SUMMARY OF EBS TOPICS: 2011-2012
Cerebrovascular
Is iv MsO4 effective in achieving good outcome in patients with aneurysmal SAH
What are the indications for surgical removal of supratentorial cavernomas.
Efficacy of venous sinus stenting for patients with benign intracranial hypertension
Does surgical occlusion of the patent Galenic system lead to increased mortality/morbidity
What is the obliteration rate, bleed rate, side effect rate for large AVMs treated by staged SRS
What are the indications for surgical treatment in a 16 year old presenting with ICH due to SMG V
AVM
What is the risk of developing a new aneurysm in a patient who has cerebral aneurysm(s)
Role of virtual reality with dynamic and haptic feedback in occipital horn ventricular catheterization
for ventriculoperitoneal shunt
What are complications experienced for freehand catheterization of the ventricle and would virtual
reality reduce such complications.
Are unruptured familial intracranial aneurysms at greater risk of rupture.
Can early surgery for poor grade patients reduce the risk of rebleeding without causing deterioration
and causing excess morbidity and mortality
What is the effectiveness of optic nerve sheath fenestration (ONSF) in patients with idiopathic
intracranial hypertension. How does ONSF compare with other treatments of idiopathic intracranial
hypertension.
How often do de novo cerebral aneurysms happen. How often should treated cerebral aneurysm
patients be imaged.
Does an AVM recur after microsurgical resection with a negative postoperative angiogram
In patients with symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis is there enough evidence to recommend
endovascular over medical treatment.
Trauma
What is the role of prophylactic antiepileptic drugs in brain injured patients.
In adults with chronic subdural hematoma, what are the benefits of craniotomy over other forms of
treatment.
Spine
Surgery for Coccygeal pain
Does laminectomy increase the rate of adjacent segment disease
What is the effect of the approach side during anterior discectomy and fusion on the incidence of
dysphonia/hoarseness
What are the indications and appropriate timing for discectomy for acute lumbar disc prolapse
Are bone scans/SPECT reliable means of investigation for the detection of facet joint arthropathy
Neuro-oncology
Do molecular markers in glioblastoma have dependable diagnostic, prognostic and treatment value
to be considered for routine use
Is it necessary to perform a Simpson Grade 1 resection of a meningioma to prevent/reduce rate of
recurrence/growth
Does addition of GKS to WBRT prolong survival in metastatic melanoma of the brain
What is the recurrence rate in parasagittal meningioma of total vs subtotal resection
Sensitivity and specificity of PET in diagnosing a tumor recurrence in high grade astrocytoma.
What is the best imaging modality to differentiate tumor recurrence from radionecrosis in
astrocytomas
What are the current treatment options for low grade oligodendrogliomas and significant loss of
hetrozygosity
Do anti-epileptic drugs prevent new onset of seizures in adult patients with glioma
Does the use of perioperative pharmacological VTE prohylaxis (ie: heparin) provide an overall benefit
for patients undergoing intracranial surgery
Left medial temporal lobe neoplasia – relation between extent of resection and neurocognitive
outcome.