RESUMO
Objective This case series investigates management of glomus jugulare (GJ) tumors utilizing definitive and salvage Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GKSRS). Methods A retrospective chart review was performed to collect data. Statistical analysis included patient, tumor, and treatment information. Results From 1996 to 2013, 17 patients with GJ received GKSRS. Median age was 64 years (range, 27-76). GKSRS was delivered for definitive treatment in eight (47%) and salvage in nine (53%) patients. Median tumor volume was 9.8 cm 3 (range, 2.8-42 cm 3 ). Median dose was 15 Gy (range, 13-18 Gy). Median follow-up was 123 months (range, 38-238 months). Tumor size decreased in 10 (59%), stabilized in 6 (35%), and increased in 1 patient (6%). Overall neurological deficit improved in 53%, stabilized in 41%, and worsened in 6% of patients. Overall cause-specific survival was 100%, and actuarial local control was 94%. Eighty-eight percent of patients without prior resection experienced neurologic deficit improvement, while 25% of patients with prior resection experienced neurologic improvement ( p = 0.02). Conclusion Gamma Knife radiosurgery provides effective long-term control of GJ and overall improvement or stabilization of neurological deficit in most patients. Patients with prior resection are less likely to experience improvement of neurologic deficit.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: In this study, we evaluated the use of a part-task simulator with 3-dimensional and haptic feedback as a training tool for percutaneous spinal needle placement. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the learning effectiveness in terms of entry point/target point accuracy of percutaneous spinal needle placement on a high-performance augmented-reality and haptic technology workstation with the ability to control the duration of computer-simulated fluoroscopic exposure, thereby simulating an actual situation. METHODS: Sixty-three fellows and residents performed needle placement on the simulator. A virtual needle was percutaneously inserted into a virtual patient's thoracic spine derived from an actual patient computed tomography data set. RESULTS: Ten of 126 needle placement attempts by 63 participants ended in failure for a failure rate of 7.93%. From all 126 needle insertions, the average error (15.69 vs 13.91), average fluoroscopy exposure (4.6 vs 3.92), and average individual performance score (32.39 vs 30.71) improved from the first to the second attempt. Performance accuracy yielded P = .04 from a 2-sample t test in which the rejected null hypothesis assumes no improvement in performance accuracy from the first to second attempt in the test session. CONCLUSION: The experiments showed evidence (P = .04) of performance accuracy improvement from the first to the second percutaneous needle placement attempt. This result, combined with previous learning retention and/or face validity results of using the simulator for open thoracic pedicle screw placement and ventriculostomy catheter placement, supports the efficacy of augmented reality and haptics simulation as a learning tool.