Diagnostic Algorithm for Intracranial Lesions in the Emergency Department: Effectiveness of the Relative Brain Volume and Hounsfield Unit Value Measured by Perfusion Tomography.

Background Early treatment of intracranial lesions in the emergency department is crucial, but it can be challenging to differentiate between them. This differentiation is essential because the treatment of each type of lesion is different. Cerebral computed tomography perfusion (CTP) imaging can help visualize the vascularity of brain lesions and provide absolute quantification of physiological parameters. Compared to magnetic resonance imaging, CTP has several advantages, such as simplicity, wide availability, and reproducibility. Purpose This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Hounsfield units (HU) in measuring the density of hypercellular lesions and the ability of CTP to quantify hemodynamics in distinguishing intracranial space-occupying lesions. Methods A retrospective study was conducted from March 2016 to March 2022. All patients underwent CTP and CT scans, and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and HU were obtained for intracranial lesions. Results We included a total of 244 patients in our study. This group consisted of 87 (35.7%) individuals with glioblastomas (GBs), 48 (19.7%) with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), 45 (18.4%) with metastases (METs), and 64 (26.2) with abscesses. Our study showed that the HUs for METs were higher than those for GB (S 57.4% and E 88.5%). In addition, rCBV values for PCNSL and abscesses were lower than those for GB and METs. The HU in PCNSL was higher than those in abscesses (S 94.1% and E 96.6%). Conclusion PCT parameters provide valuable information for diagnosing brain lesions. A comprehensive assessment improves accuracy. Combining rCBV and HU enhances diagnostic accuracy, making it a valuable tool for distinguishing between lesions. PCT's widespread availability allows for the use of both anatomical and functional information with high spatial resolution for diagnosing and managing brain tumor patients.

Epidemiology of Intracranial Meningiomas in Mexico: Cohort of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery During the Last Decade.

Introduction Meningiomas have been described as slow-growing neoplasms with benign behavior derived from the connective tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningiomas represent one-third of primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. The World Health Organization (WHO) initially classified them into three groups based on their histopathological characteristics, recently incorporating molecular patterns. Small cohorts have been reported in Latin America compared to the international literature. Ignoring the epidemiology of meningiomas in this region and considering this limitation, we aim to study the epidemiology of meningiomas in our country, Mexico. Material and methods A historical cohort was carried out on 916 patients diagnosed with intracranial meningiomas from January 2008 to January 2021, considering sociodemographic, topographic, and histopathological characteristics. Results In this study, 69.4% (n=636) of patients were women with a mean overall age of 47.53 (SD=14.85) years; 79.6% (n=729) of the lesions were supratentorial with convexity meningiomas being the most prevalent at 32.6% (n=299). Histopathologically, transitional (45.7%) (n=419), meningothelial (22.1%) (n=202), and fibroblastic (16.7%) (n=153) meningiomas were the most frequent. We found significant differences between men and women in age (p=0.01), infra or supratentorial presentation (p<0.001), location of the lesion (p<0.001), and histopathological characteristics (p<0.001). Conclusions Our results are consistent with what has been reported; however, until now, it appears as the largest series reported in our country and Latin America.