Abstract
Background: Scalp erosion in patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS) hardware is an uncommon complication that lacks a clearly defined management strategy. Previous studies have described various therapies including conservative treatment with antibiotics and surgical debridement with or without hardware removal. Objectives: The aim of this study was to review the efficacy of a hardware-sparing management strategy for the treatment of scalp erosion.Methods: Five patients with previous DBS implantation presented with scalp erosion and visible hardware exposure at the calvarial burr hole site, and underwent tension-free, vascularized, rotational scalp flap, with preservation of the leads under the pericranium. Two of the procedures were performed after an unsuccessful attempt at primary closure and 3 as a primary procedure. Each patient was followed clinically for at least 14 months postoperatively to evaluate for wound-healing and adverse effects. Results: The median duration from initial DBS hardware implantation to erosion and revision surgery was 12 months (range 1.5-62 months). Three patients were documented to have positive intraoperative cultures in spite of the absence of purulence. At the last follow-up, all patients were noted to have complete wound-healing and no evidence of infection or erosion. Conclusions: DBS scalp erosion can be managed by rotational scalp flap without hardware removal, even in cases where infection is identified.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 385-391 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery |
Volume | 95 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2018 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Deep brain stimulation
- Erosion
- Infection
- Primary closure
- Reconstruction
- Rotational flap
- Split-thickness graft
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Clinical Neurology