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Biomedical subjects

A Visot

Publications and source records attributed to A Visot.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Sphenoid bone: surgical techniques].

Many operative approaches to the sphenoid are possible. This is due to the anatomical characteristics of this bony structure, close to the facial cavities, covered by a meningeal lining and containing many vascular and nervous components. The choice of operative approach is guided by careful review of imaging data as well as limitations and risks of each approach. Sometimes, combined approaches in one or two stages are necessary. Only an adequate knowledge of each approach can allow the best surgical choice and limit the complications.

Craniotomy↗

[Cushing's disease in children and adolescents].

Fifty-seven unselected children and adolescents with Cushing's disease underwent transsphenoidal exploration and microadenomectomy before their 16th birthday. Hypercortisolism was corrected in 42 of the 57 patients (74%). The recurrence rate was 17% and the long-term remission rate was 57%. Diagnostic peculiarities specific surgical problems and outcome were reviewed. Direct transnasal submucosal surgery for Cushing's disease is successful, and pituitary function can be preserved in most of these young patients.

ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic↗

[Neurosurgery and pituitary tumors: etio-pathogenic considerations].

PITUITARY ADENOMA: Based on the experience of nearly 5000 cases of surgically treated pituitary tumors at the neurosurgery department of the Foch Hospital, the pituitary adenoma is the most frequent pituitary tumor. Secreting tumors lead to a clinical syndrome depending on the level of hormone overproduction. Gonadotrop or non-functioning pituitary adenomas are mainly macroadenomas presenting with visual symptoms, hypopituitarism or as an incidentaloma. Anatomical features dictate the surgical approach. OTHER TUMORS: The other types of hypophyseal tumors, such as craniopharyngioma, Rathke's cleft cyst or others are usually surgical tumors because medical treatment is ineffective. Malignant pituitary tumors are unusual.

Acromegaly↗

[Neurosurgery and pituitary tumors: from preoperative tests to postoperative follow-up].

DIAGNOSIS: Accurate diagnosis of a pituitary tumor requires coordinated medical collaboration. Guidance learned from experience is essential for MRI exploration of pituitary tumors, especially microadenomas. Therapeutic strategy depends largely on the accurate examination of the radiological data that guides the surgical approach and determines, for the patient and family, the possibility of tumor and/or endocrinological cure. PITUITARY FUNCTION: Secreting tumors are diagnosed by assessment of hypophyseal function, predictive of medical treatment efficacy and the value of hormone replacement therapy in case of surgery.

Adenoma↗

[Neurosurgery and pituitary tumors: surgical indications and outcome].

TWO MAIN FEATURE: Indication for surgery in patients with pituitary tumors depends first on the anatomical situation: the enclosed or invasive nature of the tumor. Total resection of an enclosed tumor, even if it is a huge one, can be expected to be successful. For invasive tumors, surgery will be subtotal unless the invasion is very limited. The second consideration is the efficacy and limitations of medical treatment. At present, only secreting pituitary adenomas are accessible to medical therapy. Other pituitary tumors, and non-functioning pituitary adenomas are not suitable for valid medical treatment and may warrant a surgical strategy. CHOICE OF THE OPERATIVE APPROACH: Anatomical and radiological considerations are determining. For secreting pituitary adenomas, first intention surgery via a transphenoidal access is advocated when surgery can be expected to achieve complete tumor resection without damaging the normal gland. For other cases, medical treatment has to be instituted prior to surgery which will be discussed in case of failure, intolerance or for tumor reduction. Transphenoidal surgery is strongly advocated in case of a pituitary incidentaloma with a visual danger, even in old patients. OUTCOME: Visual symptoms are often improved after neurosurgery for pituitary tumors. Hormone cure is frequent in microsecreting pituitary adenomas, rarely in invasive tumors.

Adenoma↗

Neuroimaging features of spontaneous intracranial hypotension.

We reviewed the cranial MRI and radionuclide cisternograms of four adults with postural headache indicating spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). All four underwent clinical and radiological follow-up. MRI showed diffuse, thin meningeal enhancement; bilateral subdural fluid collections; and morphological abnormalities secondary to "sagging" of the brain. Radionuclide cisternography revealed direct or indirect signs of leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) along the spinal axis, and the symptoms resolved after the leak treated by epidural injection of blood at a level indicated by the cisternogram. The diffuse meningeal enhancement decreased but persisted on follow-up MRI, although the patients were asymptomatic. All morphologic abnormalities resolved during 3-5 months follow-up.

Adult↗

[Cranialization of the frontal sinus].

UNLABELLED: In the surgery of frontal sinus exclusion, the place of cranialization is still controversial. Our aims were to describe the operative technique, report our results and discuss its indications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nineteen patients were operated according to this technique between 1984 and 1997. Cranialization was performed in the first place for tumors, osteitis, traumatisms and benign tumors or mucoceles with a special location. In patients with chronic sinusitis or mucocele, it was performed in the second place when functional surgery was considered as failure and because sinus obliteration seemed to be inappropriate. RESULTS: There was no mortality nor anosmia linked to the procedure. Postoperative sequelae were related to the disease or to the surgical approach. After a median follow-up of 29 months, no disease recurrence was observed. CONCLUSION: Cranialization of frontal sinus gives good results in selected patients, with low morbidity. Even though its indications are infrequent, this technique has its place in the surgical exclusion of frontal sinus.

Adolescent↗

Postoperative aneurysm remnants: endovascular treatment as an alternative to further surgery.

Because further surgery on postoperative aneurysm remnants can be difficult and lead to significant morbidity and mortality, endovascular treatment, using controlled detachable coils, was performed in three patients with such remnants. The endovascular approach was technically more difficult in these cases than in previously untreated patients. In one case, the "remodelling" technique was necessary. Given the successful outcome in these patients, endovascular treatment can be proposed as an alternative to another operation, when further surgery appears too risky or is refused by the patient.

Adult↗

Combined neurosurgical and neuroradiological treatment of a complex superior sagittal sinus dural fistula: technical note.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Dural arteriovenous fistulas of the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) account for 8% of intracranial dural fistulas. Their association with a thrombosis of the posterior part of the SSS is rare. In such cases, the usual neurosurgical and endovascular approaches cannot provide a good technical solution for treatment of the lesion, and a combined neurosurgical and neuroradiological approach is therefore needed. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old man presented with rapidly evolving dementia. Cerebral angiography revealed a dural arteriovenous fistula of the SSS associated with thrombosis of the posterior part of the SSS. Various endovascular and neurosurgical approaches failed to cure the fistula. INTERVENTION: A burr hole was drilled in the frontal region, in the neurosurgical room. The patient was then transferred to the angiographic room, and the SSS was occluded using free spirals. CONCLUSION: This procedure led to a complete anatomic cure of the fistula, and a slow clinical improvement was observed.

Aged↗

Chemodectoma of the cauda equina.

We report a new case of chemodectoma of the cauda equina, in a 52-year-old male who presented with low back pain and sciatica, then rapidly developed cauda equina syndrome. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a tumor at the L2-L3 level. Complete excision was performed and the tumor was found to be a chemodectoma. Chemodectomas are rare neural crest tumors that are usually located at the neck. About 70 cases involving the cauda equina have been reported. Most are benign, although local recurrences occur in 4% of cases. A case with a cerebellar metastasis has been reported. Long-term follow-up should be provided.

Cauda Equina↗

Spontaneous epidural hematoma discovered upon evaluation of a calcified disk herniation.

A female renal transplant recipient had intractable femoral neuralgia due to a large calcified disk herniation. She then developed an anterior epidural hematoma above the herniation, from T12 to L2, in the absence of clotting disorders. Spontaneous resorption of the hematoma occurred. The femoral neuralgia resolved after surgical treatment of the herniation. The location of the hematoma suggests that the calcified disk may have torn the fragilized epidural venous network.

Calcinosis↗

[Surgery of pituitary adenoma].

The transsphenoidal approach is used in 99% of pituitary adenomas cases. In this kind of surgery, mechanical and endocrinological complications are rare. The visual disturbances of the huge macroadenomas are easily cured if the patient is operated on before optic atrophy. In secreting adenomas the cure of the hypersecretion depends mainly on the tumor size and is obtained in 90% or 95% of microadenomas. Recurrencies may occur in 10% or 15% of patients; if they are easily diagnosed in hypersecreting tumors they must be systematically searched for in ron secreting adenomas which require a regular follow-up.

Adenoma↗

[Frontal mucoceles of orbital or cerebral extension: therapeutic strategy].

The aim of this study was to investigate ten patients who underwent surgery for mucoceles of the frontal sinus. Bicoronal direct access was required by the localization of the mucocele limited to the frontal sinuses, its extension to the orbit and/or the brain and because of the anatomy of the frontal sinuses (large size, lateral horn...) as evidenced at imaging. Direct access to the frontal sinuses was achieved in 9 patients allowing marsupialization associated with repermeabilization of the naso-frontal duct (7 cases) or exeresis of the mucocele by cranialization (2 cases). Mean follow-up is 27 months. Repermeabilization of the naso-frontal duct was effective in 7 out of 8 cases. There were no complications after cranialization and no recurrence has been observed. Drainage of frontal mucoceles is a first intention strategy. In case of complication or recurrence, cranialization of the frontal sinuses would appear to be better than an exclusion-filling procedure.

Adult↗

[Endonasal treatment of iatrogenic or spontaneous cerebrospinal rhinorrhea of the anterior cranial fossa].

There is a 25% risk of meningitis in case of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea from the anterior cranial fossa. Treatment usually is based on neurosurgery when medical management is unsuccessful. The risk of morbidity and mortality in such operations is important and recurrence is observed in 25% of the cases. The development of endonasal surgery has increased the incidence of iatrogenic breaches but has also allowed the development of new techniques for closing breaches. Certain authors recently published a recent series of patients treated via the endonasal route. We present here six cases of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea from the anterior cranial fossa treated at the Foch Hospital. Etiology was iatrogenic in 4 cases, trauma in 1 and spontaneous in 1. The operative technique and mid-term results are presented. Cure was achieved in all cases after a mean follow-up of 2 years. One patient with osteopetrosis of the cranial floor who underwent neurosurgical decompression of the optic nerve complained of recurrent rhinorrhoea which could not be confirmed by endoscopy nor by imaging. Early endoscopic treatment of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea should be the first intention option as it preserves olfactive function, limits operative morbidity and mortality and leaves open the option of neurosurgery in case of failure.

Adult↗

Transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas in children.

The authors have reviewed the results of transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas done on 66 children (younger than 16 yr of age) between 1966 and 1992. Ninety-four percent (62 of 66) showed clinical evidence of pituitary hormonal hypersecretion. The most common type was the adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting adenoma (n = 36), followed by the prolactinoma (n = 18) and the growth hormone-secreting types (n = 8). There were four cases of nonfunctioning adenomas. Adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting tumors in children had presentations and surgical results similar to those seen in adults. Twenty-three of 33 patients with Cushing's disease had simple adenomectomy or subtotal hypophysectomy without symptomatic recurrence. Four of 10 initial treatment failures had subsequent successful surgical intervention, resulting in an overall cure rate of 78%. Postoperative hypocortisolism was suggestive of surgical success but was not absolute. Of three patients with Nelson syndrome, none were successfully treated with surgery alone and two developed invasive disease. Prolactin-secreting and growth hormone-secreting tumors in children occurred more commonly with suprasellar expansion than did their adult counterparts. Transsphenoidal surgery was capable of controlling disease in only 12% (1 of 8) of growth hormone-secreting tumors, and 67% (12 of 18) of prolactin-secreting tumors required postoperative medical therapy or radiotherapy for persistently elevated prolactin levels. Special difficulty was noted in boys with prolactinomas and in girls with primary amenorrhea. As in adults, preoperative prolactin levels correlated with ultimate surgical success rates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenoma↗

McCune-Albright syndrome and acromegaly: clinical studies and responses to treatment in five cases.

We report here five new patients with McCune-Albright syndrome and acromegaly. In the five patients studied (three males and two females aged 18-42 years), acromegaly began before the age of 20 years and was recognized after the diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia, which was polyostotic in three cases and monostotic in two. Bone fibrous dysplasia always involved the base of the skull and in four patients prevented surgical removal of the pituitary adenoma, which was visualized easily by magnetic resonance imaging. Serum growth hormone (GH) levels ranged between 20 and 48 micrograms/l and were not suppressed by an oral glucose load. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone administration produced a paradoxical increase in serum GH levels in all the patients. Four of the five patients had hyperprolactinemia (43-670 micrograms/l). In the sole patient who could be operated on, a typical adenoma with positive immunostaining for GH was incompletely removed and postoperative radiation therapy failed to cure the acromegaly. In two patients, medical therapy with bromocriptine and/or octreotide was partially or totally ineffective whatever the dose (up to 1.5 mg per day) and duration (2-4 years) of octreotide treatment.

Acromegaly↗

Sphenocavernous and infratemporal trigeminal neurinomas: surgical series of 15 cases.

A consecutive series of 15 patients with trigeminal schwannomas treated surgically at the Centre Medico-Chirurgical Foch between 1979 and 1985 is reported. This report is limited to sphenocavernous (nine cases) and infratemporal (six cases) tumors. Initial clinical symptoms of these cases are detailed, including trigeminal and abducens nerve signs. Preoperative selective angiography and embolization are important adjuncts to surgical management. The surgical approach depends on the anatomic location of the tumor. Sphenocavernous neurinomas were removed through a pterionosubtemporal approach. Occasionally, infratemporal neurinomas were approached in two stages because of the need to reconstruct the skull base and prevent postoperative cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. There were no operative deaths in the series and complete extirpation was achieved in all but one case.

Journal Article↗