NEUROSX Flashcards
Common Neurosurgery Procedures
Drainage Craniotomy Cranioplasty Craniectomy Cerebrovascular surgery
Possible locations for intracranial hemorrhages
Intraparenchymal Intraventricular Subarachnoid Subdural/epidural
Intracranial hemorrhage
Intraparenchymal or intraventricular hemorrhage 8-13% of all strokes More likely to result in death or major disability than ischemic stroke or subarachnoid hemorrhage Causes: HTN damage, rupture of aneurysm or AVM, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, intracranial neoplasm, coagulopathy
Location of hemorrhage: basal ganglia, internal capsule
Classic Sx: contralateral hemiparesis 50% of intracranial hemorrhages
Location of hemorrhage: Thalamus
Contralateral hemisensory loss 15% of intracranial hemorrhages
Location of hemorrhage: Cerebral white matter (lobar)
Depends on location (weakness, numbness, partial loss of visual field) 10-20% of intracranial hemorrhages
Big factor in intracranial hemorrhage
Blood pressure control -Cannot be too high or too low -Permissive HTN: allow BP to be a little higher than normal, but not so high its causing issues
When to consider surgery in intracranial hemorrhage
-Cerebellar hemorrhage greater than 3 cm -Intracerebral hemorrhage associated with a structural vascular lesion -Young patients with lobar hemorrhage
Surgical approaches in intracranial hemorrhage
-Craniotomy and clot evacuation under direct visual guidance -Stereotactic aspiration with thrombolytic agents -Endoscopic evacuation
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)
Extravasation of blood into the subarachnoid space between pia and arachnoid membranes “worst HA of my life” “Thunderclap HA” Meningismus but no fever Dx: CT, angiogram, LP
Causes of SAH
Most common: trauma Non-traumatic: ruptured cerebral aneurysm (also AVM)
Hunt-Hess grading system for SAH
0: asx; unruptured aneurysm 1: Awake; asx or mild HA; mild nuchal rigidity 2: Awake; moderate to severe HA; cranial nerve palsy (e.g., cranial nerve III or IV), nuchal rigidity 3: Lethargic; mild focal neuro deficit 4: Stuporous; significant neuro deficit 5: comatose; posturing 4 and 5 require intubation and hemodynamic monitoring
Complications to avoid in SAH
Rebleeding Vasospasm Hydrocephalus Hyponatremia Seizures Pulmonary complications Cardiac complications
Surgical tx in SAH
Clipping ruptured aneurysm Endovascular treatment (coiling)
Epidural Hematoma
Arterial bleed from middle meningeal artery; forms a hematoma between inner skull and dura Space-occupying lesion Accumulation can be immediate or delayed
Sx of epidural hematoma
Lucid interval between initial LOC at time of impact and a delayed decline in mental status HA N/V Seizures Focal neuro deficits
Epidural hematoma on CT
Convex hematoma associated with parietal skull fracture
Epidural Hematoma: Tx
Small: conservatively; monitor Definitive tx: surgical evacuation [craniotomy and evacuation of hematoma] Minimally invasive uses burr holes and negative pressure drainage Novel therapeutic approaches: endovascular embolization, thrombolytic evacuation using suction drain
Subdural Hematoma
More common than epidural hemorrhages– elderly, children, alcoholics Sudden jarring or rotation of head, blow to head, fall Movement of brain shears and tears small veins Blood accumulates over several hours
Subdural hematoma on CT
Crescent shaped Hyperdense (may contain hypodense foci due to serum, CSF, or active bleeding) Does not cross dural reflections