Journal of Clinical Medicine

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Massimiliano Visocchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Neurosurgery, Medical School, Catholic University of Rome, 00513 Rome, Italy
Interests: general neurosurgery; craniovertebral junction; complex spine neurosurgery; neurotraumatology; functional neurosurgery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue titled "Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery: From Up-to-Date Practitioners" provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements and best practices in the fields of neurosurgery and spine surgery. This collection of articles showcases cutting-edge research, techniques, and clinical experiences from leading experts in these disciplines.

The Special Issue focuses on research articles and reviews, emphasizing the exclusion of case reports to maintain a high level of scientific rigor. Topics covered include innovative surgical approaches, emerging technologies, perioperative care, patient outcomes, and interdisciplinary collaboration in the treatment of neurological and spinal disorders.

This compilation serves as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals, researchers, and students interested in staying current with the rapidly evolving landscape of neurosurgery and spine surgery. The contributions of seasoned practitioners shed light on the most pressing issues and promising developments in these crucial medical specialties.

Prof. Dr. Massimiliano Visocchi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

neurosurgery
spine surgery
surgical techniques
research
advances
patient outcomes
interdisciplinary collaboration
healthcare
medical innovation
clinical practices

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 422 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Superinfections of the Spine: A Single-Institution Experience

by Anthony K. Chiu, Bibhas Amatya, Idris Amin, Amit S. Ratanpal, Alexandra Baker Lutz, Brian M. Shear, Ivan B. Ye, Robin Fencel, Louis J. Bivona, Eugene Y. Koh, Julio J. Jauregui, Steven C. Ludwig and Daniel L. Cavanaugh

J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(10), 2739; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcm13102739 - 07 May 2024

Viewed by 123

Abstract

Background/Objectives: A superinfection occurs when a new, secondary organism colonizes an existing infection. Spine infections are associated with high patient morbidity and sometimes require multiple irrigations and debridements (I&Ds). When multiple I&Ds are required, the risk of complications increases. The purpose of this study was to report our experience with spine superinfections and determine which patients are typically affected. Methods: A retrospective case series of spine superinfections and a retrospective case–control analysis were conducted. Data were collected manually from electronic medical records. Spine I&Ds were identified. Groups were created for patients who had multiple I&Ds for (1) a recurrence of the same causative organism or (2) a superinfection with a novel organism. Preoperative demographic, clinical, and microbiologic data were compared between these two outcomes. A case series of superinfections with descriptive data was constructed. Lastly, two illustrative cases were provided in a narrative format. Results: A total of 92 patients were included in this analysis. Superinfections occurred after 6 out of the 92 (7%) initial I&Ds and were responsible for 6 out of the 24 (25%) repeat I&Ds. The preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) of the patients with a superinfection were significantly lower than those in the control group (p = 0.022 and p = 0.032). Otherwise, the observed differences in the preoperative variables were not statistically different. In the six cases of superinfection, the presence of high-risk comorbidities, a history of substance abuse, or a lack of social support were commonly observed. The superinfecting organisms included Candida, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Staphylococcus species. Conclusions: Superinfections are a devastating complication requiring reoperation after initial spine I&D. Awareness of the possibility of superinfection and common patient archetypes can be helpful for clinicians and care teams. Future work is needed to examine how to identify, help predict, and prevent spine superinfections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery: From Up-to-Date Practitioners)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 722 KiB

Open AccessReview

Optical Methods for Brain Tumor Detection: A Systematic Review

by Gustav Burström, Misha Amini, Victor Gabriel El-Hajj, Arooj Arfan, Maria Gharios, Ali Buwaider, Merle S. Losch, Francesca Manni, Erik Edström and Adrian Elmi-Terander

J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(9), 2676; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcm13092676 - 02 May 2024

Viewed by 345

Abstract

In brain tumor surgery, maximal tumor resection is typically desired. This is complicated by infiltrative tumor cells which cannot be visually distinguished from healthy brain tissue. Optical methods are an emerging field that can potentially revolutionize brain tumor surgery through intraoperative differentiation between healthy and tumor tissues. This study aimed to systematically explore and summarize the existing literature on the use of Raman Spectroscopy (RS), Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) for brain tumor detection. MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for studies evaluating the accuracy of these systems for brain tumor detection. Outcome measures included accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. In total, 44 studies were included, covering a range of tumor types and technologies. Accuracy metrics in the studies ranged between 54 and 100% for RS, 69 and 99% for HSI, 82 and 99% for OCT, and 42 and 100% for DRS. This review provides insightful evidence on the use of optical methods in distinguishing tumor from healthy brain tissue. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery: From Up-to-Date Practitioners)

► Show Figures