Mohammad Kazem Sarpoolaki, Arad Iranmehr, Mohammad Ali Bitaraf, Soheil Naderi, Mohamad Namvar,
Volume 7, Issue 4 (Autumn 2021)
Abstract
Background and Importance: The novel SARS-CoV-2 virus has had an undeniable effect worldwide in different aspects. Although cerebrovascular diseases, especially subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), have already been reported in COVID-19 patients, little is known about various types and patterns of SAH in these patients.
Case Presentation: A 63-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency department with a headache. Her headache was severe (Hunt and Hess score, grade 2). She was diagnosed with COVID-19 by a positive nasopharyngeal swab PCR test. Her CT scan revealed a perimesencephalic hemorrhage, thick SAH without any signs of hydrocephalus or intraventricular hemorrhage.
Conclusion: Regarding the different associations of SAH with COVID-19, the perimesencephalic hemorrhage in our case is a novel type. Although not uncommon among non-infected populations, SAH occurrence in COVID-19 patients has not been reported before and needs further investigation.
Peyman Gholipour, Arad Iranmehr, Seyed Taher Mousavi, Mohamad Namvar, Reza Bahrami Ilkhchi, Mohammad Reza Fattahi, Mohammad Kazem Sarpoolaki,
Volume 8, Issue 1 (Continuous publishing 2022)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Although rod bending is a universal method for maintaining lumbar lordosis (LL), its long-term efficacy in short-segment posterior fusion is still a challenge. This study aimed at evaluating the long-term effect of rod bending in patients with grade one L4/L5 spondylolisthesis with a short segment fusion.
Methods and Materials/Patients: A double-blind prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted from 2016 to 2018 and patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. The participants were randomized into two treatment arms: open posterior fusion with rod bending and without rod bending. The baseline data, including leg and back pain scores, were evaluated before surgery. Lumbar, focal, and segmental lordosis were measured before surgery. After surgery and a one-year follow-up, pain scores and lordosis measurements were re-evaluated and compared between and within groups.
Results: A total of 60 patients were analyzed. Leg and back pain scores improved significantly after the follow-up in both groups (P<0.0001). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups before and after the surgery. LL did not change in either group after surgery. Focal and segmental lordosis significantly increased in both groups but showed no difference between the groups at either time. Complications were not significantly different in either group.
Conclusion: In this study, no significant difference concerning the radiological and pain outcomes was observed in either group; therefore, rod bending to reach the desired LL may be an unnecessary spend of time.
Arad Iranmehr,
Volume 9, Issue 0 (Continuous Publishing 2023)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Optic pathway glioma (OPG) is a chronic condition that needs a multidisciplinary management strategy. Most of these tumors are observed in the pediatric population and the tumor tends to stabilize after the child’s growth. This benign course can be observed mostly in neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) patients, which are about half of the pediatric patients.
Methods and Materials/Patients: The current literature in PubMed and Scopus databases was searched. The recent data regarding OPG and treatment options were reviewed to design this narrative mini-review.
Results: The brief data extracted from 17 articles, cited in the reference list, were included in the study.
Conclusion: Chemotherapy is the first and best treatment modality for patients with OPG. It is more useful at younger ages because it has lower rates of complications and cancer in the future compared with radiotherapy, the treatment of choice in previous decades for these patients. However, in recent practice, it has been substituted by chemotherapy because of its serious adverse effects on the pediatric population. Neurosurgical treatments for OPG are used for three main purposes, third ventricle obstruction-related hydrocephalus, biopsy, and tissue diagnosis for cases with an uncertain diagnosis, and tumor decompression due to mass effect on vital structures. Surgical decompression is not considered the first-line treatment in OPG. It can be used for patients with progressive exophthalmos with ipsilateral blindness or patients with refractory pain after adjuvant treatment. This short review discusses the main aspects of OPG treatment modalities.