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GUEST EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2006 | Volume
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| Issue : 3 | Page : 4 |
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A Milestone
SN Bhagwati
JPN, Mumbai, India
Correspondence Address:
S N Bhagwati
JPN, Mumbai
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
How to cite this article:
Bhagwati S N. A Milestone. J Pediatr Neurosci 2006;1, Suppl S1:4 |
Holding of the 17th Annual Conference of International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery in Mumbai, 1989, gave an impetus to the development of pediatric neurosurgery as a subspeciality in the country. It led to the formation of Indian Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery in 1990. The society has been fairly active, holding annual conferences and CMEs with the cooperation of International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery. In the last 15 years, the society has made striking progress in the development and growth of pediatric neurosurgery in the country and has successfully managed to bring the subspeciality in the country to an international level. We now have quite a few neurosurgeons practise mainly paediatric neurosurgery. In large teaching institutions paediatric neurosurgery has now been accepted as a subspeciality with a designated neurosurgeon handling these cases. This augers well for the subspeciality as persons with greater interest and expertise will tackle its problems.
Nearly 40% of the population being young, the country has a large paediatric population with specific neurosurgical problems. Craniospinal dysraphism is quite prevalent, a large number of encephaloceles being found in northern part of India. We continue to see cerebral abscesses, not infrequently of otological origin. Unfortunately, tuberculosis is still rampant with a large number of children suffering from tubercular meningitis and its complications. Shunt insertions and shunt problems continue to plague us and we seriously wonder whether endoscopic third ventriculostomy might solve the problem of associated hydrocephalus. Except for pinealomas and other tumours in that area, all other intracranial tumours are seen with the same frequency as in any other country. Craniopharyngiomas pose a special problem as many a child that comes from distant villages may suffer from hypothalamic and metabolic disturbances postoperatively and yet not turn up for follow-up treatment. This predicament couple with concern for better quality of life has often prompted us to have a subtotal excision rather than a total excision and subject the child to radiation with satisfactory long-term outcome in nearly 70% of cases. Availability of stereotaxic radiotherapy (SRT) has been quite valuable in the management of these cases. Surgery for intractable epilepsy has been started in many centres and with the influx of pediatric neurologists, one hopes to help many more of these unfortunate children. Societies for spastic children are active in metropolitan cities, where they have special centres that offer intensive physiotherapy to these children. In some of these centres, sensory rhizotomy is offered to selected patients. Many of these centres have good rehabilitation facilities.
I am glad that the Indian Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery is starting its own journal. The Journal of Pediatric Neurosciences will act as a forum to present clinical materials and share knowledge regarding academic research and technology pertaining to this field. The articles will be published under the headings of original clinical studies, research and experimental studies, review articles, technical notes, case reports and short communications. The journal will initially be published twice a year. The September issue will also publish abstracts of papers accepted for presentation at the Annual Conference of Indian Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery. Special efforts will be made to maintain high standards of the journal by publishing scientific materials.
The launching of this scientific journal is another mile stone in the development of paediatric neurosurgery in our country. I wish it all success
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