BACKGROUND: Neuromonitoring in medical intensive care units is challenging as most patients are unfit for invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) modalities or unstable to transport for imaging. Ultrasonography-based optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) is an attractive option as it is reliable, repeatable and easily performed at the bedside. It has been sufficiently validated in traumatic brain injury (TBI) to be incorporated into the guidelines. However, currently the data for non-TBI patients is inconsistent for a scientific recommendation to be made.
OBJECTIVE: To compile the existing evidence for understanding the scope of ONSD in measuring ICP in adult non-traumatic neuro-critical patients.
METHODS: PubMed, Google Scholar and research citation analysis databases were searched for studies in adult patients with non-traumatic causes of raised ICP. Studies from 2010 to 2024 in English languages were included.
RESULTS: We found 37 articles relevant to our search. The cutoff for ONSD in predicting ICP varied from 4.1 to 6.3 mm. Most of the articles used cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure followed by raised ICP on computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging as the comparator parameter. ONSD was also found to be a reliable outcome measure in cases of acute ischaemic stroke, intracerebral bleeding and intracranial infection. However, ONSD is of doubtful utility in septic metabolic encephalopathy, dysnatremias and aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.
CONCLUSIONS: ONSD is a useful tool for the diagnosis of raised ICP in non-traumatic neuro-critically ill patients and may also have a role in the prognostication of a subset of patients.

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare low-grade glial neoplasm of the central nervous system accounting for less than 1% of all astrocytomas. Similar to other gliomas, it can rarely arise from glial nests in the meninges, manifesting as an extra-axial mass mimicking a meningioma. Extra axial PXA is an extremely rare entity. Therefore, there are no standardized guidelines. In this article, we report the fourth case, so far, of a solitary primary extra-axial PXA mimicking a meningioma in a 23-year-old woman who presented with temporal seizures and features of raised intracranial pressure. Through this case, we tried to discuss all treatment options.

UNASSIGNED: Terson syndrome (TS) is a neuro-ophthalmologic disease arising due to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), resulting in the formation of subhyaloid hemorrhagic spots. These spots can affect the ability to see due to the alteration of the optic cameras. Although it often affects both eyes, the symptoms and the eye involvement can be asymmetrical in rare cases.
UNASSIGNED: We described the case of a 52-year-old female patient who developed Terson disease following the rupture of a right middle cerebral artery aneurysm occurring during coitus with SAH (Fisher grade III). The aneurysm was treated by endovascular coiling. Interestingly, despite the major involvement of the right eye, the patient primarily manifested symptoms of visual changes in the left eye.
UNASSIGNED: TS is a frequent ocular complication of SAH, with symptoms typically affecting both eyes. Characterized by hemorrhagic spots in both subhyaloid layers, the syndrome\'s symptomatology is generally bilateral. However, in the case described, the manifestation is deemed atypical, primarily appearing contralateral to the hemisphere exhibiting a greater pattern of SAH.

BACKGROUND: During gynecological laparoscopic surgery, pneumoperitoneum and the Trendelenburg position (TP) can lead to increased intracranial pressure (ICP). However, it remains unclear whether perioperative fluid therapy impacts ICP. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of restrictive fluid (RF) therapy versus conventional fluid (CF) therapy on ICP in gynecological laparoscopic surgery patients by measuring the ratio of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) to the eyeball transverse diameter (ETD) using ultrasound.
METHODS: Sixty-four patients who were scheduled for laparoscopic gynecological surgery were randomly assigned to the CF group or the RF group. The main outcomes were differences in the ONSD/ETD ratios between the groups at predetermined time points. The secondary outcomes were intraoperative circulatory parameters (including mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and urine volume changes) and postoperative recovery indicators (including extubation time, length of post-anaesthesia care unit stay, postoperative complications, and length of hospital stay).
RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the ONSD/ETD ratio and the ONSD over time between the two groups (all p > 0.05). From T2 to T4, the ONSD/ETD ratio and the ONSD in both groups were higher than T1 (all p < 0.001). From T1 to T2, the ONSD/ETD ratio in both groups increased by 14.3%. However, the extubation time in the RF group was shorter than in the CF group [median difference (95% CI) -11(-21 to -2) min, p = 0.027]. There were no differences in the other secondary outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecological surgery, RF did not significantly lower the ONSD/ETD ratio but did shorten the tracheal extubation time, when compared to CF.
BACKGROUND: ChiCTR2300079284. Registered on December 29, 2023.

BACKGROUND: Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an acute demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, characterize by multiple white matter hyperintensities on T2 MRI. Patients usually present with subacute progressive encephalopathy and polyfocal neurological deficits. Possible treatments are corticosteroids, immunoglobulins and plasma exchange. Full clinical recovery is seen in more than half of the cases.
METHODS: We describe a case of a 62-year-old patient presenting with thunderclap headache as the first symptom, two weeks after an upper respiratory tract infection. The clinical course was complicated by progressive coma and intracranial hypertension mandating external ventricular drainage and sedation. Initial treatment with methylprednisolone was unsuccessful but clinical resolution and radiological regression was achieved after plasma exchanges and cyclophosphamide.
CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of ADEM presenting with thunderclap headache. Intracranial hypertension with the need for invasive neuromonitoring and pressure management is also a very rare complication of ADEM. In this report, we describe the findings of the literature review concerning ADEM, thunderclap headache and intracranial hypertension.

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms that can occur intraventricularly, presenting diagnostic and management challenges. We describe a case of a 21-year-old male with no significant medical history who presented with intermittent headaches and vomiting, progressing to continuous symptoms. Neurological examination was unremarkable. Brain MRI revealed an isointense lesion in the occipital horn of the left lateral ventricle, diagnosed as an SFT. Surgical excision via a transcortical approach was successful, followed by postoperative radiotherapy. This case highlights the complexities in diagnosing and treating intraventricular SFTs, emphasizing the need for comprehensive evaluation and multimodal management strategies.

Acute liver failure is a rare and dynamic condition, with a broad aetiology and an incompletely understood pathophysiology. Management of this life-threatening disease requires critical care and organ support and frequently early liver transplantation. Proper identification, prevention and treatment of complications such as intracranial hypertension and sepsis are critical to optimising outcomes. The identification of the cause of acute liver failure and the prompt initiation of the aetiological treatment can also improve prognosis. Survival has progressively improved in parallel to advances in medical treatment. Intracranial hypertension complicating hepatic encephalopathy is less frequent than in the past and intracranial pressure monitoring now relies on non-invasive techniques. Current prognostic models have good accuracy to identify patients who will die without liver transplantation but are not able to identify those in whom transplantation is futile. New prognostic markers to select patients for transplantation are still in the pipeline. Therapeutic plasma exchange and, in some centers, early renal replacement therapy are well established treatments for the disease. The use of other artificial liver devices in clinical practice is not supported by evidence. This review is intended to provide a clinical update on the management of acute liver failure, incorporating the most recent advances in the field.

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is considered a cornerstone in the management of refractory intracranial hypertension. For decades, DC was known as an occasionally lifesaving procedure; however, it was associated with numerous severe complications. The present study is a single-center retrospective case series study on with 321 patients who underwent DC between January, 2010 and December, 2020. All patients were divided into four groups as follows: Group A included patients who suffered from a space-occupying middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemic event; group B included individuals who developed intracerebral hemorrhage; group C included patients admitted for traumatic brain injury; and group D included patients with other neurosurgical entities that underwent DC, such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, tumors, brain abscess and cerebral ventricular sinus thrombosis events. The present study enrolled a total of 321 patients who underwent DC. Group A included 52 out of the 321 (16.1%) patients, group B included 51 (15.8%) patients, group C included 164 (51.0%) patients, and group D included 54 (16.8%) patients. Of the 321 patients, 235 (73.2%) were males, and the median age was 53.7 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that only the group A parameter was an independent factor associated with a Glasgow outcome scale score >2 during follow-up (P<0.05). On the whole, the results of the present study suggest that among patients who underwent DC with different neurological entities, those who had experienced MCA events had more favorable outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Decompressive craniectomy is occasionally performed as a life-saving neurosurgical intervention in patients with acute severe brain injury to reduce refractory intracranial hypertension. Subsequently, cranioplasty (CP) is performed to repair the skull defect. In the meantime, patients are living without cranial bone protection, and little is known about their daily life. This study accordingly explored daily life among patients living without cranial bone protection after decompressive craniectomy while awaiting CP.
METHODS: A multiple-case study examined six purposively sampled patients, patients\' family members, and healthcare staff. The participants were interviewed and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS: The cross-case analysis identified five categories: \"Adapting to new ways of living,\" \"Constant awareness of the absence of cranial bone protection,\" \"Managing daily life requires available staff with adequate qualifications,\" \"Impact of daily life depends on the degree of recovery,\" and \"Daily life stuck in limbo while awaiting cranioplasty.\" The patients living without cranial bone protection coped with daily life by developing new habits and routines, but the absence of cranial bone protection also entailed inconveniences and limitations, particularly among the patients with greater independence in their everyday living. Time spent awaiting CP was experienced as being in limbo, and uncertainty regarding planning was perceived as frustrating.
CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a vulnerable group of patients with brain damage and communication impairments struggling to find new routines during a waiting period experienced as being in limbo. Making this period safe and reducing some problems in daily life for those living without cranial bone protection calls for a person-centered approach to care involving providing contact information for the correct healthcare institution and individually planned scheduling for CP.

Arachnoid cysts (ACs) are cerebrospinal fluid collections between the two layers of the normal arachnoid membrane. Although they are often asymptomatic with a stationary course, eventual complications may occur. Herein, we report the case of a 9-year-old boy who developed bilateral papilloedema secondary to spontaneous rupture of an AC in the left middle cranial fossa. Although the papilloedema worsened during follow-up, his visual field remained bilaterally stable, supporting the expectant management and obviating the potential morbidity associated with neurosurgical intervention. This case report highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to patients with secondary intracranial hypertension, including serial ophthalmological examinations, which provide a useful guide to surgical decision-making.