NEUROSX Flashcards

1
Q

Common Neurosurgery Procedures

A

Drainage Craniotomy Cranioplasty Craniectomy Cerebrovascular surgery

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Possible locations for intracranial hemorrhages

A

Intraparenchymal Intraventricular Subarachnoid Subdural/epidural

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Intracranial hemorrhage

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Location of hemorrhage: basal ganglia, internal capsule

A

Classic Sx: contralateral hemiparesis 50% of intracranial hemorrhages

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Location of hemorrhage: Thalamus

A

Contralateral hemisensory loss 15% of intracranial hemorrhages

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Location of hemorrhage: Cerebral white matter (lobar)

A

Depends on location (weakness, numbness, partial loss of visual field) 10-20% of intracranial hemorrhages

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Big factor in intracranial hemorrhage

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

When to consider surgery in intracranial hemorrhage

A

-Cerebellar hemorrhage greater than 3 cm -Intracerebral hemorrhage associated with a structural vascular lesion -Young patients with lobar hemorrhage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Surgical approaches in intracranial hemorrhage

A

-Craniotomy and clot evacuation under direct visual guidance -Stereotactic aspiration with thrombolytic agents -Endoscopic evacuation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Causes of SAH

A

Most common: trauma Non-traumatic: ruptured cerebral aneurysm (also AVM)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Hunt-Hess grading system for SAH

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Complications to avoid in SAH

A

Rebleeding Vasospasm Hydrocephalus Hyponatremia Seizures Pulmonary complications Cardiac complications

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Surgical tx in SAH

A

Clipping ruptured aneurysm Endovascular treatment (coiling)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Epidural Hematoma

A

Arterial bleed from middle meningeal artery; forms a hematoma between inner skull and dura Space-occupying lesion Accumulation can be immediate or delayed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Sx of epidural hematoma

A

Lucid interval between initial LOC at time of impact and a delayed decline in mental status HA N/V Seizures Focal neuro deficits

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Epidural hematoma on CT

A

Convex hematoma associated with parietal skull fracture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Epidural Hematoma: Tx

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Subdural Hematoma

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Subdural hematoma on CT

A

Crescent shaped Hyperdense (may contain hypodense foci due to serum, CSF, or active bleeding) Does not cross dural reflections

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Subdural hematoma: Emergent surgical decompression criteria

A

-Acute SDH with midline shift or equal to 5 mm -Acute SDH > 1cm in thickness -

22
Q

What is the clamp that holds the head called?

A

Three-pin Mayfield Skull clamp

23
Q

How are burr holes made?

A

Perforator Perforator is placed perpendicular to the bone surface

24
Q

How is the bone flap cut?

A

With the craniotome

25
Q

Indications for craniotomy

A

Removal of abnormal brain tissue (tumor) Sample of brain tissue by biopsy Stop hemorrhage / Evacuation of hematoma / Repair blood vessels Removal of excessive CSF Drainage of abscess collection Repair skull fractures Repair meninges Implantation of medical devices or delivery of intracranial medications Treatment of neurological conditions such as epilepsy Relieve pressure associated with brain swelling/edema and increased ICP

26
Q

Normal ICP

A

4-14 mmHg Sustained levels > 20 mmHg can cause injury

27
Q

3 factors causing ICP

A

Increased brain mass/edema Increased blood volume Increased CSF volume

28
Q

Cushing’s Triad

A

HTN Bradycardia Irregular (decreased) respirations

29
Q

Other sx of ICP

A

HA N/V Progressive mental status decline

30
Q

Initial management of ICP

A

Airway protection and adequate ventilation -Mannitol bolus (1 g/kg) Ventriculostomy and/or crainectomy may be needed

31
Q

Embolic Stroke

A

Acute focal neuro deficits at a clearly defined time of onset

32
Q

Goals of embolic stroke

A

Re-open the occluded vessel and maintain blood flow to ischemic “penumbra” tissues bordering the vascular territory

33
Q

Types of embolic strokes

A

Anterior cerebral artery stroke Middle cerebral artery stroke Posterior cerebral artery stroke Posterior inferior cerebellar artery stroke

34
Q

Anterior cerebral artery stroke

A

supplies the medial frontal and parietal lobes, including the motor strip, as it courses into the interhemispheric fissure results in contralateral leg weakness

35
Q

Middle cerebral artery stroke

A

supplies the lateral frontal and parietal lobes and the temporal lobe results in contralateral face and arm weakness, language deficits Proximal MCA occlusion with ischemia and swelling in the entire MCA territory can lead to significant intracranial mass effect and midline shift

36
Q

Posterior cerebral artery stroke

A

supplies the occipital lobe results in a contralateral homonymous hemianopsia

37
Q

Posterior inferior cerebellar artery stroke

A

supplies the lateral medulla and the inferior half of the cerebellar hemispheres results in nausea, vomiting, nystagmus, dysphagia, ipsilateral Horner’s syndrome, and ipsilateral limb ataxia referred to as the lateral medullary or Wallenberg’s syndrome

38
Q

Intracranial tumors

A

Brain injury from mass effect, dysfunction or destruction of adjacent neural structures, swelling, or abnormal electrical activity (seizures)

39
Q

Supratentorial tumors

A

commonly present with focal neurologic deficit, such as contralateral limb weakness, visual field deficit, headache, or seizure

40
Q

Infratentorial tumors

A

often cause increased ICP due to hydrocephalus from compression of the fourth ventricle, leading to headache, nausea, vomiting, or diplopia

41
Q

Surgical options for tumors

A

Craniotomy Pituitary tumors: approached through nose via transsphenoidal approach

42
Q

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)

A

techniques that allow delivery of high-dose radiation that conforms to the shape of the target and has rapid isodose fall-off, minimizing damage to adjacent neural structures Gamma knife LINAC (linear accelerator)

43
Q

Gamma knife

A

delivers 201 focused beams of gamma radiation from cobalt sources through a specially designed colander-like helmet used only for intracranial disease and cost up to $5 million

44
Q

LINAC

A

delivers a focused beam of X-ray radiation from a port that arcs part way around the patient’s head commonly used to provide fractionated radiation for lesions outside the CNS

45
Q

Hydrocephalus

A

Excess CSF in the brain that results in enlarged ventricles Communicating or obstructive Congenital or acquired

46
Q

Communicating

A

obstruction at the level of the arachnoid granulations causes dilation of the lateral, third, and fourth ventricles equally most common causes in adults are meningitis and SAH

47
Q

Obstructive

A

Ventricles proximal to the obstruction dilate, those distal remain normal in size Typical patterns include: -dilation of the lateral ventricles due to a colloid cyst occluding the foramen of Monro -dilation of the lateral and third ventricles due to a tectal (midbrain) glioma or pineal region tumor occluding the cerebral aqueduct -dilation of the lateral and third ventricles with obliteration of the fourth ventricle by an intraventricular tumor of the fourth ventricle

48
Q

Congenital

A

stenosis of the cerebral aqueduct, Chiari malformation, myelomeningocele, and intrauterine infection

49
Q

Acquired

A

may result from: occlusion of arachnoid granulations by meningitis, germinal matrix hemorrhage, SAH, or by adjacent tumors

50
Q

Treatment for hydrocephalus

A

Placement of a ventriculoperitoneal or ventriculoatrial shunt