Explore the vast range of titles available.

A randomized trial involving 100 Ugandan infants with postinfectious hydrocephalus compared endoscopic third ventriculostomy plus choroid plexus cauterization with conventional ventricular shunting and found no difference in cognitive outcomes at 1 year.

IntroductionManaging paediatric hydrocephalus with shunt placement is especially risky in resource-limited settings due to risks of infection and delayed life-threatening shunt obstruction. This study evaluated a new evidence-based treatment algorithm to reduce shunt-dependence in this context.MethodsA prospective cohort design was used. The CURE Protocol employs preoperative and intraoperative data to choose between endoscopic treatment and shunt placement. Data were prospectively collected for 730 children in Uganda (managed by local neurosurgeons highly experienced in the protocol) and, for external validation, 96 children in Nigeria (managed by a local neurosurgeon trained in the protocol).ResultsThe age distribution was similar between Uganda and Nigeria, but there were more cases of postinfectious hydrocephalus in Uganda (64.2% vs 26.0%, p<0.001). Initial treatment of hydrocephalus was similar at both centres and included either a shunt at first operation or endoscopic management without a shunt. The Nigerian cohort had a higher failure rate for endoscopic cases (adjusted HR 2.5 (95% CI 1.6 to 4.0), p<0.001), but not for shunt cases (adjusted HR 1.3 (0.5 to 3.0), p=0.6). Despite the difference in endoscopic failure rates, a similar proportion of the entire cohort was successfully treated without need for shunt at 6 months (55.2% in Nigeria vs 53.4% in Uganda, p=0.74).ConclusionUse of the CURE Protocol in two centres with different populations and surgeon experience yielded similar 6-month results, with over half of all children remaining shunt-free. Where feasible, this could represent a better public health strategy in low-resource settings than primary shunt placement.

Introduction There have been previous reports of intra-scapular limbs associated with a closed spina bifida and this has led to a causative theory. It is thought that these dysraphic appendages could not occur with defects of primary neurulation. Case The authors present a rare case of this abnormality associated with a large open myelomeningocele in a 6-day-old infant presenting to a paediatric neurosurgical hospital in Uganda. The appendage was removed and the spina bifida closed. There was significant stigma associated with such abnormality in this region. Discussion The first reported co-existence of these two lesions challenges previously held beliefs regarding the embryological origin of intra-scapular dysraphic appendage.

Abstract Neurosurgery in Uganda was virtually non-existent up until late 1960s. This changed when Dr. Jovan Kiryabwire spearheaded development of a neurosurgical unit at Mulago Hospital in Kampala. His work ethic and vision set the stage for rapid expansion of neurosurgical care in Uganda. At the beginning of the 2000s, Uganda was a country of nearly 30 million people, but had only 4 neurosurgeons. Neurosurgery's progress was plagued by challenges faced by many developing countries, such as difficulty retaining specialists, lack of modern hospital resources, and scarce training facilities. To combat these challenges 2 distinct programs were launched: 1 by Dr. Benjamin Warf in collaboration with CURE International, and the other by Dr. Michael Haglund from Duke University. Dr. Warf's program focused on establishing a facility for pediatric neurosurgery. Dr. Haglund's program to increase neurosurgical capacity was founded on a “4 T's Paradigm”: Technology, Twinning, Training, and Top-Down. Embedded within this paradigm was the notion that Uganda needed to train its own people to become neurosurgeons, and thus Duke helped establish the country's first neurosurgery residency training program. Efforts from overseas, including the tireless work of Dr. Benjamin Warf, have saved thousands of children's lives. The influx of the Duke Program caused a dynamic shift at Mulago Hospital with dramatic effects, as evidenced by the substantial increase in neurosurgical capacity. The future looks bright for neurosurgery in Uganda and it all traces back to a rural village where 1 man had a vision to help the people of his country.

Object This study reviews the first operative series of pediatric brain tumors from Uganda, the largest series from Sub-Saharan Africa, and explores the challenges to progress in pediatric neuro-oncology in the region. Methods This is a retrospective operative series of brain tumors in 172 children at Cure Children’s Hospital of Uganda over 10 years. Demographics, clinical presentation, lesion location, histopathology, operative management, and outcome were investigated. Survival was assessed using Kaplan–Meier method. Log-rank test and p value with Bonferroni correction were used to determine significance of survival differences. Results There were 103 males (59.9 %) and 69 females (40.1 %; mean age at diagnosis 6.5 years with 29 % < 2 years). The most common histologic types were pilocytic astrocytoma (23.2 %), ependymoma (16.3 %), craniopharyngioma (9.9 %), choroid plexus papilloma (9.3 %), and medulloblastoma (8.1 %). Supratentorial tumors (62.2 %) were more common. Symptomatic hydrocephalus predominated at presentation (66.9 %). In 71 (41.3 %), the presentation was macrocephaly or a visible mass. Estimated 5-year survival was 60 %. Conclusions The majority of pediatric brain tumors in the region likely go unrecognized. Most that do come to attention have a “visible diagnosis.” Unlike operative series from developed countries, information about the incidence, prevalence, and overall burden of disease for different tumor types cannot be deduced from the various operative series reported from limited resource countries because of the selection bias that is unique to this context. Delayed presentation and poor access to adjuvant therapies were important contributors to the high mortality. The epidemiology of pediatric brain tumors in sub-Saharan Africa is obscure.

Abstract BACKGROUND There are currently no published data directly comparing postoperative seizure incidence following endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), with/without choroid plexus cauterization (CPC), to that for ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement. OBJECTIVE To compare postoperative epilepsy incidence for ETV/CPC and VPS in Ugandan infants treated for postinfectious hydrocephalus (PIH). METHODS We performed an exploratory post hoc analysis of a randomized trial comparing VPS and ETV/CPC in 100 infants (<6 mo old) presenting with PIH. Minimum follow-up was 2 yr. Variables associated with and the incidence of postoperative epilepsy were compared (intention-to-treat) using a bivariate analysis. Time to first seizure was compared using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the relative risk for the 2 treatments was determined using Mantel-Haenszel hazard ratios. RESULTS Seizure incidence was not related to age (P = .075), weight (P = .768), sex (P = .151), head circumference (P = .281), time from illness to hydrocephalus onset (P = .973), or hydrocephalus onset to treatment (P = .074). Irritability (P = .027) and vision deficit (P = .04) were preoperative symptoms associated with postoperative seizures. Ten (10%) patients died, and 20 (20%) developed seizures over the follow-up period. Overall seizure incidence was 9.4 per 100 person-years (9.4 and 9.5 for ETV/CPC and VPS, respectively; P = .483), with no significant difference in seizure risk between groups (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% CI: 0.42, 2.45; P = .966). Mean time to seizure onset was 8.5 mo for ETV/CPC and 11.2 mo for VPS (P = .464). As-treated, per-protocol, and attributable-intervention analyses yielded similar results. CONCLUSION Postoperative seizure incidence following treatment of PIH was 20% within 2 yr, regardless of treatment modality. Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract

This study reviews the first operative series of pediatric brain tumors from Uganda, the largest series from Sub-Saharan Africa, and explores the challenges to progress in pediatric neuro-oncology in the region.