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Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(6):e14322

Department of Neurosurgery, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center, 2-1-50 Minami-Koshigaya, Koshigaya-shi, Saitama 343-8555, Japan.

Rationale: Endodermal cysts are rare benign lesions in the central nervous system. Their common symptoms include headache and neck pain caused by mass effect or inflammatory reaction. We report the case of an elderly woman with intracranial endodermal cyst who presented with nonobstructive hydrocephalus. Read More

Infect Dis Clin North Am 2019 Mar;33(1):153-168

Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. Electronic address:

Neurocysticercosis is an infection of the central nervous system by the larval stage of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. The combination of modern diagnostic tests, use of antiparasitic drugs, improved anti-inflammatory treatments, and minimally invasive neurosurgery has improved outcomes in patients with neurocysticercosis. This parasitic infection is complex in both the clinical presentation and the treatment approach, which depends on the number of cysts, location in the brain, stage of degeneration, and host inflammatory response. Read More

N Engl J Med 2019 Jan;380(5):e5

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

J Hum Genet 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

A rare form of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) caused by Wingless-type MMTV integration site family 1 (WNT1) mutations combines central nervous system (CNS) anomalies with the characteristic increased susceptibility to fractures. We report an additional case where arachnoid cysts extend the phenotype, and that also confirms the association of intellectual disabilities with asymmetric cerebellar hypoplasia here. Interestingly, if the cerebellum is normal in this disorder, intelligence is as well, analogous to an association with similar delays in a subset of patients with sporadic unilateral cerebellar hypoplasia. Read More

Vet Rec 2019 Feb 25;184(6):191. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

A neurological syndrome of small ruminants, known locally as '', has been reported among pastoralist livestock keepers in Tanzania. This study was carried out in four affected pastoral communities to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors, characterise the clinical signs and investigate the aetiology of the syndrome. Questionnaires were administered at all households (n=480) within four study villages. Read More

Childs Nerv Syst 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, 71, Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, People's Republic of China.

Introduction: Arachnoid cysts are commonly considered congenital lesions, but this has not been proven. With the development of neuroimaging and DNA testing technology, more cases of familial arachnoid cysts have been reported. Herein, we review such cases. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Jan 18. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.

Background: Colloid cysts (CCs) are rare cystic lesions derived from the endoderm of the central nervous system. Although they appear most commonly in the anterior roof of the third ventricle, there are only a few reports of CCs located in the suprasellar region. Although CCs are considered to be slow-growing benign tumors, their developmental process remains unclear. Read More

Hum Reprod 2018 Dec 31. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Pharmacology, Hamamatsu Pharma Research, Inc., Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.

Study Question: Can pain be objectively assessed in macaques with naturally occurring endometriosis?

Summary Answer: Behavioral, pharmacological and in vivo brain imaging findings indicate that pain can be quantified in macaques with endometriosis.

What Is Known Already: Endometriosis is characterized by abdominopelvic hypersensitity. The mechanism by which endometriosis evokes pain is largely unknown, as currently available analgesics offer limited pain relief. Read More

Intractable Rare Dis Res 2018 Nov;7(4):251-257

Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, NCNP, Tokyo, Japan.

Gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (GILT), expressed in antigen-presenting cells (APCs), facilitates the reduction of disulfide bonds of endocytosed proteins in the endocytic pathway and they are further processed for presentation of immunogenic peptides loaded on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II. Although the constitutive and IFNγ-inducible expression of GILT was observed in various APCs, such as dendritic cells, monocytes/macrophages, and B cells, GILT-expressing cell types remain unknown in the human central nervous system (CNS). Nasu-Hakola disease (NHD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by sclerosing leukoencephalopathy and multifocal bone cysts, caused by a loss-of-function mutation of either () or , both of which are expressed on microglia. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Dec;97(50):e13665

Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Jilin University.

Rationale: Arachnoid cysts are relatively common intracranial space-occupying lesions; nevertheless, familial intracranial arachnoid cysts are extremely rare, with only a few cases having been reported.

Patient Concerns: The proband was a 7-year-old girl who had experienced generalized tonic-clonic seizures 5 times in the 8 days prior to admission. Nine months later, her 6-year-old younger female cousin presented to us with a 3-day history of headache. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Women´s Health and Perinatology Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.

Objectives: To report the rate of additional anomalies detected exclusively on prenatal MRI in fetuses affected by isolated mild or moderate ventriculomegaly (VM) according to the type of ultrasound protocol adopted (dedicated neurosonography vs standard assessment of fetal brain) and to explore whether the diagnostic performance of fetal MRI in detecting such anomalies is affected by gestational age at scan and laterality of ventricular dilatation.

Methods: The primary aim was to report the rate of additional anomalies detected exclusively on prenatal MRI in fetuses affected by isolated mild and moderate VM (ventricular dilatation between 10-15 mm) undergoing compared to those not undergoing dedicated neurosonography, defined as a detail assessment of fetal brain according to the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology guidelines. Medline, Embase, Cinahl and Clinicaltrials. Read More

J Neurosurg 2018 Nov 1:1-5. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Glioependymal cysts are rare congenital lesions of the central nervous system. Reported surgical treatments of these lesions have varied and yielded mixed results, and the optimal surgical strategy is still controversial. The authors here report the clinical and surgical outcomes for three adult patients successfully treated with neuroendoscopic fenestration into the ventricular system. Read More

Neurosurg Rev 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.

The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical presentation and outcomes associated with endoscopic endonasal resection of Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs). The authors retrospectively studied a series of 13 patients who were diagnosed with RCCs after endoscopic endonasal resection at the Second Xiangya Hospital between June 2016 and December 2017. All 13 patients (8 women) underwent a purely endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) for fenestration and aspiration of RCCs with excision of the cystic wall. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2019 Feb;100(2):327-329

W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC), caused by larvae that reside in the central nervous system, results in serious public health and medical issues in many regions of the world. Current diagnosis of NCC is complex requiring both serology and costly neuroimaging of parasitic cysts in the brain. This diagnostic pipeline can be problematic in resource-constrained settings. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Nov;97(48):e13458

Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

Rationale: The transsphenoidal surgical (TS) approach to sellar masses is the preferred surgical route in most cases. Secondary pituitary abscess (PA) following TS is an extremely rare but serious postoperative complication with potentially high disability and mortality.

Patient Concerns: We describe an uncommon case of secondary PA in a 42-year-old woman, who underwent uncomplicated transsphenoidal procedures without cerebrospinal fluid leak, to treat primary Rathke cleft cyst. Read More

Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2019 Jan 26;161(1):197-201. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital of Zürich, University of Zürich, Frauenklinikstrasse 10, 8006, Zürich, Switzerland.

The concomitant presence of an aneurysm in contact with a sellar lesion usually contraindicates a transsphenoidal approach (TSS). Clipping of an intracranial aneurysm is however possible in highly selected cases also through an endoscopic TSS approach, as long as the basic principles of cerebrovascular surgery are respected. We report thus on a case of a patient harboring a Rathke cleft cyst (RCC) and an aneurysm of the carotid artery (ICA) in close contact with the RCC. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Feb 22;122:577-582. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Neurosurgery, Lokmanya Municipal General Hospital and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Mumbai, India.

Background: Craniovertebral junction arachnoid cysts are uncommon. Among those reported, ventrally located arachnoid cysts at the extremes of age have been even rarer. We report a successfully managed case of a ventrally placed arachnoid cyst in an 88-year-old man using an unconventional surgical approach. Read More

N Engl J Med 2018 11;379(21):e38

Dis Aquat Organ 2018 Nov;131(2):143-156

Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS / UP), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.

This paper describes 2 new myxosporean species, Henneguya lepturus sp. nov. and Thelohanellus lepturus sp. Read More

Br J Neurosurg 2018 Nov 19:1-4. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

a Department of Neurosurgery , NHS Tayside , Dundee , United Kingdom.

An 18-year-old man who underwent bilateral pinning of his hip joints after a left unstable Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (right pinned prophylactically) was noted to have delayed secondary sexual characteristics and post-operative diabetes insipidus. The patient also described a history of fatigue, headache and polydipsia for the past 4 years. Endocrine investigations revealed reduced androgen levels, hypocortisolism, a borderline normal Serum ACE and secondary hypothyroidism. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Feb 14;122:e1202-e1210. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.

Objective: Although reports regarding the relationship between surgical complications and quality of life (QOL) exist, a general consensus regarding this issue is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate QOL after endoscopic transsphenoidal approach.

Methods: We assessed patients with sellar or parasellar lesions that were removed with endoscopic transsphenoidal approach or extended endoscopic transsphenoidal approach between January 2010 and December 2016. Read More

Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2018 Nov 16. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.

Background: Management of recurrent Rathke cleft cysts (RCC) is problematic. The mainstay of treatment has been reoperation with cyst drainage. Radical cyst resection, although effective, results in a high incidence of diabetes insipidus. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Feb 2;122:150-154. Epub 2018 Nov 2.

Department of Neurosurgery, UHC Habib Bourguiba, Sfax, Tunisia.

Background: Central nervous system dermoid cysts are rare lesions derived from ectopic epithelial cells. They are slow-growing benign tumors but may cause significant morbidity through compression of neurologic and vascular structures and, rarely, rupture into the subarachnoid space.

Case Description: We present a rare case of a spontaneously ruptured intracranial dermoid cyst in a 32-year-old man presenting as new-onset epileptic seizures due to chemical meningitis caused by dissemination of fat or lipid droplets. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Nov;97(44):e13106

Department of Neurosurgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Rationale: An intracranial arachnoid cyst is a relatively common congenital benign lesion. A small number of patients present with neurological symptoms. Endoscopic fenestration has become a common treatment for arachnoid cysts in recent years, but intracerebral hematoma after surgery is rarely reported. Read More

Brain Tumor Res Treat 2018 Oct;6(2):82-85

Department of Pathology, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Busan, Korea.

Extremely massive sellar xanthogranuloma (XG) are rare, and the surgical outcome and prognosis are not well known. XG remain unknown whether they are derived from Rathke's cleft cysts (RCCs) or craniopharyngiomas (CPs) following extensive inflammation and metaplasia, to the point that no epithelium is readily identifiable. These lesions usually tend to occur in younger patients (mean 28. Read More

MBio 2018 10 30;9(5). Epub 2018 Oct 30.

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA

is a pathogenic free-living amoeba that causes a rare but almost always fatal infection of the central nervous system called granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). Two distinct forms of -a proliferative trophozoite form and a nonproliferative cyst form, which is highly resistant to harsh physical and chemical conditions-have been isolated from environmental samples worldwide and are both observed in infected tissue. Patients suffering from GAE are typically treated with aggressive and prolonged multidrug regimens that often include the antimicrobial agents miltefosine and pentamidine isethionate. Read More

J Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2018 Nov;28(11):888-890

Department of Nephrology, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.

Van der Knaap disease or megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC) is a rare, inherited, autosomal recessive disorder. It is characterised by macrocephaly and slowly progressive ataxia, spasticity, and cognitive decline. The usual age of onset is described from birth to infancy. Read More

Int J Endocrinol 2018 16;2018:5718782. Epub 2018 Sep 16.

Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, 72570 Puebla, Mexico.

Infertility and reproductive problems have been reported in women with several neurological disorders, for example, demyelination. However, the physiology of such problems has remained unknown so far. The rats are an animal neurological model that initially shows a hypomyelination followed by a progressive demyelination of the central nervous system. Read More

ACS Chem Neurosci 2018 Oct 29. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science and Technology , Sunway University , Selangor 47500 , Malaysia.

Central nervous system (CNS) infections caused by free-living amoebae such as Acanthamoeba species and Naegleria fowleri are rare but fatal. A major challenge in the treatment against the infections caused by these amoebae is the discovery of novel compounds that can effectively cross the blood-brain barrier to penetrate the CNS. It is logical to test clinically approved drugs against CNS diseases for their potential antiamoebic effects since they are known for effective blood-brain barrier penetration and affect eukaryotic cell targets. Read More

Pathog Glob Health 2018 09 22;112(6):306-319. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

b Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Nutrition Science, Food Science and Technology/National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a widespread zoonotic protozoan which poses a great threat to human health and economic well-being worldwide. It is usually acquired by ingestion of water contaminated with oocysts from the feces of infected cats or by the ingestion of raw or undercooked foodstuff containing tissue cysts. The oocyst can contaminate irrigation water and fresh edible produce. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2019 Jan 14;59:318-324. Epub 2018 Oct 14.

Institute of Neurosurgery, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.

Xanthogranulomas are rare intracranial lesions with controversial etiology. The sellar location is exceedingly rare. Here we report a clinical case and a review of the English-language literature of histologically confirmed xanthogranulomas in order to furnish useful tools in diagnosis and management of this unusual disease. Read More

Eur J Endocrinol 2018 Dec;179(6):373-380

Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Robert Debré University Hospital, Endocrinology-Diabetology Department, Reference Center for Endocrine Growth and Developmental Diseases, Paris, France.

Objective Non-idiopathic CPP is caused by acquired or congenital hypothalamic lesions visible on MRI or is associated with various complex genetic and/or syndromic disorders. This study investigated the different types and prevalence of non-isolated CPP phenotypes. Design and Methods This observational cohort study included all patients identified as having non-idiopathic CPP in the database of a single academic pediatric care center over a period of 11. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Jan 11;121:e898-e907. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

Department of Neurosurgery, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Background: The retroclival region is among the rarest locations for an arachnoid cyst (AC), with only a few reported cases. No accepted classification system is available for these rare cysts. Such a classification system would solve the nomenclature problem and could result in easier and more systematic management. Read More

J Neurosci Res 2019 Feb 13;97(2):137-148. Epub 2018 Oct 13.

Infectious Diseases Laboratory Research-LID, Faculty of Science and Philosophy, Alberto Cazorla Talleri, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a helminth infection affecting the central nervous system caused by the larval stage (cysticercus) of Taenia solium. Since vascular alteration and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption contribute to NCC pathology, it is postulated that angiogenesis could contribute to the pathology of this disease. This study used a rat model for NCC and evaluated the expression of two angiogenic factors called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF2). Read More

J Emerg Med 2018 Dec 5;55(6):845-847. Epub 2018 Oct 5.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Scott and White Medical Center - Temple, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas.

Pituitary 2018 Dec;21(6):605-614

Neuroendocrine Department, Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia, Dr Subotica 13, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia.

Background: The etiological spectrum of pituitary stalk lesions (PSL) is wide and yet specific compared to the other diseases of the sellar and suprasellar region. Because of the pituitary stalk's (PS) critical location and role, biopsies of these lesions are rarely performed, and their underlying pathology is often a conundrum for clinicians. A pituitary MRI in association with a clinical context can facilitate their diagnosis. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Oct 3;118:e395-e404. Epub 2018 Jul 3.

Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing; and China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases (NCRC-ND), Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Objective: Spinal dermoid cysts are uncommon tumors, and their spontaneous rupture into the syrinx cavity alone is extremely rare. The treatment strategy for this condition has not been described.

Methods: We report 4 patients with lumbar spinal dermoid cysts and spontaneous rupture. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Dec 22;120:420-422. Epub 2018 Sep 22.

Department of Neurosurgery, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Clinic of Neurosurgery, Emergency County Hospital Cluj, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Background: Retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive high-resolution imaging technique, which is considered a biomarker of neurodegeneration. Several intracranial lesions can induce retrograde neurodegeneration which can be assessed using OCT. The cysts of the pineal region are usually asymptomatic and most often are an incidental radiologic finding. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Sep;97(38):e12396

Department of Neurosurgery.

L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) is a member of the immunoglobulin-like cell-adhesion molecule family that was shown to be associated with a worse prognosis in several human cancers. L1 ectodomain shedding via vesicles or exosomes has been detected in extracellular fluids after cleavage from the cell surface by metalloproteases. We evaluated the presence of L1CAM in cyst fluid and tissue from glioblastomas or brain metastases. Read More

Neurochirurgie 2018 Sep 5;64(4):324-326. Epub 2018 Sep 5.

Service de neurochirurgie, CHRU Jean-Minjoz, 25030, Besançon, France.

Background: Cryptococcal infections of the central nervous system are very rare in immunocompetent patients. They usually present as meningitis or as fungal cysts with or without hydrocephalus. Rapid diagnosis and treatment is crucial to the prognosis. Read More

BMC Genomics 2018 Sep 5;19(1):654. Epub 2018 Sep 5.

Biology Division, Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, Austrasse, Spiez, Switzerland.

Background: Members of the genus Naegleria are free-living eukaryotes with the capability to transform from the amoeboid form into resting cysts or moving flagellates in response to environmental conditions. More than 40 species have been characterized, but only Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) is known as a human pathogen causing primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a fast progressing and mostly fatal disease of the central nervous system. Read More

J Int Med Res 2019 Feb 4;47(2):973-981. Epub 2018 Sep 4.

Department of Otolaryngology, People's Hospital of Peking University, Beijing, China.

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome is caused by germline mutations in the VHL gene and is accompanied by the development of both benign and malignant tumors. Clarithromycin (CAM) is a widely used anti-inflammatory drug that has also been proven effective for treating some cancers. In this study, we present a novel case of a 38-year-old female patient with VHL syndrome confirmed by computed tomography, with no relevant family history. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Dec 31;120:205-210. Epub 2018 Aug 31.

Post-graduation in Neuropsychiatry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; Department of Neurosurgery, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

Background: Authors analyzed surgical patients with Chiari malformation (CM) associated with cerebellar tonsillar cyst. This association is quite rarely encountered in the literature.

Case Description: We retrospectively reviewed 60 surgical adult patients with MRI evaluation who underwent posterior fossa decompression for treatment of CM type I. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Nov 24;119:381-383. Epub 2018 Aug 24.

Department of Neurosurgery, Monash Medical Centre and Surgery, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Background: Sellar arachnoid cysts are a rare occurrence but may impinge on vital parasellar anatomy and thus are often symptomatic. The etiology of sellar arachnoid cysts is contentious, fueled by heterogeneity in cyst wall structure and contents between cases. The "ball-valve" mechanism is 1 of 2 predominant theories describing their formation, which contends that an aperture in the diaphragm allows cerebrospinal fluid to enter the cyst, propelled by pulsatile flow, but its egress is obscured by the pituitary during the ebb of the pressure wave. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Nov 24;119:374-380. Epub 2018 Aug 24.

Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Background: Spontaneous spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is extremely rare and occurs in <1% of all cases of SAH. To the best of our knowledge, only 1 case of spontaneous spinal SAH with later development of a symptomatic spinal arachnoid cyst (SAC) has been described in the literature to date. The objective of the present study was to report the challenging clinical management of SAC based on a literature review. Read More

J Nippon Med Sch 2018 ;85(3):191-193

Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School.

We report a case of subclinical central diabetes insipidus (DI), due to Rathke's cleft cysts, that was initially misdiagnosed as transient DI of pregnancy because it presented in the third trimester of pregnancy. A 37-year-old primigravida visited the Department of Obstetrics in the 30th week of gestation due to polyuria. She was admitted due to oligohydramnios; the amniotic fluid index was 3. Read More

Front Cell Neurosci 2018 6;12:206. Epub 2018 Aug 6.

Department of Functional Anatomy and Neuroscience, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.

Microglia are activated after neuronal injury and in neurodegenerative diseases, and trigger neuroinflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia-derived neuroinflammation has both beneficial and detrimental effects on neurons. Because the timing and magnitude of microglial activation is thought to be a critical determinant of neuronal fate, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying microglial activation is required to enable establishment of microglia-targeted therapies for neural diseases. Read More

Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2018 Aug 16. Epub 2018 Aug 16.

Department of Neurological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Background: The transsphenoidal approach is the standard of care for the treatment of pituitary adenomas and is increasingly employed for many anterior skull base tumors. Persistent postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks can result in significant complications.

Objective: To analyze our series of patients undergoing abdominal fat graft repair of the sellar floor defect following transsphenoidal surgery, describe and investigate our current, routine technique, and review contemporary and past methods of skull base repair. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2018 Oct;29(7):1887-1889

Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University.

Pituitary adenoma (PA) rarely coexists with Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC). Previously, only 13 cases of patients with growth hormone (GH)-producing PA and concomitant RCC have been reported. Here, the authors report a 54-year-old female patient with a GH-secreting PA coexisting with an RCC. Read More