Corrigendum:The article published in Nepal Journal of Neurosciences 2018;15:10-18 by Amit Thapa et al was mistakenlypublished with wrong affi liation of some of the co-authors. The correct affi liation of the co-authors should read asBikram Shakya, MBBS, MS, MChLecturerDepartment of Neurological SurgeryKathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital (KMCTH)Sinamangal, Kathmandu, NepalDipesh Kumar Yadav, MBBSMedical OfficerDepartment of Neurological SurgeryKathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital (KMCTH)Sinamangal, Kathmandu, NepalKarjome Lama, MBBSMedical OfficerDepartment of Neurological SurgeryKathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital (KMCTH)Sinamangal, Kathmandu, Nepal Abstract: We are witnessing changing patterns in stroke in our practice. Documenting changes in epidemiological profile are important for public health policy. We hereby present analysis of patients with stroke to stress upon the dynamics and update the improvement in their care. We retrospectively studied all patients with first time stroke presenting in Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital during June 2012 till November 2015. Diagnosis was made on clinico-radiological basis with prospective follow up for at least 1 year from the event. Risk factors as well outcome in terms of Glasgow outcome score were studied. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS. A total of 1017 patients of 16260 patients admitted to the hospital during the study period had first time stroke, a hospital based annual incidence of stroke of 64 per thousand admissions was hence calculated. Mean age was 55 years with 60.5% males. 503 patients (49.5%) had infarction with 20 patients having hemorrhagic conversion while 3 had TIA. 50.2% had hemorrhagic stroke. 56.7% females had ischemic stroke whereas 54.9% of males had hemorrhagic stroke (p=0.002). Common risk factors like HTN (54.7%), Smoking (41.5%), Alcohol (39.2%), dyslipidemia (34.1%) and DM (4.8%) were seen with stroke however, active smoker were more at risk of hemorrhagic stroke (p=0.000) while diabetic patients for ischemic stroke (p=0.000). Due to availability of neurosurgical services, 14.6% patient could undergo procedures like decompressive craniectomy, hematoma evacuation, CSF diversion procedures and carotid endarterectomy for stroke. 66.9% patients required surgical intervention within 48 hours of admission. We had 30 days mortality of 0.5% mortality in this series (majority in hemorrhagic stroke), however over 3 years duration of study mortality rose to 8.3% (majority in ischemic stroke). Almost 88.5% patients achieved mRS< Nepal Journal of Neuroscience, Volume 15, Number 1, 2018 11 2 over a period of 3 years. Persistent vegetative state was seen in 7.6% cases after 1 year. We observe a very high incidence of hemorrhagic stroke in general with higher than reported proportion of females being involved with ischemic stroke in our series. Most of the vegetative state conditions occurred in ischemic stroke patients however early mortality was common in hemorrhagic stroke. This change in pattern of stroke as well as need of surgical intervention mandates early involvement of neurosurgical services. Poor long term prognosis in ischemic stroke may be reversed by timely thrombolytic services and prevented by mitigating risk factors. Nepal Journal of Neuroscience 15:10-18, 2018

The effect of decompressive craniectomy (DC) on survival and functional outcome in traumatic brain injuries (TBI) is far from satisfactory. Additional modalities including cisternal drainage (CD) that provides good control of refractory intracranial pressure (ICP) intraoperatively need careful scrutiny. Two centre retrospective superiority study with one centre offering only standard decompressive craniectomy (DC) i.e. Group 1 and the other centre supplementing cisternal drainage (CD) to standard DC i.e. Group 2 was conducted. Consecutive patients with traumatic brain injury with signs of brain herniation or CT scan showing mass lesion or diffuse brain edema or midline shift or with GCS less than 9 or rapid fall in GCS over 2 points with persistently raised ICP of 25 mmHg over 15 minutes between August 2012 and July 2017 were included. The primary outcome was rating on Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at 6 months post operatively, with GOS (1-3) categorized as ‘Unfavorable’ and GOS (4,5) as ‘Favorable’. Patients either received DC alone (Group 1=73 patients, 48.7%) or DC with CD (Group 2=77 patients, 51.3%). 107 (71.3%) severe, 36 (24%) moderate, and 7 (4.7%) mild head injuries cases received 72 unilateral and 78 bilateral DC. GOS 1 was observed in 32 DC only group (43.8%) and 22 DC plus CD group (28.6%) (p=0.052), an absolute risk reduction of 15.2% was found. Outcome (favorable sun favorable) against all strata of head injury severity, predominant radiological feature, laterality of surgery, and patient characteristics across the two groups were statistically not significant, however the groups were statistically significantly different on age and GCS at presentation (p=0.016 & 0.034 consecutively). Distinct survival benefit in patients with traumatic brain injury receiving cisternal drainage during decompressive craniectomy did not translate to better functional outcome.

Background:The excellent visualization and minimally invasive approach employed in endoscopic endonasal procedures has now revolutionized the pituitary surgery, replacing the transnasal microscopic technique worldwide. However, it involves major shift in hand-eye co-ordination from static 3 dimensional images of microscope to 2 dimensional endoscopic images hence demands training and inter-disciplinary approach. Here we present our experiences in learning and developing a safe endonasal transsphenoidal endoscopic approach to resect pituitary adenomas.Methods: This prospective study was jointly conducted in the departments of ENT and Neurologicals surgery Kathmandu Medical College, Nepal, from September 2014 to August 2016. The endoscopic approach to the sphenoid sinus was performed by an Otolaryngologist and ablative surgery by Neurosurgeon. The ease of procedure, intra operative challenges, surgical cure, post-operative cerebro spinal fluid (CSF) leaks and postoperative complaints were analyzed.Results: Sixteen consecutive patients with pituitary adenoma (macro adenoma=13, micro adenoma =3) were analyzed. There were three intraoperative CSF leak, managed successfully. Two patients developed transient diabetes insipidus and surgical cure rate was 90%. No case had to be switched over to traditional microscopic route due to technical failure. There was no mortality. Conclusions:The endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach to pituitary tumors is a safe and minimally invasive procedure, which can be employed safely in any of our centers in Nepal, equipped with endoscopic sinus surgery and endoscopically trained ENT and Neurosurgeons. A multi disciplinary approach provides good access, greater tumor excision and excellent postoperative follow up.