Massive Hyperostotic Meningioma En Plaque Mimicking Fibrous Dysplasia.

The authors report an extremely rare case of a massive hyperostotic meningioma en plaque, which had characteristics of unique bony growth. A 34-year-old man presented with a palpable solid mass in the left cranial region that had gradually grown in size with a broad base on the calvarium for 8 years. Radiologically, the area involved by the mass ranged from the sphenoid bone to the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital bones. Three-dimensional CT revealed multiple growing spiculate features on the inner and outer cranial surface. Even though the radiologic features resembled fibrous dysplasia, it was histologically found to be a type of meningioma.

Adaptation of families of adult patients with brain tumor: Partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Brain tumor patients experience physical, psychological, social, and cognitive changes. These changes are challenging for both the patients and their families. These patients and their families need to adapt together on the cancer treatment path. This study aimed to identify the factors affecting adaptation in families of adult patients with brain tumors. A quantitative, cross-sectional study of 165 families of adult patients with primary brain tumors was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test a hypothetical model. The results showed that family stress, family functioning, and family resources influenced on family adaptation in families of adult patients with primary brain tumors. Among these factors, family resources were identified to be the strongest factor associated with family adaptation. The results of this study may be utilized as a theoretical basis in nursing to improve the family adaptation of patients with brain tumors. Regarding nursing practices, the results suggest that nurses should provide family-centered nursing interventions and promote family resources to help brain tumor patients and their families to adapt.

A lignan from Alnus japonica inhibits glioblastoma tumorspheres by suppression of FOXM1.

Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1) is known to regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis and tumorigenesis. The lignan, (-)-(2R,3R)-1,4-O-diferuloylsecoisolariciresinol (DFS), from Alnus japonica has shown anti-cancer effects against colon cancer cells by suppressing FOXM1. The present study hypothesized that DFS can have anti-cancer effects against glioblastoma (GBM) tumorspheres (TSs). Immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays were performed to evaluate the ability of DFS to suppress nuclear translocation of ß-catenin through ß-catenin/FOXM1 binding. DFS-pretreated GBM TSs were evaluated to assess the ability of DFS to inhibit GBM TSs and their transcriptional profiles. The in vivo efficacy was examined in orthotopic xenograft models of GBM. Expression of FOXM1 was higher in GBM than in normal tissues. DFS-induced FOXM1 protein degradation blocked ß-catenin translocation into the nucleus and consequently suppressed downstream target genes of FOXM1 pathways. DFS inhibited cell viability and ATP levels, while increasing apoptosis, and it reduced tumorsphere formation and the invasiveness of GBM TSs. And DFS reduced the activities of transcription factors related to tumorigenesis, stemness, and invasiveness. DFS significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival rate of mice in orthotopic xenograft models of GBM. It suggests that DFS inhibits the proliferation of GBM TSs by suppressing FOXM1. DFS may be a potential therapeutic agent to treat GBM.

Surgical Treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Various treatments for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) are known to yield initial satisfactory results; however, the surgical treatment has excellent long-term outcomes and a low recurrence rate. Surgical treatment addresses the challenge of vascular compression, which accounts for 85% of the causes of TN. As for surgical treatment for TN, microvascular decompression (MVD) has become the surgical treatment of choice after Peter J. Jannetta reported the results of MVD surgery in 1996. Since then, many studies have reported a success rate of over 90% for the initial surgical treatment. Most MVDs aim to separate (decompress) the culprit vessel from the trigeminal nerve. To increase the success rate of surgery, accurate indications for MVD and management of the offender vessels without complications are critical. In addition, if there is no vascular compression, partial sensory rhizotomy or internal neurolysis can be performed to improve surgical outcomes.

Diagnostic Utility of Oncomine Comprehensive Assay v3 in Differentiating Between Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutated Grade II-III Astrocytoma and Oligodendroglioma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The application of Oncomine Comprehensive Assay v3 (OCAv3) panel in diffuse gliomas (DGs) remains unknown. We investigated the utility of OCAv3-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutated grade II-III DGs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected 20 tissue samples obtained from IDH-mutated grade II-III DG patients and performed OCAv3-based NGS. RESULTS: By conventional molecular methods, the 20 DGs were classified into seven astrocytomas and 13 oligodendrogliomas. OCAv3 detected all mutations identified in these samples using the conventional methods. The results were highly corroborated by the known mutations in each group. Clustered copy number loss of genes located at the 1p and 19q loci was detected in all 13 oligodendroglioma cases, which harbor the 1p/19q codeletion. CONCLUSION: The application of OCAv3-based NGS will improve diagnostic accuracy in DG, with the most beneficial aspects expected in detecting copy number alterations to identify the 1p/19q codeletion correctly.

Is the pre-operative lateral spread response on facial electromyography a valid diagnostic tool for hemifacial spasm?

The lateral spread response (LSR) on preoperative facial electromyogram (EMG) is a useful tool in evaluating patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS). There may be some instances where the LSR does not appear on the preoperative EMG, thus disrupting the diagnosis and treatment of HFS. In this study, we evaluated the patients who did not exhibit LSR on preoperative EMG but underwent microvascular decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm. We searched for patients who underwent MVD for HFS but had an absence of LSR on preoperative EMG between January 2016 and June 2018. Surgical outcomes were evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Follow-up facial EMG was performed 3 months after surgery. Results were divided into two categories: (1) spasm relief within 24 h of surgery and (2) spasm was observed immediately post-operation. The following parameters were analyzed when comparing between the two groups: age, sex, affected side, duration of symptoms, and offending vessel(s). A total of 306 patients underwent MVD for HFS during the study period. Among them, 13 (4.2%) patients had no LSR on preoperative EMG. Eight patients (61.5%) were female and five patients were male. The 13 patients had a mean age of 51 years. All patients exhibited probable offending vessels in the root exit zone (REZ) of the facial nerve on preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging that was confirmed during surgery. Seven patients were free of HFS immediately after surgery, though six patients were not. Only one (7.7%) patient had persisted symptom 6 months after surgery. No patients experienced recurrence of spasm, nor exhibited abnormal waves on follow-up facial EMG. LSR on facial EMG is a valuable tool for evaluating hemifacial spasm. However, although LSR did not appear on preoperative EMG, if the patient presents with typical symptoms and the offending vessels are identified on MRI, we expect good results after MVD for HFS.

Clinical Outcome of Percutaneous Trigeminal Nerve Block in Elderly Patients in Outpatient Clinics.

OBJECTIVE: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe neuropathic condition that affects several elderly patients. It is characterized by uncontrolled pain that significantly impacts the quality of life of patients. Therefore, the condition should be treated as an emergency. In the majority of patients, pain can be controlled with medication; however, other treatment modalities are being explored in those who become refractory to drug treatment. The use of the trigeminal nerve block with a local anesthetic serves as an excellent adjunct to drug treatment. This technique rapidly relieves the patient of pain while medications are being titrated to effective levels. We report the efficacy and safety of percutaneous trigeminal nerve block in elderly patients with TN at our outpatient clinic. METHODS: Twenty-one patients older than 65 years with TN received percutaneous nerve block at our outpatient clinic. We used bupivacaine (1 mL/injection site) to block the supraorbital, infraorbital, superior alveolar, mental, and inferior alveolar nerves according to pain sites of patients. RESULTS: All patients reported relief from pain, which decreased by approximately 78% after 2 weeks of nerve block. The effect lasted for more than 4 weeks in 12 patients and for 6 weeks in two patients. There were no complications. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous nerve block procedure performed at our outpatient clinic provided immediate relief from pain to elderly patients with TN. The procedure is simple, has no serious side effects, and is easy to apply.

Current Status of Neurosurgical and Neurointensive Care Units in Korea : A Brief Report on Nationwide Survey Results.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is identify the operation status of the neurosurgical care units (NCUs) in neurosurgical residency training hospitals nationwide and determine needed changes by comparing findings with those obtained from the Korean Neurosurgical Society (KNS) and Korean Society of Neurointensive Care Medicine (KNIC) survey of 2010. METHOD: This survey was conducted over 1 year in 86 neurosurgical residency training hospitals and two neurosurgery specialist hospitals and focused on the following areas : 1) the current status of the infrastructure and operating systems of NCUs in Korea, 2) barriers to installing neurointensivist team systems, 3) future roles of the KNS and KNIC, and 4) a handbook for physicians and practitioners in NCUs. We compared and analyzed the results of this survey with those from a KNIC survey of 2010. RESULTS: Seventy seven hospitals (87.5%) participated in the survey. Nineteen hospitals (24.7%) employed a neurointensivist or faculty member; Thirty seven hospitals (48.1%) reported high demand for neurointensivists, and 62 hospitals (80.5%) stated that the mandatory deployment of a neurointensivist improved the quality of patient care. Forty four hospitals (57.1%) believed that hiring neurointensivist would increase hospital costs, and in response to a question on potential earnings declines. In terms of potential solutions to these problems, 70 respondents (90.9%) maintained that additional fees were necessary for neurointensivists' work, and 64 (83.1%) answered that direct support was needed of the personnel expenses for neurointensivists. CONCLUSION: We hope the results of this survey will guide successful implementation of neurointensivist systems across Korea.

Clinicoradiological Features of Recurrent Meningioma With High Grade Transformation.

BACKGROUND/AIM: A minority of grade I meningiomas (MG1s) recur after surgical resection and their progression is associated with high grade transformation (HGT). This study aimed to characterize the clinicoradiological features of recurrent MGs (RMG) with HGT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified 17 patients diagnosed with MG1 who then underwent surgery for RMG. Patients were categorized into HGT group vs. non-HGT (nHGT) group based on RMG histological grade and clinicoradiological features were comparatively analyzed. RESULTS: HGT was observed in 41.4% of RMGs. Original tumor size was larger in the HGT group and recurrence time interval was shorter. Following recurrence, 57.1% in the HGT group experienced further disease progression, compared to 22.2% in the nHGT group. CONCLUSION: A considerable HGT rate in RMGs developed after MG1 was observed. Although HGT was not distinguished from nHGT by radiological features, HGT in RMG was associated with larger initial tumor size and shorter recurrence time interval.

Long-Term Outcomes of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Cystic Vestibular Schwannomas.

OBJECTIVE: Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) can either be solid or contain variable amounts of cystic components. It has been established that gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is an effective treatment modality for solid VSs. However, in the case of cystic VS, given the somewhat unpredictable growth of the cystic portion of these tumors, microsurgery has often been preferred to GKRS in the management of cystic VS. However, to date, a relative paucity of data evaluating the outcomes after GKRS for cystic VS has been available. In the present study, we reviewed our experience treating cystic VSs with GKRS and evaluated the results. METHODS: The data from patients with a diagnosis of cystic VS who had undergone GKRS from 1999 to 2018 were analyzed. Only those patients who had undergone GKRS as the initial treatment of cystic VSs were included in the present study. Patients who had undergone previous surgical treatment were excluded. The cystic VSs were divided into intratumoral and peritumoral cysts. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients were enrolled in the present study. The mean age was 60.8 ± 2.4 years (range, 38-82 years). The mean follow-up period was 55.8 ± 8.1 months (range, 8-145 months). Of the 24 patients, 11 were men. The control rate after GKRS for cystic VSs was 75%. The 5-year progression-free rate was 70%. Six patients had presented with an increasing lesion size after GKS. Of these 6 patients, 2 underwent surgical treatment and 1 underwent repeat GKRS. No statistically significant differences were found between the control rate and cystic type (P = 0.093). CONCLUSION: The results from the present study have demonstrated that GKRS is an effective treatment modality for cystic VSs.

Surgical Outcomes of Revision Microvascular Decompression for Persistent or Recurrent Hemifacial Spasm After Surgery: Analysis of Radiologic and Intraoperative Findings.

OBJECTIVES: Microvascular decompression (MVD) is the treatment of choice for hemifacial spasm (HFS), due to the high rate of complete resolution associated with MVD. However, some patients experience recurrent or persistent symptoms after surgery. In this study, we evaluated the causes of recurrence or failure based on our surgical experience with revision of MVD for HFS and analyzed the relationship between surgical outcomes and radiologic and intraoperative findings. METHODS: Among more than 2500 patients who underwent MVD surgery for HFS, 23 patients received a second MVD in our hospital from January 2002 to December 2017. Three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography and reconstructed imaging were used to identify the culprit vessel and its conflict on the root exit zone (REZ) of the facial nerve. We reviewed patients' medical records and operation videos to identify the missing points of first surgery. RESULTS: In our experience with revision of MVD, 8 patients had incomplete decompression, such as single-vessel decompression of multiple offending vessels. Teflon was not detected at the REZ but was found in other locations in 12 patients. Three patients had severe adhesion with previous Teflon around the REZ. Nineteen patients had excellent surgical outcomes at immediate postoperative evaluation; 20 patients showed spasm disappearance at 1 year after surgery and 3 patients showed persistent symptoms. Neurovascular contacts around the REZ of the facial nerve were revealed on magnetic resonance imaging of incomplete decompression and Teflon malposition patient groups. There were no clear neurovascular contacts in the patients with severe Teflon adhesion. CONCLUSIONS: The decision regarding secondary MVD for persistent or recurrent spasm is troubling. However, if neurovascular contact was observed in the MRI of the patient and there were offending vessels, the surgical outcome might be favorable.

Acute Hemiparesis in a Healthy Elderly Woman: Where and What Is the Lesion?

Hemiparesis may be the result of lesions in the contralateral pyramidal tract in the brain or, less frequently, in the ipsilateral pyramidal tract in the upper cervical spinal cord. However, although rare, multiple lesions that simultaneously occur in both of these regions may be the cause of acute hemiparesis, and the clinical symptoms can often be misdiagnosed as a stroke. In addition, the correct diagnosis of these multiple central nervous system (CNS) lesions is very challenging if they are caused by infection from an unexpected microorganism. We evaluated an elderly healthy woman who presented with acute hemiparesis and multiple brain and spinal cord lesions that were confirmed to occur from an infection with Propionibacterium acnes. In this report, the differential diagnosis and histopathological findings are discussed for these multiple CNS lesions in this healthy woman.

Prognostic ability of intraoperative electromyographic monitoring during microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm to predict lateral spread response outcome.

OBJECTIVE Abnormal lateral spread response (LSR) is a typical finding in facial electromyography (EMG) in patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS). Although intraoperative monitoring of LSR has been widely used during microvascular decompression (MVD), the prognostic value of this monitoring is still debated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether such monitoring exhibits prognostic value for the alleviation of LSR after treatment of HFS. METHODS Between January 2009 and December 2013, a total of 582 patients underwent MVD for HFS with intraoperative EMG monitoring at Kyung Hee University Hospital. The patients were categorized into 1 of 2 groups according to the presence of LSR at the conclusion of surgery (Group A, LSR free; Group B, LSR persisting). Patients were assessed for the presence of HFS 1 day, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Various parameters, including age, sex, symptom duration, offending vertebral artery, and offending perforating artery, were evaluated for their influence on surgical and electrophysiological results. RESULTS Overall, HFS was alleviated in 455 (78.2%) patients 1 day after MVD, in 509 (87.5%) patients 6 months after MVD, and in 546 (93.8%) patients 1 year after MVD. Patients in Group B were significantly younger than those in Group A (p = 0.022). Patients with a symptom duration of less than 1 year were significantly more likely to be classified in Group A than were patients whose symptoms had persisted for longer than 10 years (p = 0.023); however, analysis of the entire range of symptom durations did not reveal a significant effect (p = 0.132). A comparison of Groups A and B according to follow-up period revealed that HFS recovery correlated with LSR alleviation over a shorter period, but the same was not true of longer periods; the proportions of spasm-free patients were 80.6% and 71.1% (p = 0.021), 89.4% and 81.9% (p = 0.022), and 93.5% and 94.6% (p = 0.699) 1 day, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery in Groups A and B, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Although intraoperative EMG monitoring during MVD was beneficial for identifying the offending vessel and suggesting the most appropriate surgical end point, loss of LSR did not always correlate with long-term HFS treatment outcome. Because the HFS cure rate improved over time, revision might be considered for persistent LSR when follow-up has been performed for more than 1 year and the spasm remains despite adequate decompression.

A Clinical Analysis of Secondary Surgery in Trigeminal Neuralgia Patients Who Failed Prior Treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Although many treatment modalities have been introduced for trigeminal neuralgia (TN), the long-term clinical results remain unsatisfactory. It has been particularly challenging to determine an appropriate treatment strategy for patients who have responded poorly to initial therapies. We analyzed the surgical outcomes in TN patients who failed prior treatments. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 37 patients with recurrent or persistent TN symptoms who underwent surgery at our hospital between January 2010 and December 2014. Patients with follow-up data of at least one year were included. The prior treatment modalities of the 37 patients included microvascular decompression (MVD), gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS), and percutaneous procedures such as radiofrequency rhizotomy (RFR), balloon compression, and glycerol rhizotomy (GR). The mean follow-up period was 69.9 months (range : 16-173). The mean interval between the prior treatment and second surgery was 26 months (range : 7-123). We evaluated the surgical outcomes using the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain intensity scale. RESULTS: Among the 37 recurrent or persistent TN patients, 22 underwent MVD with partial sensory rhizotomy (PSR), 8 received MVD alone, and 7 had PSR alone. Monitoring of the surgical treatment outcomes via the BNI pain intensity scale revealed 8 (21.6%) patients with a score of I, 13 (35.1%) scoring II, 13 (35.1%) scoring III, and 3 (8.2%) scoring IV at the end of the follow-up period. Overall, 91.8% of patients had good surgical outcomes. With regard to postoperative complications, 1 patient had transient cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea (2.7%), another had a subdural hematoma (2.7%), and facial sensory changes were noted in 8 (21.1%) patients after surgery. CONCLUSION: Surgical interventions, such as MVD and PSR, are safe and very effective treatment modalities in TN patients who failed initial or prior treatments. We presume that the combination of MVD with PSR enabled us to obtain good short- and long-term surgical outcomes. Therefore, aggressive surgical treatment should be considered in patients with recurrent TN despite failure of various treatment modalities.

Giant Intrathoracic Meningocele and Breast Cancer in a Neurofibromatosis Type I Patient.

Intrathoracic meningoceles are relatively rare entities found in patients with neurofibromatosis type I (NF1). Given that both the BRCA1 and NF-1 genes are located on the same long arm of chromosome 17, one would expect concurrence of neurofibromatosis and breast cancer. However, incidence of such co-disorders is very rare in the literature. Here, the authors report a case of a 50-year-old female patient with NF-1 and concurrent cancer of the left breast, who had a huge bilobulated intrathoracic meningocele with thoracic dystrophic scoliosis, treated surgically via a posterior-only approach for the meningocele and spinal deformity in the same setting.

Do Trunk Muscles Affect the Lumbar Interbody Fusion Rate?: Correlation of Trunk Muscle Cross Sectional Area and Fusion Rates after Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion Using Stand-Alone Cage.

OBJECTIVE: Although trunk muscles in the lumbar spine preserve spinal stability and motility, little is known about the relationship between trunk muscles and spinal fusion rate. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the correlation between trunk muscles cross sectional area (MCSA) and fusion rate after posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) using stand-alone cages. METHODS: A total of 89 adult patients with degenerative lumbar disease who were performed PLIF using stand-alone cages at L4-5 were included in this study. The cross-sectional area of the psoas major (PS), erector spinae (ES), and multifidus (MF) muscles were quantitatively evaluated by preoperative lumbar magnetic resonance imaging at the L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1 segments, and bone union was evaluated by dynamic lumbar X-rays. RESULTS: Of the 89 patients, 68 had bone union and 21 did not. The MCSAs at all segments in both groups were significantly different (p<0.05) for the PS muscle, those at L3-4 and L4-5 segments between groups were significantly different (p=0.048, 0.021) for the ES and MF muscles. In the multivariate analysis, differences in the PS MCSA at the L4-5 and L5-S1 segments remained significant (p=0.048, 0.043 and odds ratio=1.098, 1.169). In comparison analysis between male and female patients, most MCSAs of male patients were larger than female's. Fusion rates of male patients (80.7%) were higher than female's (68.8%), too. CONCLUSION: For PLIF surgery, PS muscle function appears to be an important factor for bone union and preventing back muscle injury is essential for better fusion rate.

Radiosurgical considerations for cavernous sinus hemangioma: long-term clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Cavernous hemangiomas are rare vascular tumors in the cavernous sinus. Cranial neuropathies induced by cavernous sinus hemangiomas (CSH) necessitate tumor reduction, but surgery is extremely difficult due to the abundant vascularization of the lesion. We studied the effectiveness and safety of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for CSH. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 25 patients with CSH who were treated by GKRS between March 1992 and December 2014. Age, sex, target volume, and irradiation dose were analyzed as prognostic factors for CSH treated by GKRS. RESULTS: Eleven (84.6 %) patients had tumor shrinkage within 12 months after GKRS. Two patients experienced tumor progression, but tumor size decreased over 2 years after GKRS. No patients had permanent complications, and all patients experienced symptomatic improvement. There were no significant factors that predicted the prognosis of CSH. CONCLUSIONS: The optimal treatment for CSH has been unclear; however, in this study, GKRS was an effective and safe treatment for CSH. Thus, GKRS may be a primary treatment for CSHs in high-risk surgery patients.

Communicating Hydrocephalus Associated with Intracranial Schwannoma Treated by Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.

OBJECTIVE: Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has been established as an effective and safe treatment for intracranial schwannoma. However, serious complications can occur after GKRS, including hydrocephalus. The pathophysiology and risk factors of this disorder are not yet fully understood. The objective of the study was to assess potential risk factors for hydrocephalus after GKRS. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical radiosurgical records of 244 patients who underwent GKRS to treat intracranial schwannoma. The following parameters were analyzed as potential risk factors for hydrocephalus after GKRS: age, sex, target volume, irradiation dose, prior tumor resection, treatment technique, and tumor enhancement pattern. The tumor enhancement pattern was divided into 2 groups: group A (homogeneous enhancement) and group B (heterogeneous or rim enhancement). RESULTS: Of the 244 patients, 14 of them (5.7%) developed communicating hydrocephalus. Communicating hydrocephalus occurred within 2 years after GKRS in most patients (92.8%). No significant association was observed between any of the parameters investigated and the development of hydrocephalus, with the exception of tumor enhancement pattern. Group B exhibited a statistically significant difference by univariate analysis (P = 0.002); this difference was also significant by multivariate analysis (P = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Because hydrocephalus is curable, patients should be closely monitored for the development of this disorder after GKRS. In particular, patients with intracranial schwannomas with irregular enhancement patterns or cysts should be meticulously observed.

Value of perfusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of supratentorial anaplastic astrocytoma.

We report perfusion weighted imaging (PWI) findings of nonenhanced anaplastic astrocytoma in a 30-year-old woman. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a nonenhanced brain tumor with mild peritumoral edema on the right medial frontal lobe and right genu of corpus callosum, suggesting a low-grade glioma. However, PWI showed increased relative cerebral blood volume, relative cerebral blood flow, and permeability of nonenhanced brain tumor compared with contralateral normal brain parenchyma, suggesting a high-grade glioma. After surgery, final histopathological analysis revealed World Health Organization grade III anaplastic astrocytoma. This case demonstrates the importance of PWI for preoperative evaluation of nonenhanced brain tumors.

Comparison of treatment methods in lumbar spinal stenosis for geriatric patient: nerve block versus radiofrequency neurotomy versus spinal surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of spinal treatment, including nerve block, radiofrequency neurotomy, instrumented fusions, is increasing, and progressively involves patients of age 65 and older. Treatment of the geriatric patients is often a difficult challenge for the spine surgeon. General health, sociofamilial and mental condition of the patients as well as the treatment techniques and postoperative management are to be accurately evaluated and planned. We tried to compare three treatment methods of spinal stenosis for geriatric patient in single institution. METHODS: The cases of treatment methods in spinal stenosis over than 65 years old were analyzed. The numbers of patients were 371 underwent nerve block, radiofrequency neurotomy, instrumented fusions from January 2009 to December 2012 (nerve block: 253, radiofrequency neurotomy: 56, instrumented fusions: 62). The authors reviewed medical records, operative findings and postoperative clinical results, retrospectively. Simple X-ray were evaluated and clinical outcome was measured by Odom's criteria at 1 month after procedures. RESULTS: We were observed excellent and good results in 162 (64%) patients with nerve block, 40 (71%) patient with radIofrequency neurotomy, 46 (74%) patient with spinal surgery. Poor results were 20 (8%) patients in nerve block, 2 (3%) patients in radiofrequency neurotomy, 3 (5%) patient in spinal surgery. CONCLUSION: We reviewed literatures and analyzed three treatment methods of spinal stenosis for geriatric patients. Although the long term outcome of surgical treatment was most favorable, radiofrequency neurotomy and nerve block can be considered for the secondary management of elderly lumbar spinals stenosis patients.