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Objective: The legal definitions of brain death are tantamount for legal dogmas and sometimes criminal intimidation of the treating doctors. The tests for brain death are only applicable to patients planned for organ transplantation. We intend to discuss the necessity of the “Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)” legislature in cases of brain death patients and applicability of tests for brain death irrespective of the intention for organ donation. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was performed till May 31, 2020 from the MEDLINE (1966 to July 2019) and Web of Science (1900 to July 2019). Search criteria included all publications with the MESH terms: “Brain Death/legislation and jurisprudence”[Mesh] OR “Brain Death/organization and administration”[Mesh] AND “India” [Mesh]. We also discuss the different opinions and implications of brain death versus brain stem death in India with the senior author (KG) who was responsible for South Asia's first multi-organ transplant after certifying brain death. Additionally, a hypothetical scenario of a DNR case is discussed in the current legal paradigm of India. Results: The systematic search yielded only five articles reporting a series of brain stem death cases with an acceptance rate of organ transplant among brain stem deaths being 34.8%. The most common solid organs transplanted were the kidney (73%) and liver (21%). A hypothetical scenario of a DNR and possible legal implications of the same under the current 'Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA)' of India remains unclear. A comparison of brain death laws in most Asian countries shows a similar pattern regarding the declaration of brain death and the lack of knowledge or legislature regarding DNR cases. Conclusion: After the determination of brain death, discontinuation of organ support requires the consent of the family. The lack of education and the lack of awareness have been major impediments in this medico-legal battle. There is also an urgent need to make laws for cases that do not qualify for brain death. This would help in not only realistic realization but also better triage of the health care resources while legally safeguarding the medical fraternity.

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Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently follows neurological disorders such as non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and has debilitating consequences. Objective: The aim of this systematic review was the critical appraisal of the literature on the frequency, severity, and temporal progression of PTSD in patients with SAH, the etiology of PTSD, and its effect on patients' quality of life (QoL). Material and Methods: Studies were obtained from three databases: PubMed EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Ovid Nursing. The inclusion criteria were English-language studies on adults (defined as at least 18 years of age) in which ≥10 of the participants received a diagnosis of PTSD following SAH. Applying these criteria, 17 studies (N = 1,381) were included. Results: Between 1% and 74% of the participants in each study had PTSD, with a weighted average of 36.6% across all studies. Post-SAH PTSD showed significant correlations with premorbid psychiatric disorders, neuroticism, and maladaptive coping styles. The risk of PTSD was also higher in participants with comorbid depression and anxiety. Stress related to post-ictal events and fear of recurrence were associated with PTSD. However, the risk of PTSD was lower in participants with effective social support networks. The participants' QoL was negatively affected by PTSD. Conclusions: This review highlights the high occurrence of PTSD in SAH patients. The temporal progression and chronicity of post-SAH PTSD warrant further research, as do its neuroanatomical and neurochemical correlates. We call for more randomized controlled trials investigating these aspects.

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Background: Parinaud syndrome is a dorsal mid-brain syndrome characterized by upgaze paralysis, convergence retraction nystagmus, and pupillary light-near dissociation. Infarctions or hemorrhages involving the mid-brain are the most frequent causes in older adults. Objective: To report a novel case of a patient who presented with classical parkinsonian signs and Parinaud syndrome. Material and Methods: Patient data were obtained from medical records from the Department of General Medicine, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India. Results: A 62-year-old previously healthy man presented with motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) for the past 6 years. The neurological examination revealed an asymmetric resting tremor of the upper limbs with rigidity, bradykinesia, hypophonia, hypomimia, decreased blinking, and micrographia. The neuro-ophthalmological examination showed Parinaud syndrome. He was treated with levodopa-carbidopa and trihexyphenidyl. After 6 months and 1 year of follow-up, his neurological condition was re-assessed; motor symptoms improved substantially, but Parinaud syndrome persisted. Conclusions: Parinaud syndrome can be a potential manifestation of PD. A detailed neuro-ophthamological examination should be carried out even in patients having a diagnosis of classic PD in whom eye-movement abnormalities are distinctly infrequent.

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Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which not only produces respiratory symptoms but is known to involve almost every system, and its neuroinvasive properties have been well demonstrated throughout the pandemic. Also, to combat the pandemic, there was rapid development and induction of various vaccination drives, following which many adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) have been reported, which include neurological complications as well. Method: We present a series of three cases, post vaccination, with and without a history of COVID illness that showed remarkably similar findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Result: A 38-year-old male presented with complaints of weakness of the bilateral lower limbs with sensory loss and bladder disturbance a day after receiving his first dose of ChadOx1 nCoV-19 (COVISHIELD) vaccine. A 50-year-old male with hypothyroidism characterized by autoimmune thyroiditis and impaired glucose tolerance experienced difficulty in walking 11.5 weeks after being administered with COVID vaccine (COVAXIN). A 38-year-old male presented with subacute onset progressive symmetric quadriparesis 2 months after their first dose of a COVID vaccine. The patient also had sensory ataxia, and his vibration sensation was impaired below C7. All three patients had typical pattern of involvement of the brain and spine on MRI with signal changes in bilateral corticospinal tracts, trigeminal tracts in the brain, and both lateral and posterior columns in the spine. Conclusion: This pattern of brain and spine involvement on MRI is a novel finding and is likely a result of post-vaccination/post-COVID immune-mediated demyelination.

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Background and Aim: Despite recent advances, the outcomes of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) remain dismal. This is a retrospective study to understand the pattern of care and its impact on DIPG patients diagnosed over 5 years in a single institute. Subjects and Methods: DIPGs diagnosed between 2015 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed to understand the demographics, clinical features, patterns of care, and outcomes. The usage of steroids and response to treatment were analyzed as per the available records and criteria. The re-irradiation cohort was propensity matched with patients with a progression-free survival (PFS) >6 months treated with supportive care alone based on PFS and age as a continuous variable. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and Cox regression model was used to identify any potential prognostic factors. Results: One hundred and eighty-four patients were identified with demographic profiles similar to western population-based data in the literature. Of them, 42.4% were residents from outside the state of the institution. About 75.2% of patients completed their first radiotherapy treatment, of which only 5% and 6% had worsening clinical symptoms and persistent need for steroids 1 month posttreatment. On multivariate analysis, Lansky performance status <60 (P = 0.028) and cranial nerve IX and X (P = 0.026) involvement were associated with poor survival outcomes while receiving radiotherapy with better survival (P < 0.001). In the cohort of patients receiving radiotherapy, only re-irradiation (reRT) was associated with improved survival (P = 0.002). Conclusion: Many patient families still do not choose radiotherapy treatment, although it has a consistent and significant positive association with survival and steroid usage. reRT further improves outcomes in the selective cohorts. Involvement of cranial nerves IX and X needs improved care.

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Background and Objective: Superior turbinate manipulation is often required in cases of narrow cavities and expanded endonasal approaches with concern for olfaction. The objective of the study was to compare the pre- and postoperative olfactory function in patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal pituitary excision with and without superior turbinectomy, using the Pocket Smell Identification Test and the quality of life (QOL) and Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) scores, irrespective of the extension (Knosp grading) of pituitary tumors. We also aimed to identify olfactory neurons in the excised superior turbinate with immunohistochemical (IHC) stains and correlate them with clinical findings. Materials and Methods: The study was a prospective, randomized study performed in a tertiary center. Two groups A and B, with superior turbinate preserved and resected, respectively, during endoscopic pituitary resection, were compared using pre- and postoperative Pocket Smell Identification Test and QOL and SNOT-22 scores. The superior turbinate was subjected to IHC staining to identify the presence of olfactory neurons in patients with tumors of pituitary gland requiring endoscopic trans-sphenoid resection. Results: Fifty patients with sellar tumors were enrolled. The mean age of patients in this study was 46.15 years. The minimum age was 18 years and the maximum was 75 years. Of the 50 patients in the study, 18 were female and 32 were male. Eleven patients had more than one presenting complaint. Loss of vision was the commonest and altered sensorium was the rarest symptom. Conclusion: Superior turbinectomy is a viable option to gain wider access to sella without affecting the sinonasal function, quality of life, and olfaction. There was doubtful presence of olfactory neurons in superior turbinate. The extent of tumor resection and postoperative complications were unaffected and statistically nonsignificant in both the groups.

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Background: Electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES) is an epileptic syndrome specific to childhood and has a broad clinical spectrum that included seizures, behavioral/cognitive impairments, and motor neurological symptoms. Antioxidants are seen as promising neuroprotective strategies for the epileptic state by combating the harmful effects of excessive oxidant formation in mitochondria. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the thiol–disulfide balance and to determine whether it can be used in the clinical and electrophysiological follow-up of patients with ESES, especially in addition to the electroencephalography (EEG) examination. Methods: The study included 30 patients, aged 2–18 years and diagnosed with ESES in the Pediatric Neurology Clinic of the Training and Research Hospital and a control group of 30 healthy children. Total thiol, native thiol, disulfide, and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels were measured, and disulfide–thiol ratios were calculated for both groups. Results: Native thiol and total thiol levels were significantly lower and IMA level and disulfide–native thiol percentage ratio were significantly higher in the ESES patient group than in the control group. Conclusion: Serum thiol–disulfide homeostasis is an accurate marker of oxidative stress in ESES, and standard and automated measures of thiol–disulfide balance as an indicator of oxidative stress showed a shift toward oxidation in ESES patients in this study. The negative correlation between spike-wave index (SWI) and thiol levels, and serum thiol–disulfide levels suggest that they can be used as biomarkers for follow-up of patients with ESES in addition to EEG. IMA can also be used for long-term response to monitoring purposes at ESES.

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Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are less-emphasized adverse effects of dopamine agonists. Evidence on prevalence and predictors of ICDs in patients with prolactinomas is limited and confined chiefly to cross-sectional studies. This was a prospective study performed to investigate ICDs in treatment-naïve patients with macroprolactinomas (n = 15) using cabergoline (Group I), compared to consecutive patients of nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas (n = 15) (Group II). Clinical, biochemical, radiological parameters and psychiatric comorbidities were evaluated at baseline. ICD was assessed by Minnesota impulsive disorder interview, modified hypersexuality and punding questionnaires, South Oaks gambling scale, kleptomania symptom assessment scale, Barratt impulsive scale (BIS), and internet addiction scores (IAS) at baseline and 12 weeks. Group I had a significantly lower mean age (28.5 vs. 42.2 years) with a female predominance (60%) compared to group II. Median tumor volume was lower in group I (4.92 vs. 14 cm³) despite significantly longer symptom duration (2.13 vs. 0.80 years) than in group II. Serum prolactin decreased by 86% (P = 0.006) and tumor volume decreased by 56% (P = 0.004) at 12 weeks in group I, with a mean weekly cabergoline dose of 0.40 ± 0.13 mg. There was no difference between both groups in hypersexuality, gambling, punding, and kleptomania symptom assessment scale scores at baseline and 12 weeks. Mean BIS showed a more remarkable change in group I (16.2% vs. 8.4%, P = 0.051), and 38.5% of patients transitioned from average to above-average IAS in group I. The current study found no increased risk of ICD with short-term use of cabergoline in patients with macroprolactinomas. The use of age-appropriate scores (such as IAS in younger individuals) may help diagnose subtle alterations in impulsivity.

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Background: Fibrin glue as an adjunct in peripheral nerve injuries has gained recent popularity. Whether fibrosis and inflammatory processes which are the major hindrances in repair reduce with fibrin glue has more of theoretical support than experimental. Methodology: A prospective nerve repair study was conducted between two different species of rats as donor and recipient. Four comparison groups with 40 rats were outlined with or without fibrin glue in immediate post-injury period with fresh or cold preserved grafts were examined based on histological, macroscopic, functional, and electrophysiological criteria. Results: There was suture site granuloma along with neuroma formation and inflammatory reaction and severe epineural inflammation in allografts with immediate suturing (Group A), whereas suture site inflammation and epineural inflammation were negligible in cold preserved allografts with immediate suturing (Group B). Allografts with minimal suturing and glue (Group C) had less severe epineural inflammation with less severe suture site granuloma and neuroma formation as compared to first two groups. Continuity of nerve was partial in later group as compared to other two. In fibrin glue only group (Group D), suture site granuloma and neuroma were absent, with negligible epineural inflammation, but continuity nerve was partial to absent in most of the rats with some showing partial continuity. Functionally, microsuturing with or without glue demonstrated significant difference with better SLR and toe spread (p = 0.042) as compared with only glue. Electrophysiologically, NCV was maximum in Group A and least in Group D at 12 weeks. We report significant difference in CMAP and NCV between microsuturing group vs. only glue group (p < 0.05) and also between microsuturing with glue group vs. only glue group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: There may be more data required with proper standardization for adept usage of fibrin glue. Though our results have shown partial success, it nonetheless highlights the lack of sufficient data for widespread glue usage.

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Background: Endoscopic chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) evacuation is a safe and effective alternative to the conventional burr hole technique. Although a rigid endoscope has the advantage of good visualization, there are risks of brain damage due to limited space to accommodate the scope and frequent lens soiling. Objective: This technical note describes a novel brain retractor to overcome the limitations of rigid endoscopy. Methods: The novel brain retractor (by senior author) was made by dividing a silicon tube longitudinally into two halves, and tapered for easy introduction in the operative cavity. Sutures were placed at the outer end of the retractor to prevent migration and to assist in angulation. Results: The novel retractor along with endoscopic assistance was used in 362 CSDH procedures. Endoscopy combined with this retractor provided additional help in complete removal of hematoma in organized/solid clots, septa, bridging vessels, and rapid expansion of brain in 83, 23, 21, and 24 patients, respectively (n = 151, 44%). Although there were three deaths (due to poor preoperative status), and two recurrences, there were no retractor-induced complications. Conclusions: The novel brain retractor assists endoscope in proper visualization of complete hematoma cavity by gentle and dynamic brain retraction, helps in thorough irrigation of hematoma cavity, protects the brain, and prevents lens soiling. It allows easy insertion of the endoscope and instruments using bimanual technique even in patients with a small width of hematoma cavity.

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Background: Retained microcatheter after endovascular embolization of brain vascular malformation lesions poses serious risks. Long-term complications have been sparsely described in the literature. Material and Methods: We report a rare complication of limb ischemia following the complete migration of a retained microcatheter. The literature review was performed using the mesh terms “complications,” “endovascular interventions,” “retained catheter,” and “Onyx” on PubMed. Result: The patient had undergone embolization of dural AV fistula (DAVF) at the craniovertebral junction (CVJ) 5 years before presentation using ethylene vinyl alcohol (Onyx). He presented with acute right lower limb ischemia. Emergency endovascular removal of the catheter and thrombus aspiration were done. Conclusion: Migrated catheters confined within vascular lumen can be effectively treated by an endovascular approach. Patient education about complications may help in seeking medical care for timely intervention.

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Background: Melioidosis is a bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei that is endemic in Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and Africa. Neurological involvement is rare and reported in 3–5% of total cases. Objective: The purpose of this study was to report a series of cases of melioidosis with neurological involvement and a brief review of the literature. Materials and Methods: We collected the data from six melioidosis patients having neurological involvement. Clinical, biochemical, and imaging findings were analyzed. Result: All patients in our study were adults (age range 27 to 73 years). The presenting symptoms were fever of varying duration (range 15 days to 2 months). Altered sensorium was noted in five patients. Four cases had brain abscess, one had meningitis, and one had a spinal epidural abscess. All cases of brain abscesses were T2 hyperintense with an irregular wall showing central diffusion restriction and irregular peripheral enhancement. The trigeminal nucleus was involved in one patient, but there was no enhancement of the trigeminal nerve. Extension along the white matter tract was noted in two patients. Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy done in two patients showed increased lipid/lactate and choline peak in both of them. Conclusion: Melioidosis can present as multiple micro-abscesses in the brain. Involvement of the trigeminal nucleus and extension along the corticospinal tract may raise the possibility of infection by B. pseudomallei. Meningitis and dural sinus thrombosis, although rare, can be presenting features.

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Background: Prospective analysis of oligo-brain metastasis in Indian patients treated with SRS-only treatment. Methods: Between January 2017 and May 2022, 235 patients were screened and 138 histologically proven and radiologically confirmed. One to five brain metastasis patients aged more than 18 years with good Karnofsky performance status (KPS >70) accrued in ethical and scientific committee-approved prospective observational study protocol for treatment with only radiosurgery (SRS) with robotic radiosurgery (CyberKnife, CK) [AIMS IRB: 2020-071; CTRI No: REF/2022/01/050237]. Immobilization was performed with a thermoplastic mask, contrast CT simulation was performed with 0.625 mm slices, fused with T1 contrast/T2 FLAIR MRI images for contouring. Planning target volume (PTV) margin of 2–3 mm and a dose of 20–30 Gy in 1–5 fractions. Response to treatment, new brain lesions free survival, overall survival, and toxicity profile after CK were evaluated. Results: In total, 138 patients with 251 lesions were accrued (median age 59 years (interquartile range [IQR] 49–67 years; female 51%; headache in 34%, motor deficit in 7%, KPS >90 in 56%; lung primary in 44%, breast in 30%; oligo-recurrence in 45%; synchronous oligo-metastases in 33%; adenocarcinoma primary in 83%). One hundred seven patients (77%) received upfront Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRS), 15 (11%) received postoperative SRS, 12 (9%) received whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) before SRS, and 3 (2%) received WBRT plus SRS boost. The majority had solitary (56%) brain metastasis, 28% had two to three lesions, and 16% had four to five brain lesions. Frontal (39%) was the most common site. Median PTV was 15.5 mL (IQR – 8.1–28.5 mL). Seventy-one (52%) patients were treated with single fractions, 14% with three, and 33% with five fractions. Fraction schedules were 20–2 4 Gy/1fr; 27 Gy/3fr, and 25 Gy/5 fractions (mean BED 74.6 Gy [SD ± 48.1; mean MU 16608], mean treatment time was 49 min (range 17–118 min]. Twelve Gy normal brain volume was 40.8 mL (3.2%) (range 19.3–73.7 mL). At a mean follow-up of 15 months (SD 11.9 months; max 56 months), the mean actuarial OS after SRS-only treatment was 23.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 20–28). Further 124 (90%) patients had >3 months, 108 (78%) had >6 months, 65 (47%) had >12 months, and 26 (19%) had >24 months follow-up. Intracranial disease and extracranial disease were controlled in 72 (52.2%) and 60 (43.5%), respectively. “In-field” recurrence, “out-of-field,” and “both in and out-of-field” recurrences were in 11%, 42%, and 46%, respectively. At the last follow-up, 55 patients (40%) were alive, 75 (54%) died due to disease progression, and the status of 8 (6%) patients was not known. Among 75 patients who died, 46 (61%) had extracranial disease progression, 12 (16%) had only intracranial progression, and 8 (11%) had unrelated causes. Also, 12/117 (9%) had radiological confirmation of radiation necrosis. Prognostication based on western patients (primary tumor type, number of lesions extracranial disease) showed similar outcomes. Conclusions: SRS alone in brain metastasis is feasible in the Indian subcontinent with similar survival outcomes, recurrence patterns, and toxicity as published in the western literature. Patient selection, dose schedule, and planning need to be standardized to have similar outcomes. WBRT can be safely omitted in Indian patients with oligo-brain metastasis. Western prognostication nomogram is applicable in the Indian patient population.

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Intramedullary location is seldom seen in spinal cord neoplasms. Ependymomas and astrocytomas comprise the vast majority of these intramedullary lesions. Primary spinal origin is rarely seen in gliosarcomas. No epithelioid glioblastomas have been reported in the spine. We describe the case of an 18-year-old male who presented with symptoms suggestive of a spinal mass lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a homogeneous intradural-intramedullary lesion involving the conus medullaris. Biopsy of the lesion showed a unique morphology comprising gliosarcoma and epithelioid glioblastoma differentiation, supported by relevant immunohistochemistry. The prognosis of such an entity is expected to be poor. However, the presence of mutant BRAF V600E, as seen in the current case, and the availability of targeted therapy against it are expected to improve the prognosis.

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Background: Primary hypophysitis is a rare condition, usually diagnosed retrospectively after surgery for a suspected pituitary adenoma. Improved awareness of the condition and better imaging have resulted in more patients being diagnosed without surgery. Objective: A retrospective chart analysis study of hypophysitis from a single secondary endocrine and neurosurgical referral center in eastern India was conducted between 1999 and 2021 to assess the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges posed by these patients. Methods and Material: Fourteen patients presented to the center between 1999 and 2021. All patients had an MRI of the head with contrast and a full clinical workup. Twelve patients had headache, of whom one had progressive visual impairment. One patient had severe weakness, attributed later to hypoadrenalism and one had sixth nerve palsy. Results: Six patients had glucocorticoids as their primary treatment, four refused treatment, and one was on glucocorticoid replacement. One patient had decompressive surgery because of progressive visual loss, and two had surgery because of a presumptive diagnosis of pituitary adenoma. There was no difference between the patients who had glucocorticoids and those who did not. Conclusions: Our data suggest that it is possible to identify most patients with hypophysitis on clinical and radiological grounds. In the largest published series on this subject and in ours, glucocorticoid treatment did not alter the outcome.

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Background: Endoscopic surgery has emerged in recent years as an alternative to conventional microsurgical approaches for removal of intraventricular tumors. Endoports have enhanced tumor access and visualization with a significant reduction in brain retraction. Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of endoport-assisted endoscopic technique for the removal of tumors from the lateral ventricle. Methods: The surgical technique, complications, and postoperative clinical outcomes were analyzed with a review of the literature. Results: Tumors were primarily located in one lateral ventricular cavity in all 26 patients, and extension to the foramen Monro and the anterior third ventricle was observed in seven and five patients, respectively. Except for three patients with small colloid cysts, all other tumors were larger than 2.5 cm. A gross total resection was performed in 18 (69%), subtotal in five (19%), and partial removal in three (11.5%) patients. Transient postoperative complications were observed in eight patients. Two patients required postoperative CSF shunting for symptomatic hydrocephalus. All patients improved on KPS scoring at a mean follow-up of 4.6 months. Conclusions: Endoport-assisted endoscopic technique is a safe, simple, and minimally invasive method to remove intraventricular tumors. Excellent outcomes comparable to other surgical approaches can be achieved with acceptable complications.

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Background and Objective: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection is prevalent worldwide. COVID-19 infection can lead to various neurological disorders including acute stroke. We investigated the functional outcome and its determinants among our patients with acute stroke associated with COVID-19 infection in the present setup. Materials and Methods: This study is a prospective study in which we recruited acute stroke patients with COVID-19 positivity. Data on duration of COVID-19 symptoms and type of acute stroke were recorded. All patients underwent stroke subtype workup and measurement of D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH), procalcitonin, interleukin-6, and ferritin levels. Poor functional outcome was defined by modified Rankin score (mRS) ≥3 at 90 days. Results: During the study period, 610 patients were admitted for acute stroke, of whom 110 (18%) tested positive for COVID-19 infection. Majority (72.7%) were men with a mean age of 56.5 years and mean duration of COVID-19 symptoms for 6.9 days. Acute ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes were observed in 85.5% and 14.5% patients, respectively. Poor outcome was observed in 52.7%, including in-hospital mortality in 24.5% patients. COVID-19 symptoms ≤5 days (odds ratio [OR]: 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–2.99), CRP positivity (OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.41–4.87), elevated levels of D-dimer (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.51–5.61), interleukin-6 (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.04–4.74), and serum ferritin (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.02–6.07), and cycle threshold (Ct) value ≤25 (OR: 8.8, 95% CI: 6.52–12.21) were independent predictors of poor outcome. Conclusion: Poor outcomes were relatively higher among acute stroke patients with concomitant COVID-19 infection. In the present study, we established the independent predictors of poor outcome to be onset of COVID-19 symptoms (<5 days) and elevated levels of CRP, D-dimer, interleukin-6, ferritin, and Ct value ≤25 in acute stroke.

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Objective: We aim to find the temporal trend of incidence of post-resection cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion (ventriculoperitoneal [VP] shunt/endoscopic third ventriculostomy [ETV]) in pediatric posterior fossa tumor (pPFT) patients with no pre-resection CSF diversion and the possible clinical predictors. Methods: We reviewed 108 operated children (age ≤16 years) with PFTs, from 2012 to 2020, at a tertiary care center. Patients with preoperative CSF diversion (n = 42), lesions within cerebellopontine cistern (n = 8), and those lost to follow-up (n = 4) were excluded. Life table, Kaplan–Meier curve, univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine CSF-diversion-free survival and independent predictive factors, with significance defined as P < 0.05. Results: The median (IQR) age was 9 (7) years (M: F: 2.5:1). Mean (±SD) duration of follow-up was 32.43 ± 21.3 months. 38.9% of patients (n = 42) needed post-resection CSF diversion. Of these, 64.3% (n = 27) were done in early (≤ 30 days), 23.8% (n = 10) in intermediate (>30 days to ≤6 months), and 11.9% (n = 5) in late (≥6 months) postoperative period (P-value < 0.001). Preoperative papilledema (HR: −5.8, 95%CI: 1.7–5.8), periventricular lucency (PVL) (HR: 6.2, 95%CI: 2.3–16.6), and wound complication (HR: 3.8, 95%CI: 1.7–8.3) were found on univariate analysis as significant risk factors for early post-resection CSF diversion. On multivariate analysis, PVL on preoperative imaging (HR: −4.2, 95%CI: 1.2–14.7, P = 0.02) was identified as an independent predictor. Preoperative ventriculomegaly, raised intracranial pressure and intraoperative visualization of CSF egress from the aqueduct were not found to be significant factors. Conclusion: Significantly high incidence of post-resection CSF diversion in pPFTs occurs in early (≤30 days) postoperative period, with preoperative papilledema, PVL, and wound complication being its significant predictive factors. Postoperative inflammation, causing edema and adhesion formation can be one of the important factors for post-resection hydrocephalus in pPFTs.

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