Background:Ventricular shunts are used to drain cerebrospinal fluid into extra-cranial spaces. Ventriculoatrial (VA) shunts are provided to transfer cerebrospinal fluid from the cerebral ventricle into the right atrium of the heart. A single center experience of indications, procedure, and clinical outcomes in VA shunt was presented in current study.Methods:VA shunts were applied in 10 patients who had repeated previous shunt dysfunction or infection. The reasons, clinical findings, replacement methods, and postoperative clinical follow-ups and outcomes were recorded retrospectively.Results:There were seven female (70%) and three (30%) male patients; their ages ranged from 5 to 13 years (mean ± SD; 8.5 ± 2.6 years). Shunt re-placement reasons were as follows: Shunt occlusion in five patients, intraperitoneal infection in four patients and a distal catheter was kinked and knotted in one patient. Postoperative early complications were seen in one patient as early catheter thrombosis and catheter revision were applied. Late complications were seen in two patients as follows: Catheter infection and infective endocarditis occurred in one patient and pulmonary thrombus occurred in one other patient. There was not any catheter-related mortality observed at the one year follow-up period.Conclusion:VA shunts may be an option for cerebrospinal fluid drainage at necessary conditions. However, sterilization and general training on asepsy and antisepsy are the most important determinants affecting the clinical outcome due to the cardio systemic relationship.

Surgical approaches to the anterior cranial base have changed considerably with the introduction of endonasal endoscopic surgery. This study aims to define the factors which help in selecting the optimal surgical approach for the treatment of anterior cranial base encephaloceles. Patients who received treatment for anterior cranial base encephaloceles at our department between 1996 and 2011 were included in the study. Patients' charts were reviewed retrospectively to collect the necessary data. Treatment periods were classified as before 2000, between 2000 and 2005, and after 2005. The relationship between the treatment period, localization of encephalocele, symptoms related with the lesion, size of skull base defect, and selected treatment modality were investigated. Twenty-five patients, aged between 1 and 61 years with anterior encephaloceles were included in the study. Patients with small asymptomatic frontonasal and trans-ethmoidal encephaloceles (n = 5) were followed without surgery. An external approach with or without subfrontal craniotomy was mainly preferred for resection of sincipital encephaloceles (n = 10), especially with facial deformity. A subfrontal craniotomy approach was used for resection of basal encephaloceles in two cases before 2000. Two cases with sincipital encephaloceles and six cases with basal encephaloceles underwent pure endonasal endoscopic surgery after 2000. Cranial base defects of every size could be repaired using the endoscopic approach. Hydrocephalus and meningitis were the two complications seen after craniotomy in a follow-up period of 13-26 (mean 14.5) months. An external approach with or without craniotomy is needed for encephaloceles with external mass and facial deformity. Otherwise, sincipital and basal encephaloceles can be repaired successfully using the endonasal endoscopic approach.

BackgroundA risk factor assessment that reliably predicts whether patients are predisposed to intracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture has yet to be formulated. As such, the clinical management of unruptured IA remains unclear. Our aim was to determine whether impaired arterial distensibility and hypertrophic remodeling might be indicators of risk for IA rupture.Material/MethodsThe study population (n=49) was selected from consecutive admissions for either unruptured IA (n=23) or ruptured IA (n=26) from January to December 2010. Hemodynamic measures were taken from every patient, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer. Unruptured IA and ruptured IA characteristics, including aneurysmal shape, size, angle, aspect ratio, and bottleneck factor, were measured and calculated from transverse brain CT angiography images. With ultrasound, the right common carotid artery intima-media thickness was measured, as well as the lumen diameter during systole and diastole. Arterial wall strain, distensibility, stiffness index, and elastic modulus were calculated and compared between patients with unruptured IAs and ruptured IAs. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsGeneral demographic data did not differ between patients with unruptured IAs and ruptured IAs. Greater mean intima-media thickness (p=0.013), mean stiffness index (p=0.044), and mean elastic modulus (p=0.026) were observed for patients with ruptured IAs. Moreover, mean strain (p=0.013) and mean distensibility (p=0.024) were decreased in patients with ruptured IAs.ConclusionsPatients with ruptured IAs demonstrated decreased arterial distensibility and increased intima-media thickness at the level of the carotid arteries. By measuring these parameters via ultrasound, it may be possible to predict whether patients with existing IAs might rupture and hemorrhage into the subarachnoid space.

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Detection of higher malign transformation rate in cases underwent radiotherapy than those did not and the statistical significance in this meaning mandates to revise treatment plan regarding radiotherapy.