Incidental Findings of the Nervous System

Written and edited by leading international authorities in the field, this book provides an in-depth review of knowledge of the incidental findings of the nervous system, with emphasis on asymptomatic brain and spinal lesions that have the potential to cause illness. It includes very informative chapters, organized into four main groups: first, incidental findings of the brain and cranium, including intracranial, intraventricular and skull base lesions, infarcts and calcification; secondly, incidental findings of the spine and spinal cord, including spinal cord tumors, syringomyelia, arteriovenous malformations and craniovertebral junction anomalies; thirdly, incidental findings of the spinal nerves and peripheral nerves, including tumors of the plexi and peripheral nerves; and fourthly, other lesions, including acquired incidental lesions of the brain and spine as well as the medicolegal and psychiatric aspects related to these lesions. The uniqueness of this compilation lies in the fact that several abnormalities exist in the nervous system that have the potential to cause life threatening illness; yet because they are asymptomatic and incidental, this leads to major management dilemmas related to whether or not to surgically the lesion. The proponents of an early surgical management subscribe to the philosophy that getting rid of an entity earlier on when it is asymptomatic, leads to an early cure and obviates any risk of it becoming aggressive and incurable later on; those opting for a 'wait and watch' policy subscribe to the view that no intervention (as well as subjecting the patient to the risk of surgery) is mandated until the lesion becomes symptomatic. This may subject a person to a lifetime of anxiety related to how that lesion is going to evolve, when in all likelihood, the subject may remain asymptomatic throughout his/her life. The psychological aspects of the patient who is extremely disturbed by the presence of this incidental lesion; and, who cannot adjust to the reality that the treating doctor actually does not have a well-defined plan for it, are issues that are adequately addressed with clinical illustrations and examples. This comprehensive reference book will be an ideal source for neuroscientists at all levels, from graduate students to researchers in specific disciplines studying this region, including neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuroradiologists, neuropathologists and psychiatrists, who seek both basic and more advanced information regarding the incidental findings of the nervous system.

Mehmet Turgut, MD, PhD, is Professor of Neurosurgery at Aydın Adnan Menderes University School of Medicine, Aydın, Turkey. He graduated from the Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey and later specialized in neurosurgery in Hacettepe University Hospitals, Ankara, Turkey. In 2004, he received the PhD degree from the Department of Embryology and Histology, Ege University Health Sciences Institute, İzmir, Turkey. His fields of expertise and research interests are broad and include developmental neuroscience, pediatric neurosurgery, infectious diseases of the central nervous system, and peripheral nerve surgery. Dr. Turgut is an editorial board member for 25 international journals including European Spine Journal, Surgical Neurology International, Journal of Neurological Surgery Part A: Central European Neurosurgery, Journal of Spine, Journal of Pediatric Neurology, Journal of Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Injury, Journal of Spine & Neurosurgery, and Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice and a reviewer for a wide range of international journals and research programs. Dr. Turgut is the lead or co-author of more than 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals and about 74 book chapters and he is one of the editors in 16 books including Pituitary Apoplexy, Hydatidosis of the Central Nervous System: Diagnosis and Treatment, Complications of CSF Shunting in Hydrocephalus: Prevention, Identification and Management, The Chiari Malformations, The Sutures of the Skull: Anatomy, Embryology, Imaging, and Surgery; Subdural Hematoma: Past to Present to Future Management.Fuyou Guo, MD, is Professor of Neurosurgery at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China. He graduated from Henan Medical University, Zhengzhou, PR China and obtained the MD degree from the Department of West China Medical Center of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China, in 2005. He underwent postdoctoral research in Universityof Michigan, Annarbor, USA in 2008. His fields of expertise and research interests are broad and include cerebrovascular diseases, brain tumor, congenital malformations of the central nervous system, pediatric neurosurgery and peripheral nerve surgery. Dr. Fuyou is an editorial board member for 2 international journals including Glioma, Brain &Heart. He is a reviewer for a wide range of international journals including Cancer biology & Medicine, Neurocritical Care, Aging-US, Neurotoxicity Research, Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. Dr. Guo is the lead or co-author of more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals and he is one of the editors in 4 Chinese books including Chiari Malformation, Nervous System Tumors, Perioperative Management in Neurosurgery, Precise Operation for Chiari Malformation. Ahmet T. Turgut, MD, is Professor of Radiology at Ankara Medipol University in Ankara, Turkey. He has nearly 25 years experiencein the field of radiology with key roles in diagnostics, academics and administration. Dr. Turgut's research intere