Cerebral aneurysms of an infectious origin often have a disastrous clinical course in which morbidity and mortality can be reduced by early diagnosis, appropriate antimicrobial therapy, and aneurysm elimination by an experienced team. Apart from the initial treatment, major attention should be focused on a thorough follow-up to confirm complete cure of the primary site of infection.

Context: Patients with malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction are prone to a mortality rate of 70-80%. Decompressive craniectomy (DC) has been used as an important treatment modality to control refractory intracranial hypertension. Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of DC in reducing mortality rate and improving the functional outcome in the patients who underwent DC surgery for malignant MCA infarction Settings and design: The prospective clinical case study included 24 patients with refractory intracranial hypertension due to malignant MCA infarction Patients and methods: All patients enrolled in the study have refractory intracranial hypertension due to malignant MCA infarction; they were allocated to undergo decompressive craniectomy between 2014 and 2017. Each patient was evaluated clinically using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results: All patients on admission have the GCS of 5-12 score (mean 8). Fourteen patients underwent DC in the first 48 h while 10 patients were operated upon after 48 h. Postoperatively, two patients (9%) had a score of 3 on the modified Rankin Scale, six patients (25%) had a score of 4, and eight patients (33%) had a score of 5. Mortality occurred in eight patients (33%) with the worst score of 6. Similar unfavorable outcome was reported at 6-and 12-month follow-up with different degrees of disability. Conclusion: Decompressive craniectomy for malignant MCA infarction has an effective role in decreasing the mean intracranial pressure, reducing the mortality rate, and increasing the number of patients with a favorable outcome.

Massive hematoma of the corpus callosum caused by blunt head trauma is an extremely rare lesion. Most frequent traumatic lesions involve the corpus callosum are diffuse axonal injuries. They might be associated with small hemorrhagic foci in the hemispheric and brain stem white matter, intraventricular hemorrhages, subarachnoid hemorrhages, traumatic lesions of the septum pellucidum and fornix. Many cases of corpus callosum injury present with permanent disconnection syndrome. We present a case of a 32-year-old female suffered blunt head trauma resulted in massive corpus callosum hematoma which was managed non-surgically. The patient initially had a reduced conscious level and symptoms of disconnection syndrome, and significant recovery was observed at 6 months follow up.

Although ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is the most common procedure performed by pediatric neurosurgeons, it is still associated with frustrating complications, most common of which are obstruction and infection. Traumatic occipital artery pseudoaneurysm is a very rare complication of VPS procedure. To the best of our knowledge, there is no similar case reported in the English language literature. A 12-month-old patient suffered posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus of prematurity, and multiple other complications due to extreme prematurity, including immature lung disease, retinopathy of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, bowel perforation, short bowel syndrome resulting in total parenteral nutrition-dependence, and hydrocephalus which was treated by insertion of VPS. Four weeks after the shunt, a slowly enlarging pulsatile swelling distal to the valve under the catheter altering the shunt function was noted. The swelling was diagnosed as a pseudoaneurysm of the occipital artery and treated by excision of the aneurysm. The child developed isolated dilated fourth ventricle, which was treated by endoscopic fourth ventriculostomy. Traumatic occipital artery pseudoaneurysm as a result of tunneling of VPS catheter is a very rare complication of VPS. Clinical and radiological imaging is diagnostic of the aneurysm. Surgical repair should be considered in such cases. This case report is aimed to raise the awareness among physicians about this rare complication.