Comparison of the Efficacy of Subosseous Window Neuro-Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Craniotomy in the Treatment of Basal Ganglia Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE

To compare the perioperative indexes and long-term effects of craniotomy and neuro-endoscopic hematoma removal in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH) in the basal ganglia region.

METHODS

This study involved 128 patients with HICH in the basal ganglia region who were admitted to our hospital from February 2020 to June 2022. They were divided into 2 groups according to the random number table method. The craniotomy group (n = 70) underwent microsurgery with small bone window craniotomy with a side cleft, and the neuro-endoscopy group (n = 58) underwent small bone window neuro-endoscopic surgery. A 3-dimensional Slicer was used to calculate the hematoma volume and clearance rate and the postoperative brain tissue edema volume. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative intracranial pressure, complications, mortality, and improvement in the modified Rankin scale score at 6 months postoperatively were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The clearance rate was significantly higher in the neuro-endoscopy group than in the craniotomy group (94.16% ± 1.86% versus 90.87% ± 1.89%, P < 0.0001). The operation time was significantly lower in the neuro-endoscopy group than in the craniotomy group (89.9 ± 11.7 versus 203.7 ± 57.6 min, P < 0.0001). Intraoperative blood loss was significantly higher in the craniotomy group (248.31 ± 94.65 versus 78.66 ± 28.96 mL, P < 0.0001). The postoperative length of stay in the intensive care unit was 12.6 days in the neuro-endoscopy group and 14.0 days in the craniotomy group with no significant difference ( P = 0.196). Intracranial pressure monitoring showed no significant difference between the two groups on postoperative days 1 and 7. Intracranial pressure was significantly higher in the craniotomy group than in the neuro-endoscopy group on postoperative day 3 (15.1 ± 6.8 versus 12.5 ± 6.8 mm Hg, P = 0.029). There was no significant difference in the mortality or outcome rate at 6 months postoperatively between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with HICH in the basal ganglia region, neuro-endoscopy can significantly improve the hematoma clearance rate, reduce intraoperative hemorrhage and postoperative cerebral tissue edema, and improve surgical efficiency. However, the long-term prognosis of patients who undergo craniotomy through the lateral fissure is similar to that of patients who undergo neuro-endoscopic surgery.

Application of the Endoscopic Micro-Inspection Tool QEVO® in the Surgical Treatment of Anterior Circulation Aneurysms-A Technical Note and Case Series

Introduction: The application of neuro-endoscopes in cerebral aneurysm surgery may help to avoid unintended aneurysm remnants and the accidental clipping of perforating arteries and aid the detection of blood collecting in the subdural spaces. Here, we present our experience with the novel endoscopic micro-inspection tool QEVO® (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Germany) in aneurysm surgery.

Materials and Equipment: In all patients the surgical microscope KINEVO® (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Germany) and the Microinspection tool QEVO® were applied.

Methods: The case series comprises 22 unruptured cerebral aneurysms of the anterior circulation. All aneurysms were treated surgically. All patients routinely underwent computed tomography and digital subtraction angiography within 10 days after surgery.

Results: No aneurysm remnants, cerebral ischemic deficits, or subdural hematomas were detected.

Discussion: In this technical note, we discuss the benefits and limitations of the QEVO® tool and illustrate the major paradigms by means of intraoperative photographs.

Surgical management of growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas: A retrospective analysis of 33 patients

The endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EETA) is the primary treatment for growth hormone (GH) adenoma. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of EETA in 33 patients with GH-secreting pituitary adenoma (PA).Thirty-three patients who underwent EETA in Eighth People's Hospital of Shenzhen between January 2013 and December 2017 were included in the comprehensive analysis. Factors affecting the extent of resection and postoperative remission rates were also reviewed.The total cut rate was 63.6% (21), and the total remission rate was 66.7% (22) in all patients after surgery. The cure rate was 60.6% (20) for 33 patients. The total removal rate and remission rate were significantly different (P = .01, P = .007) for microadenomas, macroadenomas, and giant adenomas. In addition, the total removal rate and remission rate were significantly different (P = .004, P = .007) for patients with noninvasive and invasive GH-secreting PAs. Furthermore, there were significant differences (P = .003, P = .005) in the total removal rate and remission rate of patients with different preoperative GH levels. All patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus were normalized. Three patients exhibited recurrence after surgery. Several patients suffered from postoperative complications, including transient diabetes insipidus in 3 (9.1%) patients and postoperative transient cerebrospinal fluid leakage in 2 (6.1%) patients.EETA is an effective therapeutic approach for treating patients with GH-secreting PA with high remission and low complication rates. Therefore, EETA should be considered a primary treatment for patients with GH-secreting PA.

Retrospective analysis of 52 patients with prolactinomas following endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery

BACKGROUND

Prolactinomas affect patients' quality of life and even endanger lives. The study aimed to investigate the effect of the endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EETA) on 52 patients with prolactinomas.

METHODS

A total of 52 patients with prolactinomas who had previously undergone EETA in the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region between January 2013 and December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Factors affecting the extent of resection and postoperative remission rates were also investigated.

RESULTS

All the patients were pathologically diagnosed with prolactinomas. Compared with giant adenomas, the total removal rate of microadenomas and macroadenomas was significantly increased (P < .05). In addition, the total removal rate of patients with noninvasive prolactin adenomas was significantly higher than patients with invasive prolactinadenomas (P < .05). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in postoperative remission rates among patients with prolactin adenomas from different ethnic groups (P > .05). Also preoperative administration of bromocriptine and preoperative prolactin (PRL) levels did not significantly affect therapeutic outcomes postsurgery (P > .05). Postoperative menstruation was improved or normalized in 20 (38.5%) female patients, vision was improved or normalized in 15 (28.8%) patients, and headaches were improved or normalized in 22 (42.3%) patients. Sexual function was improved in 2 male patients following surgery. A total of 6 patients exhibited a recurrence following surgery. A number of patients suffered from postoperative complications, including transient diabetes insipidus in 5 (9.6%) patients and postoperative transient cerebrospinal fluid leakage in 2 (3.8%) patients.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study demonstrated that tumor size, preoperative PRL levels, and invasion of adenomas represent independent factors that can affect the success of surgery. The results suggested that EETA represents a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with prolactinoma with high remission rates and low complication rates. Therefore, EETA should be considered a primary treatment for patients with prolactinomas who are not responsive to treatment with medical therapy.

Cavernous malformation of the optic chiasm: Neuro-endoscopic removal

Cavernous malformations (CMs) arising from the optic nerve and chiasm are extremely rare. In large autopsy series, CMs were estimated to range from 0.02 to 0.13% in the general population. However, with introduction of MRI, these lesions were found more often than previously thought, ranging from 0.2% to 0.4%. Only 29 cases have been reported according to our knowledge. Most patients present with drop in visual acuity and visual field. Although MRI findings of cavernous malformations have been reported, they may not be diagnostic enough. Among the 29 reported, 16 underwent total resection with good results. In some, resection was complicated by damage to the surrounding neural tissue. Surgical removal is the recommended treatment to restore or preserve vision and to eliminate the risk of future hemorrhage. However, the anatomical location and eloquence of nearby neural structures can make these lesions difficult to access and remove. CMs appear to occur in every age group (range 4 months to 84 years mean-34.6 years) ith an approximately equal male to female ratio. They typically present with chiasmal apoplexy, characterized by sudden visual loss, acute headaches, retro orbital pain, and nausea