Dilip Panikar

Temporal fossa arachnoid cyst presenting with bilateral subdural hematoma following trauma: two case reports

IntroductionIntracranial arachnoid cysts are considered to be congenital malformations with a predilection for the temporal fossa. They are often asymptomatic but can sometimes be symptomatic due to enlargement or hemorrhage. There are multiple case reports of arachnoid cysts becoming symptomatic with hemorrhagic complications following head trauma. In such cases, the bleeding is often confined to the side ipsilateral to the arachnoid cyst. Occurrence of contralateral subdural hematomas in patients with temporal fossa arachnoid cysts has rarely been observed and is reported less frequently in the medical literature.Case presentationWe report two cases of people (a 23-year-old man and a 41-year-old man) with temporal fossa arachnoid cysts complicated by a subdural hematoma following head injury. Both patients developed a subdural hematoma contralateral to the side of a temporal fossa arachnoid cyst. It is likely that lack of adequate intracranial cushioning in the presence of an intracranial arachnoid cyst may result in injury not only to ipsilateral but also to contralateral bridging veins, following head trauma.ConclusionIt is important to identify and report such rare complications with intracranial arachnoid cysts, so that asymptomatic patients with an intracranial arachnoid cyst can be counseled about such possibilities following head trauma.

Theranostic 3-Dimensional nano brain-implant for prolonged and localized treatment of recurrent glioma

Localized and controlled delivery of chemotherapeutics directly in brain-tumor for prolonged periods may radically improve the prognosis of recurrent glioblastoma. Here, we report a unique method of nanofiber by fiber controlled delivery of anti-cancer drug, Temozolomide, in orthotopic brain-tumor for one month using flexible polymeric nano-implant. A library of drug loaded (20 wt%) electrospun nanofiber of PLGA-PLA-PCL blends with distinct in vivo brain-release kinetics (hours to months) were numerically selected and a single nano-implant was formed by co-electrospinning of nano-fiber such that different set of fibres releases the drug for a specific periods from days to months by fiber-by-fiber switching. Orthotopic rat glioma implanted wafers showed constant drug release (116.6 μg/day) with negligible leakage into the peripheral blood (<100 ng) rendering ~1000 fold differential drug dosage in tumor versus peripheral blood. Most importantly, implant with one month release profile resulted in long-term (>4 month) survival of 85.7% animals whereas 07 day releasing implant showed tumor recurrence in 54.6% animals, rendering a median survival of only 74 days. In effect, we show that highly controlled drug delivery is possible for prolonged periods in orthotopic brain-tumor using combinatorial nanofibre libraries of bulk-eroding polymers, thereby controlling glioma recurrence.

Choroid plexus cyst of the third ventricle presenting as acute triventriculomegaly

IntroductionCystic lesions in and around the third ventricle have been known to cause intermittent and acute obstruction of the foramen of Monroe with rapid onset symptoms. Most of these lesions are seen on routine investigations, whereas some are not so obvious resulting in mistaken diagnosis. Symptomatic choroids plexus cysts have only been infrequently reported, predominantly in the lateral ventricle.Case reportA 3-year-old female child presented with rapid loss of consciousness for the first time. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans only showed triventriculomegaly. Endoscopy revealed a cyst of the third ventricle, which was excised, leading to good recovery. Biopsy of the wall revealed a choroid plexus cyst.ConclusionChoroid plexus cysts are rare causes for symptomatic obstruction of the third ventricle and may be difficult to detect on routine investigations and may lead to the wrong choice of treatment. Endoscopic fenestration or excision is a good option to manage such lesions.

Trichosporon asahii infection presenting as chronic meningo-ventriculitis and intra ventricular fungal ball: a case report and literature review

Central nervous system trichosporonosis is a rare clinical entity and so far only six cases including three each of brain abscess and meningitis has been on record. We report a rare case of chronic meningo‐ventriculitis and intraventricular fungal ball due to Trichosporon asahii in an 18‐year‐old immunocompetent male from Burundi, east Africa. Neuroendoscopy showed multiple nodules and a fungal ball within the ventricle, which on culture grew T. asahii. He was initially empirically treated with liposomal amphotericin B. However, the antifungal susceptibility testing of T. asahii isolate revealed high minimum inhibitory concentration for amphotericin B (2 μg ml−1), flucytosine (16 μg ml−1) and caspofungin (2 μg ml−1) but exhibited potent activity for voriconazole, posaconazole, itraconazole and fluconazole. The patient rapidly succumbed to cardiac arrest before antifungal therapy could be changed. Although disseminated trichosporonosis has been increasingly reported the diagnosis represents a challenge especially in rare clinical settings such as intraventricular fungal ball in the present case, which has not been described previously.

Isolated intracranial Rosai Dorfman disease

Rosai Dorfman disease (RDD), also known as sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, is a benign histiocytic proliferative disorder mainly affecting the lymph nodes. Although several cases of extra-nodal involvement have been reported previously, central nervous system involvement, particularly in the absence of nodal disease is extremely rare. We report a case of isolated intracranial RDD occurring in a relatively elder patient, which was shown by histological examination to have a dura-based involvement.

Microsurgical management of aneurysms of the superior cerebellar artery - lessons learnt: An experience of 14 consecutive cases and review of the literature

Objective: This is a retrospective study from January 2002 to December 2012 analyzing the results of microsurgical clipping for aneurysms arising from the superior cerebellar artery (SCA). Materials and Methods: All patients with SCA were evaluated with computerized tomography angiography and/or digital subtraction angiography (DSA) prior to surgery. All patients in our series underwent microsurgical clipping and postoperative DSA to assess the extent of aneurysm occlusion. The Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) and the modified Rankin′s scale (mRS) were used to grade their postoperative neurological status at discharge and 6 months, respectively. Results: Fourteen patients had SCA aneurysms (ruptured-9, unruptured-5). There were 10 females and 4 males with the mean age of 47.2 years (median - 46 years, range = 24-66 years). Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was seen in 11 patients. The mean duration of symptoms was 2.5 days (range = 1-7 days). The WFNS score at presentation was as follows: Grade 1 in 10 cases, II in 2 cases, III in 1 case and IV in 1 case. In the 9 cases with ruptured SCA aneurysm, average size of the ruptured aneurysms was 7.3 mm (range = 2.5-27 mm, median = 4.9 mm). The subtemporal approach was used in the first 7 cases. The extradural temporopolar (EDTP) approach was used in the last 5 cases. Complications include vasospasm (n = 6), third nerve palsy (n = 5) and hydrocephalus (n = 3). Two patients died following surgery. At mean follow-up 33.8 months (median - 25 months, range = 19-96 months), no patient had a rebleed. At discharge 9 (64%), had a GOS of 4 or 5 and 3 (21%) had a GOS of 3. At 6 months follow-up, 10/14 (71%) patients had mRS of 0-2, and 2 (14%) had mRS of 5. Conclusions: Aneurysms of the SCA are uncommon and tend to rupture even when the aneurysm size is small (<7 mm). They commonly present with SAH. The EDTP approach avoids complication caused by temporal lobe retraction and injury to the vein of Labbe.

Dilemmas and challenges in the management of a neonate with Adams–Oliver syndrome with infected giant aplasia cutis lesion and exsanguination: a case-based update

BackgroundAplasia cutis is a rare developmental anomaly usually involving the calvarium, associated with a variable extent of defective formation of the scalp. Adams–Oliver syndrome is a condition mainly characterized by the congenital absence of skin, known as “aplasia cutis” which is usually limited to the vertex scalp and transverse limb defects.Case reportA 17-day-old term female neonate was referred to us with an infected scalp lesion of the vertex. The lesion which is about 10 × 9 cm had signs of infection with necrotic eschar. We started the neonate on systemic parenteral antibiotics with local dressings. On day 3 of conservative management, the neonate had exsanguination due to bleeding from the midline with severe hemodynamic compromise requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After controlling the bleeding with local tamponade and resuscitating the child, she was taken for early surgery. Debridement and bipedicled rotation flap of the scalp to cover the raw area was performed. On day 18, the flap started showing signs of necrosis. The neonate was taken up for debridement, and subsequently, maternal allograft of split-thickness skin was placed as a temporary wound cover. Meanwhile, the wound showed progressive epithelialization. At 1 year, the patient continued to have a non-healing area, which was later successfully covered with a split-thickness skin graft. We plan to revaluate the need for cranioplasty at around 3–4 years of age.DiscussionWe discuss the dilemmas and challenges involved in the successful management of a neonate with Adams–Oliver syndrome with infected aplasia cutis and an episode of life-threatening exsanguination.ConclusionAplasia cutis is a rare developmental anomaly usually involving the calvarium, associated with defective formation of the scalp to a varying extent and severity, requiring various timely strategies.

Massive spontaneous hemothorax, giant intrathoracic meningocele, and kyphoscoliosis in neurofibromatosis type 1.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is a heterogeneous autosomal dominant disease with an incidence ranging from 1 in 2500 to 1 in 3000. Rare intrathoracic vascular disorders resulting in massive spontaneous hemothorax with fatal consequences may occur in these patients, so also are various types of skeletal dysplasia which may result in dramatic presentations, posing management challenges to the attending physicians. We report the case of a 43-year-old woman with NF-1 who developed spontaneous massive hemothorax and was discovered to have a concurrent giant intrathoracic meningocele and thoracic kyphoscoliosis with severe vertebral dysplastic changes. Surgical treatment via a right thoracotomy with primary repair of the meningocele and spinal fusion with fibula graft resulted in good outcome. This case represents an extreme manifestation of this otherwise indolent disease in clinical practice.

Vascularised fibula osteocutaneous flap for cervical spinal and posterior pharyngeal wall reconstruction

We report a case of vascularised fibula osteocutaneous flap used for composite cervical spinal and posterior pharyngeal wall reconstruction, in a patient with recurrent skull base chordoma, resected by an anterior approach via median labio-mandibular glossotomy approach. Bone stability and pharyngeal wall integrity were simultaneously restored

An unusual parasagittal tumour with acute blindness and response to cerebrospinal fluid shunting

We report a seven-year-old girl who presented with a sudden tumor apoplexy due to a parasagittal hemangiopericytoma. Following tumor excision, the child was noted to have bilateral optic nerve dysfunction and progressive papilledema, despite rapid overall neurological improvement. Based on the clinical features, we feel that this case represents an unusual form of visual deterioration related to impaired CSF absorption somehow precipitated by the acute tumour apoplexy. This unusual case of blindness responded significantly to CSF shunting. Several reports exist describing raised intracranial pressure with papilledema caused by nonthrombotic sinus occlusion due to tumors in proximity to the posterior superior sagittal sinus, torcular herophili and the jugular outlet. Communicating hydrocephalus, pseudotumor syndrome or intracranial venous sinus obstruction should be considered when otherwise inexplicable visual loss coexists with optic nerve dysfunction and papilledema. We emphasize the importance of a thorough search for the cause of visual loss.