Symptomatic Parietal Intradiploic Encephalocele-A Case Report and Literature Review

Epilepsy Surgery Outcome of Traumatic Intradiploic Meningoencephalocele: A Case Report and Literature Review

We highlight an under-recognized epileptic pathology in a 56-year-old left-handed female with progressive right facial numbness and weekly focal seizures characterized by episodic aphasia. She was found to have a left frontoparietal intradiploic meningoencephalocele (IDME). Her only epilepsy risk factor was minor head trauma 10 years prior to presentation. She underwent craniotomy for encephalocele resection and mesh cranioplasty without residual neurological deficits and excellent seizure outcome: at 3-year follow-up, she was still seizure-free since surgery, except for an isolated breakthrough seizure at 7 postoperative months when she discontinued her preoperative regimen of Lacosamide monotherapy. Traumatic IDME is a rare condition and rarely presents with seizures. Symptoms may arise up to decades following minor head trauma and are progressive in nature. The likely definitive treatment is cranioplasty and dural repair with or without resecting the protruding parenchyma.

Frontal intradiploic encephalocele in a 44-year-old male patient: illustrative case

BACKGROUND

Encephaloceles are protrusions of the cerebral tissue through a skull defect. They occur mostly in children and very rarely in adults.

OBSERVATIONS

The authors present a case of a 44-year-old man presenting with a first-time generalized seizure. Computed tomography of the head showed bone destruction associated with a right frontal lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging scans demonstrated a largely isointense lesion in the intradiploic space that contained small, hyperintense nodular components and showed a low to moderate contrast agent enhancement.

LESSONS

The patient underwent resection, during which the histological examination found the lesion to be an intradiploic encephalocele. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course with a cessation of seizures. The imaging and neuropathological findings as well as a literature review, together with a discussion on the etiology of intradiploic encephaloceles, are contained in this report.

Intradiploic Encephalocele at the Parietal Bone: A Case Report and Literature Review

Intradiploic encephalocele is a rare condition of herniation of the brain parenchyma through the diploic space. A 52-year-old man presented with a parietal intradiploic encephalocele manifesting as an intermittent headache for 7 months. CT revealed an osteolytic lesion involving the right parietal bone. MRI demonstrated brain herniation within the diploic space. Surgery may be unnecessary in the absence of concurrent symptoms or neurological deficits. After 2 years of follow-up, symptoms were improved without neurological deficits and CT findings. We report the X-ray, CT, and MRI findings of an extremely rare case of parietal intradiploic encephalocele in adulthood.

Intradiploic encephalocele following linear skull fracture: a rare evolution of growing skull fracture

Growing skull fracture (GSF) is a rare complication of pediatric head trauma. It usually arises from a linear fracture with an underlying dural tear, which results in herniation of the intracranial contents. In rare cases, the herniated intracranial contents can be restricted in the diploe, resulting in an expanded diploic cavity. If there is brain parenchyma herniating into the expanded diploic cavity, the condition is termed as intradiploic encephalocele (IE). Here we present a peculiar pediatric occipital GSF case that resulted from the silent progression of a linear fracture with a small brain herniation into the widened fracture finally leading to an IE after approximately 7 years. Detailed imaging findings from the early injury to the late phase of the disease were provided to record this natural process. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case providing the imaging data of early injury before developing into IE.

Safe and bloodless exposure of the third segment of the vertebral artery: a step-by-step overview based on over 50 personal cases

Craniovertebral junction surgery usually requires the exposure of the third segment of the vertebral artery (V3). However, the complexity of musculature, a relatively high incidence of anomalies in the course of the vertebral artery (VA), and the presence of a rich venous plexus in this region make the V3 exposure challenging with a high risk of serious complications while taking down the suboccipital muscles in a single layer. A muscle dissection in interfascial layers, however, overcomes the drawbacks inherent in a blind dissection of the V3 as each of the muscles represents substantial landmark aiding subsequent step of the procedure and thus helping identify underlying anatomical structure early and safely. Moreover, along with a bloodless VA dissection off its surrounding venous plexus, it permits a safe and comfortable V3 exposure during the surgically demanding procedures.

Frontoethmoidal encephalocele in a cat

Case summary

An 11-month-old female neutered domestic shorthair cat presented for further investigation of a 1 month history of generalised tonic–clonic seizures. Physical examination revealed microphthalmia of the left eye and right-sided hemiparesis. MRI of the brain and cranial neck was performed using a 1.5-Tesla system. MRI revealed a left frontoethmoidal encephalocele and microphthalmia of the left eye. Conservative treatment with antiepileptic medication was elected. The cat was managed on phenobarbitone and levetiracetam. Seizures have remained well controlled 12 months post-diagnosis.

Relevance and novel information

This is the first known case report of a frontoethmoidal encephalocele in a cat. This case was presented to increase clinical awareness of this congenital malformation and as a differential diagnosis for any young cat that presents with seizures.

Treatment of Blepharospasm/Hemifacial Spasm

OPINION STATEMENT

The treatment of both hemifacial spasm (HFS) and blepharospasm (BEB) requires making the appropriate clinical diagnosis. Advance imaging and electrophysiologic studies are useful; however, one's clinical suspicion is paramount. The purpose of this review is to summarize current and emerging therapies for both entities. Botulinum toxin (BTX) remains the first-line therapy to treat both conditions. If chemodenervation has failed, surgery may be considered. Due to the risks associated with surgery, the benefits of this option must be carefully weighed. Better surgical outcomes are possible when procedures are performed at tertiary centers with experienced surgeons and advanced imaging techniques. Microvascular decompression is an efficacious method to treat HFS, and myectomy is an option for medication-refractory BEB; the risks of the latter may outweigh any meaningful clinical benefits. Oral agents only provide short-term relief and can cause several unwanted effects; they are reserved for patients who cannot receive BTX and/or surgery. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has gained some traction in the treatment of BEB and may provide safer non-invasive options for refractory patients in the future.