Hemorrhagic Attitude in Frameless and Frame-Based Stereotactic Biopsy for Deep-Seated Primary Central Nervous System Lymphomas in Immunocompetent Patients: A Multicentric Analysis of the Last Twenty Years.

BACKGROUND: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare manifestation of aggressive extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In patients with deep-seated lesions, stereotactic brain biopsy (SBB) is an accepted diagnostic procedure to obtain histopathologic confirmation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, diagnostic yield, safety, and complications of stereotactic procedures in midline and deep-seated PCNSLs. METHODS: Patients selected had received a histopathologic diagnosis of PCNSL localized in deep-seated midline structures, obtained by SBB. The intraoperative frozen section was executed as an integral part of the procedure. Computed tomography scan was performed after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 476 SBBs were performed between January 2000 and December 2019 . Of these SBBs, 91 deep-seated lesions had a histologic diagnosis of PCNSL. A significant increase of the incidence of PCNSL compared with all other diseases was observed (P < 0.0001). Eight patients (8.7%) showed a symptomatic hemorrhage, 4 of whom required craniotomy. There were 4 deaths and 2 cases of permanent morbidity. The hemorrhage risk in the PCNSL group was statistically significant (P = 0.0003) compared with other histotypes. CONCLUSIONS: In suspected cases of PCNSL, a histopathologic diagnosis is necessary to distinguish it from glioblastoma or other, nonmalignant conditions. Deep-seated PCNSLs present a higher risk of biopsy-related morbidity and mortality. Intraoperative frozen section increases the diagnostic yield and reduces the number of sampling procedures. Postoperative computed tomography seems to be warranted in patients with suspected PCNSL.

Oblique Lateral Retroperitoneal Lumbar Pre-Psoas Approach for Vertebrectomy in Cancer Patients: Surgical Technique.

Due to the longer survival of cancer patients secondary to improved systemic treatments, there has been a recent increase in the incidence of spinal metastases. Metastatic disease involves the anterior vertebral body in 80% of cases. Progressive osseous invasion may result in pathologic vertebral fractures and neural structure compression. Surgical indications are spinal cord and cauda equina compression or spinal instability in patients with an expected survival of at least 6 months. Tumor resection and spine reconstruction in the lumbar region are technically demanding. Several approaches have recently been developed to access the lumbar spine: anterior lumbar approach (ALIF), lateral and extreme lateral transpsoas lumbar approach (LLIF, XLIF, DLIF), and oblique retroperitoneal lumbar pre-psoas approach (OLIF). Each technique has its advantages and drawbacks. OLIF is an emerging procedure that has progressively been used by spine surgeons. The retroperitoneal space allows direct access to the vertebra, thus avoiding injury to the paraspinal muscles, psoas muscle, and lumbar plexus. Between 2005 and 2017, 14 patients underwent somatectomy and spinal reconstruction using an oblique retroperitoneal lumbar pre-psoas approach at our institution. All were affected by lumbar vertebral metastases from solid and hematological tumors, and all presented a Tokuhashi score ≥ 12. L3 vertebral body was involved in 7 cases, L1 was involved in 3, L2 was involved in 2, and L4 was involved in 2. All patients underwent a lateral retroperitoneal approach to achieve vertebrectomy and spinal reconstruction with a cage. Spinal fixation was completed with pedicle screws and rods in 4 cases. No neurological worsening was noted except in one patient who presented a transitory deficit of the left ileopsoas muscle. The oblique retroperitoneal lumbar pre-psoas approach may be a valuable and feasible technique that is potentially able to significantly reduce tissue trauma in patients while still making it possible to achieve corpectomy and solid reconstruction of lumbar vertebral bodies. To our knowledge, this is the first reported series of patients with lumbar spinal metastases treated with the oblique retroperitoneal lumbar pre-psoas approach.

Open Kyphoplasty for Metastatic Spine Disease: A Retrospective Clinical Series.

OBJECTIVE: Symptomatic metastatic spine disease (MSD), is a challenging disease involving 3%-20% of patients with bone metastases. Different surgical options are available and must be tailored to the general and neurologic conditions of the patients. Open kyphoplasty (OKP) refers to decompressive hemilaminectomy, associated with a contralateral percutaneous kyphoplasty, and in some cases, to a posterior stabilization. The aim of the study was to critically review our experience during the last decade with OKP in patients with cancer. METHODS: Fifty-three patients with cancer underwent OKP for symptomatic MSD. The Tokuhashi score and Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score were calculated for each patient. Length of hospital stay, perioperative complications, incidence of adjacent-level fractures, and median survival after surgery were evaluated. Karnofsky Performance Status, visual analog scale, and Dennis Pain Score were calculated preoperatively, postoperatively, and at last follow-up. RESULTS: Median Tokuhashi score and Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score were 10 and 10, respectively. The mean volume of filling material inserted was 3.6 mL. Median operative time was 180 minutes. Complications included 8 leakages (15%), 2 permanent motor deficits (3.8%), and 2 asymptomatic pulmonary embolisms (3.8%). Mean length of hospital stay was 7 days. A significant improvement was observed in Karnofsky Performance Status, visual analog scale score, and Dennis Pain Score (P < 0.0001). Median follow-up was 16 months and overall survival 22 months. CONCLUSIONS: OKP was an effective treatment of symptomatic MSDs in selected oncologic patients with low Tokuhashi scores. It relieved lateral epidural compressions, expanded indications of palliative surgery in patients who were not otherwise surgical candidates, and rapidly dealt with cement leakages.

Kyphoplasty with purified silicone VK100 (Elastoplasty) to treat spinal lytic lesions in cancer patients: A retrospective evaluation of 41 cases.

OBJECTIVES: Balloon Kyphoplasty (BKP) for vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) in cancer patients is more challenging than for osteoporotic ones. Cord compressions are frequent and the incidence of complications ten-fold greater. Polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) is the gold standard material for BKP but has disadvantages: exothermic reaction, short working time, rapid solidification, absence of osteoconduction. VK100 is a mixture of Dimethyl Methylvinyl siloxane and Barium Sulphate. It is elastic, adhesive to bone, leaves 30 min before solidification without exothermic reaction, and shows a stiffness close to the intact vertebrae. The surgical procedure, called elastoplasty, is similar to a BKP. Clinical results obtained with this new silicone in pathological VCFs have been investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 41 cancer patients with symptomatic VCFs (70 vertebral bodies), underwent percutaneous and open elastoplasties. Post-operative leakages, pulmonary embolism (PE) and adjacent fractures were carefully evaluated with neuroimaging. KPS, VAS and Dennis Pain Score were calculated pre- post-operatively and at the last follow-up. RESULTS: The mean volume of silicone inserted in each vertebra was 3.8 cc. Complications included seven leakages (17%), two asymptomatic PE (4.3%) and 3 post-operative adjacent fractures (7.3%). Median follow-up was 29 months. A significant improvement was observed in KPS, VAS and Dennis Pain Score (p < .0001). The 1-yr survival rate was 76.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Elastoplasty appears a safe and effective palliative treatment of VCFs in oncologic patients. Useful qualities of VK100 are the lack of exothermic reaction and the wider working window. The influence of biomechanical properties of silicone on reduction of adjacent level fractures requires further investigations.

Unilateral Laminectomy Approach for the Removal of Spinal Meningiomas and Schwannomas: Impact on Pain, Spinal Stability, and Neurologic Results.

BACKGROUND: Spinal intradural tumors are usually removed with laminectomy/laminotomy with a midline dural incision. Pain, discomfort, postoperative kyphosis, and instability may be minimized with unilateral microsurgery. METHODS: Seventy patients with schwannoma (73 tumors) and 27 patients with meningioma (29 tumors) were operated on with unilateral hemilaminectomy (June 2000 to March 2014). Surgery was generally kept to 1 or 2 levels, removing all the craniocaudal ligamentum flavum. Careful radioscopic identification is mandatory; in thoracolumbar schwannomas, the tumor may be mobile; in the prone position, it may move cranially than appears on magnetic resonance imaging. The dura was opened paramedially, and the tumor was dissected and removed either en bloc or piecemeal after ultrasonic debulking. Neurophysiologic monitoring was performed. The tumor was approached tangentially with no cord rotation or minimal manipulation. Average duration of surgery was 160 minutes (100-320 minutes). Removal was total in 72 of 73 schwannomas; Simpson grade was 1 in 10 meningiomas and 2 in 19. RESULTS: Patients with no complications were discharged on day 5-7. Ten patients had orthostatic headaches; 2 had pseudomeningocele that required reoperation. Pain improvement (Dennis Scale) was significant either at discharge or at follow-up (P < 0.0001 schwannomas, P < 0.001 meningiomas). Neurologic results (McCormick Scale, Karnofsky Performance Score) were excellent/good: of 39 patients with preoperative neurologic impairment, 19 recovered completely, 17 had minor spasticity, and 3 had moderate spasticity but autonomous ambulation. Sphincters recovered in 5 of 10 patients At follow-up, average Karnofsky Performance Score improved from 60 to 90 (P < 0.0001) and the McCormick score decreased from 121 to 55 (P < 0.0001). No spinal instability was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Neurologic and oncologic results were good and postoperative pain and discomfort were reduced. Stability was preserved with a unilateral technique. No bracing was necessary, permitting early rehabilitation.

Radionecrosis induced by stereotactic radiosurgery of brain metastases: results of surgery and outcome of disease.

Sterotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an effective and commonly employed therapy for metastatic brain tumors. Among complication of this treatment, symptomatic focal cerebral radionecrosis (RN) occurs in 2-10 % of cases. The large diffusion of combined therapies as SRS followed by WBRT and/or CHT, has significantly amplified the number of patients who potentially might be affected by this pathology and neurosurgeons are increasingly called to treat suspected area of RN. Results of surgery of RN in patients with brain metastases are rarely reported in literature, a standardization of diagnostic work-up to correctly identify RN is still lacking and the timing and indications in favour of surgical therapy over medical treatments are not clear as well. In this retrospective study, we review current concept related to RN and analyze the outcome of surgical treatment in a series of 15 patients previously submitted to SRS for brain metastases and affected by suspected radionecrotic lesions. After surgery, all patients except one neurologically improved. No intra-operative complications occurred. Brain edema improved in all patients allowing a reduction or even suspension of corticosteroid therapy. Pure RN was histologically determined in 7 cases; RN and tumor recurrence in the other 8. Overall median survival was 19 months. An aggressive surgical attitude may be advisable in symptomatic patients with suspected cerebral RN, to have histologic confirmation of the lesion, to obtain a long-lasting relief from the mass effect and brain edema and to improve the overall quality of life, sparing a prolonged corticosteroid therapy.

Supraorbital keyhole approach for removal of midline anterior cranial fossa meningiomas: a series of 20 consecutive cases.

The paper describes a retrospective study of a consecutive series of 20 midline anterior cranial fossa meningiomas (five of the olfactory groove, 14 of the tuberculum sellae, and one clinoidal), which were operated on via a supraorbital keyhole approach between 2002 and 2008. The series includes three males and 17 females (mean age 57 years, mean size of the tumors 3.5 × 3 cm, and mean follow-up 48 months). Gross total excision was achieved in 18 cases and subtotal resection in two. Out of 14 patients with visual deficits, nine patients improved, one remained stable, and three deteriorated. Two patients presented a recurrence 3 years after surgery. One peri-operative death was recorded. The subgroup of patients with tuberculum sellae meningiomas was analyzed in details. A meta-analysis of the major series of such meningiomas in the last 20 years has been performed in order to compare results of different surgical techniques. With regard to primary outcomes of these tumors, gross total removal, restoration of visual function, morbidity, mortality, and recurrence rates, the supraorbital approach, for selected cases, seems to offer valuable results, comparable with those reported in conventional and endoscopic approaches and with very low surgical aggressiveness. However, statistical data available from the literature, particularly on visual function, are still too limited to draw definitive conclusions. The best surgical option for the individual patient cannot yet be standardized and should be chosen on the basis of tumor anatomy, pre-operative clinical symptoms, and surgeon's experience.

Cerebellopontine angle arachnoid cyst: a case of hemifacial spasm caused by an organic lesion other than neurovascular compression: case report.

OBJECTIVE: A rare case of cerebellopontine angle arachnoid cyst manifesting as hemifacial spasm (HFS) is reported. The patient is a 42-year-old woman with 10-month history of left HFS. A preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scan showed a well-demarcated area, hypointense on T1-weighted imaging and hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging, in the left cerebellopontine angle, without contrast enhancement, resembling an arachnoid cyst. METHODS: The cyst was excised with microneurosurgical technique and the facial, vestibular, and acoustic nerves were completely decompressed from the arachnoid wall. RESULTS: The postoperative course was uneventful, and the left HFS disappeared immediately. Histologically, the cyst wall was a typical arachnoidal membrane. Ten months after surgery, the patient is symptom free. CONCLUSION: It is well-known that in approximately 10% of cases, trigeminal neuralgia can be caused by a space-occupying mass. However, the fact that HFS can also be caused by organic lesions as well as neurovascular compression is less well-known. Although the occurrence of tumor compression causing HFS has been previously recognized, cerebellopontine angle cysts have very rarely been described. The observation of a patient with a cerebellopontine angle arachnoid cyst causing HFS prompted us to review the literature relative to HFS caused by an organic lesion rather than neurovascular compression.

Thirty-seven cases of intracranial meningiomas in the ninth decade of life: our experience and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: We report a series of 37 elderly patients who were surgically treated for intracranial meningioma in the ninth decade of life at our neurosurgical division between 1985 and 2002. METHODS: Our study included 37 patients ranging in age from 80 to 86 years (29 women, 8 men). The preoperative neurological status was evaluated according to Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) status. The patients' general health condition was evaluated according to the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) classification. RESULTS: Five patients (13.5%) experienced perioperative mortality. The risk of postoperative mortality was higher in patients graded as ASA Class III who had low preoperative KPS ratings (< 70), whereas it was lower in patients graded as ASA Classes I and II (P > 0.001). The postoperative mortality rate was significantly higher in patients graded as having a KPS score of less than 70 (P > 0.01). The risk of postoperative morbidity seems higher with larger maximum tumor diameters (P < 0.05). Surgical excision and the presence of a severe peritumoral edema seem to be associated with a higher risk of postoperative morbidity (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Surgical removal of a meningioma in the elderly is a safe procedure if the preoperative ASA classification is I or II and if the KPS rating is at least 70. Age seems not to be an insuperable obstacle when adequate management of all risk factors has been obtained.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertrophic pachymeningitis: two case reports and review of the literature.

In 1949, Naffziger et al. first described idiopathic intracranial hypertrophic pachymeningitis (IIHP) as an aseptic, diffuse inflammatory disease that causes thickening of the dura mater and often headache and progressive multiple nerve palsies due to fibrous entrapment or ischemic damage of neurovascular structures. Pachymeningeal thickening can be diffuse or nodular. We report two cases of IIHP; one was affected by diffuse IIHP, while the other presented focal IIHP mimicking a convexity meningioma. We examine the differential diagnosis between IIHP and other known causes of hypertrophic pachymeningitis. We also discuss the clinical bases of treatment.