Vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas) are tumors arising from the Schwann cells of the eighth cranial nerve. They are typically slow-growing, benign tumors and malignant degeneration is rare. They are most commonly unilateral, resulting from a somatic mutation in a gene…
Acknowledgments Steven D. Chang, MD, is supported in part by a research gift from Robert C. and Jeannette Powell. Introduction Craniopharyngiomas are benign extra-axial epithelial tumors that arise from squamous epithelial remnants of Rathke pouch near the pituitary gland. These…
Introduction The cavernous sinus (CS) is a dural venous sinus that extends from the apex of the orbit to the apex of the petrous temporal bone and houses many critical neurovascular structures, including the carotid artery, the oculomotor nerve, the…
Introduction This chapter discusses the use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the treatment of secretory and nonfunctional pituitary adenomas (NFPAs). SRS refers to several modalities that deliver precisely targeted, high-energy photons or protons to target tissue. This energy is delivered…
Rationale for Spine Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy The term radiosurgery has been reserved for ablative doses of radiation directed to intracranial tumors with stereotactic localization and delivered typically in a single fraction. Thanks to the development of high-precision linear accelerators equipped…
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is characterized by unilateral paroxysmal stabbing pain in one or more branch distributions of the fifth cranial nerve. Classical TN typically occurs as a result of neurovascular compression from branches of the superior cerebellar artery or other…
Introduction Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a minimally invasive treatment modality that delivers a large and typically single dose of radiation to a specific intracranial target while sparing surrounding tissue. Unlike conventional fractionated radiotherapy, SRS does not totally rely on the…
Acknowledgments We would like to thank Dr. Hitoshi Ganaha and Dr. Tabiko Ganaha for critically reviewing this manuscript. Introduction Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a complex disease whose incidence has been increasing since 1990. , It is highly correlated with…
Conventions and Definitions CSF leaks are classified based on the location of observed fluid, rather than the location of fistula, such as rhinorrhea (from the nose) and otorrhea (from the ear). Transcranial CSF leaks fall into two major categories: traumatic…
Introduction Hydrocephalus is currently one of the most common conditions in neurosurgical practice. Hydrocephalus prevalence in childhood ranges from 0.5 to 1 per 1000 children. , In the adult population, the initial diagnosis is rather uncommon and incidence is approximately…