Month: June 2025

Intraoperative ICG-VA with FLOW800 and multimodal fusion neuro-navigation for the resection of arteriovenous malformation with reduced blood loss

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In a retrospective cohort study, Yang et al. from The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (Suzhou, Jiangsu) and Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University (Beijing, China), published in World Neurosurgery, evaluated the safety and effectiveness of combining intraoperative indocyanine green video angiography (ICG-VA) with FLOW800 and multimodal fusion neuronavigation in the microsurgical resection of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

The combined use of ICG-VA, FLOW800, and multimodal neuro-navigation was associated with:

Reduced intraoperative blood loss

Improved functional outcomes

Lower rates of postoperative complications and reoperation

→ Enhancing both the safety and efficacy of AVM microsurgery.

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A flashy mix of fluorescence imaging, hemodynamic mapping, and navigation overlays is presented as a major leap forward in AVM surgery. Ninety patients, split into two groups. Outcomes like hemoglobin drop and mRS are tracked. Sounds solid. Until you actually read it.

⚠️ Fatal Methodological Flaws Retrospective Bias Parade: No randomization. No matching. No controls for AVM grade, eloquence, or preoperative hemorrhage. The groups may as well be different species.

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High activity of human cytomegalovirus in patients with Sjögren’s disease

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In a cross-sectional observational study using immunohistochemistry and serology to assess human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) activity in salivary gland tissue and serum samples, Pantalone et al. (Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm; Turku University, Finland) — published in Clinical Immunology — investigated the presence and potential role of HCMV in patients with Sjögren’s disease (SD).

Their findings showed:

  • SD patients had significantly higher expression of HCMV proteins in salivary gland tissue:
    1. HCMV-IE: 88.9%
    2. HCMV-LA: 69.2%
    3. HCMV-pp65: 45.8%
  • HCMV-specific IgM was more frequent in SD patients than in controls (32.1% vs. 13.4%, p = 0.04)
  • HCMV-IgG titers were significantly elevated in the SD group (p < 0.0001)

These results suggest a possible role of active or latent HCMV infection in the pathogenesis of Sjögren’s disease, although a causal relationship has not been established.

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🧠 Takeaway Message for Neurosurgeons

While Sjögren’s disease is primarily a rheumatologic condition, this study provides important implications for neurosurgeons:

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Global burden and trend of stroke attributable to metabolic risks among young adults (20–39 years old) from 1990 to 2021

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In a retrospective secondary analysis based entirely on data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 — with no original dataset, no prospective design, and no hypothesis testing — Liu et al., from the Department of Neurosurgery, Heping Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China, published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine an assessment of the global burden and long-term trends of stroke among young adults (ages 20–39) attributable to metabolic risk factors. The authors identify regional disparities and support the call for targeted prevention strategies.

The study concludes that the global burden of stroke attributable to metabolic risk factors among young adults (20–39 years old) has significantly increased from 1990 to 2021, both in terms of absolute numbers and age-standardized rates. The major contributors to this burden are high body mass index (BMI), high fasting plasma glucose, and high systolic blood pressure. The authors emphasize the need for targeted, age-specific public health interventions to reduce these modifiable risks and prevent early-onset stroke.

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Main Limitation

The study merely visualizes model-generated data without offering critical interpretation, clinical insight, or actionable public health strategies.

📉 Main Criticisms

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The impact of DRG payment reform on inpatient costs for different surgery types: an empirical analysis based on Chinese tertiary hospitals

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In a retrospective observational econometric analysis Luo et al. from the Panzhihua Central Hospital, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 1) in Frontiers in Public Health attempt to quantify the cost-containment effects of DRG-based payment systems in China hospitals using advanced statistical tools. They claim significant cost reductions (especially in drug and material expenditures) and more “concentrated” cost distribution post-reform.

Major Criticisms

1. **Shallow Econometric Sophistication Masquerading as Rigor**

While Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Difference-in-Differences (DiD) models are commonly used to infer causal effects, their validity hinges on critical assumptions — none of which are addressed with sufficient care here. The authors provide no robustness checks, falsification tests, or sensitivity analyses. The technical glitter hides conceptual rust.

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Early clinical experience with the Emboguard Balloon Guide Catheter: impact on technical success and patient outcomes in large vessel occlusion thrombectomy

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In a retrospective observational cohort study published in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, Mahat et al.—with participation from the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine—evaluated the early clinical performance of the Emboguard Balloon Guide Catheter (EBGC) in anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes treated with endovascular thrombectomy. The analysis relied on a prospectively maintained thrombectomy database, yet lacked a control group, randomization, or blinding, limiting its internal validity.

The study sought to assess:

Technical outcomes: rates of successful (mTICI 2b/3) and complete (mTICI 2c/3) recanalization, number of passes, and first-pass effect (FPE).

Clinical outcomes: NIHSS at discharge and functional status at 90 days (mRS).

Safety outcomes: incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and all-cause mortality.

While the reported results appear favorable, the commercial tone, lack of methodological rigor, and extensive conflicts of interest raise concerns that the study may serve more as an early promotional endorsement of the device rather than a robust, independent scientific evaluation. 1)

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Engineering of CD63 Enables Selective Extracellular Vesicle Cargo Loading and Enhanced Payload Delivery.

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In a preclinical experimental study, Obuchi et al. (2025)—with contributions from the Department of Neurosurgery at Leiden University Medical Center—engineered extracellular vesicles for selective cargo loading and enhanced functional delivery, using a modified CD63 scaffold and VSV-G fusion, with in vivo validation in mouse brain models. 1)

🚫 1. Rebranding Complexity as Innovation The authors tout a modular EV engineering system using CD63, mCherry, FLAG-tags, nanobody fusions, and VSV-G. But this is not scientific ingenuity—it’s molecular bricolage. Each component is repurposed from older literature and glued together without real conceptual novelty. The result? A bloated acronym soup with more moving parts than scientific value.

⚠️ What’s pitched as a breakthrough is closer to a tech demo in search of a clinical rationale.

❌ 2. Absence of Disease-Relevant Application Despite name-dropping CRISPR, Cre, and Cas9, no disease context is addressed. No glioma model. No neurodegenerative target. No proof that the cargo accomplishes anything biologically meaningful in the recipient tissue. The mouse brain “validation” is just a fluorescent readout, not a therapeutic outcome.

The cargo arrives, but so what? This is payload delivery without a payload purpose.

🧪 3. Methodological Blind Spots No quantification of EV heterogeneity or functional subpopulations.

No rigorous comparison with alternative delivery systems (e.g., AAVs, lipid nanoparticles).

No evidence of endosomal escape for actual cytoplasmic/nuclear action.

No dose-response curves, toxicity profiling, or repeatability metrics.

This is a biotech prototype, not a therapy-in-the-making.

🔥 4. VSV-G: The Short-Term High, Long-Term Problem The use of VSV-G, a viral fusogen with broad tropism and high immunogenicity, is particularly careless. While it boosts in vitro uptake and helps “sell” delivery efficiency, it introduces a critical translational liability: poor specificity, potential immune activation, and unsuitability for clinical use.

❝Putting VSV-G on EVs is like installing a rocket engine on a paper boat—it moves faster, but it’s doomed to burn out or sink.❞

🧱 5. Structural Inefficiency and Complexity The system requires:

Engineering CD63 with dual tags

Fusing cargo to a nanobody

FLAG-based purification

VSV-G pseudotyping

TEV protease cleavage

This is logistically unscalable for clinical or industrial production and riddled with points of failure. The more components you bolt on, the more it resembles a lab curiosity, not a deliverable platform.

📉 6. Journal Inflation and Institutional Complacency The publication in J Extracell Vesicles is not a mark of impact, but rather a reflection of how EV journals have drifted into translational cosplay, applauding synthetic elegance over clinical relevance. The heavyweight affiliations (MGH, Harvard, etc.) likely ensured acceptance despite the absence of therapeutic depth or mechanistic rigor.

🧠 Conclusion: A study more interested in showing what’s technically possible than what’s biologically meaningful. It trades therapeutic relevance for engineering flair, while ignoring the hard questions of targeting, safety, scalability, and necessity.

This is not a step toward Evidence-based medicine—it’s a flashy side road to nowhere.

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Obuchi W, Zargani-Piccardi A, Leandro K, Rufino-Ramos D, Di Lanni E, Frederick DM, Maalouf K, Nieland L, Xiao T, Repiton P, Vaine CA, Kleinstiver BP, Bragg DC, Lee H, Miller MA, Breakefield XO, Breyne K. Engineering of CD63 Enables Selective Extracellular Vesicle Cargo Loading and Enhanced Payload Delivery. J Extracell Vesicles. 2025 Jun;14(6):e70094. doi: 10.1002/jev2.70094. PMID: 40527733.

Use of N-hexyl Cyanoacrylate Monomers for the Treatment of Intra- and Extracranial Arteriovenous Malformations: A Single-Center Experience

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In a retrospective single-center case series (n=22 patients, 24 procedures) with no control group or comparison, Murias Quintana et al. from the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Essen, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca 1) aim to describe outcomes after the use of N-hexyl cyanoacrylate (NHCA, “Magic Glue”) for AVM embolization. Despite its stated aim of evaluating “strengths and limitations,” the article offers a one-sided, promotional narrative that lacks critical analysis.

🧱 Structural and Conceptual Weaknesses

1. Journal-Level Issues: “Cureus Syndrome”

The journal *Cureus* is increasingly known for:

This paper reinforces that reputation, providing more of a procedural diary than a peer-reviewed study. It embodies editorial complacency and academic dilution.

2. Lowest Tier of Evidence

A retrospective case series offers no comparative insight. There is:

This is not hypothesis–testing research — it’s purely observational, anecdotal reporting.

📉 Methodological Limitations

3. “Success” Is Redefined to Mean Nothing

The paper defines technical success as “the outcome achieved based on objective.” This is circular reasoning and renders the concept of success meaningless.

4. Data Dump of Technical Details

Injection times and catheter models are listed with obsessive detail:

  • HeadWay Duo 167 cm in 70.8%
  • Magic 1.2F in the rest
  • Injection times: 27 seconds to 9 minutes 38 seconds

Yet none of these details translate to improved patient care or clinical insight.

5. Zero Complications ≠ Safety

No adverse events in 24 procedures cannot be extrapolated as “safe.” This cohort is underpowered to detect rare but serious complications — a classic false sense of security.

🤹 Interpretation Bias and Overreach

6. 12.5% Success = “Effective”?

Only '3 out of 24 cases (12.5%)‘ achieved complete occlusion with a single NHCA injection. The authors still call it “effective.” This is an example of:

  • ::unjustified enthusiasm::
  • ::intellectual dishonesty::

7. Promotional Tone

Frequent use of the term “Magic Glue” and positive adjectives for NHCA give this paper the tone of a product brochure, not a neutral scientific analysis.

🧠 What’s Missing?

Key omissions include:

  • No clinical or imaging follow-up data
  • No outcome measures beyond technical success
  • No comparison with other embolic agents (Onyx, PHIL, Squid)
  • No cost-benefit analysis
  • No discussion of failure cases or limitations in complex AVMs

🧾 Conclusion

This paper does not meet the standards of a rigorous scientific study. It provides:

  • No high-quality evidence
  • No clinically useful guidance
  • No long-term data

It reinforces the perception of *Cureus* as a platform for uploading technically correct but scientifically irrelevant work. A procedural note disguised as research, this article is a missed opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the field of neurointerventional radiology.

Final Verdict: This is not a “study” — it is a technical anecdote polished with promotional language and framed in a journal that too often rewards upload volume over scientific substance.

📎 References

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Murias Quintana E, Rodríguez Castro J, Puig J, Gil García A, Chapot R, Maestro V, Llibre JC, Gutiérrez Morales JC, García Arias F, Vega P. Use of N-hexyl Cyanoacrylate Monomers for the Treatment of Intra- and Extracranial Arteriovenous Malformations: A Single-Center Experience. Cureus. 2025 May 17;17(5):e84290. doi: 10.7759/cureus.84290. PMID: 40525034; PMCID: PMC12169607.

Epithelioid angiosarcoma of the cervical spine: A case report.

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Nan et al. 1) describe a rare case of epithelioid angiosarcoma (EA) involving the cervical spine, presenting with pathological fracture and kyphotic deformity, and document the surgical and adjuvant management as well as the clinical outcome in the World Journal of Clinical Cases.

1. Predictable Yet Pointless

The authors claim novelty by describing a rare anatomical presentation of EA. However, this degenerates into a predictable narrative with no new pathophysiological insights, no hypothesis generated, and no clinical paradigm challenged. It is the kind of “rare case” that proliferates in low-barrier journals precisely *because* it demands no intellectual risk.

2. Zero Diagnostic Value

The authors bypass the opportunity to deepen our understanding of the radiological-morphological signature of EA in the spine. No comparative imaging, no differential diagnostic flowchart, no histopathological discussion beyond standard CD31/CD34 immunostaining. If this case had been published in 1995, it would be equally uninformative.

3. Therapeutic Confusion Disguised as Aggressiveness

Two major spine surgeries (posterior decompression + anterior corpectomy) followed by immediate radiotherapy in a moribund patient demonstrate therapeutic overreach without oncological strategy. There is no discussion on multidisciplinary planning, palliative thresholds, or whether delaying surgery or avoiding the second procedure might have prevented ARDS. The reader is left with the impression of a surgical reflex, not an evidence-based decision.

4. No Discussion of Differential Diagnosis or Biomarkers

In a tumor type notorious for being misdiagnosed as metastasis, chordoma, or sarcoma NOS, the absence of a differential diagnostic framework or advanced markers (ERG, FLI1, HHV-8, etc.) is alarming. Histological laziness cloaked in “rare disease” rhetoric.

5. Outcome Reporting: Conveniently Truncated

The patient dies 3 weeks after surgery, yet the discussion fails to draw any causal or cautionary link between the interventions and the fatal ARDS. No autopsy data, no postmortem imaging, no pulmonary workup. This omission sterilizes the clinical narrative, reducing it to anecdote.

6. Ethically Murky

The case implicitly raises an ethical dilemma—should maximal surgery be performed in aggressive, terminal tumors without demonstrated systemic control? Yet the authors shy away from even mentioning this, let alone framing it for academic discussion.

7. Journal Choice Reflects the Paper’s Weakness

Published in a journal known for minimal peer review stringency, the article offers no citations of recent molecular or targeted therapy advances, no engagement with broader oncological guidelines, and no rationale for the treatment decisions beyond procedural listing.

Definitions (for Teaching Purposes)

  • Histological laziness: Failing to provide in-depth pathology discussion beyond CD31/CD34 and H&E staining in vascular tumors.
  • Surgical reflex: The tendency to operate based on mechanical findings (compression, fracture) without integrating prognosis or systemic disease behavior.
  • Ethical sterilization: Avoiding uncomfortable questions about futility, risk-benefit tradeoffs, and overtreatment in end-stage patients.
  • Postmortem evasion: Reporting a perioperative death without diagnostic closure (autopsy, imaging, or medical reflection).

Conclusion

This case report is an example of procedural reporting devoid of scientific merit, clinical reflection, or ethical introspection. It contributes nothing to the understanding of EA, its diagnosis, biology, or management—beyond reiterating its rarity. In its current form, it is neither hypothesis-generating nor practice-changing, and serves as a cautionary tale on how not to write a case report.

Suggested Revisions

  • Include comparative radiology with metastatic disease and primary bone tumors.
  • Provide autopsy findings or detailed explanation of respiratory decline.
  • Discuss therapeutic alternatives (e.g., single-stage surgery, biopsy + RT, palliative care).
  • Frame the case within an oncological decision-making algorithm.
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Nan YH, Chiu CD, Chen WL, Chen LC, Chen CC, Cho DY, Guo JH. Epithelioid angiosarcoma of the cervical spine: A case report. World J Clin Cases. 2025 Jun 16;13(17):101593. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i17.101593. PMID: 40524767; PMCID: PMC11866273.

Protective Effect of Resveratrol Against Intracranial Aneurysm Rupture in Mice

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In vivo animal studies

Type of study:: In vivo animal study (murine intracranial aneurysm model) First author:: Dang et al. Author affiliations::

  • Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu
  1. Dept. of Neurosurgery
  2. Dept. of Anesthesia and ICU
  3. Dept. of Medical Education
  4. Dept. of Pharmacology
  • Asahikawa University School of Medicine, Asahikawa
  1. Dept. of Anesthesia and ICU
  • Hamamatsu Medical Center, Hamamatsu
  1. Dept. of Neurosurgery

Journal:: Journal of Neuroscience Research Purpose:: To evaluate whether dietary resveratrol prevents formation or rupture of intracranial aneurysms via anti‑inflammatory mechanisms. Conclusions::

  • No significant reduction in aneurysm formation incidence
  • Marked reduction in rupture rate (88 % → 40 %, p=0.026)
  • Modulation of inflammatory markers: ↑Sirt1, ↓Nfkb1, ↓Tnf

Citation:: 1)

Critical Review

1. Model limitations The elastase + DOCA‑salt murine model poorly reflects human aneurysm pathophysiology, lacking hemodynamic fidelity. No histological validation of aneurysm similarity or wall integrity is presented.

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Engineered retargeting to overcome systemic delivery challenges in oncolytic adenoviral therapy

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Type of study: Original research (experimental study, engineering approach) First author: Leparc et al. Affiliations:

  • Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
  • Laboratory of Nervous System Disorders and Therapy, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

Journal: Molecular Therapy – Oncolytics Purpose: To engineer adenoviruses with modified tropism for systemic delivery—aiming to reduce off-target accumulation and enhance tumor retention via retargeting strategies.

Conclusions: Engineered vectors exhibited improved immune evasion, diminished sequestration by non-tumor tissues, and improved intratumoral delivery, indicating the feasibility of retargeting modifications for systemic adenoviral therapy.

Critical Review

Methodology: The study lacks transparency in the engineering protocol. Crucial elements such as ligand selection, targeting affinity, and vector modifications are insufficiently described. No rigorous dose-responsiveness or replication kinetics are provided.

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