Acknowledgment The authors thank Mi-Ja Jho and Robin Coret for their assistance with preparation of the manuscript. Introduction The optimal surgical treatment for any disease process involves the direct removal of the offending pathology with minimal disruption of the surrounding,…
Background Cervical disc disease may be neurologically more compromising than the more frequently occurring lumbar disc disease due to anatomic particularities. However, cervical degenerative disc disease is the most common cause of acquired disability in patients older than the age…
Acknowledgments We are sincerely grateful to Professor P N Tandon and Professor R Bhatia the previous authors of this chapter’s section on TB for all their support. The fungal infection section is heavily adapted from “Fungal infections of the Central…
Introduction Parasites are organisms that exist by exploiting a host by obtaining nutrients from it. There are three types of parasites that can infest humans including protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites. A number of parasitic infections invade the central nervous system…
Introduction Some aspects of epidemiology in the HIV pandemic, according to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)/World Health Organization (WHO), showed that the global spread of antiretroviral therapy has been the most important cause of the dramatic decline in…
Introduction Vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) and spinal epidural abscess (SEA) have the potential to cause significant long-term disability and even death if not properly diagnosed and treated. To obtain the best patient outcomes, these spinal infections require prompt diagnosis and appropriate…
Introduction Intracranial suppurations may be primary or occur as a secondary complication of surgery. Postsurgical intracranial suppuration may be considered a mode of direct inoculation (iatrogenic) of infective agent into the craniotomy surgical field. It may be subdural or intracerebral…
Historical Overview The various conflicts of the 20th century have given rise to the principles used in the management of penetrating brain injuries (PBIs). Injuries resulting from projectiles (e.g., gunshot wounds, knives) or blast injuries that cause bone fragments to…
Acknowledgment We would like to thank Micah Belzberg, MS4 for his kind assistance with figure creation. Introduction Scalp defects presenting to the neurosurgeon result from a variety of pathologies: trauma, brain neoplasms invading skull or scalp, postoperative bone/soft tissue infections,…
Introduction Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the more commonly encountered pathologies in neurological surgery. Current trends indicate that CSDH are poised to become the most common intracranial diagnosis to require surgical intervention by year 2030, exceeding both primary…