PURPOSE: This paper proposes a practical model of microneurosurgical training using a nonliving swine head. METHODS:Fresh porcine heads were obtained from butchery and dissected at our Laboratory of Microsurgery. Brain and skull base surgery were trained under microscopic magnification. RESULTS:Several neurosurgical procedures could be simulated in the nonliving pig model, including transcallosal approach to the lateral ventricle, lateral sulcus and middle fossa dissection, and posterior fossa surgery. CONCLUSION:The swine model perfectly simulates standard microneurosurgical procedures, and is a useful tool for developing and refining surgical skills.

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Brazil 2. Frame-based versus frameless image-guided surgery Frame-based stereotactic resection was the first navigation method, rooted in cartesian coordinate system developed by Clarke and Horsley in the 1900s, and is still traditionally www.intechopen.com

Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are the most common lesions of cerebellopontine angle (CPA) corresponding to 76-91 % of the cases. Usually, these lesions present typical CT and MRI findings. Non-schwannomatous tumors restricted to the internal auditory meatus (IAM) are rare and their preoperative radiological diagnosis may be difficult. This article describes nine surgically treated intrameatal non-schwannomatous lesions (NSL) and reviews the literature. In the last 16 years, a total of 471 patients with diagnosis of VS were operated on in our department. Preoperatively, 42 patients had diagnosis of intrameatal schwannomas, but surgery revealed in nine cases NSL (3 meningiomas, 3 arachnoiditis/neuritis, 1 cavernoma, 1 vascular loop, and 1 arachnoid cyst). Most frequent symptoms presented by patients with NSL were hearing loss 89 % (8/9) of patients, tinnitus 78 % (7/9), and vertigo 33 % (3/9). Almost all lesions (8/9) presented MRI findings of isointense signal in T1W with contrast enhancement. The only exception was the arachnoid cyst with intracystic bleeding, which was hyperintense in T1W that is not enhanced with contrast. This series shows an occurrence of 21.4 % of non-schwannomatous tumors in 42 cases of lesions restricted to the IAM. Whenever a solely intrameatal enhanced tumor is detected, it is necessary to think about other diagnostic possibilities rather than VS. Therapeutic management may be changed, specially if radiosurgical treatment is considered.

RESUMO Radiofrequência pulsada no gânglio da raiz dorsal para tratamento de dor crônica Objetivo: Avaliar a evolução clínica do tratamento com radiofrequência pulsada (RFP) de gânglio da raiz dorsal (GRD) na dor neuropática em pacientes com radiculopatia, considerando melhora da dor e grau de satisfação dos pacientes. Método: Quarenta e cinco procedimentos na coluna cervical e lombossacra. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas telefônicas (pesquisador independente). Avaliação inicial feita após um mês e final no mínimo de três meses de acompanhamento. Dados analisados incluíram melhora objetiva, subjetiva e o grau de satisfação. Resultados: Evolução "muito melhor" em 31%, "melhor" em 36%, "inalterado" em 24%, "pior" em 9%. Na avaliação inicial: 24% "excelente", 16% "bom", 27% "moderada", 33% "pobre". Na avaliação final, 27% " excelente", 18% "bom", 7% "moderada", 49% "pobre". O PALAVRAS-CHAVE Dor, dor intratável, gânglios espinais, radiculopatia.