Kristina Giuliana Cesarini

Cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections in children over a 13-year period: anaerobic cultures and comparison of clinical signs of infection with Propionibacterium acnes and with other bacteria

OBJECT Shunt infections represent a major problem with risk for sequelae and even death. The aim in this retrospective study was to analyze the incidence, origin, and clinical presentation of shunt infections, with special reference to the results of cultures for anaerobic organisms performed in addition to the usual tests, to prolonged incubation times, and to infections caused by Propionibacterium acnes. METHODS The medical records of 237 hydrocephalic children (age range 0-15 years) in whom operations were performed by a pediatric surgeon at Uppsala University Hospital during a 13-year period were reviewed. RESULTS Thirty-four verified or suspected intraventricular shunt infections and 5 distal catheter infections occurred after 474 operations. Skin bacteria, such as coagulase-negative staphylococci ([CoNS], 19 patients), Staphylococcus aureus (7 patients), and P. acnes (6 patients) predominated. The addition of anaerobic cultures and prolonged incubation times increased the verification of shunt infection by more than one third. Children with P. acnes infection were significantly older, had a lower body temperature, fewer cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leukocytes, a higher CSF/blood glucose ratio, more distal catheter infections, and other sources of infection. Four had an abdominal pseudocyst. Children < 1 year of age and infected with CoNS were more affected than older children with systemic and local symptoms. In children with distal catheter infection and growth of propionibacteria at the time of the distal catheter and valve replacement, no follow-up antibiotic treatment was necessary. CONCLUSIONS Addition of anaerobic cultures and prolonged incubation times led to an increase in the detection of shunt infections. Infections caused by propionibacteria often result in mild symptoms that may be overlooked if adequate anaerobic cultures are not obtained.

Early cerebral hyperglycolysis after subarachnoid haemorrhage correlates with favourable outcome

Summary. Background: Intracerebral microdialysis (MD) was applied in patients with severe subarachnoid haemorrhage treated in a neurosurgical intensive care unit in order to explore their cerebral energy metabolism. Method: Brain MD fluid levels of glucose, lactate and pyruvate were measured for 3 to 12 days in 20 patients and 2,635 hourly samples were analysed. The MD data were related to computerized tomography and clinical outcome, assessed by the Glasgow Outcome Scale. Findings: The study showed that most patients who made a good recovery had a specific curve pattern when plotting the studied metabolites over time, characterised by a distinct decrease in MD-glucose and a parallel increase in both MD-lactate and pyruvate. Patients who had an unfavourable outcome lacked this distinct curve pattern and exhibited more irregular changes, including increased levels of both MD-glucose and lactate and low MD-pyruvate levels. Interpretation: This exploratory study suggests that accumulation of interstitial lactate and pyruvate, together with decreasing levels of glucose is a favourable prognostic pattern presumably reflecting increased glucose metabolism. Such hyperglycolysis may be elicited in patients with recovery potential to cope with an extreme metabolic demand set in motion by a brain insult to restore brain cell homeostasis and integrity.

Preoperative Prognostic Value of MRI Findings in 108 Patients with Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

MRI studies in 108 patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension were reviewed. Findings that aided in the selection of candidates for shunt placement and predicted a positive postsurgical outcome included a small callosal angle, wide temporal horns, and disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid spaces. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR imaging is used in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of several imaging features and their prognostic use in the selection of shunt candidates with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preoperative MR imaging scans of the brain were retrospectively evaluated in 108 patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus who had undergone a standardized, clinical evaluation before and 12 months after shunt surgery. The MR imaging features investigated were the Evans index, callosal angle, narrow sulci at the high convexity, dilation of the Sylvian fissure, diameters of the third ventricle and temporal horns, disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus, flow void through the aqueduct, focal bulging of the roof of the lateral ventricles, deep white matter hyperintensities, periventricular hyperintensities, and focal widening of sulci and aqueductal stenosis. RESULTS: In logistic regression models, with shunt outcome as a dependent variable, the ORs for the independent variables, callosal angle, disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus, and temporal horns, were significant (P < .05), both in univariate analyses and when adjusted for age, sex, and previous stroke. CONCLUSIONS: A small callosal angle, wide temporal horns, and occurrence of disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus are common in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus and were significant predictors of a positive shunt outcome. These noninvasive and easily assessed radiologic markers could aid in the selection of candidates for shunt surgery.

The CSF tap test in normal pressure hydrocephalus: evaluation time, reliability and the influence of pain

Background:  The cerebrospinal fluid tap test (TT) is a diagnostic tool used to select patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) for shunt surgery. The procedure and the evaluation of the TT vary between centres. We aimed to describe the evaluation time after the TT, to assess the variability between repeated measurements, the interrater agreement of the gait tests chosen and finally to investigate whether pain affects the gait performance post‐TT.

The callosal angle measured on MRI as a predictor of outcome in idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus

OBJECT Different neuroimaging biomarkers have been studied to find a tool for prediction of response to CSF shunting in idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). The callosal angle (CA) has been described as useful in discriminating iNPH from ventricular dilation secondary to atrophy. However, the usefulness of the CA as a prognostic tool for the selection of shunt candidates among patients with iNPH is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the CA in shunt responders with that in nonresponders and clarify whether the CA can serve as a predictor of the outcome. METHODS Preoperative MRI brain scans were evaluated in 109 patients who had undergone shunt surgery for iNPH during 2006-2010. Multiplanar reconstruction was performed interactively to obtain a coronal image through the posterior commissure, perpendicular to the anterior-posterior commissure plane. The CA was measured as the angle between the lateral ventricles on the coronal image. The patients were examined clinically before surgery and at 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS Shunt responders had a significantly smaller mean preoperative CA compared with nonresponders: 59° (95% CI 56°-63°) versus 68° (95% CI 61°-75°) (p < 0.05). A CA cutoff value of 63° showed the best prognostic accuracy. CONCLUSIONS The preoperative CA is smaller in patients whose condition improves after shunt surgery and may be a useful tool in the selection of shunt candidates among patients with iNPH.

Patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage – presentation of a 10-year hospital series

In this study we present the population-based patient material with spontaneous SAH, treated in our Neurosurgical unit during the 10 years (1997–2006) after the introduction of endovascular treatment of aneurysms (EVT) in our hospital. All patients that had a spontaneous SAH and a potential to survive were admitted. The present study comprises 1471 patients. 72 % had one or more aneurysms. AVM or other vascular pathological findings where found in 2%. Angiography was judged as normal in 21% and was not performed in 5%. 664 of the patients with aneurysms were treated by endovascular means, 333 were operated and 31 were treated with both methods. Thirty-five received no treatment. The main difference in admission parameters between the coiled and clipped aneurysms was the location of the aneurysm, with posterior circulation aneurysm exclusively being coiled and MCA aneurysms mainly clipped. The highest 6-month mortality for aneurysms presented in the untreated group (71.4%), and the lowest (3.2%) in the group treated with both clip and coil. Six-month mortality was 3.5% for the patients with a normal angiography. Of these, no one with Fisher grade 1 and 2/120 patients with Fisher 2 died. The mortality was high (89%) for those patients where angiography was not performed. The present patient group was compared to an earlier published a 12-year patient series from our clinic. The patients with aneurysmal SAH in the present series were older and had a lower 6-month mortality in our material compared to the published data from our clinic from 1981–1992. More patients were admitted in a good clinical condition in the present series, but there was also a higher proportion of patients from the worst clinical groups. The percentage of aneurysms treated had increased from 80% to 97% after EVT was introduced.

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus : cerebral perfusion measured with pCASL before and repeatedly after CSF removal

Pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) measurements were performed in 20 patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) to investigate whether cerebral blood flow (CBF) increases during the first 24 hours after a cerebrospinal fluid tap test (CSF TT). Five pCASL magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed. Two scans were performed before removal of 40 mL CSF, and the other three at 30 minutes, 4 hours, and 24 hours, respectively after the CSF TT. Thirteen different regions of interest (ROIs) were manually drawn on coregistered MR images. In patients with increased CBF in lateral and frontal white matter after the CSF TT, gait function improved more than it did in patients with decreased CBF in these regions. However, in the whole sample, there was no significant increase in CBF after CSF removal compared with baseline investigations. The repeatability of CBF measurements at baseline was high, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.60 to 0.90 for different ROIs, but the median regional variability was in the range of 5% to 17%. Our results indicate that CBF in white matter close to the lateral ventricles plays a role in the reversibility of symptoms after CSF removal in patients with iNPH.

Correlations Between Mini-Mental State Examination Score, Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers, and Pathology Observed in Brain Biopsies of Patients With Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus

Abstract Alzheimer disease (AD)–related pathology was assessed in cortical biopsy samples of 111 patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus. Alzheimer disease hallmark lesions—&bgr;-amyloid (A&bgr;) and hyperphosphorylated tau (HPtau)—were observed in 47% of subjects, a percentage consistent with that for whole-brain assessment reported postmortem in unselected cohorts. Higher-immunostained area fraction of AD pathology corresponded with lower preoperative mini-mental state examination scores. Concomitant A&bgr; and HPtau pathology, reminiscent of that observed in patients with AD, was observed in 22% of study subjects. There was a significant correlation between A&bgr;-immunostained area fraction in tissue and A&bgr;42 (42-amino-acid form of A&bgr;) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Levels of A&bgr;42 were significantly lower in CSF in subjects with concomitant A&bgr; and HPtau pathology compared with subjects lacking pathology. Moreover, a significant correlation between HPtau-immunostained area fraction and HPtau in CSF was noted. Both HPtau and total tau were significantly higher in CSF in subjects with concomitant A&bgr; and HPtau pathology compared with subjects lacking pathology. The 42-amino-acid form of A&bgr; (A&bgr;42) and HPtau in CSF were the most significant predictors of the presence of AD pathology in cortical biopsies. Long-term follow-up studies are warranted to assess whether all patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus with AD pathology progress to AD and to determine the pathologic substrate of idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus.

Incidence and outcome of surgery for adult hydrocephalus patients in Sweden

Abstract Object: To present population-based and age related incidence of surgery and clinical outcome for adult patients operated for hydrocephalus, registered in the Swedish Hydrocephalus Quality Registry (SHQR). Methods: All patients registered in SHQR during 2004–2011 were included. Data on age, gender, type of hydrocephalus and type of surgery were extracted as well as three months outcome for patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). Results: The material consisted of 2360 patients, 1229 men and 1131 women, age 63.8 ± 14.4 years (mean ± standard deviation (SD)). The mean total incidence of surgery was 5.1 ± 0.9 surgeries/100,000/year; 4.7 ± 0.9 shunt surgeries and 0.4 ± 0.1 endoscopic third ventriculostomies. For iNPH, secondary communicating hydrocephalus and obstructive hydrocephalus, the incidence of surgery was 2.2 ± 0.8, 1.9 ± 0.3 and 0.8 ± 0.1/100,000/year, respectively. During 2004–2011, the incidence of surgery increased in total (p = .044), especially in age groups 70–79 years and ≥80 years (p = .012 and p = .031). After surgery, 253 of 652 iNPH patients (38.8%) improved at least one step on the modified Rankin scale (mRS). Number needed to treat was 3.0 for improving one patient from unfavourable (mRS 3–5) to favourable (mRS 0–2). The mean score of a modified iNPH scale increased from 54 ± 23 preoperatively to 63 ± 25 postoperatively (p < .0001, n = 704), and 58% improved. No significant regional differences in incidence, surgical techniques or outcome were found. Conclusions: Incidence of hydrocephalus surgery increased significantly during 2004–2011, specifically in elderly patients. Surgical treatment of iNPH markedly improved functional independence, but the improvement rate was low compared to recent single- and multicentre studies. Thus, the potential for surgical improvement is likely lower than generally reported when treating patients as part of everyday clinical care.

Implementation of a new CSF dynamic device: a multicenter feasibility study in 562 patients

Malm J, Sundström N, Cesarini KG, Edsbagge M, Kristensen B, Leijon G, Eklund A. Implementation of a new CSF dynamic device: a multicenter feasibility study in 562 patients. 
Acta Neurol Scand: 2012: 125: 199–205. 
© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.