Myelomeningoceles and Meningoceles
MYELOMENINGOCELES Patients with myelomeningoceles are often referred to as having spina bifida; however, the term spina bifida refers to a midline defect in the mesenchyma-derived tissues and does not include…
Encephaloceles, Meningoceles, and Dermal Sinuses
Although relatively uncommon in North America, the surgical correction of sincipital encephaloceles presents the neurosurgeon with a significant challenge. This chapter discusses surgical principles necessary to obtain an optimal surgical…
Posterior Fossa Neoplasms
The common posterior fossa tumors in children include medulloblastomas, juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas (JPAs), ependymomas, and brainstem gliomas. Craniotomies are almost always indicated for medulloblastomas, astrocytomas, and ependymomas: to make a…
Neuroendoscopy
OVERVIEW Neuroendoscopy has emerged as a valuable technologic adjunct in the treatment of many neurosurgical conditions. Endoscopically guided shunt placement, membrane fenestration, and tumor management are the most common procedures…
Midline Intraaxial Neoplasms
The third ventricle is a common location for pediatric brain tumors. In this location, various types of tumors can occur, and the histological distribution differs between the anterior and posterior…
Temporal-Lobe Epilepsy
Functional Disorders Epilepsy affects approximately 0.5 to 1.0% of the population, and its onset most frequently occurs during childhood. In young children, uncontrolled seizures adversely affect intellectual maturation and the…
Repair of Skull Fractures
Trauma Twenty percent of children admitted to the hospital with head injury have a skull fracture. About 25% of skull fractures are depressed, and about 10% of those will be…
Craniosynostosis
The treatment of craniosynostosis has evolved dramatically over the last 50 years. Linear-strip craniectomies were the first treatment approaches used to release synostotic cranial sutures. This approach was effective in…
Vascular Malformations
Vascular Disease The presenting symptom of eighty percent of arteriove-nous malformations (AVMs) in children is spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage. The hemorrhagic stroke in children, in particular, often has a devastating presentation…
Spina Bifida Occulta
Spina bifida occulta (SBO) is a complex of congenital disorders of the spine that are united by a common etiology and embryologic error, clinical presentation, and occurrence of more than…
