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Biomedical subjects

David W Pincus

Publications and source records attributed to David W Pincus.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Brainstem stereotactic biopsy sampling in children.

OBJECT: Although it is widely accepted that biopsy sampling is not indicated for the diagnosis and empiric treatment of diffuse pontine glioma, it is common to encounter patients with brainstem lesions that cannot be diagnosed on the basis of imaging studies alone. In cases not amenable to resection, a tissue diagnosis may still be necessary to make appropriate treatment recommendations. The authors retrospectively reviewed their institutional experience with stereotactic biopsy procedures in pediatric patients during a 4-year period. METHODS: A three-dimensional graphics workstation was used for trajectory planning to obtain biopsy samples of brainstem lesions in 10 patients. One patient experienced mild diplopia postoperatively. No other morbidity was noted; no patient died as a result of the procedure. The biopsy procedure yielded a pathological diagnosis in all cases. A later resection in one patient resulted in a change in diagnosis. Overall, the pathological findings were varied, and in some cases the tissue diagnosis altered the treatment recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this small series suggest that brainstem stereotactic biopsy sampling in children is a safe procedure with a high diagnostic yield. In patients in whom radiographic findings are not consistent with diffuse pontine glioma and resection is not appropriate, stereotactic biopsy sampling should be considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Development of syringohydromyelia associated with Dandy-Walker malformation: treatment with cystoperitoneal shunt placement. Case report.

Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) is a well-described clinical entity, which includes vermian agenesis, posterior fossa cysts, and frequently, hydrocephalus. The authors report the clinical course and present the radiographic findings pertaining to a 1-month-old girl with DWM who was treated initially with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt and endoscopic fenestration of a posterior fossa cyst. After decompression for hydrocephalus, an increased mass effect at the foramen magnum from her posterior fossa cyst was demonstrated, as well as subsequent development of syringohydromyelia from C-4 to T-7. She was treated with a cystoperitoneal shunt. At the 6-month follow-up examination, the child (15 months of age) had achieved gains in developmental milestones, and complete resolution of the syrinx was established through MR imaging. This is the fourth nonautopsy pediatric case of DWM-associated syringohydromyelia reported in the literature and the third in a child to demonstrate impaction of the posterior fossa cyst at the foramen magnum leading to syrinx formation with subsequent treatment and resolution. Spinal imaging may be useful in the evaluation of patients with DWM who do not experience expected improvement after shunt procedures.

Child Development↗
PubMed2006

Frameless, pinless stereotactic neurosurgery in children.

OBJECT: Frameless neuronavigation has been established as a useful adjunct to intracranial surgery; however, the procedure is limited in young children by the need for rigid skull fixation with pins. Pin fixation is difficult and hazardous for patients younger than 2 years of age. Minor risks have been associated with pin fixation in older patients also, including scalp laceration, skull fracture, and epidural hematoma. METHODS: The authors adapted a pinless head fixation system, consisting of a beanbag device, for use with frameless neuronavigation. This system was used to perform intracranial neurosurgical procedures in nine patients. CONCLUSIONS: This pinless, frameless method provides a new option for children who are unable to sustain rigid head fixation. It is also an alternative to rigid pin fixation for patients of any age.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Endoscopic-assisted repair of craniosynostosis.

OBJECT: The goal of the craniofacial surgeon has always been the correction of form and function with prevention of associated morbidity and death. Through the pioneering work of Jimenez and Barone, minimally invasive approaches to the surgical correction of craniosynostosis are now gaining wider acceptance. Here the authors review the technique for endoscopic-assisted repair of craniosynostosis from the perspective of a new minimally invasive approach. They also assess the safety, efficacy, and results of the early treatment of infants with craniosynostosis in a small series of children who underwent surgery at this institution. METHODS: Data regarding synostosis type, operative time, patient age, blood loss, transfusion rates, duration of hospitalization, and complications were collected. Nineteen patients (12 girls and seven boys) between the ages of 1.2 and 5 months of age were treated with the endoscope-assisted technique. The mean operative time was 97 minutes. Five (26%) of 19 children received a blood transfusion. Most patients were discharged home the morning after surgery. The clinical courses of two patients who required additional major craniofacial reconstructions are discussed. There were no deaths, dural sinus tears, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, neurological injuries, or infections, and there were no complications related to the use of helmet therapy. Seventeen of the 19 patients achieved excellent cosmetic results with a single surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This small series supports larger experiences and indicates that early treatment of craniosynostosis with minimally invasive, endoscope-assisted techniques is safe; limits blood transfusion, hospital stay, and operative time; and represents a valuable alternative to the traditional calvarial reconstruction methods.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2005

Neonatal hypothalamic hamartoma: a differentiating nonlethal hamartoblastoma.

The authors report on a patient with a large hypothalamic hamartoma with a cleft lip and palate and seizures. Neuroimaging revealed a large extraaxial, intradural mass in the prepontine and interpeduncular cisterns with significant distortion of the brainstem. A stereotactic transfontanel needle biopsy revealed a cellular lesion that contained immature-appearing neuroepithelial cells consistent with prior descriptions of hypothalamic hamartoblastoma. While having a low level of proliferation by Ki67 (MIB-1) labeling, the lesion also contained evidence of neuronal maturation, with many cells expressing neuronal nuclear antigen as observed during immunohistochemical analysis. Further clinical evaluation revealed no other significant congenital abnormalities, and the patient was discharged home. Outpatient follow up has continued for 2 years and the patient has been doing well, requiring no further treatment. This case illustrates that, despite its immature and proliferative histological appearance, this rare neonatal mass can be regarded as a "differentiating" hypothalamic hamartoma and can have a favorable prognosis.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2002

Stem cells and neuropoiesis in the adult human brain.

Stem cells in adult tissues have attracted a great deal of interest. These cells are self-renewing and can give rise to diverse progeny. An extraordinary finding was the presence of stem cells in the mature human brain. This tissue was previously believed incapable of generating new neurons, but neuropoiesis is now an established phenomenon in the adult brains of mammals, including human beings. This persistent neurogenesis has potential therapeutic applications for various neurological disorders as a source for tissue engraftment and as self-repair by a person's own indigenous population of pluripotent cells or biogenic by-products of their proliferation and differentiation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A diplopia dilemma.

A 38-year-old man experienced double vision with pupillary abnormalities and convergence retraction nystagmus. A mass, which responded to radiation therapy, was seen as the cause of his dorsal midbrain syndrome. The neural control of vertical eye movements is reviewed and the management of a third ventricular-pineal region mass discussed.

Adult↗