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Radiological signs of the syndrome of the trephined

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
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Abstract

Introduction

Syndrome of the trephined (ST) is a post-craniectomy complication. It is characterized by the appearance of new neurological symptoms following the craniectomy, which are relieved after cranioplasty. The purpose of our work was to identify radiological signs and imaging biomarkers of the ST.

Methods

CT images of 32 patients were retrospectively analyzed (ST = 13, controls = 19). While the shapes of craniectomy flap were qualitatively assessed, deviation of the midline structures, relative intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume, and the 3rd ventricle’s volume were quantitatively measured.

Results

We did not find between-group differences in the mean age or number of post-craniectomy days. ST was diagnosed during the second post-craniectomy month. The occurrence of a sunken skin flap sign was similar in both groups (69.23 % in ST group, 57.89 % in control group). Occurrence of paradoxical herniation and deviation of the midline structures were not significantly different between groups. Mean relative intracranial CSF volume was significantly smaller in ST patients (ST = 5.59 %, controls = 8.12 %, p = 0.01). ST patients, compared to controls, had also significantly smaller mean 3rd ventricle volumes (ST = 1748 mm3, controls = 2772.97 mm3, p = 0.03).

Conclusions

ST is an infrequent and delayed post-craniectomy complication. The most common radiological findings (paradoxical herniation, deviation of the midline structures, and sunken skin flap sign) might not be specific for ST. Significantly lower 3rd ventricle, and relative intracranial CSF volumes, suggest that altered biophysical CSF properties underlie ST pathophysiology. Therefore, volume measurements of 3rd ventricle could be useful for identification of patients who have higher probability of developing the ST.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service du Développement et de la Croissance, Département de l’enfant et de l’adolescent, HUG, 6 rue Willy-Donzé, CH - 1211, Genève 14, Switzerland

    Lana Vasung

  2. Division of Neuroradiology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

    Lana Vasung, Maria Carmen Alcaraz Soto, Samuel Sommaruga & Maria Isabel Vargas

  3. Division of Radiology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

    Marion Hamard

  4. Division of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

    Lukas Sveikata

  5. Division of Neurorehabilitation, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

    Beatrice Leemann

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  1. Lana Vasung
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  3. Maria Carmen Alcaraz Soto
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Correspondence to Lana Vasung.

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We declare that all human and animal studies have been approved by the Swiss Ethics Committees on research involving humans and have therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. We declare that due to retrospective nature of this study, informed consent was waived.

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We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Lana Vasung and Marion Hamard are joint first authors.

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Vasung, L., Hamard, M., Soto, M.C.A. et al. Radiological signs of the syndrome of the trephined. Neuroradiology 58, 557–568 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-016-1651-8

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