disease. Radiological differential diagnosis is often challenging, complicating the accurate planning of appropriate treatment strategies. We systematically reviewed the literature on PEIMS, focusing on clinical-radiological features and available treatments. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane were searched to include studies reporting clinical data of patients with PEIMS. Clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and functional outcomes were analyzed. We included 82 studies comprising 157 patients. Median age was 54 years (range, 19-91). PEIMSs occurred spontaneously (49.7%) or acutely in patients with underlying progressive degenerative disc disease (50.3%). The most common symptoms were lower-back pain (77.1%) and radiculopathy (66.2%), mainly involving the L5 nerve root (43.8%). PEIMSs were mostly detected at MRI (93%) and/or CT (7%), frequently located in the lumbar spine (81.5%). Median maximum PEIMS diameter was 2.4 cm (range, 1.2-5.0). Surgical debulking was completed in 150 patients (95.5%), sometimes coupled with decompressive laminectomy (65%) or hemilaminectomy (19.1%). Median follow-up time was 3 months (range, 0.5-36.0). Post-treatment symptomatic improvement was reported in 153 patients (97.5%), with total recovery in 118 (75.2%). All 7 patients (4.5%) who received conservative non-surgical management had total clinical recovery at ≤ 3 months follow-ups. PEIMS is a challenging entity that may severely quality-of-life in patients with degenerative disc disease. Surgical removal represents the gold standard to improve patient's functional status. Spine fusion and conservative strategies proved to be effective in some cases.

Meningiomas represent the most common benign histological tumor of the central nervous system. Usually, meningiomas are intracranial, showing a typical dural tail sign on brain MRI with Gadolinium, but occasionally they can infiltrate the skull or be sited extracranially. We present a systematic review of the literature on extracranial meningiomas of the head and neck, along with an emblematic case of primary extracranial meningioma (PEM), which provides further insights into PEM management. A literature search according to the PRISMA statement was conducted from 1979 to June 2021 using PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases, searching for relevant Mesh terms (primary extracranial meningioma) AND (head OR neck). Data for all patients were recorded when available, including age, sex, localization, histological grading, treatment, possible recurrence, and outcome. A total of 83 published studies were identified through PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases, together with additional references list searches from 1979 to date. A total of 49 papers were excluded, and 34 manuscripts were considered for this systematic review, including 213 patients. We also reported a case of a 45-year-old male with an extracranial neck psammomatous meningioma with sizes of 4 cm × 3 cm × 2 cm. Furthermore, whole-body 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT was performed, excluding tumor spread to other areas. Surgical resection of the tumor was accomplished, as well as skin flap reconstruction, obtaining radical removal and satisfying wound healing. PEMs could suggest an infiltrative and aggressive behavior, which has never found a histopathological correlation with a malignancy (low Ki-67, 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT should be considered in the patient’s global assessment. Surgical removal is a resolutive treatment, and the examination of frozen sections can confirm the benignity of the lesion, reducing the extension of the removal of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor.

Background: Differentiating between posterior extradural tumors versus sequestered lumbar disc herniations may be difficult even utilizing contrast-enhanced MR scans. Case Description: A 49-year-old male acutely presented with an incomplete cauda equine syndrome. When the MRI showed a L4-L5 posterior extradural lesion that enhanced with gadolinium, an urgent left hemilaminectomy was performed. The lesion proved to be a sequestrated disc herniation rather than a tumor. Notably, postoperatively the patient almost completely recovered after 6-month follow-up. Conclusion: Even on contrast-enhanced MRI studies, posterior extradural sequestered lumbar disc herniations may mimic tumors.

Background Spinal angiolipomas (SAs) are rare, benign tumors, representing 0.0004 to 1.2% of angiolipomas, usually located at the extradural and posterior thoracic level, with multimetameric extension. Methods A systematic literature review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The authors searched on PubMed and Scopus databases for published articles with the Mesh term “spinal angiolipoma” and pertinent associations. Language restriction to English papers was applied. The authors also reported three emblematic cases of patients who underwent surgical resection of spindle-shaped (type IA) and dumbbell-shaped (type II) SAs between 2014 and 2020. Results Of the 256 retrieved articles, 33 were included in the meta-analysis. These 33 studies, together with our 3 reported cases, included a total of 60 patients, 36 females (60%) and 24 males (40%), with a mean age of 53.12 ± 12.82 years (range: 12–77 years).T5 was the most represented level (22 patients). Usually, the localization of SA was extradural, with 53 patients suffering from spindle-shaped type IA SA (88.3%) and 7 patients from dumbbell-shaped type II SA (11.6%). Almost all patients underwent laminectomy (78.3%) and presented a full recovery of motor deficits (85%). Gross total removal (GTR) was performed in 93.3% of patients. The mean follow-up was of 22.71 ± 21.45 months (range: 2–80 months). There was no documented recurrence at follow-up magnetic resonance imaging in any of the patients. Conclusions SAs are rare, benign tumors with a great vascular component that presents a favorable outcome. GTR is the gold standard treatment and usually an adjuvant therapy is not required. Even infiltrative lesions, which are more complex, can be treated successfully with a good prognosis. Dumbbell-shaped SAs must be differentiated from schwannomas and meningiomas, and require different surgical techniques, given the profuse bleeding associated with the attempt of debulking. En block resection is the key to treat these common benign tumors with acceptable blood loss.

Background: Acrometastases, secondary tumors affecting oncological patients with systemic metastases, are associated with a poor prognosis. In rare cases, acrometastases may precede establishing the primary tumor diagnosis. Case Description: A 72-year-old female heavy smoker presented with low back pain, and right lower extremity sciatica/radiculopathy. X-rays, CT, MR, and PET-CT scans documented primary lung cancer with multi-organ metastases and accompanying pathological fractures involving the sacrum (S1) and right 4th digit. She underwent a S1 laminectomy and amputation of the distal phalanx of the right fourth finger. The histological examination documented a poorly differentiated pulmonary adenocarcinoma infiltrating bone and soft tissues in the respective locations. The patient was treated with a course of systemic immunotherapy (i.e. pembrolizumab). At 6-month follow-up, the patient is doing well and can stand and walk without pain. Conclusion: Spontaneous sacral fractures may be readily misdiagnosed as osteoporotic and/or traumatic lesions. However, in this case, the additional simultaneous presence of a lytic finger lesion raised the suspicion that these were both metastatic tumors. Such acrometastases, as in this case attributed to a lung primary, may indeed involve the spine.

Background and Objectives: The term acrometastases (AM) refers to secondary lesions sited distally to the elbow and knee, representing 0.1% of all bony metastases. By frequency, pulmonary cancer and gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract neoplasms are the most responsible for the reported AM. Improvements in oncologic patient care favor an increase in the incidence of such rare cases. We performed a systematic review of acrometastases to the hand to provide further insight into the management of these fragile patients. We also present a peculiar case of simultaneous acrometastasis to the ring finger and pathological vertebral fracture. Material and Methods: A literature search according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement was conducted using the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases in December 2020 on metastasis to the hand and wrist, from 1986 to 2020. MeSH terms included acrometastasis, carpal metastasis, hand metastasis, finger metastasis, phalangeal metastasis, and wrist metastasis. Results: In total, 215 studies reporting the follow-up of 247 patients were analyzed, with a median age of 62 years (range 10–91 years). Overall, 162 out of 247 patients were males (65.6%) and 85 were females (34.4%). The median reported follow-up was 5 months (range 0.5–39). The median time from primary tumor diagnosis to acrometastasis was 24 months (range 0.7–156). Acrometastases were located at the finger/phalanx (68.4%), carpal (14.2%), metacarpal (14.2%), or other sites (3.2%). The primary tumors were pulmonary in 91 patients (36.8%). The average interval from primary tumor diagnosis to acrometastasis varied according to the primary tumor type from 2 months (in patients with mesenchymal tumors) to 64.0 months (in patients with breast cancer). Conclusions: Acrometastases usually develop in the late stage of oncologic disease and are associated with short life expectancy. Their occurrence can no longer be considered rare; physicians should thus be updated on their surgical management and their impact on prognosis and survival.

Background Development of a delayed acute epidural hematoma (DEDH) represents a rare event, characterized by a high mortality rate. It is defined as an extradural bleeding not evident at the first brain computed tomography (CT) scan performed after traumatic brain injury but evidenced by further radiologic evaluations. Case Description A 22-year-old male was admitted to our unit after brain injury due to an assault. Immediate brain CT scan revealed a right frontal epidural hematoma (EDH) and a smaller left anterior temporal EDH with multiple, bilateral skull fractures in the frontal, parietal, and temporal bones. Both EDHs were surgically treated in the same session. Another immediate CT scan showed a third left parietal acute DEDH. The patient was retransferred to the operating room for a further left parietal craniotomy and EDH evacuation. The postoperative period was uneventful: the patient effectively improved. After 15 days, the patient left the hospital and was admitted to a rehabilitation center. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a synchronous acute bilateral EDH with the development of a third DEDH located in a separate site. This finding is certainly related to the presence of multiple and bilateral skull fractures. In our experience, we suggest performing an intraoperative CT scan, if available, to early detect the possible development of DEDH.

Background Custom-made porous hydroxyapatite (HA) implant (Fin-Ceramica Faenza S.p.A., Italy) is a biomimetic, osteoconductive material. Margin fusion at the bone-implant edge, cell proliferation within implant pores, and osteointegration in an animal model have already been described. Case Description Radiological, microtomographical, and histological analyses were performed on two patients who underwent surgical explantation of cranial implants after postoperative complication. Primary devices explanted after 2 years showed areas of newly formed bone strictly osteointegrated with pores of the prosthesis. These prostheses showed a focal zone of resorption in correspondence of the newly formed bone, and no signs of inflammation or cytotoxicity were observed. A back-up prosthesis, explanted from the same patient after 6 months because of an infection, did not show presence of newly formed bone both on the surface and in the internal part of the prosthesis. Conclusions Custom-made porous HA implant is an osteoconductive material able to promote osteogenesis, osteointegrate with bone tissue, provide an effective cranial reconstruction, and restore functional features of the skull. However, complete bone healing is still a complex and long process.

Spinal intramedullary teratoma is a rare tumor. A case of intramedullary teratoma of the conus medullaris with caudal exophytic development is presented. The patient underwent magnetic resonance imaging and then the tumor was removed surgically. This is the sixth case of intramedullary teratoma reported in the literature.