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Purpose: Cushing's syndrome (CS) is an endocrine disorder due to prolonged exposure to cortisol. Recently, microstructural white matter (WM) alterations detected by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have been reported in CS patients, and related to depression, but other functional significances. remain otherwise unclear. We aimed at investigating in more depth mood symptoms in CS patients, and how these relate to cognition (information processing speed), and to WM alterations on DTI., Methods: The sample comprised 35 CS patients and 35 healthy controls. Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to measure depressive symptoms, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to assess anxiety, and processing speed was measured by the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). DTI studies were acquired using a 3-Tesla Philips-Achieva MR-facility. Voxelwise statistical analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial and radial diffusivities (MD, AD, RD) data were performed using FMRIB Software Library. Correlation analysis were obtained between mood and processing speed variables, and FA, MD, AD and RD values, taking both CS patients and healthy controls., Results: Active, controlled and cured CS patients showed greater depression (F = 12.4, p < 0.001), anxious state (F = 4.8, p = 0.005) and anxious trait (F = 9.6, p < 0.001) scores, than controls. Using the entire sample, depression scores correlated negatively to FA and positively to RD values. Although there were no differences in processing speed between groups, SDMT scores correlated positively to both FA and AD values., Conclusions: There were greater depressive and anxious symptoms in CS patients than in healthy controls, but no difference in processing speed. However, DTI is related to depression and information processing speed in CS.

Background and Purpose: Cushing syndrome appears after chronic exposure to elevated glucocorticoid levels. Cortisol excess may alter white matter microstructure. Our purpose was to study WM changes in patients with Cushing syndrome compared with controls by using DTI and the influence of hypercortisolism., Materials and Methods: Thirty-five patients with Cushing syndrome and 35 healthy controls, matched for age, education, and sex, were analyzed through DTI (tract-based spatial statistics) for fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity (general linear model, family-wise error, and threshold-free cluster enhancement corrections, P < .05). Furthermore, the influence of hypercortisolism on WM DTI changes was studied by comparing 4 subgroups: 8 patients with Cushing syndrome with active hypercortisolism, 7 with Cushing syndrome with medication-remitted cortisol, 20 surgically cured, and 35 controls. Cardiovascular risk factors were used as covariates. In addition, correlations were analyzed among DTI values, concomitant 24-hour urinary free cortisol levels, and disease duration., Results: There were widespread alterations (reduced fractional anisotropy, and increased mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity values; P < .05) in patients with Cushing syndrome compared with controls, independent of the cardiovascular risk factors present. Both active and cured Cushing syndrome subgroups showed similar changes compared with controls. Patients with medically remitted Cushing syndrome also had reduced fractional anisotropy and increased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity values, compared with controls. No correlations were found between DTI maps and 24-hour urinary free cortisol levels or with disease duration., Conclusions: Diffuse WM alterations in patients with Cushing syndrome suggest underlying loss of WM integrity and demyelination. Once present, they seem to be independent of concomitant hypercortisolism, persisting after remission/cure., (© 2015 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Atraumatic convexal subarachnoid hemorrhage (cSAH) in elderly patients is a rare entity that has been associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and intracerebral hematomas (ICH). To characterize this entity and to study these associations, 22 patients over 60 with cSAH were included in a multicenter ambispective cohort study. Clinical data, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, APOE genotyping, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers were evaluated. Results were compared with data from healthy controls (HC), non-cSAH CAA patients (CAAo), and Alzheimer disease patients. Convexal subarachnoid hemorrhage presented with transient sensory or motor symptoms. At follow-up (median 30.7 months), 5 patients had died, 6 survivors showed functional disability (modified Rankins Scale (mRS)>2), and 12 cognitive impairment. Four patients had prior ICH and six had an ICH during follow-up. CSF-Aß40 and Aß42 levels were lower in cSAH and CAAo compared with HC. Convexal subarachnoid hemorrhage presented an APOE-ɛ2 overrepresentation and CAAo had an APOE-ɛ4 overrepresentation. On MRI, all patients fulfilled CAA-modified Boston criteria and 9 showed cortical ischemia in the surrounding cortex or the vicinity of superficial siderosis. The neuropathologic study, available in one patient, showed severe CAA and advanced Alzheimer-type pathology. Convexal subarachnoid hemorrhage in the elderly is associated with cognitive impairment and lobar ICH occurrence. Our findings support the existence of an underlying CAA pathology.

Introduction: Mucoceles are slow-growing, benign lesions found in the paranasal sinuses that are locally destructive, causing bony resorption an displacement of adjacent structures. We present our experience in the surgical treatment of these lesions., Methods: This was a retrospective review of 58 paranasal sinus mucoceles in 54 patients between 1989 and 2012. We describe patient age and sex, mucocele location, clinical features, surgical approaches employed, recurrence and complications., Results: The mean age of patients in this series was 59 years; there were 31 males (57%) and 23 females (43%). Thirty-two cases (55%) were located in the frontal or ethmoid-frontal system, 8 (14%) in the ethmoid sinus, 14 (24%) in the maxillary sinus and 4 (7%) in sphenoid sinus. Predisposing factors were present in 55% of the patients and 45% cases were primary. Endoscopic treatment was given to 71% of mucocele patients, while 29% were treated with external or combined approaches. Recurrence appeared in 4 patients (7%), 2 in the endoscopic surgery group and 2 in the external surgery group., Conclusions: The procedure of choice for management of paranasal sinus mucoceles is endoscopic drainage. It is a safe approach that gives good results., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial. All rights reserved.)

Context and Objective: Cushing's syndrome (CS) is caused by a glucocorticoid excess. This hypercortisolism can damage the prefrontal cortex, known to be important in decision-making. Our aim was to evaluate decision-making in CS and to explore cortical thickness., Subjects and Methods: Thirty-five patients with CS (27 cured, eight medically treated) and thirty-five matched controls were evaluated using Iowa gambling task (IGT) and 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess cortical thickness. The IGT evaluates decision-making, including strategy and learning during the test. Cortical thickness was determined on MRI using freesurfer software tools, including a whole-brain analysis., Results: There were no differences between medically treated and cured CS patients. They presented an altered decision-making strategy compared to controls, choosing a lower number of the safer cards (P < 0·05). They showed more difficulties than controls to learn the correct profiles of wins and losses for each card group (P < 0·05). In whole-brain analysis, patients with CS showed decreased cortical thickness in the left superior frontal cortex, left precentral cortex, left insular cortex, left and right rostral anterior cingulate cortex, and right caudal middle frontal cortex compared to controls (P < 0·001)., Conclusions: Patients with CS failed to learn advantageous strategies and their behaviour was driven by short-term reward and long-term punishment, indicating learning problems because they did not use previous experience as a feedback factor to regulate their choices. These alterations in decision-making and the decreased cortical thickness in frontal areas suggest that chronic hypercortisolism promotes brain changes which are not completely reversible after endocrine remission., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To analyze the bone lesions of the ear region from a late Bronze Age individual to establish the most probable diagnosis., Background: There has been evidence of diseases of the ear region since way back in history, but few human remains have been recognized. The case presented here corresponds to an ear lesion from a prehistoric skeleton found in the archeological site of La Cova des Pas (900-800 cal yr BC), located on Minorca island, in the western Mediterranean., Methods: Macroscopic and radiologic (iCT) analysis had been performed., Results: The remains belong to an elderly female subject who had a large cavity on the tympanic cavity as a result of the complete erosion of the outer wall of the attic and a large increase in the diameter of the outer ear canal. The cavity extends posterior to the mastoid., Conclusion: The diagnosis suggests a probable cholesteatoma, being one of the oldest cases in Europe.

Background: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1) H-MRS) is a sensitive, noninvasive imaging technique capable of measuring brain metabolites in vivo. Chronic exposure to endogenous hypercortisolism in Cushing's syndrome (CS) is associated with negative effects on memory and hippocampal volumes, even after biochemical cure., Objective: To investigate metabolites in the hippocampi of CS patients and controls, using (1) H-MRS., Patients and Methods: Eighteen right-handed cured CS patients (age 44·8 ± 12·5 years, 12·6 ± 3·8 years of education) and 18 right-handed healthy controls, matched for age (40·0 ± 11·9) and years of education (14·4 ± 3·8), underwent 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3T MRI) and (1) H-MRS including the head of each hippocampus. Concentrations of Glu (Glutamate), Glx (Glutamate + Glutamine), NAA (N-Acetyl-aspartate), total NAA (N-Acetyl-aspartate + N-Acetyl-aspartyl-Glutamate), Cho (Glycerophosphocholine and Phosphocholine compounds), Cr (Creatine) and MI (mionositol) were measured (mmol/l). Hippocampal volumes (mm(3) ) were additionally calculated using an automated procedure (FreeSurfer)., Results: CS patients had lower NAA than controls in the left and right hippocampus (5·2 ± 1·0 vs 6·1 ± 0·7, P < 0·05; 4·9 ± 0·8 vs 6·1 ± 0·6, P < 0·001, respectively), and lower total NAA on the right side (5·7 ± 0·9 vs 6·3 ± 0·9, P < 0·05), suggesting neuronal dysfunction/loss. CS patients had higher Glx than controls in both hippocampi (10·4 ± 1·9 vs 8·6 ± 1·4, P < 0·01; 9·9 ± 1·6 vs 8·9 ± 1·3, P < 0·05, respectively), suggesting glial proliferation, as a repair mechanism after neuronal dysfunction. No differences were found in the other brain metabolites, and there were no differences in left (3815·78 ± 502·96) and right (3980·75 ± 369·44) total hippocampal volumes between CS patients and controls (3945·08 ± 408·90 and 4108·39 ± 365·11, respectively)., Conclusion: Persistently abnormal metabolites are evidenced in the hippocampi of CS patients despite endocrine cure. These functional alterations could be early markers of glucocorticoid neurotoxicity, preceding hippocampal volume reduction., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is a rare variant of low-grade fibrosarcoma, with specific histological and immunohistochemical features and a poor prognosis. We report a case of SEF of the paravertebral column in a 49-year old male who presented a paraspinal mass with extension into the L4-L5 neural foramen and invasion of the L5 nerve root. Histology of the tumourectomy specimen and its immunohistochemical study led to the diagnosis of SEF. This case was particularly unusual due to its paravertebral column location and, despite its low grade, illustrates the malignant potential of SEF., (Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: A multidisciplinary team is essential to develop and expand the indications in endonasal endoscopic skull base surgery. The aim of this study was to present our experience in a group of patients with skull base lesions treated using endonasal endoscopic approach., Methods: From January 2008 to January 2012, 72 patients with skull base involvement were diagnosed and treated in our centre., Results: The mean patient age was 53 years. The different pathologies included 36 pituitary adenomas, 10 cerebrospinal fluid leaks and 5 inverted papillomas as the most frequent pathologies. We performed a transsphenoidal transellar approach in 45 cases, a transmaxillary transpterygoid approach in 4 cases and a transnasal expanded approach in 6 cases. We performed an ethmoidal/sphenoidal approach in 12 patients and a Draf IIb/III procedure in four cases. Total resection was achieved in 61% of patients with pituitary adenomas, subtotal in 22% and partial in 17%. Successful repair was achieved in 86% of CSF leaks. No recurrences were observed in patients with inverted papilloma. Complications were observed in 21 patients (29%), 6 being major complications., Conclusions: Our centre stresses the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Context: Cushing's syndrome (CS) affects cognition and memory., Objective: Our objective was to evaluate memory and hippocampal volumes (HV) on 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3T MRI) in CS patients and controls., Patients and Methods: Thirty-three CS patients (11 active, 22 cured) and 34 controls matched for age, sex, and education underwent Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure memory tests. Gray matter and HV were calculated on 3T MRI, using FreeSurfer image analyses software., Results: No differences in HV were observed between active and cured CS or controls. Memory performance was worse in CS patients than controls (P < 0.04 in active; P < 0.03 in cured CS) but did not differ among CS groups, which were therefore analyzed together; they performed worse for verbal (P = 0.02) and visual memory (P = 0.04) than controls. In 12 CS patients, memory was below normative cutoff values for verbal (n = 6, cured), visual memory (n = 10, six cured) or both (n = 4); these patients with severe memory impairments showed smaller HV compared with their matched controls (P = 0.02 with verbal impairment; P = 0.03 with visual impairment). They were older (P = 0.04), had shorter education (P = 0.02), and showed a trend toward longer duration of hypercortisolism (P = 0.07) than the remaining CS patients. Total (P = 0.004) and cortical (P = 0.03) brain gray matter volumes were decreased in CS compared with controls, indicating brain atrophy, whereas subcortical gray matter (which includes HV) was reduced only in the 12 patients with severe memory impairment., Conclusion: Verbal and visual memory is worse in CS patients than controls, even after biochemical cure. HV was decreased only in those whose memory scores were below normative cutoff values.

Background and Purpose: We tested the hypothesis that proteins of hemostasia could be associated with hematoma growth (HG) in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage., Methods: We prospectively studied patients with spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage within the first 6 hours after the onset of symptoms. HG was defined as an increase > 33% in the volume of hematoma on CT obtained 24 to 72 hours after the onset of symptoms in comparison with the CT obtained at admission. We collected admission and follow-up blood samples. We measured fibrinogen, factor XIII, thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor, plasminogen activator inhibitor, plasminogen, α₂-antiplasmin, tissue plasminogen activator, d-dimer, thrombomodulin, thrombin-antithrombin complex, and plasmin-antiplasmin complex., Results: We included 90 patients with a mean age of 71 ± 10.8 years; 61% were men. HG was observed in 35 (39%) of the patients. Mean baseline and follow-up protein measurements showed no difference between the groups with and without HG. The analysis of variance showed that factor XIII activity decreased in the non-HG group in the 24 to 72 hours sample, whereas it increased in the HG group (P = 0.001)., Conclusions: Factor XIII was the only measured protein related to HG. The levels at the follow-up sample decreased in the non-HG group and increased in the HG group. Further studies are needed to confirm this association.

Introduction: Cochlear implants are, for many reasons, expirable electronic devices and occasionally may have to be replaced. The surgical cochlear reimplantation technique is not substantially different from the initial implantation but does have some peculiarities. These peculiarities are analyzed in this paper not only from the point of view of surgical technique but also with respect to the complications involved and the functional auditive outcome obtained., Objectives: An accurate description of the surgical findings, peculiarities of the surgical technique and complications found during the process of cochlear reimplantation. An evaluation of the audiometric functional outcome of the reimplantation., Material and Method: A descriptive retrospective review of 34 reimplantations in the same ear, carried out at our department during the period between 1993 and 2008, in 27 patients in a tertiary hospital by the same team of seniors surgeons. The cochlear implants replaced were 2 Ineraid (Smith & Nephew Richards, TN), 23 Laura (Philips Hearing Implants), 8 nucleus 24K (Cochlear Corp., Englewood, CO), 1 Clarion (r) (Advanced Bionics, Sylmar, CA)., Results: The rate of reimplantation in the same ear was 18.5% per patient. The most frequent reason in our series was internal failure of the device (14 cases). Other causes were substitution for a technological update (7 cases), misplacement of electrodes (8 cases), necrosis/infection of the skin flap with exposure of the implant (3 cases) and external injuries (2 cases). The most important surgical findings were partial mastoidectomy reossification, absence of ossification in the posterior tympanostomy and the permeability of the basal turn of the cochlea when it housed the electrodes. A complete reintroduction of the electrodes was achieved in 25 patients and a partial one in 2 patients. The rate of complications generated was similar in reimplantation and in virgin ear implantation, except for when the original implant was an Ineraid device., Conclusions: The surgical technique of reimplantation and multireimplantation technique has characteristic peculiarities at each step, but in general terms, its complexity is similar to that of implantation in virgin ears and the rate of complications is also similar. The introduction of the new electrodes is simple and complete in the immense majority of cases, given that the cochlea remains permeable, as long as it houses the electrodes; otherwise it tends to become reossified. The functional auditory outcome of the new implant is in relation with its capacities. If they are equal to those of the initial implant then the auditory outcome will be similar and if they are better, then so will the outcome be, with the exception of ears with long periods of auditive deprivation., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To report a case of cerebral gas embolism secondary to the withdrawal of a central venous line in a patient who had recently undergone abdominal surgery., Case Report: An 82-year-old male who suddenly presented myoclonias in the right upper extremity and a sharp drop in the level of consciousness. A computerised tomography (CT) scan revealed air bubbles in the intracranial circulatory system and associated infarction in the right hemisphere. The patient's clinical progression was poor and he died some days later., Conclusions: Cerebral gas embolism can be diagnosed using a CT scan of the head if it is performed immediately after the entrance of air into the bloodstream inside the brain. In later phases, findings are unspecific and difficult to distinguish from ischaemic infarction or from diffuse leukoencephalopathy. Treatment is based on supportive measures and, in some cases, hyperbaric oxygen, although their true effectiveness is a controversial issue. Cerebral gas embolism is a potentially fatal and avoidable complication in patients with a central venous line or other iatrogenic procedures that can allow air to enter the arterial or venous circulatory systems.

Summary: From september 2000 to september 2001, 32 consecutive patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms were examined with rotational and 3D reconstruction angiography using an Integris V5000 Philips Medical System: 39 aneurysms were detected. After a selective cerebral artery was catheterized with a 5F or 4F-catheter, 35 ml of contrast medium was intra-arterially administered at a rate of 4 ml/s and a 180 degrees rotational angiography was performed in eight seconds. This information was transferred to a computer (Silicon Graphics Octane) with software (Integris 3DRA, Philips Integris Systems) and a three-dimensional reconstruction was made. The information provided by Angio-3D was useful for evaluating the parent artery, aneurysmal sac, aneurysmal neck and arterial branches. It was also very useful in selecting the therapeutic method. For open surgery, this technique provides preoperative images that are useful for planning microsurgical approaches, especially in cases of large aneurysm showing complex surrounding arteries. For endovascular embolization, various anatomic characteristics of the aneurysm such as neck and sac size, shape, lobularity, parent artery and arterial branches adjacent to the aneurysmal neck must be demonstrated. This is very important to determine the best projection for embolization and to avoid multiple series. This is also essential in the choice of the first coil to create a good basket producing total occlusion. Microaneurysms are demonstrated well with this technique whereas this is difficult to do with conventional arteriography. The Angio-RM and Angio-CT literature show a lower sensitivity and specificity in comparasion with our experience with 3D IA-ROT-DSA. For this reason, we believe that 3D IA-ROTDSA is now the gold standard for patients presenting intracranial aneurysms.

Introduction: The acute vertebrobasilar occlussion is usually a life-treatening disease leading to death or major disability. The treatment with heparin and the selective fibrinolysis no show good results, for this reason the local intra-arterial fibrinolysis appear as the choice treatment in patients with stroke and a agiography with basilar artery occlussion or intracranial vertebral artery occlusion. This tecnique has been proved to be effective treatment for selected patients with acute thromboembolic occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, ophthalmic artery and vertebrobasilar system, reducing the mortality in the vertebrobasilar system from 90% to 40%., Clinical Case: We present a 63 years-old man with a vertebrobasilar thrombosis of a probable cardioembolic origen. He was treated with r-TPA local intra-arterial fibrinolysis, to get a recanalization of vertebrobasilar system. In the control TC we see a haemorragic sufusion in the brain stem. The follow-up see a patient with tetraparesis and palsy of the low cranial nerves and normal superior cerebral functions., Conclusions: The local intra-arterial fibrinolysis is the choise treatment in the vertebrobasilar thrombosis because the high morbimortality of this patology and the inefficacy of the others therapeutics. The result depend of many factors as the thrombo location, the neurologic state, the evolution time, the start of treatment, the colateral circulation, the nervous tissue reserve, etc, that have dificult predict the result, but it is best of the natural history of the disease. Is necesary, change the concept of emergency and the attitude front the isquemic cerebral disease at the sanitary leaders, the doctors, and the general population, for dispose of more means to cofront this pathology, which permit diminish the morbimortality and reduce the grade of incapacity.

Introduction: Atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the extracranial portion of the vertebral artery is relatively frequent and is usually related to vertebrobasilar ischemia. Due to the lack of a noninvasive diagnostic technique, at present it is often not diagnosed. Surgical treatment is difficult and risky. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is only partly useful due to a high rate of restenosis. The recent development of stenting has led to an evident improvement of PTA results, reducing restenosis and offering an effective treatment with low morbidity and mortality., Clinical Case: Sixty year old male patient, smoker and moderate drinker, who is hospitalized due to repeated ischemic strokes (cerebellar stroke in the left posterior and interior inferior cerebellar arteries, and cerebral stroke at occipito-parietal and ipsilateral capsulo-thalamic levels) in spite of antithrombotic treatment. Angiography showed: a) occlusion of the left vertebral artery; b) preocclusive stenosis of the right vertebral artery in the ostium; c) fetal origin of the right posterior cerebral artery, and d) left hypoplasic posterior communicating artery. PTA and stent placement at the right vertebral artery is performed with an excellent angiographic result, a partial recovery of neurological symptomatology and absence of new episodes of cerebral ischemia during a three-month follow-up., Conclusion: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement is an effective low morbidity-mortality treatment in occlusive atherosclerosis of the vertebral artery, although further randomized multicenter studies are required in order to validate this conclusion.