Intended Near-Total Removal of Koos Grade IV Vestibular Schwannomas: Reconsidering the Treatment Paradigm.

BACKGROUND: The goals of treating Koos grade IV vestibular schwannomas are to relieve brainstem compression, preserve or restore neurological function, and achieve long-term tumor control while minimizing tumor- and treatment-related morbidity. OBJECTIVE: To propose a treatment paradigm involving the intentional near-total removal of Koos grade IV vestibular schwannomas, in which a small amount of residual tumor is not dissected off the cisternal portion of the facial nerve. Patients are then followed by a wait-and-scan approach. Any subsequent volumetric progression of the residual tumor is treated with radiosurgery. METHODS: This is a case series of 44 consecutive unselected patients who underwent intended near-total resection of a Koos grade IV vestibular schwannoma through a retrosigmoid approach from January 2009 to December 2015. Pre- and postoperative volumetric analyses were performed on routine magnetic resonance imaging sequences (constructive interference in steady state and gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted sequence). RESULTS: The mean preoperative tumor volume was 10.9 cm3. The mean extent of resection was 89%. At the last clinical follow-up, facial nerve function was good [House and Brackmann (HB) I-II] in 89%, fair (HB III) in 9%, and poor (HB IV-VI) in 2% of the patients. At the last radiological follow-up, the residual tumor had become smaller or remained the same size in 84% of patients. Volumetric progression was negatively correlated with the original extent of resection and positively correlated with postoperative residual tumor volume (P = .01, P < .001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Intended near-total removal results in excellent preservation of facial nerve function and has a low recurrence rate. Any progressive residual tumor may be treated by radiosurgery.

Endoscopic Biopsy for Intra- and Paraventricular Tumors: Rates of Complications, Mortality, and Tumor Cell Dissemination.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: Intra- and paraventricular tumors are frequently associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathway obstruction. Thus the aim of an endoscopic approach is to restore patency of the CSF pathways and to obtain a tumor biopsy. Because endoscopic tumor biopsy may increase tumor cell dissemination, this study sought to evaluate this risk. PATIENTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS: Forty-four patients who underwent endoscopic biopsies for ventricular or paraventricular tumors between 1993 and 2011 were included in the study. Charts and images were reviewed retrospectively to evaluate rates of adverse events, mortality, and tumor cell dissemination. Adverse events, mortality, and tumor cell dissemination were evaluated. RESULTS: Postoperative clinical condition improved in 63.0% of patients, remained stable in 30.4%, and worsened in 6.6%. One patient (2.2%) had a postoperative thalamic stroke leading to hemiparesis and hemineglect. No procedure-related deaths occurred. Postoperative tumor cell dissemination was observed in 14.3% of patients available for follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: For patients presenting with occlusive hydrocephalus due to tumors in or adjacent to the ventricular system, endoscopic CSF diversion is the procedure of first choice. Tumor biopsy in the current study did not affect safety or efficacy.

Laparoscopically assisted ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

OBJECT In ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery, laparoscopic assistance can be used for placement of the peritoneal catheter. Until now, the efficacy of laparoscopic shunt placement has been investigated only in retrospective and nonrandomized prospective studies, which have reported decreased distal shunt dysfunction rates in patients undergoing laparascopic placement compared with mini-laparotomy cohorts. In this randomized controlled trial the authors compared rates of shunt failure in patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for peritoneal catheter placement with rates in patients who underwent traditional mini-laparotomy. METHODS One hundred twenty patients scheduled for VP shunt surgery were randomized to laparoscopic surgery or mini-laparotomy for insertion of the peritoneal catheter. The primary endpoint was the rate of overall shunt complication or failure within the first 12 months after surgery. Secondary endpoints were distal shunt failure, overall complication/ failure, duration of surgery and hospitalization, and morbidity. RESULTS The overall shunt complication/failure rate was 15% (9 of 60 cases) in the laparoscopic group and 18.3% (11 of 60 cases) in the mini-laparotomy group (p = 0.404). Patients in the laparoscopic group had no distal shunt failures; in contrast, 5 (8%) of 60 patients in the mini-laparotomy group experienced distal shunt failure (p = 0.029). Intraoperative complications occurred in 2 patients (both in the laparoscopic group), and abdominal pain led to catheter removal in 1 patient per group. Infections occurred in 1 patient in the laparoscopic group and 3 in the mini-laparotomy group. The mean durations of surgery and hospitalization were similar in the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS While overall shunt failure rates were similar in the 2 groups, the use of laparoscopic shunt placement significantly reduced the rate of distal shunt failure compared with mini-laparotomy.