Clinical outcomes of patients with mut-type methylmalonic acidemia identified through expanded newborn screening in China.

BACKGROUND: Isolated methylmalonic acidemia, an autosomal recessive disorder of propionate metabolism, is usually caused by mutations in the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase gene (mut-type). Because no universal consensus was made on whether mut-type methylmalonic acidemia should be included in newborn screening (NBS), we aimed to compare the outcome of this disorder detected by NBS with that detected clinically and investigate the influence of NBS on the disease course. DESIGN & METHODS: In this study, 168 patients with mut-type methylmalonic acidemia diagnosed by NBS were compared to 210 patients diagnosed after disease onset while NBS was not performed. Clinical data of these patients from 7 metabolic centers in China were analyzed retrospectively, including initial manifestations, biochemical metabolites, the responsiveness of vitamin B12 therapy, and gene variation, to explore different factors on the long-term outcome. RESULTS: By comparison of the clinically-diagnosed patients, NBS-detected patients showed younger age at diagnosis, less incidence of disease onset, better responsiveness of vitamin B12, younger age at start of treatment, lower levels of biochemical features before and after treatment, and better long-term prognosis (P < 0.01). Onset of disease, blood C3/C2 ratio and unresponsiveness of vitamin B12 were more positively associated with poor outcomes of patients whether identified by NBS. Moreover, the factors above as well as older age at start of treatment were positively associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This research highly demonstrated NBS could prevent major disease-related events and allow an earlier treatment initiation. As a key prognostic factor, NBS is beneficial for improving the overall survival of infants with mut-type methylmalonic acidemia.

Long-term follow-up of Chinese patients with methylmalonic acidemia of the cblC and mut subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is the most common organic acidemia in China, with cblC (cblC-MMA) and mut (mut-MMA) being the predominant subtypes. The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic manifestations and their possible influence in patients with these two subtypes. METHODS: A national multicenter retrospective study of patients with cblC-MMA and mut-MMA between 2004 and 2022 was performed. We compared the clinical features between patients with two subtypes or diagnosed with or without newborn screening (NBS) and further explored the potentially influential factors on the prognosis. RESULTS: The 1617 enrolled MMA patients included 81.6% cblC-MMA patients and 18.4% mut-MMA patients, with an overall poor prognosis rate of 71.9%. These two subtypes of patients showed great differences in poor prognostic manifestations. The role of NBS in better outcomes was more pronounced in cblC-MMA patients. Predictors of outcomes are "pre-treatment onset", "NBS", variants of c.80A > G and c.482G > A and baseline levels of propionylcarnitine and homocysteine for cblC-MMA; "pre-treatment onset", "responsive to vitB12", variants of c.914T > C and baseline propionylcarnitine and propionylcarnitine/acetylcarnitine ratio for mut-MMA. Besides, prognostic biochemical indicators have diagnostic value for poor outcomes in mut-MMA. CONCLUSIONS: The study provided potential predictors of the long-term outcome of patients with cblC-MMA and mut-MMA. IMPACT: Predictors of outcomes are "pre-treatment onset", "NBS", MMACHC variants of c.80A > G and c.482G > A and baseline propionylcarnitine and homocysteine for cblC-MMA, "pre-treatment onset", "responsive to vitB12", MMUT variants of c.914T > C and baseline propionylcarnitine and propionylcarnitine/acetylcarnitine ratio for mut-MMA. This study with larger sample sizes effectively validated the prediction power and emphasized the importance of NBS in improving the outcomes of both MMA subtypes. The study enhances understanding of the phenotypic and prognostic variations of MMA disease and the predictors will help in the improvement of diagnosis and treatment strategies to achieve a better prognosis for MMA.

Evaluation of the clinical, biochemical, genotype and prognosis of mut-type methylmalonic acidemia in 365 Chinese cases.

BACKGROUND: Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), which results from defects in methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (mut type) or its cofactor, is the most common inherited organic acid metabolic disease in China. This study aimed to investigate the phenotype and genotype of mut-type MMA in Chinese patients. METHODS: We recruited 365 patients with mut-type MMA; investigated their disease onset, newborn screening (NBS) status, biochemical metabolite levels, gene variations and prognosis; and explored the relationship between phenotype and genotype. RESULTS: There were 152 patients diagnosed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) expanded NBS, 209 patients diagnosed because of disease onset without NBS and 4 cases diagnosed because of sibling diagnosis. The median age of onset was 15 days old, with a variety of symptoms without specificity. Urinary levels of methylmalonic acid and methylcitric acid (MCA) decreased after treatment. Regarding the prognosis, among the 152 patients with NBS, 50.6% were healthy, 30.3% had neurocognitive impairment and/or movement disorders and 13.8% died. Among the 209 patients without NBS, 15.3% were healthy, 45.9% had neurocognitive impairment and/or movement disorders and 33.0% died. In total, 179 variants were detected in the MMUT gene, including 52 novel variations. c.729_730insTT, c.1106G>A, c.323G>A, c.914T>C and c.1663G>A were the five most frequent variations. The c.1663G>A variation led to a milder phenotype and better prognosis. CONCLUSION: There is a wide spectrum of variations in the MMUT gene with several common variations. Although the overall prognosis of mut-type MMA was poor, participation in MS/MS expanded NBS, vitamin B12 responsive and late onset are favourable factors for the prognosis.

[Research progress on the prognosis of patients with various types of Methylmalonic acidemia].

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is a series of rare inherited organic acid metabolic disorders with variable and nonspecific clinical manifestations, in particular neurological symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, etc. Even with timely treatment, patients may still have various degrees of neurological complications and can even die. The prognosis is mainly related to the type of genetic variants, level of metabolites, newborn screening, onset of disease and early initiation of treatment. This article has reviewed the prognosis of patients with various types of MMA and factors that may affect it.

Clinical characteristics and genotype analysis of five infants with cblX type of methylmalonic acidemia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of infants with cobalamin (cbl) X type of methylmalonic acidemia (MMA). METHODS: The clinical data of 5 infants with cblX type of MMA diagnosed in Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shanghai Children's Hospital from the year 2016 to 2020 were collected. The levels of blood acylcarnitines were detected by tandem mass spectrometry, the levels of urinary organic acids were detected by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry, the pathogenic genes were detected by whole exon gene sequencing, and the effect of new pathogenic mutations on three-dimensional protein structure was predicted by bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS: Five infants with cblX type were diagnosed, including 4 males and 1 female, and the onset age was 0-6 months. The main clinical manifestations of 4 males were intractable epilepsy, mental and motor retardation, metabolic abnormalities presented mild increase of blood homocysteine level. Among them, 3 cases were accompanied by slight increase of urinary methylmalonic acid, and 1 case was accompanied by increase of blood propionylcarnitine (C3) and C3/acetylcarnitine (C2). Gene detection found that 2 cases carried a same hemizygous mutation c.344C>T (p.A115V) of HCFC1 gene, which was the most reported mutation, and the other 2 cases carried novel pathogenic mutations, c.92G>A (p.R31Q) and c.166G>C (p.V56L). These 3 gene mutations located in the Kelch domain of HCFC1 protein. One female infant carried a benign mutation of c.3731G>T (p.R1244L). Her clinical symptoms were mild, and only the urinary methylmalonic acid was slightly increased. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical manifestations of children with cblX type of MMA are intractable epilepsy, mental and motor retardation, and other serious neurological symptoms. Their metabolic abnormalities present the increase of blood homocysteine with methylmalonic acid (urinary methylmalonic acid or/and blood C3, C3/C2). The clinical and biochemical phenotypes are separated, so the diagnosis should be in combination with the results of gene testing.

Clinical features and outcomes of patients with cblC type methylmalonic acidemia carrying gene c.609G>A mutation.

To explore the clinical features and long-term outcomes of patients with cblC type methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) carrying c.609G>A (p.W203X) mutation of gene. The clinical and laboratory findings of 720 patients with MMA carrying the c.609G>A mutation were retrospectively analyzed. There were 172 cases carrying homozygous mutations of c.609G>A (group A), 169 cases carrying compound heterozygous mutations of c.609G>A with c.482G>A (p.R161Q), c.80A>G or c.394C>T (p.R132X) (group B), and 379 cases carrying compound heterozygous mutations of c.609G>A with c.658_660delAAG(p.K220del), c.315A>Tor c.567dupT(p.I190fs13)(group C).The clinical manifestations, the level of blood acylcarnitine, homocysteine and urinary organic acid, and the therapeutic efficacy were compared among groups. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing the prognosis of patients. There were 306 patients (42.5%) detected from newborn screening, including 156 cases with disease onset; and 414 patients were not detected from the screening, among whom 10 cases were diagnosed by testing after the sibling confirmed, and the remaining 404 were clinical cases. In 560 patients with disease onset, the median onset age is (3 days to 20 years). The onset age of patients in group B was later than that in group A and group C (<0.01). Patients aged mostly manifested as vomiting, diarrhea, feeding difficulties and convulsions, while those year mostly manifested as movement disorders and mental retardation. Patients with renal disease all carried mutations of c.80A>G or c.482G>A, and patients with pulmonary hypertension all carried c.80A>G mutations. A total of 621 cases had long-term follow-up, 156 cases (25.1%) developed well, 433 cases (69.7%) had development delay and 32 cases (5.2%) died. The available data of 559 cases were analyzed by logistic regression, and the results showed that the neonatal screening, disease onset, age of onset and gene mutation site were significantly associated with the prognosis of patients (<0.05 or <0.01). The c.609G>A mutation in gene is associated with early-onset MMA, and most patients, clinical onset occurred within 1 month after birth. The neonatal screening and early treatment can improve the prognosis of patients,whereas clinical onset is unfavorable for prognosis. Patients with c.609G>A homozygous mutation have a worse prognosis than those with the compound heterozygous mutation of c.609G>A with other mutations.

[Neuroimaging diagnosis and therapeutic efficacy of different surgical methods of gliomatosis cerebri].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the neuroimaging diagnosis and therapeutic efficacy of different surgical methods of gliomatosis cerebri. METHODS: 26 cases of gliomatosis cerebri at our department between September 2008 and September 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative cranial computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other multimodal imaging scans were performed. The procedures included stereotactic brain biopsy (n = 11) and large craniotomy lobotomy (n = 15). Whole brain radiotherapy and/or temozolomide therapy was performed postoperatively according to the malignancy of tumors. Follow-ups were conducted to analyze the survival differences between stereotactic brain biopsy and large craniotomy lobotomy groups. RESULTS: According to the different features of multimodal imaging, gliomatosis cerebri could be divided into two types: (1) type I(n = 19) showed a diffuse infiltrating lesion infringing multiple brain lobes or regions with central corpus callosum but without obvious enhancement; (2) type II (n = 7) appeared as sporadic or tuberous enhancement in addition to the features of type I. Pathological diagnosis: pilocytic astrocytoma (n = 2), diffuse astrocytoma (n = 13), oligodendroglial tumors (n = 3), oligoastrocytoma (n = 1), anaplastic astrocytoma (n = 5) and glioblastoma (n = 2). The degree of malignancy was a prognostic factor for postoperative survival in patients with gliomatosis cerebri. The mean survival time (MST) of large craniotomy lobotomy group (23 ± 7) was significantly longer than that of stereotactic brain biopsy group (13 ± 3) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Gliomatosis cerebri is a primary brain glial tumor with diffuse infiltrative growth but retaining the general structure of central nervous system. Multimodal imaging studies plus pathological examination yield a definitive diagnosis. Comprehensive treatment of operation plus chemo- or radio-therapy can prolong postoperative MST.

Late-onset cblC defect: clinical, biochemical and molecular analysis.

BACKGROUND: cblC defect is the most common type of methylmalonic acidemia in China. Patients with late-onset form (>1 year) are often misdiagnosed due to heterogeneous symptoms. This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics and evaluate long-term outcomes of Chinese patients with late-onset cblC defect. METHODS: A total of 85 patients with late-onset cblC defect were enrolled. Clinical data, including manifestations, metabolites, molecular diagnosis, treatment and outcome, were summarized and analyzed. RESULTS: The age of onset ranged from 2 to 32.8 years old (median age 8.6 years, mean age 9.4 years). The time between first symptoms and diagnosis ranged from a few days to 20 years (median time 2 months, mean time 20.7 months). Neuropsychiatric symptoms were presented as first symptoms in 68.2% of cases, which were observed frequently in schoolchildren or adolescents. Renal involvement and cardiovascular disease were observed in 20% and 8.2% of cases, respectively, which occurred with the highest prevalence in preschool children. Besides the initial symptoms, the disease progressed in most patients and cognitive decline became the most frequent symptom overall. The levels of propionylcarnitine, propionylcarnitine / acetylcarnitine ratio, methylmalonic acid, methylcitric acid and homocysteine, were decreased remarkably after treatment (P<0.001). Twenty-four different mutations of MMACHC were identified in 78 patients, two of which were novel. The c.482G>A variant was the most frequent mutated allele in this cohort (25%). Except for 16 patients who recovered completely, the remaining patients were still left with varying degrees of sequelae in a long-term follow-up. The available data from 76 cases were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the results showed that the time from onset to diagnosis (OR = 1.025, P = 0. 024) was independent risk factors for poor outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of late-onset cblC defect is often delayed due to poor awareness of its various and nonspecific symptoms, thus having an adverse effect on the prognosis. It should be considered in patients with unexplained neuropsychiatric and other conditions such as renal involvement, cardiovascular diseases or even multiple organ damage. The c.482G>A variant shows the highest frequency in these patients. Prompt treatment appears to be beneficial.

Clinical, biochemical, and genetic analysis of 28 Chinese patients with holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe the clinical, biochemical, and molecular characteristics of Chinese patients with holocarboxylase synthetase (HLCS) deficiency, and to investigate the mutation spectrum of HCLS deficiency as well as their potential correlation with phenotype. METHODS: A total of 28 patients with HLCS deficiency were enrolled between 2006 and 2021. Clinical and laboratory data were reviewed retrospectively from medical records. RESULTS: Among the 28 patients, six patients underwent newborn screening, of which only one was missed. Therefore, 23 patients were diagnosed because of disease onset. Among all the patients, 24 showed varying degrees of symptoms such as rash, vomiting, seizures, and drowsiness, while only four cases remained asymptomatic nowadays. The concentration of 3-hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine (C5-OH) in blood and pyruvate, 3-hydroxypropionate, methylcitric acid, 3-hydroxyvaleric acid, 3-methylcrotonylglycine in urine were increased greatly among affected individuals. After prompt supplement of biotin, both the clinical and biochemical symptoms were dramatically resolved and nearly all patients developed normal intelligence and physique on follow-up. DNA sequencing revealed 12 known and 6 novel variants in the HLCS gene of patients. Among them, the variant of c.1522C > T was the most common. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings expanded the spectrum of phenotypes and genotypes for HLCS deficiency in Chinese populations and suggested that with timely biotin therapy, patients with HLCS deficiency showed low mortality and optimistic prognosis. Newborn screening is crucial for early diagnosis, treatment, and long-term outcomes.

Variable phenotypes and outcomes associated with the MMACHC c.482G > A mutation: follow-up in a large CblC disease cohort.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to characterize the variable phenotypes and outcomes associated with the methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria type C protein gene (MMACHC) c.482G > A mutation in 195 Chinese cases with CblC disease. METHODS: We carried out a national, retrospective multicenter study of 195 Chinese patients with CblC disease attributable to the MMACHC c.482G > A variant either in a homozygous or compound heterozygous state. The control group consisted of 200 patients diagnosed with CblC disease who did not possess the c.482G > A mutation. Clinical features, including disease onset, symptoms, biochemical metabolites, gene mutation, and follow-up outcomes were reviewed and analyzed in detail. The median follow-up period spanned 3 years and 8 months, with a range of 1 year and 2 months to 12 years and 10 months. RESULTS: Among 195 patients carrying the c.482G > A variant, 125 (64.1%) cases were diagnosed by newborn screening (NBS), 60 (30.8%) cases were detected due to disease onset, and 10 (5.1%) cases were identified from sibling diagnoses. One hundred and seventeen (93.6%) individuals who were diagnosed by NBS, and nine patients who came from sibling diagnoses remained asymptomatic in this study. From 69 symptomatic patients of the c.482G > A group, more patients presented with later onset, and the top six common clinical symptoms at disease onset were developmental delay (59.4%), lower limb weakness and poor exercise tolerance (50.7%), cognitive decline (37.7%), gait instability and abnormal posture (36.2%), seizures (26.1%), and psychiatric and behavioral disturbances (24.6%). In the 159 symptomatic patients lacking c.482G > A variants, the most frequently observed clinical manifestations at disease onset included developmental delay (81.8%), lethargy and feeding difficulty (62.9%), lower limb weakness and poor exercise tolerance (54.7%), prolonged neonatal jaundice (51.6%), vomiting (47.2%), and seizures (32.7%). Before treatment, the levels of blood propionylcarnitine, propionylcarnitine/acetylcarnitine ratio, and homocysteine in the c.482G > A group were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those in the non-c.482G > A group, while the concentration of urinary methylmalonic acid was slightly lower (P > 0.05). The degree of decline in the above metabolites after treatment in different groups significantly differed in both plasma total homocysteine values and urinary methylmalonic acid levels (P < 0.05). In patients carrying the c.482G > A variant compared with the non-c.428G > A group, there were markedly lower rates of mortality (0.5% vs. 2.0%) and developmental delay (20.5% vs. 65.5%). When compared with individuals diagnosed due to disease onset, those identified through NBS in either group exhibited a reduced proportion of disease onset (6.7% vs. 100% in the c.482G > A group, 54.4% vs. 100% in the non-c.482G > A group), lower mortality (0.0% vs. 1.7% in the c.482G > A group, 0.0% vs. 3.6% in the non-c.482G > A group), and had a higher percentage of patients exhibiting normal psychomotor and language development (99.3% vs. 33.3% in the c.482G > A group, 58.9% vs. 10.9% in the non-c.482G > A group). CONCLUSIONS: The c.482G > A variant in MMACHC is associated with late-onset and milder phenotypes of CblC disease. Patients with this mutation tend to have a relatively better response to hydroxocobalamin, better metabolic control, and more favorable neurological outcomes. NBS and other appropriate pre-symptomatic treatments seem to be helpful in early diagnosis, resulting in favorable clinical outcomes. Video Abstract (MP4 136794 kb).

Prediction of Higher Ki-67 Index in Pituitary Adenomas by Pre- and Intra-Operative Clinical Characteristics.

Objective: The Ki-67 index is an indicator of the active proliferation and aggressive behavior of pituitary adenomas (PAs). Appropriate pre- and intra-operatives of the Ki-67 index can help surgeons develop better and more personalized treatment strategies for patients with PAs. This study aimed to investigate the influence factors for predicting the Ki-67 index in PAs. Methods: Data of 178 patients with PAs confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed. According to the Ki-67 index, the patients were divided into the Ki-67 < 3% and Ki-67 ≥ 3% cohorts. Patient data, including age, sex, postoperative immunohistochemical pituitary hormone positive index, Knosp grade, tumor breaking through the sellar floor, rich blood supply to the tumor, tumor located inside the sella, erosion of the dorsum sellae bone, and pituitary-specific transcription factor, were collected. A univariate logistic analysis was used to evaluate the influence factors for a high Ki-67 index. Multiple regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to analyze the factors with p < 0.05. The mutant status of Ki-67 index was predicted by nomogram. Results: Multivariate regression analysis showed that rich blood supply to the tumor and erosion of the dorsum sellae bone were independent risk factors for the Ki-67 proliferation index. The ROC curves demonstrated that age, rich blood supply to the tumor, and erosion of the dorsum sellae bone can predict the occurrence of a high Ki-67 index. Together, the three risk factors provide a stronger ability to predict the Ki-67 index. The nomogram was developed and validated. Conclusion: Age, rich blood supply to the tumor, and erosion of the dorsum sellae bone are influencing factors for predicting the Ki-67 index. Suitable nomogram prediction models were developed and validated, and there is potential for personalized treatment for PA patients.

The Follow-Up of Chinese Patients in cblC Type Methylmalonic Acidemia Identified Through Expanded Newborn Screening.

Objective: The cblC type of combined methylmalonic acidemia and homocystinuria, an inherited disorder with variable phenotypes, is included in newborn screening (NBS) programs at multiple newborn screening centers in China. The present study aimed to investigate the long-term clinical benefits of screening individual. Methods: A national, retrospective multi-center study of infants with confirmed cblC defect identified by NBS between 2004 and 2020 was conducted. We collected a large cohort of 538 patients and investigated their clinical data in detail, including disease onset, biochemical metabolites, and gene variation, and explored different factors on the prognosis. Results: The long-term outcomes of all patients were evaluated, representing 44.6% for poor outcomes. In our comparison of patients with already occurring clinical signs before treatment to asymptomatic ones, the incidence of intellectual impairment, movement disorders, ocular complications, hydrocephalus, and death were significantly different (p < 0.01). The presence of disease onset [Odd ratio (OR) 12.39, 95% CI 5.15-29.81; p = 0.000], variants of c.609G>A (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.49-4.35; p = 0.001), and c.567dupT (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.03-5.05; p = 0.042) were independently associated with poor outcomes, especially for neurodevelopmental deterioration. Conclusion: NBS, avoiding major disease-related events and allowing an earlier treatment initiation, appeared to have protective effects on the prognosis of infants with cblC defect.

Somatic SF3B1 hotspot mutation in prolactinomas.

The genetic basis and corresponding clinical relevance of prolactinomas remain poorly understood. Here, we perform whole genome sequencing (WGS) on 21 patients with prolactinomas to detect somatic mutations and then validate the mutations with digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of tissue samples from 227 prolactinomas. We identify the same hotspot somatic mutation in splicing factor 3 subunit B1 (SF3B1R625H) in 19.8% of prolactinomas. These patients with mutant prolactinomas display higher prolactin (PRL) levels (p = 0.02) and shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.02) compared to patients without the mutation. Moreover, we identify that the SF3B1R625H mutation causes aberrant splicing of estrogen related receptor gamma (ESRRG), which results in stronger binding of pituitary-specific positive transcription factor 1 (Pit-1), leading to excessive PRL secretion. Thus our study validates an important mutation and elucidates a potential mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of prolactinomas that may lead to the development of targeted therapeutics.

Primary Meningeal Melanocytoma in Sellar Region, Simulating a Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenoma: Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Primary meningeal melanocytoma is a benign lesion in the central nervous system derived from leptomeningeal melanocytes, most commonly growing in the posterior fossa and cervical spinal cord. The sellar primary meningeal melanocytoma (SPMM) is an exceptionally rare tumor. Here we report the ninth published case of an SPMM, and also discuss the problems of differential diagnosis and management of these tumors. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient presented with visual impairment and irregular menstruation with no other symptoms. Her general examination was otherwise unremarkable. Endocrine tests disclosed normal endocrine function except for slight hyperprolactinemia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a sellar lesion. The patient underwent a successful total transsphenoidal removal of the tumor without neurologic sequelae. Based on this case report, SPMM should be included in the differential diagnosis of malignant and/or metastatic melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: SPMM is an exceptionally rare tumor. Differentiating sellar melanocytic tumors from other sellar diseases through clinical and radiologic investigations is very difficult. The treatment of choice for SPMM is complete surgical resection via a transsphenoidal approach. For patients with a partially resected tumor, radiotherapy is an effective complementary treatment modality.

Early cranioplasty vs. late cranioplasty for the treatment of cranial defect: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Cranioplasty is considered as a routine procedure in everyday neurosurgical practice for the patient with cranial defect, however, there is no established consensus on optimal surgical timing. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of early cranioplasty (1-3 months after DC) and late cranioplasty (3-6 months after DC) on the complications and recovery of neurological function in the management of patients who received decompressive craniotomy. METHODS: In this paper, the authors report a systematic review and meta-analysis of operative time, complications and neurological function outcomes on different timing of cranioplasty. Randomized or non-randomized controlled trials of early cranioplasty and late cranioplasty surgery were considered for inclusion. RESULTS: Nine published reports of eligible studies involving 1209 participants meet the inclusion criteria. Compared with late cranioplasty, early cranioplasty had no significant difference in overall complications [RR=1.14, 95%CI (0.83, 1.55), p>0.05], infection rates [RR=0.87, 95%CI (0.47, 1.61), p>0.05], intracranial hematoma [RR=1.09, 95%CI (0.53, 2.25), p>0.05]; subdural fluid collection [RR=0.47, 95%CI (0.15, 1.41), p>0.05]. However, early CP significantly reduced the duration of cranioplasty [mean difference=-13.46, 95%CI (-21.26, 5.67), p<0.05]. The postoperative hydrocephalus rates were significant higher in the early cranioplasty group [RR=2.67, 95%CI (1.24, 5.73), p<0.05]. CONCLUSION: Early CP can only reduce the duration of operation, but cannot reduce the complications of patients and even increase the risk of hydrocephalus. More evidence from advanced multi-center studies is needed to provide illumination for the timing selection of CP surgery.

Neuronavigation-assisted endoscopic unilateral cyst fenestration for treatment of symptomatic septum pellucidum cysts.

BACKGROUND: Traditional surgical treatments for this rare disease include open surgical procedures and ventriculoperitoneal shunting. In 1995, endoscopic fenestration was first applied to treatment of cysts of the septum pellucidum (CSP). However, cyst fenestration generally takes a bilateral approach by making two burr holes leading to two fenestrations in the lateral walls of the cyst. Some disadvantages are related to bilateral fenestration. So far, there is no consensus on the surgical indications, the endoscopic approaches, and techniques for CSPs. Based on our experience with 14 cases of symptomatic CSP treated with neuronavigation-assisted endoscopic unilateral cyst fenestration via a single burr hole, we discuss the operative indications and the utility of endoscope-assisted techniques in combination with neuronavigation. METHODS: 14 patients underwent endoscopic CSP fenestration via a right frontal approach using a rigid endoscope and neuronavigation. Neuronavigation helped locating optimal skin incision, puncture point, optimal operation trajectory, and real-time operation monitoring. Postoperatively, a follow-up study on the 14 patients was performed. RESULTS: The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 2 years. Postoperatively, the mass effect of the cysts and the self-reported symptoms disappeared immediately. In 7 patients with papilledema, the optic fundus examinations showed that papilledema improved. The computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans showed significant decrease in the cyst size and no recurrence during the follow-up. In 2 patients with accompanying hydrocephalus, the hydrocephalus disappeared. CONCLUSION: The results after uni- and bilateral CSP fenestration show no significant difference. Avoiding damage of contralateral tissue, the surgical trauma in unilateral fenestration is less than in bilateral fenestration. Furthermore, the unilateral approach shortens the operation time. We believe that unilateral cyst fenestration is a better therapeutic option in symptomatic CSP.