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Purpose: Several diagnostic modalities are used to detect CSF leaks. Intraoperative use of intrathecal fluorescein can help to detect and localize a CSF leak simultaneously. However, it is not FDA approved, the application is invasive and has serious complications. Topical fluorescein is reported to be a safe and sensitive alternative to ITF. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of topical fluorescein in CSF leak closure., Methods: This retrospective study includes 27 consecutive patients (19 women, 8 men) who underwent endoscopic endonasal CSF leak closure using topical fluorescein, between 2011 and 2017., Results: In two patients, radiologic studies false positively locate the defect. β2 transferrin and topical fluorescein tests were positive in these patients. Both cases needed a second operation., Conclusion: If radiologic studies fail to locate the defect properly, topical fluorescein only confirms the CSF leak, but the defect cannot be located anatomically intraoperatively.

Background: Cerebral ischemia is as a result of insufficient cerebral blood flow for cerebral metabolic functions. Resveratrol is a natural phytoalexin that can be extracted from grape's skin and had potent role in treating the cerebral ischemia. Apoptosis, a genetically programmed cellular event which occurs after ischemia and leads to biochemical and morphological changes in cells. There are some useful markers for apoptosis like Bcl-2, bax, and p53. The last reports, researchers verify the apoptosis with early markers like Annexin V., Methods: We preferred in this experimental study a model of global cerebral infarction which was induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion method. Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups : sham, ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), I/R plus 20 mg/kg resveratrol and I/R plus 40 mg/kg resveratrol. Statistical analysis was performed using Sigmastat 3.5 ve IBM SPSS Statistics 20. We considered a result significant when p<0.001., Results: After administration of resveratrol, Bcl-2 and Annexin levels were significantly increased (p<0.001). Depending on the dose of resveratrol, Bcl2 levels increased, p53 levels decreased but Annexin V did not effected. P53 levels were significantly increased in ishemia group, so apoptosis is higher compared to other groups., Conclusion: In the acute period, Annexin V levels misleading us because the apoptotic cell counts could not reach a certain level. Therefore we should support our results with bcl-2 and p53.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the association between the presence of Onodi cell and sella exposure during endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (EETPS)., Patients and Methods: Forty-two patients who underwent EETPS for a pituitary adenoma with the collaboration of Neurosurgery and Otorhinolaryngology Departments at Katip Çelebi University Atatürk Training and Research Hospital between February 2011 and March 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative paranasal sinus tomography and intraoperative findings were evaluated for the presence of Onodi cells. The location of the Onodi cell and its relation with sella exposure during surgery were also assessed., Results: The incidence of Onodi cell was 19%. The Onodi cells were observed in eight of 42 patients on preoperative paranasal sinus computed tomography. The Onodi cells were unilateral in five patients and bilateral in three. Intraoperative findings were correlated with tomographic findings. In seven patients, Onodi cells limited the exposure of sellar floor and the inferior-medial wall of these cells were removed and connected with the sphenoid sinus and the entire sellar floor was exposed. In the remaining one patient, the Onodi cell was smaller and located superolaterally. This cell was not removed, as it did not limited the sellar exposure., Conclusion: The Onodi cell may limit the sella exposure during transsphenoidal surgery. Onodi cell should be removed and connected with the sphenoid sinus cavity for the entire sellar floor exposure.

Central precocious puberty (CPP) is caused by premature activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. More than 50% of boys with CPP have an identifiable etiology. Hypothalamic hamartoma (HH), hydrocephalus, tumors, infections, congenital defects, ischemia, radiation, or injury of the brain are the most common causes of secondary CPP. In this report, we present the case of a 2 years and 9 months old male patient who had a 30x40 mm contrast-enhancing suprasellar mass and was histopathologically diagnosed with giant HH. However, since HHs are designated as non-enhancing masses, considering the possibility of an incomplete diagnosis of a glial tumor, the patient was followed up. Clinical and radiological follow-up revealed stable findings with no evidence of tumor growth until the third year after surgery when he presented with neurological deficit due to the rapid growth of the suprasellar mass. After the second surgery, histopathological examination of the biopsy specimen revealed the lesion to be a juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma (PA). The concomitance of HH and juvenile PA is very rare. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with concomitant juvenile PA and HH who developed CPP and did not have gelastic epilepsy despite the rapidly growing giant mass.

This paper describes a tension pneumocephalus without cerebrospinal fluid leak, a rare complication of septoplasty. We present a case of tension pneumocephalus without cerebrospinal fluid leak 1 month after a septoplasty operation. Although endoscopic sinus surgery can be utilized for repair of the defect, intracranially displaced ethmoid bone fragment makes an open approach more feasible. His postoperative course was uneventful and postoperative CT scan revealed no signs of pneumocephalus. Absence of cerebrospinal fluid leak made this case unique in presentation and caused a delay in diagnosis. Severe headache after septoplasty should alert the surgeon to investigate possible intracranial complications.

Central nervous system tumors are the second most common type of childhood cancer in Turkey. Germinomas constitute two thirds of intracranial germ cell tumors. The granulomatous inflammation occurring around germinomas can cause histological diagnostic difficulty. We present a 12-year-old girl with a diagnosis of germinoma in the corpus callosum associated with granulomatous reaction to emphasize the diagnostic challenge which may occur during stereotactic biopsy interpretation or intraoperative consultation.

We present our experience with the treatment of 13 patients with Dandy-Walker syndrome. The common presenting symptom and associated central nervous system anomaly were enlargement of head and occipital encephalocele, respectively. Eleven out of 13 patients were treated surgically after stabilization of systemic medical status. Two patients could not be operated because of poor medical condition. In 6 patients with an opened passage between posterior fossa cyst and lateral ventricle, cystoperitoneal shunt system with medium pressure valve was the treatment of choice. In 5 patients with no relation between cyst and ventricle, cystoperitoneal and ventriculoperitoneal shunting with 'Y' connectors were applied separately. Another patient with a shunt infection was treated by shunt system renewal combined with parenteral antibiotics. One patient died 7 months after the operation due to recurrent meningitis., ((c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether quantitative assessment of cytologic anaplasia and angiogenesis may predict the clinical prognosis in medulloblastoma and stratify the patients to avoid both undertreatment and overtreatment. Medulloblastomas from 23 patients belonging to the Pediatric Oncology Group were evaluated with respect to some prognostic variables, including histologic assessment of nodularity and desmoplasia, grading of anaplasia, measurement of nuclear size, mitotic cell count, quantification of angiogenesis, including vascular surface density (VSD) and microvessel number (NVES), and immunohistochemical scoring of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. Univariate and multivariate analyses for prognostic indicators for survival were performed. Univariate analysis revealed that extensive nodularity was a significant favorable prognostic factor, whereas the presence of anaplasia, increased nuclear size, mitotic rate, VSD, and NVES were significant unfavorable prognostic factors. Using multivariate analysis, increased nuclear size was found to be an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for survival. Neither the presence of desmoplasia nor VEGF expression was significantly related to patient survival. Although care must be taken not to overstate the importance of the results of this single-institution preliminary report, pathologic grading of medulloblastomas with respect to grading of anaplasia and quantification of nodularity, nuclear size, and microvessel profiles may be clinically useful for the treatment of medulloblastomas. Further validation of the independent prognostic significance of nuclear size in stratifying patients is required.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of topical L-arginine and Ng-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester vs the role of ischemia in contributing to secondary injury after experimental acute spinal cord trauma. Twenty-six rabbits were submitted to spinal cord compression at the T7/8 level. The animals were divided into three groups: no applied drug (n=6), L-arginine (n=10), and Ng-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (n=10). L-arginine was topically administered at a dose of 10 micromol (1.742 mg) per kg immediately after acute spinal cord injury. Ng-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester was applied topically at a dose of 10 pmol (10 mg/kg) immediately after acute spinal cord injury. Cortical somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded before injury and 1 min, 15 min, 30 min, and 60 min after injury. Physiological parameters were followed before, during, and I h post injury. Light and electron microscopic analysis was performed in all of the groups. In contrast to group 1, the edema of perineural, axoplasm, or surrounding tissue, the thickening of walls of the arterioles and venules, and the degeneration in myelinated axons in groups 2 and 3 were well observed. However, no differences between group 2 and group 3 occurred.

In this retrospective study, the surgical outcome of patients with intrasylvian hematomas due to rupture of intracranial aneurysms was analyzed. The authors studied ten patients who underwent aneurysm surgery and evacuation of the hematoma within 12 h of the onset of bleeding. All patients had an intrasylvian hematoma classified with computerized tomography and all patients underwent pre-operative angiography. In all patients, the origin of bleeding was a middle cerebral artery aneurysm, with the exception of one patient whose bleeding originated from a posterior communicating artery aneurysm. Three patients achieved good recovery without any significant neurological deficit and four achieved good recovery with moderate disabilities. One patient died due to pneumonia and two were in a vegetative state. Notably, three patients who were comatose (Hunt and Hess Grade V) at the time of presentation achieved good recovery following surgery. In this study, neurological status at presentation did not predict the outcome. The only significant prognostic factor in those patients who had intrasylvian hematoma was early surgery within 12 h of the bleeding. We suggest that early surgical treatment be performed in patients with intrasylvian hematoma, regardless of the neurological findings and grade on admission. Pre-operative angiography seems to be essential in identifying the source of bleeding.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the early protective effects of L-arginine and Ng-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) after acute spinal cord injury. Acute spinal cord injury was performed by epidural application of an aneurysm clip at thoracic (T) 7 - 11 level. L-arginine at a dose of 750 microg/kg/min was administered 10 min before acute spinal cord injury and continued for 30 min to 10 animals (Group II). L-NAME at a dose of 250 microg/kg/min was administered 10 min before acute spinal cord injury and continued for 30 min to 10 animals (Group III). No drug was administered to 10 animals after acute spinal cord injury (Group I). Light and electron microscopic analysis were performed in all of the groups. Oedema of perineural, axoplasm or white matter in the L-arginine-treated group was less than in Group I and Group III. Thickening in the walls of the arterioles and venules in the L-arginine-treated group was much milder than in Group I and Group III. Degeneration of myelinated axons in the L-arginine-treated group was milder than in the control group. But there was no different between Group II and Group III., (Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.)

Changes of serum immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations may occur in both brain tumours and lumbar disc diseases (LDD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of pre- and post-operative serum Ig levels in brain tumours and LDDs. Serum IgG, IgA and IgM levels were measured in 127 patients with brain tumour, 100 patients with LDD and 20 healthy subjects without neurological disease. Increases in one or more of the pre-operative serum Ig levels were observed in the patients with both brain tumours and LDDs compared with controls. However pre-operative serum IgG level was highly increased in all brain tumour types and LDDs (p<0.001). Serum IgA levels and IgM levels in the post-operative stage were significantly decreased in patients with acoustic neurinoma (p<0.01, p<0.001, respectively). Post-operative serum IgG, IgA and IgM levels were significantly decreased (p<0.001) in patients with meningioma. Post-operative serum IgG and IgM levels were significantly decreased (p<0.001) in patients with glioma. Patients with LDD showed a significantly decline in post-operative serum IgA and IgM levels (p<0.001). We think that decline in post-operative serum Ig levels may be of prognostic value in the patients with brain tumours and LDDs.

Periventricular localization of hydatid cyst is very rarely seen. A 5-year-old boy with periventricular hydatid cyst is presented. He had right hemiparesis and focal seizures. Computerized tomographic scan showed a hydatid cyst in the left periventricular area. Hydatid cyst was successfully removed. The postoperative course was uneventful.

Multiple hydatid cysts of the brain are uncommon and may be either primary or secondary. We report a 12-year-old child with multiple hydatid cysts of the brain occurring 1 year after surgical rupture of a primary large and infected cerebral hydatid cyst. Surgical removal of hydatid cysts was successfully performed. Albendazole (10 mg/kg twice daily for 12 weeks) was administered to the patient in the postoperative stage.

Between the years 1970 and 1997, 112 patients with tumors of the lateral ventricle were operated on at the University of Ankara, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery. Seventy-one patients (63.4%) were male and 41 patients (36.6%) female. Headache (35.7%), nausea and vomiting (22.3%) were the most common presenting complaints. Papilloedema (42.9%), motor and sensory loss (25%) were the most common findings at neurological examination. Complete tumor removal was accomplished in 38.4% of the patients. Histopathologically, the most commonly seen types of the tumor were ependymoma (25%) and astrocytoma (21.4%). Among the various approach, the anterior transcortical (53.6%) and the posterior transcortical (16%) were the most commonly used. Eleven patients were reoperated for tumor recurrence. After surgery, radiation therapy was also performed on fourty-two patients. The morbidity and mortality rates were considerably higher before 1976 when the use of microneurosurgical techniques was introduced. After this, our morbidity and mortality rates decreased dramatically. The overall surgical mortality rate was 7.1% before 1976; during the last 10 years (n:46), it was 6.5%. In this report, our choice of operative approaches and the results will be discussed.

Giant or huge colloid cysts of the third ventricle up to of more than 3 cm in diameter are extremely rare. The patient presented with symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, including headache, vomiting, and papilledema. Computerized tomographic (CT) scan revealed a hypodense, huge colloid cyst of the third ventricle associated with calcification in the cyst wall. Both hypodensity and calcification are uncommon roentgenological findings for colloid cysts of the third ventricle. The patient was operated on by the transcortical/transventricular approach and the colloid cyst was completely excised.

Between 1985 and 1993, we treated seven cases of optic nerve sheath meningiomas. The median age at onset of their symptoms was 42.14 years. All of the patients were aged between 27 and 60 females with a slowly progressive lesion. Computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging were used as diagnostic procedure in our cases. We operated on using microsurgical techniques in all of these cases. Vision was preserved in the three of our cases. The definitive treatment for these lesions is surgical resection, although no single best plan for optimal management has been determined. The data indicate that only small anterior tumors may be removed with preservation of useful vision. With posterior circumferential tumors, there have been no cases of tumor removal with preservation of vision. A management strategy directed toward preservation of vision is discussed.