Is it sellar based? suprasellar (S)? clival? Planum sphenoidale (PS)? Tuberculum sellae (arrow)?
▶️Location can change operative approach including but not limited to subfrontal vs transsphenoidal
2️⃣Where is the normal pituitary gland?
▶️this can be tough when the mass is large but the normal tissue often enhances more avidly than tumor so look for a strip of relatively avid enhancement along the periphery of the mass. Surgeons do not want to remove normal pit tissue
3️⃣Where is the tumor in relation to the stalk?
Transection of the pit stalk can lead to endocrine dysfunction
4️⃣Does the mass invade the cavernous sinus?
I have seen some variation for evaluating cavernous sinus invasion
I use encasement of greater than 2/3 of the cavernous carotid as invasion and if it crosses the midcarotid line I use that as more suggestive/indeterminate
5️⃣Is there hemorrhage/evidence of apoplexy?
High signal on T1 and fluid-fluid levels on T2 suggest hemorrhage which should be correlated for apoplexy. SWI is often not helpful due to surrounding bone/air susceptibility and lack of associated hemosiderin deposition
6️⃣Where is the optic chiasm? Is it compressed?
Avoiding injury to the optic chiasm and debulking tumor/decompressing the chiasm is of course, preferred
7️⃣Where is the intersinus septum of the sphenoid? Are there cavernous carotid variants? Where is the anterior clinoid in relation to the carotid? Is the carotid canal covered? Are there sphenoid sinus variants?
🔷False cords (vestibular folds): Basically an inferior reflection of the aryepiglottic fold around the vestibular ligament
🔷Finding the false cords: Since the false cords have an attachment to the top of the arytenoid cartilage and are surrounded by paraglottic FAT we look for the TOP of the ARYTENOID cartilage and FAT in the same plane
🔷True vocal cords (vocal folds): Thickened free superior border of the conus elasticus forms the vocal ligament which is the structure of the true cord. The vocalis & thyroarytenoid MUSCLES release tension on the cord.
🔷Finding the true cords: Look for MUSCLE density and NO paraglottic fat at the level of the CRICOARYTENOID JOINT
⭐️ Answer: Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (no clear risk factor in this case)
🔷CLINICAL: Abrupt onset of severe neck or back pain that can radiate into the extremities and commonly is followed by symptoms ranging from nerve root agitation to full neurologic impairment
🔷RISK FACTORS:
▶️Idiopathic (40-60%)
▶️Anticoagulant use
▶️AVM, AVF or other vascular malformation
▶️Underlying coagulopathy
▶️Tumor
▶️Pregnancy
❓ Possible explanation for cases without known risk factors: 🧠 🩸The internal epidural plexus that drains the abdomen and thorax is a low pressure, valveless system that may rupture when the pressure is increased from valsalva maneuvers ❓
🔷For glioblastoma we need to rely on many clinical and imaging features to distinguish (no one feature is specific enough to diagnose so we need to take the whole clinical and radiographic picture into account)
🔷Important features to consider:
▶️Recency of treatment
💡 Radiation necrosis is usually seen from 2 to 32 months after therapy, with 85% of cases occurring within 2 years. A new or worsening abnormality starting 3 years after completion of radiation therapy is very unlikely to be due to pure radiation necrosis. In the first 2–3 years, both tumor and radiation necrosis can occur
▶️Clinical symptoms (although both tumor progression and radiation necrosis can be symptomatic, we want to be careful calling tumor progression in a patient who is clinically doing well as this is devastating news for the patient and there are only limited options for therapy)
⭐️ Answer: petrous apicitis complicated by brainstem abscess
🔷Petrous apicitis can display the clinical triad of Gradenigo’s syndrome
1️⃣Otorrhea
2️⃣Cranial nerve 6 palsy
3️⃣Pain in distribution of trigeminal nerve
▶️Petrous apicitis usually occurs as a complication of otomastoiditis when the infection spreads to the skull base.
▶️The petrous apex is in close proximity to Dorello’s canal (where cranial nerve 6 runs through) and Meckel’s cave (where the trigeminal ganglion is located)
▶️CVT causes retrograde venous pressure leading to focal vasogenic edema
▶️Increased back pressure is characterized by dilated veins and petechial hemorrhage which can progress to large hematomas and ischemic neurological damage
🔷Two types of edema can develop:
1️⃣Vasogenic (from venous back pressure)
2️⃣Cytotoxic (ischemia)
🔷Risk factors:
💡 Up to 20% are idiopathic
1️⃣Trauma
2️⃣Tumor/malignancy (compression/invasion from meningioma)
3️⃣Infection
4️⃣Hormonal (pregnancy)
5️⃣Dehydration