Predictors of Durable Remission After Successful Surgery for Cushing Disease: Results From the Multicenter RAPID Registry.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cushing disease (CD) affects mortality and quality of life along with limited long-term remission, underscoring the need to better identify recurrence risk. The identification of surgical or imaging predictors for CD remission after transsphenoidal surgery has yielded some inconsistent results and has been limited by single-center, single-surgeon, or meta-analyses studies. We sought to evaluate the multicenter Registry of Adenomas of the Pituitary and Related Disorders (RAPID) database of academic US pituitary centers to assess whether robust nonhormonal recurrence predictors could be elucidated. METHODS: Patients with treated CD from 2011 to 2023 were included. The perioperative and long-term characteristics of CD patients with and without recurrence were assessed using univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Of 383 patients with CD from 26 surgeons achieving postoperative remission, 288 (75.2%) maintained remission at last follow-up while 95 (24.8%) showed recurrence (median time to recurrence 9.99 ± 1.34 years). Patients with recurrence required longer postoperative hospital stays (5 ± 3 vs 4 ± 2 days, P = .002), had larger average tumor volumes (1.76 ± 2.53 cm 3 vs 0.49 ± 1.17 cm 3 , P = .0001), and more often previously failed prior treatment (31.1% vs 14.9%, P = .001) mostly being prior surgery. Multivariable hazard prediction models for tumor recurrence found younger age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.95, P = .002) and Knosp grade of 0 (OR = 0.09, reference Knosp grade 4, P = .03) to be protective against recurrence. Comparison of Knosp grade 0 to 2 vs 3 to 4 showed that lower grades had reduced risk of recurrence (OR = 0.27, P = .04). Other factors such as length of stay, surgeon experience, prior tumor treatment, and Knosp grades 1, 2, or 3 failed to reach levels of statistical significance in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: This multicenter study centers suggests that the strongest predictors of recurrence include tumor size/invasion and age. This insight can help with patient counseling and prognostication. Long-term follow-up is necessary for patients, and early treatment of small tumors may improve outcomes.

Predictors of Hydrocephalus Risk After Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannomas: Utility of the Evans Index.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hydrocephalus after Gamma Knife® stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for vestibular schwannomas is a rare but manageable occurrence. Most series report post-SRS communicating hydrocephalus in about 1% of patients, thought to be related to a release of proteinaceous substances into the cerebrospinal fluid. While larger tumor size and older patient age have been associated with post-SRS hydrocephalus, the influence of baseline ventricular anatomy on hydrocephalus risk remains poorly defined. METHODS: A single-institution retrospective cohort study examining patients who developed symptomatic communicating hydrocephalus after undergoing Gamma Knife® SRS for unilateral vestibular schwannomas from 2011 to 2021 was performed. Patients with prior hydrocephalus and cerebrospinal fluid diversion or prior surgical resection were excluded. Baseline tumor volume, third ventricle width, and Evans Index (EI)-maximum width of the frontal horns of the lateral ventricles/maximum internal diameter of the skull-were measured on axial postcontrast T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: A total of 378 patients met the inclusion criteria; 14 patients (3.7%) developed symptomatic communicating hydrocephalus and 10 patients (2.6%) underwent shunt placement and 4 patients (1.1%) were observed with milder symptoms. The median age of patients who developed hydrocephalus was 69 years (IQR, 67-72) and for patients younger than age 65 years, the risk was 1%. For tumor volumes <1 cm3, the risk of requiring shunting was 1.2%. The odds of developing symptomatic hydrocephalus were 5.0 and 7.7 times higher in association with a baseline EI > 0.28 (P = .024) and tumor volume >3 cm3 (P = .007), respectively, in multivariate analysis. Fourth ventricle distortion on pre-SRS imaging was significantly associated with hydrocephalus incidence (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Patients with vestibular schwannoma with higher baseline EI, larger tumor volumes, and fourth ventricle deformation are at increased odds of developing post-SRS hydrocephalus. These patients should be counseled regarding risk of hydrocephalus and carefully monitored after SRS.

Predictors of Durable Remission After Successful Surgery for Cushing Disease: Results From the Multicenter RAPID Registry.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cushing disease (CD) affects mortality and quality of life along with limited long-term remission, underscoring the need to better identify recurrence risk. The identification of surgical or imaging predictors for CD remission after transsphenoidal surgery has yielded some inconsistent results and has been limited by single-center, single-surgeon, or meta-analyses studies. We sought to evaluate the multicenter Registry of Adenomas of the Pituitary and Related Disorders (RAPID) database of academic US pituitary centers to assess whether robust nonhormonal recurrence predictors could be elucidated. METHODS: Patients with treated CD from 2011 to 2023 were included. The perioperative and long-term characteristics of CD patients with and without recurrence were assessed using univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Of 383 patients with CD from 26 surgeons achieving postoperative remission, 288 (75.2%) maintained remission at last follow-up while 95 (24.8%) showed recurrence (median time to recurrence 9.99 ± 1.34 years). Patients with recurrence required longer postoperative hospital stays (5 ± 3 vs 4 ± 2 days, P = .002), had larger average tumor volumes (1.76 ± 2.53 cm3 vs 0.49 ± 1.17 cm3, P = .0001), and more often previously failed prior treatment (31.1% vs 14.9%, P = .001) mostly being prior surgery. Multivariable hazard prediction models for tumor recurrence found younger age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.95, P = .002) and Knosp grade of 0 (OR = 0.09, reference Knosp grade 4, P = .03) to be protective against recurrence. Comparison of Knosp grade 0 to 2 vs 3 to 4 showed that lower grades had reduced risk of recurrence (OR = 0.27, P = .04). Other factors such as length of stay, surgeon experience, prior tumor treatment, and Knosp grades 1, 2, or 3 failed to reach levels of statistical significance in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: This multicenter study centers suggests that the strongest predictors of recurrence include tumor size/invasion and age. This insight can help with patient counseling and prognostication. Long-term follow-up is necessary for patients, and early treatment of small tumors may improve outcomes.

Long-term Survival From Breast Cancer Brain Metastases in the Era of Modern Systemic Therapies.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Median survival for all patients with breast cancer with brain metastases (BCBMs) has increased in the era of targeted therapy (TT) and with improved local control of intracranial tumors using stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and surgical resection. However, detailed characterization of the patients with long-term survival in the past 5 years remains sparse. The aim of this article is to characterize patients with BCBM who achieved long-term survival and identify factors associated with the uniquely better outcomes and to find predictors of mortality for patients with BCBM. METHODS: We reviewed 190 patients with breast cancer with 931 brain tumors receiving SRS who were followed at our institution with prospective data collection between 2012 and 2022. We analyzed clinical, molecular, and imaging data to assess relationship to outcomes and tumor control. RESULTS: The median overall survival from initial SRS and from breast cancer diagnosis was 25 months (95% CI 19-31 months) and 130 months (95% CI 100-160 months), respectively. Sixteen patients (17%) achieved long-term survival (survival ≥5 years from SRS), 9 of whom are still alive. Predictors of long-term survival included HER2+ status ( P = .041) and treatment with TT ( P = .046). A limited number of patients (11%) died of central nervous system (CNS) causes. A predictor of CNS-related death was the development of leptomeningeal disease after SRS ( P = .025), whereas predictors of non-CNS death included extracranial metastases at first SRS ( P = .017), triple-negative breast cancer ( P = .002), a Karnofsky Performance Status of <80 at first SRS ( P = .002), and active systemic disease at last follow-up ( P = .001). Only 13% of patients eventually needed whole brain radiotherapy. Among the long-term survivors, none died of CNS progression. CONCLUSION: Patients with BCBM can achieve long-term survival. The use of TT and HER2+ disease are associated with long-term survival. The primary cause of death was extracranial disease progression, and none of the patients living ≥5 years died of CNS-related disease.

Impact of Multiple Sclerosis Subtypes on Pain Management in Patients With Trigeminal Neuralgia After Stereotactic Radiosurgery: An International Multicenter Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Trigeminal neuralgia affects approximately 2% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and often shows higher rates of pain recurrence after treatment. Previous studies on the effectiveness of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for trigeminal neuralgia did not consider the different MS subtypes, including remitting relapsing (RRMS), primary progressive (PPMS), and secondary progressive (SPMS). Our objective was to investigate how MS subtypes are related to pain control (PC) rates after SRS. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicenter analysis of prospectively collected databases. Pain status was assessed using the Barrow National Institute Pain Intensity Scales. Time to recurrence was estimated through the Kaplan-Meier method and compared groups using log-rank tests. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR). RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-eight patients, 135 (52.4%) RRMS, 30 (11.6%) PPMS, and 93 (36%) SPMS, were included from 14 institutions. In total, 84.6% of patients achieved initial pain relief, with a median time of 1 month; 78.7% had some degree of pain recurrence with a median time of 10.2 months for RRMS, 8 months for PPMS, 8.1 months for SPMS ( P = .424). Achieving Barrow National Institute-I after SRS was a predictor for longer periods without recurrence ( P = .028). Analyzing PC at the last available follow-up and comparing with RRMS, PPMS was less likely to have PC (OR = 0.389; 95% CI 0.153-0.986; P = .047) and SPMS was more likely (OR = 2.0; 95% CI 0.967-4.136; P = .062). A subgroup of 149 patients did not have other procedures apart from SRS. The median times to recurrence in this group were 11.1, 9.8, and 19.6 months for RRMS, PPMS, and SPMS, respectively (log-rank, P = .045). CONCLUSION: This study is the first to investigate the relationship between MS subtypes and PC after SRS, and our results provide preliminary evidence that subtypes may influence pain outcomes, with PPMS posing the greatest challenge to pain management.

Preoperative radiographic and clinical factors associated with the visualization of intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid during endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative visualization of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during endoscopic endonasal resection of skull base tumors is the most common factor contributing to the development of postoperative CSF leaks. No previous studies have solely evaluated preoperative factors contributing to intraoperative CSF visualization. The purpose of this study was to identify preoperative factors predictive of intraoperative CSF visualization. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients who underwent transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas was conducted. Clinical and radiographic variables were compared for those who had CSF visualized to those who did not. Nominal logistic regression models were built to determine predictive variables. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty patients were included in the study. All significant demographic and radiographic variables on univariate analysis were included in multivariate analysis. Two multivariate models were built, as tumor height and supraclinoid extension were collinear. The first model, which considered tumor height, found that extension into the third ventricle carried a 4.60-fold greater risk of CSF visualization (P = 0.005). Increasing tumor height showed a stepwise, linear increase in risk; tumors >3 cm carried a 19.02-fold greater risk of CSF visualization (P = 0.003). The second model, which considered supraclinoid tumor extension, demonstrated that extension into the third ventricle carried a 4.38-fold increase in risk for CSF visualization (P = 0.010). Supraclinoid extension showed a stepwise, linear increase in intraoperative CSF risk; tumors with >2 cm of extension carried a 9.26-fold increase in risk (P = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that tumor height, extension into the third ventricle, and extension above the clinoids are predictive of intraoperative CSF visualization.

Independent Validation of the Colloid Cyst Risk Score to Predict Symptoms and Hydrocephalus in Patients with Colloid Cysts of the Third Ventricle.

BACKGROUND: The Colloid Cyst Risk Score (CCRS) was devised to identify patients with symptomatic colloid cyst and stratify risk of hydrocephalus. The CCRS considers patient age, presence of headache, colloid cyst diameter, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensity, and location within the third ventricle. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to independently evaluate the validity of the CCRS. METHODS: Patients with a colloid cyst of the third ventricle were identified retrospectively from institutional billing records and radiology report archives. Patients without a confirmed diagnosis of colloid cyst of the third ventricle or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain were excluded. Data were collected via retrospective chart review. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-six patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria. In our cohort, the CCRS stratified symptomatic patients and patients with hydrocephalus across all scores (P < 0.001). From CCRS 2 to 5, the percentage of symptomatic patients increased from 13% to 100%, whereas the percentage of patients with hydrocephalus increased from 8% to 83%. Simple logistic regression showed that total CCRS, headache, axial diameter, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensity, and risk zone were all highly predictive of symptomatic status and hydrocephalus (P < 0.001). Logistic regression with receiver operating curves for the CCRS showed an area under the curve of 0.914 for symptomatic colloid cysts and an area under the curve of 0.892 for colloid cysts with hydrocephalus. CONCLUSIONS: Our data analysis validates the predictive value of the CCRS for both symptomatic status and hydrocephalus and supports the use of the CCRS in risk stratification and clinical decision making.

Interrater and Intrarater Reliability of the Colloid Cyst Risk Score.

BACKGROUND: The Colloid Cyst Risk Score (CCRS) was developed to identify symptomatic patients and stratify risk of hydrocephalus among patients with colloid cysts. Its components consider patient age, cyst diameter, presence/absence of headache, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) hyperintensity, and location within the third ventricle. OBJECTIVE: To independently evaluate the inter- and intrarater reliability of the CCRS. METHODS: Patients with a colloid cyst were identified from billing records and radiology archives. Three independent raters reviewed electronic medical records to determine age, presence/absence of headache, cyst diameter (mm), FLAIR hyperintensity, and risk zone location. Raters made 53 observations, including 5 repeat observations.Fleiss' generalized kappa (κ) was calculated for all of the nominal criteria, whereas Kendall's coefficient of concordance (W) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated for the overall score. RESULTS: Total CCRS score demonstrated extremely strong agreement (W = 0.83) using Kendall's W coefficient and good agreement (ICC = 0.74) using the ICC (P < .001). For interrater reliability of individual criteria, age (κ = 1.00) and FLAIR hyperintensity (κ = 0.89) demonstrated near perfect agreement. Axial diameter (κ = 0.63) demonstrated substantial agreement, whereas agreement was moderate for risk zone (κ = 0.51) and fair for headache (κ = 0.26). Intrarater reliability for total CCRS score was extremely strong using Kendall's W, good to excellent using ICC, and fair to substantial using weighted kappa. CONCLUSION: The CCRS has good inter- and intrarater reliability when tested in an independent sample of patients, though strength of agreement varies among individual criteria. The validity of the CCRS requires independent evaluation.

Cerebellar Arteriovenous Malformation Rupture Despite Apparent Angiographic Obliteration.

BACKGROUND: Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) can occur in all regions of the brain and spinal cord, with clinical consequences and risks varying by location. Delayed AVM rupture despite digital subtraction angiography-confirmed obliteration post-radiation is exceedingly rare. CASE DESCRIPTION: To our knowledge, we present the first documented case of delayed hemorrhage associated with a cerebellar AVM 5 years after linear accelerator-based radiation in a man aged 31 years despite apparent angiographic obliteration. CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial hemorrhage after radiosurgery in digital subtraction angiography-confirmed obliterated AVMs is rare, with limited understanding of risk factors, appropriate preventative management, and mechanisms of occurrence. This case serves to demonstrate the need for greater awareness of this rare complication, as well as the need for appropriate surveillance and management strategies.

Is There an Association Between Physician Review Websites and Press Ganey Survey Results in a Neurosurgical Outpatient Clinic?

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies suggest a poor association between physician review websites and the validated metrics used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between online and outpatient Press Ganey (PG) measures of patient satisfaction in a neurosurgical department. METHODS: We obtained PG survey results from one large academic institution's outpatient neurosurgery clinic. Popular physician review websites were searched for each of the faculty captured in the PG data. Average physician rating and percent Top Box scores were calculated for each physician. PG data were separated into new and established clinic visits for subset analysis. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated to determine associations. RESULTS: Twelve neurosurgeons were included. Established patients demonstrated greater PG scores as compared with new patients, with an average physician rating increase of 0.55 and an average Top Box increase of 12.5%. Online physician ratings were found to demonstrate strong agreement with PG scores for the entire PG population, new patient subset, and established patient subset (ρ = 0.77-0.79, P < 0.05). Online Top Box scores demonstrated moderate agreement with overall PG Top Box scores (ρ = 0.59, P = 0.042), moderate agreement with the new patient population Top Box scores (ρ = 0.56, P = 0.059), and weak agreement with established patient population Top Box scores (ρ = 0.38, P = 0.217). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated a strong agreement between PG ratings and online physician ratings and a poorer correlation when comparing PG Top Box scores with online physician Top Box scores, particularly in the established patient population.

Chondroblastoma-like mass of the temporal bone, secondary aneurysmal bone cyst, and intracerebral hemorrhage in a patient with cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome: case report.

Cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFCS) is a rare developmental disorder that is phenotypically similar to Noonan syndrome and is associated with mutations in BRAF, MEK1, MEK2, and KRAS. The relationship between malignancy risk and CFCS is unclear with few cases published in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe the case of a patient with CFCS presenting in extremis as a result of a large intracerebral hemorrhage arising from a temporal bone mass with histopathology most consistent with chondroblastoma and secondary aneurysmal bone cyst. This is the first case to document an association between CFCS and chondroblastoma.

Development of the Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly (SHE) score to predict mortality.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the development of a novel prognostic score, the Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly (SHE) score. The SHE score is intended to predict 30-day mortality in elderly patients (those > 65 years of age) with an acute, chronic, or mixed-density subdural hematoma (SDH) after minor, or no, prior trauma. METHODS: The authors used the Prognosis Research Strategy group methods to develop the clinical prediction model. The training data set included patients with acute, chronic, and mixed-density SDH. Based on multivariate analyses from a large data set, in addition to review of the extant literature, 3 components to the score were selected: age, admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and SDH volume. Patients are given 1 point if they are over 80 years old, 1 point for an admission GCS score of 5-12, 2 points for an admission GCS score of 3-4, and 1 point for SDH volume > 50 ml. The sum of points across all categories determines the SHE score. RESULTS: The 30-day mortality rate steadily increased as the SHE score increased for all SDH acuities. For patients with an acute SDH, the 30-day mortality rate was 3.2% for SHE score of 0, and the rate increased to 13.1%, 32.7%, 95.7%, and 100% for SHE scores of 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The model was most accurate for acute SDH (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.94), although it still performed well for chronic (AUC = 0.80) and mixed-density (AUC = 0.87) SDH. CONCLUSIONS: The SHE score is a simple clinical grading scale that accurately stratifies patients' risk of mortality based on age, admission GCS score, and SDH volume. Use of the SHE score could improve counseling of patients and their families, allow for standardization of clinical treatment protocols, and facilitate clinical research studies in SDH.

Long-Term Survival After Transformation of an Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-Secreting Pituitary Macroadenoma to a Silent Corticotroph Pituitary Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pituitary carcinomas are rare and aggressive neoplasms that despite current treatment regimens continue to have a poor prognosis. Adrenocorticotrophic hormone pituitary tumors have been shown to alter their clinical manifestations with conversion to Cushing disease and silent types. CASE DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this paper is to present the first documented case of an adrenocorticotrophic hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma with Cushing disease that differentiated into a silent corticotroph pituitary carcinoma with metastases to distant sites in the central nervous system. CONCLUSIONS: This patient was later treated with radiotherapy, temozolomide, and bevacizumab, with 8 years of progression-free survival.

Discrepancy Between Neurosurgery Morbidity and Mortality Conference Discussions and Hospital Quality Metric Standards.

OBJECTIVE: Medical institutions use quality metrics to track complications seen in hospital admissions. Similarly, morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences are held to peer review complications. The purpose of this study was to compare the complications identified in a cohort of patients within 30 days of neurosurgical intervention with those captured in a cohort of M&M conferences. METHODS: All complications that occurred within 30 days of surgery were obtained for patients admitted to the neurosurgical service between May and September 2013. All patients discussed in M&M conference between August 2012 and February 2015 were included in a second data set. Complications were subdivided into 4 categories and compared between the 2 cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 749 postoperative complications were identified, including 52 urinary tract infections, 52 pneumonias, 15 deep vein thromboses, 19 strokes, 75 seizures, 25 wound infections, 6 cardiac arrests, and 162 reoperations. Eighty-five M&M cases were reviewed, identifying 9 strokes, 3 seizures, 8 wound infections, 13 hematomas, 7 intraoperative errors, and 11 postoperative deaths. The M&M cohort showed higher rates of neurologic complications (P < 0.0001) and surgical complications (P < 0.0001). The neurosurgical admission cohort showed higher rates of general medical adverse events (P = 0.0118) and infectious complications (not surgical wound related, P = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Both neurosurgical service inpatient complications and complications discussed in M&M provide valuable opportunities for identifying areas in need of quality improvement. As the United States moves toward an outcomes reimbursement model, neurosurgical programs should adjust M&M conferences to reflect both technical operative complications as well as more common complications.

Intracranial Hemorrhage in Patients with a Left Ventricular Assist Device.

BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of literature regarding management and outcomes of patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for advanced heart failure who develop intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). We conducted a case series from 2 centers highlighting patient outcomes and prognostic factors to help clinicians better understand and care for these high-risk patients. METHODS: A case series from 2 large-volume institutions (defined as large by the Nationwide Inpatient Sample hospital size, i.e., >500 beds both with Departments of Neurosurgery and Advanced Heart Failure-Cardiology) was conducted to clarify the prognosis of patients with an LVAD and ICH. We included patients who were being treated with an LVAD who developed ICH. Patient-specific demographics and data regarding heart failure and intracranial hemorrhage characteristics were collected and analyzed to determine which factors contributed to overall survival. RESULTS: We analyzed 59 unique ICHs in patients being treated with an LVAD for heart failure. Initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, presence of midline shift, and ICH size were factors found to be predictive of mortality. One institution had a sicker patient population including patients with ICH with lower Glasgow Coma Scale score, presence of midline shift, and greater hemorrhage size, which led to overall higher mortality compared with the second institution. CONCLUSIONS: Patients being treated with an LVAD who develop ICH have poor outcomes. Predictive factors for same-admission mortality are lower initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, presence of midline shift, and greater ICH volume.

Clinical Utility of Serum Procalcitonin Level and Infection in the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Procalcitonin, a bloodstream inflammatory biomarker, has proven useful in the diagnosis of sepsis in critically ill patients treated in medical and surgical intensive care units. This study aims to further our understanding of the significance of procalcitonin levels in neuroscience intensive care unit (NICU) patients. METHODS: Neurosurgical patients who underwent a procalcitonin assay in an NICU over a 2-year period were included in our analysis. A procalcitonin level ≥0.2 ng/mL was considered a positive result. Infection was defined by clinical and/or microbiological diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in the diagnosis of clinically and/or microbiologically identified infection were calculated for procalcitonin level ≥0.2 ng/mL. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 203 patients, including 63 with a positive procalcitonin assay (31%). Meeting the criteria for SIRS was the most common reason for a procalcitonin draw (35.5%). A procalcitonin level >0.2 ng/mL was not significantly associated with infection (P = 0.25). With a 37.4% false-negative rate and a 10.8% false-positive rate, the sensitivity of a procalcitonin level >0.2 ng/mL was 35.0%, specificity was 74.4%, the positive predictive value was 65.1%, and the negative predictive value was 45.7%. A receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.61. CONCLUSIONS: Although the utility of procalcitonin in sepsis and bacterial pneumonia has been amply demonstrated, this biomarker shows limited utility in diagnosing infection in our cohort, emphasizing the importance of cautious and selective use of procalcitonin assays in NICU patients.