Neurosurgical Classic—XXIX

Exemplary mentorship in action: Harvey Cushing's trainees from 1912 to 1919

Harvey Cushing overcame tremendous obstacles to his personal and professional development from 1912 to 1919. These trials could have jeopardized the early and necessary formation of the Society of Neurological Surgeons in 1920. War separated young neurosurgeons pursuing the advancement of this "special field," but Cushing's principled mentoring of these aspiring surgeons in the midst of this demanding time was unwavering. This historical vignette is a collection of stories composed to highlight certain trainees during this period in his career. It also puts the mentoring relationship into a context that is often encountered today. There is much to learn from those who endure trials of any kind, but there is much more to learn from those, like Cushing, who inspire perseverance in others during their trials.

Brain shift, level of consciousness, and restoration of consciousness in patients with acute intracranial hematoma

Recently, Ropper reported that horizontal brain shift caused by acute unilateral mass lesions correlated closely with consciousness, and suggested that recovery of consciousness was unlikely to occur after surgical evacuation if the shift was insufficient to explain the observed diminution of consciousness. The authors have sought to confirm the correlation of pineal shift with level of consciousness and to assess the prognostic value of brain shift measurements in a prospective study. Forty-six patients (19 with subdural hematoma, 14 with intracerebral hematoma, and 13 with epidural hematoma) were accrued to the study group consecutively. A correlation was found between a decrease in the level of consciousness and a significant increase in the mean lateral brain displacement at the pineal gland (from 3.8 to 7.0 mm) and septum (5.4 to 12.2 mm). When outcome was examined in patients who were stuporous or comatose on admission, a significant increase in septal shift was found among patients with a poor outcome, but there was no significant relationship between outcome and degree of pineal or aqueductal shift. A poor outcome was more likely with effacement of both perimesencephalic cisterns or the ipsilateral cistern, but not the contralateral cistern, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. These results do not substantiate the value of brain shift as an independent prognostic factor after evacuation of an acute unilateral mass lesion. The decision to operate and the determination of prognosis should be based rather on established criteria such as the clinical examination, age of the patient, and the mechanism of injury.