SNI Digital Podcast

Exposure to Neurosurgery Among Undergraduate Medical Students in Europe: A Scoping Review; Tejas A. Sawant;

SUMMARY: Methods: The PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used as a reference to guide the search strategy. PubMed was the primary database used to search for articles about “Neurosurgery AND Europe AND (medical students OR undergraduate medical education)”.Results: 101 articles were returned in the PubMed search. 10 articles were identified as suitable to the scope of the review. Limited exposure to neurosurgery in the undergraduate medical curriculum was a common theme across articles. Conclusions: Exposure to neurosurgery through the undergraduate medical curriculum in Europe remains limited. Adopting a basic framework of didactic neurosurgery teaching as well as involvement in the operating theatre can boost interest and understanding. Conferences play a vital role in bridging the gap in the curriculum by improving access to neurosurgery and fostering better understanding of the field. Some Audience Reactions - The Irish data on clinical rotations was interesting and quite low. Would be good to see what the Scottish picture looks like alongside it. - Conferences like this one really do make a difference. I picked neurosurgery after going to one as a third-year medical student. - My university in the UK only has 2 weeks of neurology and neurosurgery combined

Exposure to Neurosurgery Among Undergraduate Medical Students in Europe: A Scoping Review; Tejas A. Sawant;

SUMMARY: Methods: The PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used as a reference to guide the search strategy. PubMed was the primary database used to search for articles about “Neurosurgery AND Europe AND (medical students OR undergraduate medical education)”.Results: 101 articles were returned in the PubMed search. 10 articles were identified as suitable to the scope of the review. Limited exposure to neurosurgery in the undergraduate medical curriculum was a common theme across articles. Conclusions: Exposure to neurosurgery through the undergraduate medical curriculum in Europe remains limited. Adopting a basic framework of didactic neurosurgery teaching as well as involvement in the operating theatre can boost interest and understanding. Conferences play a vital role in bridging the gap in the curriculum by improving access to neurosurgery and fostering better understanding of the field. Some Audience Reactions - The Irish data on clinical rotations was interesting and quite low. Would be good to see what the Scottish picture looks like alongside it. - Conferences like this one really do make a difference. I picked neurosurgery after going to one as a third-year medical student. - My university in the UK only has 2 weeks of neurology and neurosurgery combined

CP Angle: Extracranial Approaches; Dr. Dennis Malkasian; Part 1

SUMMARY: Dr. Dennis Malkasian, Neurosurgeon, Anatomist and Molecular biologist reviews the Surgical Anatomy of the CP ANGLE for Neurosurgeons approaching this area for the treatment of tumors there. Approximately 10% of all brain tumors arise in that location in addition to vascular lesions, lipomas, cysts, etc. The addition of medullary and posterior fossa lesions makes this area important surgically. We have divided his total presentation, which is ~150 minutes, into three parts for easier viewing. He uses his own outstanding anatomical diagrams which you have not seen before to illustrate his total presentation. Part 1 covers the Anatomy of the Extra-cranial approaches. (85 Minutes) Part 2 is a detailed Discussion of the anatomy the CP Angle (56 minutes) Part 3 is a discussion among Drs. Malkasian, Ausman, and Himstead on the Future of Neurosurgery by 2100 for the young neurosurgeon who wants to plan his future and “how to figure out how to provide value to the world and seek meaning and purpose in ones life” as Dr. Himstead says. (22 minutes ). (JIA)

Cauda Equina Neuroendocrine Tumour of the Filum Terminale: A Case Report and Summary of the Literature; Glasgow Neuro Meeting Video Abstracts; Theoklis Kouyialis; Christophoros Christophorou, Christina Oxinou, Demetris Fkiaras.

SUMMARY: Cauda Equina Neuroendocrine tumours (CENETs), previously known as Cauda Equina Paragangliomas (PGLs), are extremely rare vascular tumours of the spine which are mostly benign, slow-growing and well-demarcated from the surrounding structures...We present the case of a man in his 50s with a clinical history of low back pain exacerbated at night and right-sided sciatica with an L4 radicular distribution. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine revealed an intradural mass at the upper level of L4 with strong homogeneous enhancement following gadolinium contrast administration. Conclusions: Though the rarity of these tumours prevents the establishment of strict guidelines for their diagnosis and treatment, reviewing the existing data can provide safe and effective ways of diagnosing and selecting the best treatment options for such patients. Continued reporting of new cases, given the scarcity of information, is of extreme importance to guide evidence-based medicine in the future. Some Audience Reactions - Genuinely interesting write-up of a rare case. Really liked the discussions generated by Professor Walters - Important reminder that these tumours don’t always look like what you expect on imaging. - The point about the 2022 reclassification is well made. A lot of clinicians still call these paragangliomas out of habit.

Natural History of Pineal Cysts: A Retrospective Cohort Study; Yihui Cheng; Glasgow Neuro Meeting Video Abstracts; 2025-2026; Xin Y. Yap, Zahraa Dashti, Steven Tominey, Kevin Owusu-Agyemang, Edward J. St George.

SUMMARY: " Pineal cysts (PCs) are frequently identified incidentally on neuroimaging, yet their clinical significance was thought to be benign. While most remain stable, concerns persist regarding their potential to cause obstructive hydrocephalus or other mass effects. This study aimed to describe the natural history of PCs in adults in the West of Scotland...A total of 598 patients with PCs were identified from 1,851 MRI scans (mean age: 37 years, ranged 29–49 years; 68.3% female). Follow-up imaging was available in 256 cases (42.9%, median follow-up: 38 months [8–134 months]). Most cysts remained stable; only 11.7% (30/256) showed size changes, with 56.7% decreasing...Conclusion: Pineal cysts are generally stable incidental findings. Larger cysts (>15 mm) may cause clinically significant effects, including hydrocephalus, migraines, and headache diagnoses. As there are no significant differences in maximal diameter across cyst sizes, this supports a benign natural cause. Some Audience Reactions - 598 patients is quite a large dataset. Probably one of the largest UK series I’ve seen on pineal cysts. - We need to be aware that for a lot of these cysts, clinicians won’t refer or follow up - The female predominance is interesting and matches what’s been hinted at in smaller series. Worth a follow-up paper on its own. - Worth seeing the numbers on the correlation with headaches