KRH Klinikum Nordstadt

The study was designed to assess the patterns of use of home mechanical ventilation (HMV) for patients with chronic respiratory failure across Europe. A detailed questionnaire of centre details, HMV user characteristics and equipment choices was sent to carefully identified HMV centres in 16 European countries. A total of 483 centres treating 27,118 HMV users were identified. Of these, 329 centres completed surveys between July 2001 and June 2002, representing up to 21,526 HMV users and a response rate of between 62% and 79%. The estimated prevalence of HMV in Europe was 6.6 per 100,000 people. The variation in prevalence between countries was only partially related to the median year of starting HMV services. In addition, there were marked differences between countries in the relative proportions of lung and neuromuscular patients using HMV, and the use of tracheostomies in lung and neuromuscular HMV users. Lung users were linked to a HMV duration of <1 yr, thoracic cage users with 6-10 yrs of ventilation and neuromuscular users with a duration of > or =6 yrs. In conclusion, wide variations exist in the patterns of home mechanical ventilation provision throughout Europe. Further work is needed to monitor its use and ensure equality of provision and access.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the actual benefits and persisting problems in treating vestibular schwannomas by the suboccipital approach, the results and complications in a consecutive series of 1000 tumors surgically treated by the senior author were analyzed and compared with experiences involving other treatment modalities. METHODS: Pre- and postoperative clinical statuses were determined and radiological and surgical findings were collected and evaluated in a large database for 962 patients undergoing 1000 vestibular schwannoma operations at Nordstadt's neurosurgical department from 1978 to 1993. RESULTS: By the suboccipital transmeatal approach, 979 tumors were completely removed; in 21 cases, deliberate partial removal was performed either in severely ill patients for decompression of the brain stem or in an attempt to preserve hearing in the last hearing ear. Anatomic preservation of the facial nerve was achieved in 93% of the patients and of the cochlear nerve in 68%. Major neurological complications included 1 case of tetraparesis, 10 cases of hemiparesis, and caudal cranial nerve palsies in 5.5% of the cases. Surgical complications included hematomas in 2.2% of the cases, cerebrospinal fluid fistulas in 9.2%, hydrocephalus in 2.3%, bacterial meningitis in 1.2%, and wound revisions in 1.1%. There were 11 deaths occurring at 2 to 69 days postoperatively (1.1%). The techniques that were developed for avoidance of complications are reported. The analysis identifies preexisting severe general and/or neurological morbidity, cystic tumor formation, and major caudal cranial nerve deficits as relevant risk factors. CONCLUSION: The current treatment options of complete tumor resection with ongoing reduction of morbidity are well fulfilled by the suboccipital approach. By careful patient selection, the mortality rate should be further reduced to below 1%.

BACKGROUND: To test formally the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis, an agent is needed that reduces inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen but that does not have major effects on lipid pathways associated with disease progression. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a double-blind, multinational phase IIb trial of 556 men and women with well-controlled diabetes mellitus and high cardiovascular risk who were randomly allocated to subcutaneous placebo or to subcutaneous canakinumab at doses of 5, 15, 50, or 150 mg monthly and followed over 4 months. Compared with placebo, canakinumab had modest but nonsignificant effects on the change in hemoglobin A1c, glucose, and insulin levels. No effects were seen for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, although triglyceride levels increased ≈10% in the 50-mg (P=0.02) and 150-mg (P=0.03) groups. By contrast, the median reductions in C-reactive protein at 4 months were 36.4%, 53.0%, 64.6%, and 58.7% for the 5-, 15-, 50-, and 150-mg canakinumab doses, respectively, compared with 4.7% for placebo (all P values ≤0.02). Similarly, the median reductions in interleukin-6 at 4 months across the canakinumab dose range tested were 23.9%, 32.5%, 47.9%, and 44.5%, respectively, compared with 2.9% for placebo (all P≤0.008), and the median reductions in fibrinogen at 4 months were 4.9%, 11.7%, 18.5%, and 14.8%, respectively, compared with 0.4% for placebo (all P values ≤0.0001). Effects were observed in women and men. Clinical adverse events were similar in the canakinumab and placebo groups. CONCLUSIONS: Canakinumab, a human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes interleukin-1β, significantly reduces inflammation without major effect on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. These phase II trial data support the use of canakinumab as a potential therapeutic method to test directly the inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Although the rate of reported facial nerve preservation after surgery for vestibular schwannomas continuously increases, facial nerve paresis or paralysis is a frequent postsurgical sequelae of major concern. The major goal of this study was to define criteria for the right indication, timing, and type of therapy for patients with palsies despite anatomic nerve continuity and those with loss of anatomic continuity. METHODS: One thousand vestibular schwannomas were surgically treated at the Department of Neurosurgery at Nordstadt Hospital from 1978 to 1993. Of 979 cases of complete removal and 21 cases of deliberately partial removal, the facial nerve was anatomically preserved in 929 cases (93%). The rate of preservation is increasing, as is evidenced in the most recent cases, and preservation is supported by special electrophysiological monitoring. The facial nerve was anatomically severed in 60 cases (6%). It was anatomically lost in previous operations that were performed elsewhere in 11 cases (1%). In case of nerve discontinuity (42 cases), immediate nerve reconstruction by one of three available intracranial procedures (within the cerebellopontine angle, intracranial-intratemporal, intracranial-extracranial) was performed in the same surgical setting. In case of loss of the proximal facial nerve stump at the brain stem, early reanimation by combination with the hypoglossal nerve was achieved in most patients within weeks after tumor surgery. In a few patients with anatomic nerve continuity but absence of reinnervation for 10 to 12 months, a hypoglossal-facial combination was applied. All the patients with partial or with complete palsies were treated in a special follow-up program of regular controls and of modulation of physiotherapeutic treatment every 3 to 6 months. RESULTS: In intracranial nerve reconstruction at the cerebellopontine angle, 61 to 70% of patients regained complete eye closure and an overall result equivalent to House-Brackmann Grade 3. Hypoglossal-facial reanimation led to Grade 3 in 79%. The duration between the onset of paralysis and the reconstructive procedure is decisive for the quality of the outcome. These data are discussed in view of other treatment options and certain parameters influencing outcome. CONCLUSIONS: This management contains three major principles as follows: 1) preservation of facial nerve continuity in function by the aid of intraoperative monitoring, 2) early nerve reconstruction in case of lost continuity, and 3) scheduled follow-up program for all patients with incomplete or complete palsies.

OBJECTIVE: The realistic chances of hearing preservation and the comparability of international results on hearing preservation in complete microsurgical vestibular schwannoma resections were the focus of this study in a large patient population treated by uniform principles. METHODS: One thousand vestibular schwannomas were operated on at Nordstadt Neurosurgical Department, from 1978 to 1993, by the senior surgeon (MS). There were 1000 tumors in 962 patients, i.e., 880 patients with unilateral tumors and 82 patients operated on for bilateral tumors in neurofibromatosis-2 (120 cases). Preservation of the cochlear nerve was attempted whenever possible. The audiometric data were analyzed by the Nordstadt classification system and graded in steps of 30 dB by audiometry and in steps of 10 to 30% by speech discrimination; for comparability, the data were also evaluated by the criteria of Gardner, Shelton, and House, and they were assessed in relation to the Hannover tumor extension grading system. RESULTS: Anatomic cochlear nerve preservation was achieved in 682 of 1000 cases (68%), as well as in some preoperatively deaf patients, a very few of whom regained some hearing. Of a total of 732 cases with some preoperative hearing, anatomic cochlear nerve preservation was achieved in 580 cases (79%) and functional cochlear nerve preservation in 289 (39.5%); analysis over time revealed an actual preservation rate of 47% in the most recent 200 cases. Specific factors, such as gender, tumor extension, preoperative hearing quality, and symptom duration, were investigated for their predictive value for hearing preservation. Male gender, small to medium tumor size (mainly extending within the cerebellopontine cistern; Classes T2 and T3), good to moderate hearing (up to 40-dB loss), and short duration of hypoacusis (< 1.5 yr) or of vestibular disturbances (< 0.7 yr) were advantageous factors, with chances of hearing preservation between 47 and 88%. CONCLUSION: Functional cochlear nerve preservation in complete microsurgical resection should belong to the contemporary standard of treatment goals.

OBJECTIVE: Despite good knowledge of the key symptoms of vestibular schwannomas and their significance for surgical results, the evolution of symptoms and signs and their relation to tumor extension still need thorough investigation. METHODS: From 1978 to 1993, operations were performed by the same surgeon (M.S.) on 1000 vestibular schwannomas at the Neurosurgical Department of Nordstadt Hospital. The vestibular schwannomas were diagnosed in 962 patients, including 522 female patients (54%) and 440 male patients (46%); the mean age was significantly higher in female patients (47.6 yr) than in men (45.2 yr). We focused our analysis on the incidence of subjective disturbances versus objective morbidity, on the sequence of symptom onset, and on symptom duration and symptomatology versus tumor size and extension. RESULTS: The most frequent clinical symptoms were disturbances of the acoustic (95%), vestibular (61%), trigeminal (9%), and facial (6%) nerves. Symptom duration was 3.7 years for hearing loss, 1.9 years for facial paresis, and 1.3 years for trigeminal disturbances. Symptom incidence and duration did not strictly correlate with tumor size. Key symptoms of various tumor extension classes precipitated the diagnosis, such as trigeminal disturbances in large tumors with brain stem compression or tinnitus in small neuromas. In cases of trigeminal or facial nerve symptoms, the overall duration of symptomatology was much shorter. According to the subjective perception of the patients, between only one- and two-thirds of nerve disturbances were noticed. Patients with preoperative deafness had become deaf either chronically (23%) or suddenly (3%); even in cases of moderate hearing deficit that lasts a long time, deafness can occur suddenly. The rate of tinnitus was higher in hearing than in deaf patients; however, deafness does not mean relief from tinnitus, because this symptom persists in 46% of preoperatively deaf patients. Vestibular disturbances most often occur as some unsteadiness while walking or as vertigo, and the symptoms frequently are fluctuating, not constant. CONCLUSION: Differences in tumor biology can be underestimated and are not visible on radiological scans. For example, intrameatal tumors, despite their small size, present with a duration of symptoms that is representative of the larger tumors and are most frequently associated with vestibular symptoms and with tinnitus. Large tumors with brain stem compression present with relatively shorter symptom durations and at a younger age; both factors are suggestive of especially fast tumor growth. The clinical findings presented in this study promote new consideration of the dynamics of tumor growth and of the affected neural tissues.

OBJECTIVE: Little information about the natural history of incidental meningiomas exists in the literature. The aim of this study was to determine the natural history of asymptomatic meningiomas by comparing different methods of growth rate calculation to establish a strategy for dealing with these tumors. METHODS: In 47 asymptomatic patients, hospital charts, follow-up records, and imaging studies were reviewed. Of these patients, 6 underwent surgery. Tumor growth rates were determined by calculating the absolute and relative growth rates and the tumor volume doubling times. RESULTS: In 41 patients with conservative management, the average tumor size was 9 cm(3), and the majority (66%) of growth rates were less than 1 cm(3)/yr. The absolute growth rate ranged from 0.03 to 2.62 cm(3)/yr (mean, 0.796 cm(3)/yr). Relative annual growth rates ranged from 0.48 to 72.8% (mean, 14.6%). The tumor doubling time ranged from 1.27 to 143.5 years (mean, 21.6 yr). A moderate correlation between the age and growth rates was found. In young patients, annual growth rates tended to be higher and tumor doubling times shorter. There was no clear correlation between the initial tumor size and tumor doubling time. The mean annual growth rate of meningiomas with calcification was lower than in tumors without calcification. Also, tumors with hypointense or isointense T2 signals on magnetic resonance imaging had a lower growth rate. In the group of six patients with surgical excision, tumor growth rates were higher and tumor doubling times shorter than in the nonsurgical group. CONCLUSION: The majority of incidental meningiomas show minimal growth; thus, they may be observed without surgical intervention unless specific symptoms appear. Tumor growth is associated with patient age. The initial tumor size is not considered a predictive factor for tumor growth. Radiological features, such as calcification or T2 signal intensity, may provide useful information to predict the growth potential of meningiomas.

A total of 27 patients with trigeminal schwannoma were treated between 1982 and 1992 at the Neurosurgery Department of Nordstadt Hospital. Twelve cases of solitary schwannoma without any family history or physical stigmata of neurofibromatosis were included and form the basis of this study. There were four women and eight men (mean age 44 years) in this series. Duration of symptoms ranged from 2 months to 6 years. The most frequent symptoms were either pain or numbness of the ipsilateral hemiface. The surgical approach was chosen depending on the tumor type. Tumors that belonged to Type A (five cases), which were predominantly in the middle fossa, were approached using a transsylvian method; Type B (one case), which presented predominantly in the cerebellopontine angle, was operated on via a retrosigmoid suboccipital craniectomy; Type C (five cases), which were dumbbell-shaped extending into both the middle and posterior fossa, were removed via a combined temporal craniotomy-presigmoidal method; and in Type D (one case), in which tumor was primarily extracranial with intracranial extension, an infratemporal extradural approach was undertaken. There was no operative mortality or long-term disability in this series. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 60 months; during that time magnetic resonance imaging revealed tumor recurrence in two cases after 12 and 48 months, respectively, and these were excised again. An additional 178 cases collected from the world literature are also reviewed and analyzed.

Twenty-four patients with petroclival meningiomas were operated upon at the neurosurgical clinic of the City Hospital of Hannover between 1978 and 1987. Seventeen were women and seven men; the mean age was 45 years. Symptoms were usually present for more than 2 years before the diagnosis was made. The most common symptom was disturbance of gait; the most common preoperative sign was cranial nerve deficit, mainly of the 7th and 8th nerves. Preoperative neuroradiological evaluation included computed tomography and four-vessel cerebral angiography. Fifteen patients (62%) had a tumor larger than 2.5 cm in its major diameter. The surgical approaches used were the retromastoid, pterional, subtemporal, and combined retromastoid-subtemporal. We developed a modification of the retromastoid-subtemporal approach with preservation of the transverse sinus and used this in the last 2 patients. There was no postoperative death; 11 patients (46%) suffered postoperative complications, mainly in the form of cranial nerve deficits, often reversible. "Total" tumor removal was achieved in 17 patients (71%). Twenty patients (83%) were independent at the time of discharge from the hospital. With accurate neuroradiological evaluation, careful choice of the surgical approach, and sound application of microsurgical techniques, petroclival meningiomas may be "totally" and safely resected in a significant number of patients.

During the period from 1977 to August 1992, 100 intramedullary tumors in 94 patients were operated on in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Nordstadt Hospital in Hannover, Germany. Of these, 45% presented with associated syringes. A syrinx was more likely to be found above (49%) than below (11%) the tumor level. In 40%, a syrinx could be identified above and below the tumor level. Ependymomas and hemangioblastomas were the most common tumor types to be associated with syringes. Astrocytomas tended to demonstrate syringes less often. Regardless of histology, the higher the spinal level, the more likely a syrinx was encountered. In general, the presence of an associated syrinx favored the resectability of the tumor, because it indicated a displacing rather than an infiltrating tumor. Patients with syringomyelia tended to recover from surgery sooner. However, surgical results and long-term prognosis were not influenced significantly by an associated syrinx. The most important factor determining long-term outcome was the preoperative level of neurological function. We propose that factors independent of the tumor, disturbances of cerebrospinal fluid and extracellular fluid flow in particular, have major roles in the pathogenesis of syrinx formation associated with intramedullary tumors.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects on dopamine (DA) neurons in vivo. Here we report long-term rescue of nigral DA neurons after delayed short-term GDNF administration in a rat lesion model that reproduces the slowly progressing degenerative process seen in Parkinson's disease. GDNF injected close to the substantia nigra provided near-complete protection and persistent survival of the lesioned nigral neurons for at least 4 months after discontinuation of GDNF treatment. Long-term rescue of the nigral cells, however, was not accompanied by any significant reinnervation of the lesioned striatal target or any signs of functional recovery in either drug-induced or spontaneous motor behaviors. We conclude that not only preservation of the nigral DA neurons but also restoration of striatal DA function is necessary for functional recovery in the rat Parkinson model.

OBJECT: The goal of this study was to determine whether some petroclival tumors can be safely and efficiently treated using a modified retrosigmoid petrosal approach that is called the retrosigmoid intradural suprameatal approach (RISA). METHODS: The RISA was introduced in 1983, and since that time 12 patients harboring petroclival meningiomas have been treated using this technique. The RISA includes a retrosigmoid craniotomy and drilling of the suprameatus petrous bone, which is located above and anterior to the internal auditory meatus, thus providing access to Meckel's cave and the middle fossa. Radical tumor resection (Simpson Grade I or II) was achieved in nine (75%) of the 12 patients. Two patients underwent subtotal resection (Simpson Grade III). and one patient underwent complete resection of tumor at the posterior fossa with subtotal resection at the middle fossa. There were no deaths or severe complications in this series; all patients did well postoperatively, being independent at the time of their last follow-up examinations (mean 5.6 years). Neurological deficits included facial paresis in one patient and worsening of hearing in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: The approach described here is a useful modification of the retrosigmoid approach, which allows resection of large petroclival tumors without the need for supratentorial craniotomies. Although technically meticulous, this approach is not time-consuming; it is safe and can produce good results. This is the first report on the use of this approach for petroclival meningiomas.

Surgical management and prognosis of traction injuries of the brachial plexus depend on the accurate diagnosis of root avulsion from the spinal cord. Myelography, computerized tomography (CT) myelography, and recently magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have become the main radiological methods for preoperative diagnosis of cervical root avulsions. Most of the previous studies on the accuracy of CT myelography and MR imaging studies have correlated the radiological findings with the extraspinal surgical findings at brachial plexus surgery. Surgical experience shows that in many cases extraspinal findings diverge from intradural determinations. Consequently, only correlation with the intradural surgical findings will allow assessment of the factual accuracy of CT myelography and MR imaging studies. In a prospective study, 135 cervical roots (C5-8) were evaluated by CT myelography and/or MR imaging and further explored intradurally via a hemilaminectomy. The accuracy of the preoperative CT myelography-based diagnosis in relation to the intraoperative findings was 85%. On the other hand, MR imaging demonstrated an accuracy of only 52%. The most common reasons for false-positive or false-negative findings were: 1) partial rootlet avulsion; 2) intradural fibrosis; and 3) dural cystic lesions. Computerized tomography myelography scans using 1- to 3-mm axial slices prove to be the most reliable method to evaluate preoperatively the presence of complete or partial root avulsion in traumatic brachial plexus injuries. Because extradural judgment of cervical root avulsion can be unreliable, accurate assessment of intraspinal root avulsion enormously simplifies the decision concerning the choice of donor nerves for transplantation and/or neurotization during brachial plexus surgery.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence indicates that physical exercise can prevent at least some of the negative effects on health associated with early menopause. Here we determine the effects of intense exercise on physical fitness, bone mineral density (BMD), back pain, and blood lipids in early postmenopausal women. METHODS: The study population comprised 50 fully compliant women, with no medication or illness affecting bone metabolism, who exercised over 26 months (exercise group [EG]), and 33 women who served as a nontraining control group (CG). Two group training sessions per week and 2 home training sessions per week were performed in the EG. Both groups were individually supplemented with calcium and cholecalciferol. Physical fitness was determined by maximum strength and cardiovascular performance. Bone mineral density was measured at the lumbar spine (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry [DXA] and quantitative computed tomography [QCT]), the proximal femur (DXA), and the forearm (DXA). In serum samples taken from a subset of the study participants, we determined bone formation (serum osteocalcin) and resorption (serum cross-links) markers as well as blood lipid levels. Vasomotor symptoms related to menopause and pain were also assessed. RESULTS: After 26 months, significant exercise effects determined as percentage changes compared with baseline were observed for physical fitness (isometric strength: trunk extensors [EG +36.5% vs CG +1.7%], trunk flexors [EG +39.3% vs CG -0.4%], and maximum oxygen consumption [EG +12.4% vs CG -2.3%]); BMD (lumbar spine [DXA L1-L4, EG +0.7% vs CG -2.3%], QCT L1-L3 trabecular region of interest [EG +0.4% vs CG -6.6%], QCT L1-L3 cortical region of interest [EG +3.1% vs CG -1.7%], and total hip [DXA, EG -0.3% vs CG -1.7%]); serum levels (total cholesterol [EG -5.0% vs CG +4.1%] and triglycerides [EG -14.2% vs CG +23.2%]); and pain indexes at the spine. CONCLUSION: General purpose exercise programs with special emphasis on bone density can significantly improve strength and endurance and reduce bone loss, back pain, and lipid levels in osteopenic women in their critical early postmenopausal years.

Sixteen patients with schwannomas of the jugular foramen were operated on in the Department of Neurosurgery of the Nordstadt Hospital in Hannover, Germany, between 1986 and 1992. Patients with neurofibromatosis were excluded. The records of the 16 patients were retrospectively reviewed. There were five women and 11 men (mean age 43 years) with a symptom duration ranging from 6 months to 20 years (mean 5 years). The predominant symptoms were hearing loss, hoarseness, and cerebellar symptoms. Computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and angiography were performed in all 16 patients. Depending on the radiological and surgical features, the tumors were classified into four types: Type A, a tumor primarily at the cerebellopontine angle with minimal enlargement of the jugular foramen (eight cases); Type B, a tumor primarily at the jugular foramen with intracranial extension (two cases); Type C, a primarily extracranial tumor with extension into the jugular foramen (one case); and Type D, a dumbbell-shaped tumor with both intra- and extracranial components (five cases). A retromastoid suboccipital craniectomy was performed for Type A tumors, and a combined cervical-mastoidectomy for Types B, C, and D. Total tumor removal was achieved in all cases. There was no operative mortality. Postoperative complications were cerebrospinal fluid leakage in one patient and mastoiditis in two patients. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 42 months (mean 22 months). All patients were alive at the last follow-up review, and CT and/or MR imaging showed no tumor recurrence.

The authors conducted a retrospective study of 107 patients treated for syringomyelia associated with arachnoid scarring between 1976 and 1995 at the Departments of Neurosurgery at the Nordstadt Hospital in Hannover, Germany, and the University of California in Los Angeles, California. Twenty-nine patients have not been surgically treated to date because of their stable neurological status. Seventy-eight patients with progressive neurological deficits underwent a total of 121 surgical procedures and were followed for a mean period of 32 (+/- 37) months. All patients demonstrated arachnoid scarring at a level close to the syrinx. In 52 patients the arachnoid scarring was related to spinal trauma, whereas 55 had no history of trauma and developed arachnoid scarring was a result of an inflammatory reaction. Of these, 15 patients had undergone intradural surgery, eight had suffered from spinal meningitis, three had undergone peridural anesthesia, and one each presented with a history of osteomyelitis, spondylodiscitis, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. No obvious cause for the inflammatory reaction resulting in arachnoid scarring could be ascertained for the remaining 26 patients. The postoperative neurological outcome correlated with the severity of arachnoid pathology and the type of surgery performed. Shunting of the syrinx to the subarachnoid, pleural, or peritoneal cavity was associated with recurrence rates of 92% and 100% for focal and extensive scarring, respectively. Successful long-term management of the syrinx required microsurgical dissection of the arachnoid scar and decompression of the subarachnoid space with a fascia lata graft. This operation stabilized the preoperative progressive neurological course in 83% of patients with a focal arachnoid scar. For patients with extensive arachnoid scarring over multiple spinal levels or after previous surgery, clinical stabilization was achieved in only 17% with this technique.

OBJECTIVE: Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) affect young patients with Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF-2) and cause very serious problems for hearing, facial expression, and brain stem function. Our objective was to determine a therapy concept for the right timing and indication of neurosurgical therapy. METHODS: In 1000 consecutive VS resections, 120 tumors in 82 patients with NF-2 were surgically treated by the same surgeon (MS) at the Department of Neurosurgery at Nordstadt Hospital from 1978 to 1993. The mean age of the patients was 27.5 years. Sixty tumors were surgically treated in 41 male patients, and 60 tumors were surgically treated in 41 female patients. Bilateral tumor resection was performed in 38 patients (76 operations, after previous partial surgery in 15 cases elsewhere), and unilateral operations were performed in 44 patients, 5 of whom had undergone ipsi- or contralateral surgery that was performed elsewhere. The operative and clinical findings are evaluated and compared with the data of patients without NF-2. RESULTS: In 105 cases, complete tumor resections were achieved. In 15 cases, deliberate subtotal resections were performed. These were for brain stem decompression in 4 cases and for hearing preservation in the last hearing ear in 11 cases, with successful preservation in 8 of the 11. Pre- and postoperative hearing rates were higher in male than in female patients (70% in male versus 65% in female patients before surgery and 40.5 versus 31%, respectively, after surgery). Hearing was preserved in 29 of 81 ears (36%). The rate of preservation was 24% in cases of large tumors and 57% in cases of small tumors (<30 mm). Twenty-one of 82 patients (26%) were bilaterally deaf before surgery. Twenty-five patients had uni- or bilateral hearing after surgery (i.e., 41 % of those with preoperative hearing or 30.5% of the whole group). Anatomic facial nerve preservation was achieved in 85%. The facial nerve was reconstructed intracranially at the cerebellopontine angle by sural grafting in 17 cases and by hypoglossal-facial reanimation in 5. Two deaths occurred 1 and 3 months postsurgically as a result of malignant tumor growth with brain stem dysfunction and respiratory problems. In summary, for patients with NF-2, the presentation ages are lower, tumor progression is faster, the chances of anatomic and functional nerve preservation are lower, the chances of good outcomes are best when surgery is performed early and when there is good preoperative hearing function, and the danger of sudden hearing loss is higher. The chances and danger often differ from side to side among individual patients. CONCLUSION: The indication and the timing of tumor resections are in some respects different from normal VS handling and are dependent on the tumor extension and related necessity of brain stem decompression and on the auditory function. As an optimal goal, completeness of resection with functional cochlear nerve preservation is formulated, and as an acceptable compromise, subtotal microsurgical resection with functional cochlear nerve preservation in the last hearing ear is suggested.

OBJECT: A careful retrospective analysis of 36 cases was performed to evaluate the pre- and postoperative rates of morbidity that occur in patients with brainstem cavernous angiomas. METHODS: The authors evaluated immediate postoperative and follow-up outcomes with regard to clinical findings, the incidence of preoperative hemorrhage(s), location and size of the lesions, and the timing of the surgical procedure after the last hemorrhagic event. Specifically. the following parameters were analyzed: 1) number of hemorrhages; 2) the precise brainstem location (pontomesencephalic, pons, and medulla oblongata); 3) pre- and postoperative cranial nerve status; 4) pre- and postoperative motor and sensory deficits; 5) size (volume) of the lesions; and 6) pre- and postoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) scores. Multiple hemorrhages were observed in 16 patients, particularly in those with pontomesencephalic cavernous angiomas (75%). The mean preoperative KPS score was 70.3 +/- 16.3 (+/- standard deviation). Twenty-six patients (72.2%) presented with cranial nerve impairment, 13 (36.1%) with motor deficits, and 17 (47.2%) with sensory disturbance. Volume of the lesions ranged from 0.18 to 18.18 cm3 (mean 4.75 cm3). Postoperative complications included new cranial nerve deficits in 17 patients, motor deficits in three, and new sensory disturbances in 12 patients. In a mean follow-up period of 21.5 months, KPS scores were 80 to 100 in 22 patients. Timing of surgery (posthemorrhage) and multiple hemorrhages did not influence the long-term results. Higher preoperative KPS scores and smaller-volume lesions, however, were factors associated with a better final outcome (p < 0.05). Major morbidity was related mainly to preoperative status and less to surgical treatment. The incidence of new postoperative cranial nerve deficits was clearly lower than that demonstrated preoperatively because of the brainstem hemorrhages. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, resection of brainstem cavernomas is the treatment of choice in the majority of these cases because of the high incidence of morbidity related to one or often several brainstem hemorrhages.

A total of 40 patients with epidermoid cysts of the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) underwent surgery between 1980 and 1993. Total resection was achieved in 30 cases (75%); in 10 cases (25%) parts of the cyst capsule were left because they adhered to the brainstem and vascular structures of the CPA. One patient with very large bilateral epidermoid cysts, who underwent complete bilateral resection in one stage, died of pulmonary aspiration and infection. As of their latest clinical and radiological follow-up examinations (mean 5.7 years), 93% of the patients are able to lead useful lives. Three cases of cyst regrowth have been observed thus far. Modern radiological tools and microsurgery techniques have considerably improved the completeness of cyst resection and reduced postoperative mortality and morbidity rates; however, there still are some cases in which complete resection is impossible without producing severe neurological deficits.

OBJECTIVE: The concept of neurovascular decompression for the treatment of hemifacial spasm is now widely accepted. In this study, we report our long-term results for 145 cases treated with this procedure. METHODS: The results of 145 microvascular decompressions to treat hemifacial spasm (performed between 1980 and 1998) among 143 patients (62.2% female patients and 37.8% male patients; mean age, 54.5 yr) are presented. The onset of symptoms was typical in 95.9% of cases and atypical in 4.1%. Platysma muscle involvement was observed for 24.5% of patients, with a higher incidence among female patients (74.3%). Patients were monitored with annual questionnaires. Twenty-six patients were lost to follow-up monitoring, and 117 are still undergoing follow-up monitoring, with an average period of 9.6 years (range, 1-17.6 yr). RESULTS: At discharge, 69 patients (59%) were spasm-free and 48 patients (41%) experienced further spasm. At 6 months, the number of spasm-free patients had increased to 108 (92.3%), whereas only 9 patients (7.7%) complained of hemifacial spasm; 44 patients were spasm-free at an average time of 15 weeks. In follow-up examinations (average period, 9.4 yr), 106 patients were spasm-free. Seven patients experienced only temporary relief, with recurrence after 4.5 years. Two patients were spasm-free after 4 or 6 weeks, and the recurrence of spasm was observed 1 year later. Two patients were never completely spasm-free. Among the patients who did not undergo previous surgery elsewhere, only two experienced recurrence. CONCLUSION: Deafness was the main postoperative complication (8.3%); most of those cases (66%) occurred before the routine use of intraoperative evoked potential monitoring. Analysis of our series demonstrates that this surgical procedure involves very low risk, is well tolerated by elderly patients, is associated with very low recurrence rates, and is a definitive treatment for more than 90% of cases.