Citations

OBJECTIVE Spinal cord cavernous malformations (SCCMs) are rare vascular malformations with a capricious prognosis. Given the eloquent nature of the spinal cord, considerable surgical morbidity may be encountered. Therefore, conservative management has emerged as a valid alternative, especially for incidental lesions diagnosed on ubiquitous imaging. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of surgical versus conservative management of SCCMs. METHODS Following PRISMA guidelines, this study included articles published in full-text form comparing the outcomes following conservative and surgical management of SCCMs. Collected variables included the total number of patients, spine level, resection, myelotomy, follow-up duration, bleeding, motor weakness, pain, bladder and/or bowel dysfunction, and neurological improvement or deterioration after discharge. The primary outcome of interest was long-term functional outcome. RESULTS Eleven articles comprising 515 patients were included, of whom 343 (66.6%) underwent resection and 172 (33.4%) were managed conservatively. Patients who underwent surgery were more likely to have preoperative motor deficits, hemorrhagic episodes, and bladder and/or bowel dysfunction, indicating increased disease severity. Resection was associated with significantly improved long-term functional outcomes (OR 3.27, 95% CI 1.72–6.24) compared with conservative management. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding odds of long-term clinical deterioration (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.35–3.03). However, the risk of hemorrhagic episodes during follow-up was higher in the conservative group (17.3%) compared with the surgical group (1.69%). The odds of hemorrhage during follow-up were lower in the surgical group, although not statistically significant (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.05–1.05). CONCLUSIONS This study highlights that while surgical management of SCCMs is associated with better long-term functional outcomes and reduced risk of recurrent hemorrhage, treatment decisions must be carefully tailored to the individual patient, particularly given the potential risks associated with surgery. Conservative management, although less invasive, carries a nonnegligible risk of hemorrhage during follow-up, warranting close monitoring. These findings parallel management strategies used for brainstem cavernomas, for which surgery is reserved for cases with low surgical risk and worsening neurological symptoms. However, the limitations of current data, including selection bias and heterogeneity in reporting, emphasize the need for a multi-institutional registry to better define the natural history of SCCMs and inform future management strategies.

OBJECTIVE Tobacco smoking is among the factors known to significantly augment the risk of untreated intracranial aneurysm (IA) growth and rupture. Smoking appears to have a variable effect on different endovascular treatment modalities. The impact of smoking on the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device use for wide-neck IAs has not been evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of WEB devices by smoking status. METHODS A retrospective multicenter analysis was conducted on the data of patients from 36 sites worldwide treated with the WEB device for intracranial saccular aneurysms. Patients were stratified based on smoking status (current, former, and never smokers). The Student t-test and chi-square test were performed for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders. RESULTS Of 1376 patients with available smoking status, 504 were current smokers, 358 were former smokers, and 514 were never smokers. Upon adjusting for significant confounders, no association was found between smoking and recurrence outcomes (OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.69–2.80; p = 0.36), thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications, and mortality among IAs treated with the WEB device. There was no statistically significant difference in outcomes between former and never smokers (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.70–2.18; p = 0.46). The location of aneurysms differed between smoking groups, with former smokers having more anterior circulation aneurysms compared with current and never smokers (99.0% vs 96.9% vs 95.3%; p = 0.01). In terms of clinical symptoms, headache and dizziness were more common in the never smokers compared with current and former smokers (13.9% vs 8.9% vs 7.7%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS This large-scale study suggests no significant correlation between smoking and the recurrence of IAs treated with the WEB device. Biological studies are warranted to better understand the biological impact of smoking on the growth and rupture of treated IAs.

Purpose of review The aim of this review is to summarize clinical, radiological and laboratory findings in autoimmune dementia, to help clinicians in promptly identify this elusive condition. Recent findings The rapid advances in the field of autoimmune neurology have led to the discovery of novel antibodies and associated disorders, which are more frequent than previously hypothesized. The correct and prompt identification of cognitive decline of autoimmune origin is vital to ensure early treatment and better outcomes. The diagnosis of autoimmune dementia relies on specific clinical and radiological features and on the detection of specific autoantibodies. Autoantibody specificities predict response to treatment and the occurrence of cancer. In recent years, the differential diagnosis of autoimmune dementia has become more relevant, as the overinterpretation of antibody results, clinical and radiological findings may lead to an erroneous diagnosis of autoimmune dementia, with potential harm to patients due to inappropriate exposure to immunosuppressants. Summary Autoimmune dementia is a potentially treatable condition and should not be missed in clinical practice given the potential for reversibility with immunotherapy. The diagnosis of autoimmune dementia relies on a comprehensive review of clinical, radiological and laboratory data, and exclusion of other causes of dementia.

Importance: Many patients who would benefit from minimally invasive surgery (MIS) have open surgery; robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) addresses some of the limitations of laparoscopic surgery and could increase rates of MIS across different patient populations. Objective: To determine whether the introduction of RAS increases MIS rates and whether increases are seen across different patient populations undergoing common general surgery procedures. Design: A retrospective cohort study was performed to compare rates of MIS in the year before and after the index date for hospitals that did and did not introduce RAS. Generalized estimating equation regression models were used to compare rates in MIS over time. Setting: PINC AI Healthcare Database, an all-payor discharge database of hospitals in the United States. Participants: Hospitals that performed cholecystectomy, inguinal hernia repair, ventral hernia repair, and colorectal resection from 2016 to 2022. Exposure: RAS hospitals performing at least 1 common general surgery procedure using RAS. Main Outcome and Measure: The primary analysis examined rates of MIS, defined as the rate of common general surgeries that were minimally invasive (laparoscopic or RAS) in a hospital. The secondary analysis examined MIS rates for common general surgeries, across age, sex, race, ethnicity, and payor. Results: Of 408 hospitals included in the study, 153 (38%) introduced RAS for common general surgeries. The relative MIS rate for hospitals that introduced RAS compared with hospitals that did not went from 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.14; P < 0.01) before the index date to 1.15 (95% CI, 1.09–1.22; P < 0.01) after the index date (P interaction < 0.01), indicating a larger increase in MIS rates among hospitals introducing RAS. MIS rates increased significantly more in hospitals that introduced RAS across patient age, sex, ethnicity, race, and payor compared with hospitals that did not introduce RAS. Conclusions and Relevance: Hospitals that introduced RAS for common general surgery procedures were associated with an increase in MIS rates across different patient populations compared with hospitals that did not introduce RAS.