Surgical management of anterior clinoidal meningiomas: consensus statement on behalf of the EANS skull base section.

BACKGROUND: The optimal management of clinoidal meningiomas (CMs) continues to be debated. METHODS: We constituted a task force comprising the members of the EANS skull base committee along with international experts to derive recommendations for the management of these tumors. The data from the literature along with contemporary practice patterns were discussed within the task force to generate consensual recommendations. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: This article represents the consensus opinion of the task force regarding pre-operative evaluations, patient's counselling, surgical classification, and optimal surgical strategy. Although this analysis yielded only Class B evidence and expert opinions, it should guide practitioners in the management of patients with clinoidal meningiomas and might form the basis for future clinical trials.

Petroclival meningiomas: update of current treatment and consensus by the EANS skull base section.

BACKGROUND: The optimal management of petroclival meningiomas (PCMs) continues to be debated along with several controversies that persist. METHODS: A task force was created by the EANS skull base section along with its members and other renowned experts in the field to generate recommendations for the management of these tumors. To achieve this, the task force reviewed in detail the literature in this field and had formal discussions within the group. RESULTS: The constituted task force dealt with the existing definitions and classifications, pre-operative radiological investigations, management of small and asymptomatic PCMs, radiosurgery, optimal surgical strategies, multimodal treatment, decision-making, and patient's counselling. CONCLUSION: This article represents the consensually derived opinion of the task force with respect to the management of PCMs.

Fat Quality Index and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in the Sun Project.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between a dietary fat quality index (FQI), and the risk of incident cardiovascular events or deaths in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort. DESIGN: Longitudinal analysis during 10.1 years of median follow-up. Cox models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of incident cardiovascular diseases (CVD) according to tertiles of FQI and of different fat subtypes. SETTING: University of Navarra, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 19,341 middle-aged adults. MEASUREMENTS: Fat intake was measured with a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The FQI was calculated according to the ratio: (monounsaturated+polyunsaturated) / (saturated+trans fatty acids). RESULTS: We observed 140 incident cases of CVD. No association was found for FQI (HR=0.94, 95 %CI 0.61-1.47 for the highest vs the lowest tertile, p for trend=0.884). No significant associations were found for different dietary fat subtypes on CVD risk. The results suggest no clear association between a higher FQI and a higher amount of energy from fat and incidence of CVD (p for interaction: 0.259 and p for trend only among participants with a percentage of energy from fat ≥35% of total energy: 0.272). CONCLUSION: In this Mediterranean cohort, the FQI was not associated with cardiovascular events. A "heart-healthy diet" should focus its attention on dietary fat sources and should use an overall dietary pattern approach, rather than limiting the focus on fat subtypes. More research is needed to validate dietary advice on specific fatty acids intake or saturated fatty acids replacements for reducing CVD risk.

Self-perceived level of competitiveness, tension, and dependency and lifestyles in the 'Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra' cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess the differences in lifestyles according to levels of self-perceived competitiveness, psychological tension, and dependency in a Mediterranean cohort of university graduates. STUDY DESIGN: Levels of personality traits, food consumption, nutrient intake, eating attitudes, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and alcohol and tobacco consumption were assessed through a questionnaire administered at baseline. This was a cross-sectional study in the context of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra cohort. Participants are 15,346 Spanish adults. RESULTS: Participants with a high level of self-perceived competitiveness consumed more vegetables and fish but less refined grains; they had higher protein intake and healthier eating attitudes. They were more physically active and less likely to be smokers. Participants with a high level of tension or dependency were less physically active, and participants more dependent also had poorer adherence to the Mediterranean diet. CONCLUSIONS: Self-perceived personality traits, especially the trait of competitiveness, are likely to be associated with healthier dietary patterns, better nutrient profile, better eating attitudes, physical activity, and less exposure to smoking. The use of short questions about self-perceived levels of competitiveness, psychological tension, and dependency can contribute to add additional information when assessing lifestyles and diet in adults.

Association between a dietary carbohydrate index and cardiovascular disease in the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) Project.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Beyond the quantity of carbohydrate intake, further research is needed to know the relevance of carbohydrate quality following operational indices. No previous longitudinal study has assessed the association between an index for quality of dietary carbohydrate intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, we examined the association between a carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and the risk of CVD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used a validated semi-quantitative 136-item food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a prospective follow-up study of 17,424 middle-aged adults from Spain. The CQI was defined by four criteria: dietary fiber intake, glycemic index, whole-grain/total-grain carbohydrate ratio, and solid/total carbohydrate ratio. We observed 129 incident cases of CVD during 10.1 y of median follow-up. An inverse association for CQI was found (hazard ratio = 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25-0.78 for the highest versus the lowest tertile, p for trend = 0.008). Participants in the highest tertile of the whole-grain/total-grain carbohydrate ratio had 47% lower risk of CVD (95% CI: 0.33-0.85, p for trend = 0.008). Participants with higher baseline CQI and higher baseline energy from carbohydrates had the lowest risk of CVD. CONCLUSION: In this Mediterranean cohort, a better quality of dietary carbohydrates measured by the CQI, showed a significant inverse association with the incidence of CVD. Specially, a higher proportion of carbohydrates from whole grains was strongly inversely associated with CVD. "Heart-healthy" diets should be focused not only on carbohydrate quantity but also on a multidimensional assessment of the type and quality of carbohydrates.

Dietary inflammatory index and anthropometric measures of obesity in a population sample at high cardiovascular risk from the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) trial.

The dietary inflammatory index (DII) is a new tool to assess the inflammatory potential of the diet. In the present study, we aimed to determine the association between the DII and BMI, waist circumference and waist:height ratio (WHtR). We conducted a cross-sectional study of 7236 participants recruited into the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea trial. Information from a validated 137-item FFQ was used to calculate energy, food and nutrient intakes. A fourteen-item dietary screener was used to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDiet). Sex-specific multivariable linear regression models were fitted to estimate differences (and 95 % CI) in BMI, waist circumference and WHtR across the quintiles of the DII. All nutrient intakes, healthy foods and adherence to the MeDiet were higher in the quintile with the lowest DII score (more anti-inflammatory values) except for intakes of animal protein, saturated fat and monounsaturated fat. Although an inverse association between the DII and total energy was apparent, the DII was associated with higher average BMI, waist circumference and WHtR after adjusting for known risk factors. The adjusted difference in the WHtR for women and men between the highest and lowest quintiles of the DII was 1·60 % (95 % CI 0·87, 2·33) and 1·04 % (95 % CI 0·35, 1·74), respectively. Pro-inflammatory scores remained associated with obesity after controlling for the effect that adherence to a MeDiet had on inflammation. In conclusion, the present study shows a direct association between the DII and indices of obesity, and supports the hypothesis that diet may have a role in the development of obesity through inflammatory modulation mechanisms.

Carbohydrate quality, weight change and incident obesity in a Mediterranean cohort: the SUN Project.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between the carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and weight change or incident overweight/obesity (body mass index ⩾25 kg/m(2)) in the 'Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN)' cohort. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 8741 participants who were initially free of overweight/obesity were followed up for a median of 7.9 years. We evaluated at baseline the CQI according to four criteria: dietary fiber intake, glycemic index, whole grains/total grains ratio and solid carbohydrates/total carbohydrates ratio. Subjects were classified into quintiles according to CQI. Weight was recorded at baseline and updated every 2 years during follow-up. RESULTS: Increasing CQI of diet was not significantly associated with lower weight gain, although participants in the highest quintile had the lowest average crude weight gain (+211 g/year). We observed 1862 incident cases of overweight/obesity during follow-up. CQI was significantly associated (P for trend 0.006) with a lower risk of overweight/obesity; adjusted odds ratio for the fourth and fifth quintiles were 0.81 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-0.99) and 0.74 (95% CI: 0.60-0.92), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this Mediterranean cohort, CQI showed a significant inverse association with the incidence of overweight/obesity, which highlights that carbohydrate intake guidelines related to obesity prevention should be focused on improving the CQI of the diet.

[Weight status, dietary habits and physical activity among 6-12 year-old children in Castile-La Mancha]. / Situación ponderal, hábitos alimentarios y deportivos en población castellano-manchega de 6 a 12 años.

INTRODUCTION: Childhood obesity is a multifactorial disease, in which unhealthy dietary patterns and sedentary lifestyles play a decisive role. The aim of this study was to assess the weight status, dietary habits and physical activity in Castile-La Mancha children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 3061 children 6-12 years-old who were participating in the programme, "Alimenta su salud". Anthropometric measurements, food consumption frequency, dietary habits and physical activity were assessed by a questionnaire, including gender, age and geographical influences. RESULTS: The prevalence of subjects with excess weight-for-height was 24.0% and obesity was 14.3%, with geographical differences. Girls more often have mid-morning snacks, consume more supplements, and reported to be less active than boys. Special diets and sports activities were lower in children aged 6-9 years as compared to the 10-12 years old group. The intake of vegetables and fruit is low, while there is overconsumption of sausages, pastries, salted snacks, sweets and fast food, with some differences by age group. CONCLUSIONS: One out of four children is overweight or obese in this population. Children do not meet recommendations for fruit and vegetables and there is a high consumption of foods associated with obesity risk. Physical inactivity was more prevalent during the weekends, and among girls.

Parity implications for anthropometrical variables, lifestyle behaviors and dietary habits in pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining an adequate health status and appropriate lifestyles during pregnancy is of great importance to prevent adverse outcomes for both mother and baby. The present study aimed to assess the nutritional status, socio-demographic features, lifestyle behaviors and dietary habits of pregnant women in Spain, and to identify the influence of parity on these profiles. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included pregnant women from regions all over Spain. The information was collected through a 40 item questionnaire, previously validated by community health professionals. RESULTS: The 5,087 pregnant women analyzed had an average age of 31.9 years with an adequate nutritional status. The distribution of the sample was 56% nulliparous and 44% multiparous. The nulliparous reported a better self-perceived health status and nutritional balance, and a lower incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus. However, the multiparous showed healthier lifestyle habits (lower rates of smoking and alcohol consumption) and more physically active patterns. Regarding diet, nulliparous pregnant women consumed more dairy products, fresh fruit and nuts, and less bread, rice/pasta/potatoes, meat, sausage and buns/pastries than multiparous pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: Differences between analyzed patterns were observed in anthropometrical variables, lifestyle behaviors and dietary habits, which may require different nutritional messages to nulliparous as compared to multiparous from a public health point of view.

Perinatal and parental determinants of childhood overweight in 6-12 years old children.

UNLABELLED: INTRODUCTION & AIMS: The identification of determinants of childhood overweight is crucial to early diagnosis and prevention. The aim of this study was to assess perinatal and parental related risk factors concerning children for having excessive body weight. METHODS: Cross-sectional study involving 3,101 children participating in the programme "Alimenta su salud" conducted in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). Anthropometric and sociodemographic data were obtained from a general questionnaire. Analysed factors as potential predictors of childhood overweight were sex, age, birth weight, infant feeding, number of siblings, as well as parental marital status, educational level and obesity. Prevalence of overweight stratified by potential determinants was assessed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between variables and the likelihood of being overweight. RESULTS: The overweight prevalence (including obesity) was 30.3% in boys and 28.3% in girls, according to the IOTF criteria. Higher rates in younger subjects and some gender differences were observed. Parental obesity was the most important predictive variable for childhood overweight in both sexes and birth weight over 3,500 g in girls (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.3). Having one or more siblings (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9) and higher paternal education (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-0.9) in boys, and older age in girls (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-.09), resulted protective factors against childhood overweight. No independent effects of marital status, maternal education and infant feeding patterns on childhood excess weight were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal and parental factors could contribute to predict the risk of being overweight/obese in children aged 6 to 12 years, which should be considered when formulating obesity prevention and intervention strategies, stressing the importance of targeting obese parents with young children.

Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in the SUN Project.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Egg consumption has been associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but evidence is scarce and inconsistent. Our aim was to examine the association between egg consumption and incidence of CVD in a prospective dynamic Mediterranean cohort of 14,185 university graduates. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Egg intake was assessed using a 136-item-validated food-frequency questionnaire. Baseline consumption was categorized into no consumption or <1 egg/week, 1 egg/week, 2-4 eggs/week and >4 eggs/week. The presence of cardiovascular risk factors was assessed by questionnaire at baseline, and the incidence of CVD was assessed using biennial assessments. The median follow-up was 6.1 years. Cox regression models were fitted to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for CVD (myocardial infarction, revascularization procedures or stroke). Outcomes were confirmed by review of medical records. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 6.1 years, 91 new confirmed cases of CVD were observed. No association was found between egg consumption and the incidence of CVD (HR: 1.10, 95% confidence interval: 0.46-2.63) for the highest versus the lowest category of egg consumption after adjusting for age, sex, total energy intake, adherence to the Mediterranean food pattern and other cardiovascular risk factors. Results were robust to different analytical scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: No association between egg consumption and the incidence of CVD was found in this Mediterranean cohort.

[Symptomatic xanthogranuloma of the lateral ventricle]. / Xantogranuloma sintomático del ventrículo lateral. A propósito de un caso.

Xanthogranulomas of the choroid plexus is a benign tumour of uncertain etiology, usually asymptomatic. We report a case of symptomatic xanthogranuloma of the left lateral ventricle with edema in adjacent white matter, in a 62-year-old man with seizures.

[The role of diffusion-weighted imaging in the evaluation of meningiomas: radio-pathologic correlation]. / Papel de la difusión en la evaluación de los meningiomas: correlación radiopatológica.

OBJECTIVE: To study the behavior of meningiomas in diffusion-weighted sequences and the correlation of these findings with the histological findings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We prospectively included all patients operated on for meningiomas at our hospital during two years. We studied 30 meningiomas in 28 patients aged 31 to 85 years old. All patients underwent MRI prior to surgery, including diffusion-weighted sequences, in a 1.5 T scanner. We evaluated the signal intensity in T2-weighted images, diffusion-weighted images (b=1,000), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps within the tumor and in the parietal white matter as a reference. In the histological study, cellularity, proliferation index, histological grade, and cerebral invasion were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 30 meningiomas, 22 were World Health Organization (WHO) grade I and 8 were atypical or WHO grade II. The overall mean value of the ADC was 89.19+/-13.95x10(-3) mm2/s; the mean ADC value was 82+/-13.69x10(-3) mm2/s in the atypical group and 92.21+/-13.21x10(-3) mm2/s in the typical group. No statistically significant differences were found between the 2 groups. Two subtypes of typical meningiomas, secretory and angiomatous meningiomas, had the highest values in the ADC maps. In the histological analysis, there was a significant association between tumor cellularity and the signal in the ADC map. CONCLUSION: Meningiomas show moderately restricted diffusion. The signal on the ADC map is associated with tumor cellularity but we have not demonstrated its usefulness for predicting the histological grade.

[Pontine stroke due to vasospasm secondary to perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage]. / Infarto pontino por vasoespasmo secundario a hemorragia subaracnoidea perimesencefálica.

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous non-aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages generally have a good short and long term outcome, especially those with a perimesencephalic location. Vasospasm is an uncommon complication of this type of subarachnoid hemorrhage, and ischemic cerebral lesions related to vasospasm are even less frequent. CASE REPORT: A 46 year-old man was admitted with a perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Angiographic study performed on admission was normal. Two weeks later he developed dysarthria and right faciobrachial paresis. Transcranial doppler showed a diffuse and moderate increase of medium velocity flow at basilar artery level suggestive of moderate vasospasm. An angioresonance confirmed this finding and a paramedian pontine infarction was found on resonance images. The patient was treated with nimodipine and he was discharged from hospital with only mild residual deficit. CONCLUSION: Cerebral infarction related to vasospasm as complication of subarachnoid perimesencephalic hemorrhage is exceptional. The factors that could have been involved in the development of this complication are discussed.

Solitary thoracic intradural extramedullary plasmacytoma.

The bodies of the vertebrae are common locations for plasma cell diseases such as multiple myeloma and solitary plasmacytoma. Secondary invasion of the epidural space is infrequent but can cause neurological symptoms. Spinal cord compression due to pure intradural plasma cell infiltration is very rare. The authors report a 25-year-old woman who developed a progressive difficulty in walking due to a solitary spinal dural plasmacytoma. This is the first reported example in the English language literature of a purely intradural spinal plasmacytoma in a patient without other myelomatous lesions. An entirely intradural solitary plasmacytoma has a relatively better prognosis.

[Multiple penetrating brain injuries caused by a nail gun: a case report]. / Heridas múltiples penetrantes intracraneales causadas por pistola de clavos: caso clínico.

Multiple and self-inflicted penetrating brain injuries (PBI) rare. PBI are rare. We report the case of multiple self-inflicted PBI in a 45 year old man caused by a nail gun. He was admitted to after shooting four nails into his head and one into his thorax. We review the literature on the topic and describe how this case was successfully managed in our hospital.

Genetic heterogeneity in supratentorial and infratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumours of the central nervous system.

AIMS: Medulloblastoma (MB), a kind of infratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET), is the most frequent malignant brain tumour in childhood. In contrast, supratentorial PNET (sPNET) are very infrequent tumours, but they are histologically similar to MB, although they present a worse clinical outcome. We investigated the differences in genetic abnormalities between sPNET and MB. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analysed 20 central PNET (14 MB and six sPNET) by conventional comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) in order to determine whether a different genetic profile for each tumour exists. Isochromosome 17q was detected in four of the 14 MB cases, but not in any sPNET. Gains at 17q and 7 happened more frequently in MB, and those at 1q in sPNET. Losses at chromosome 10 were detected only in MB, while losses at 16p and 19p happened more frequently in sPNET. A new amplification site, on 4q12, was detected in two MB. CONCLUSIONS: Central PNET are a heterogeneous group of tumours from the genetic point of view. The present and previous data, together with further results from larger series, might contribute to the establishment of specific treatments for supratentorial and infratentorial PNET.

[Primary CNS Lymphoma: bibliographical review and experience at the Hospital of Navarre in the last 5 years (2000-2004)]. / Linfoma cerebral primario: revisión bibliográfica y experiencia en el Hospital de Navarra en los últimos 5 años (2000-2004).

Primary cerebral lymphoma (Primary CNS Lymphoma, PCNSL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma that originates in the central nervous system without evidence of lymphoma in any other localization at the time of diagnosis. Primary cerebral lymphomas are less well-known and are characterized than their homologues the systemic lymphomas, as they are an entity whose frequency was scarce until a few decades ago. However, the great rise in incidence that this pathology has undergone over the last three decades, and which is still unexplained, makes more studies necessary to better understand the etiopathology of this entity. Thanks to the new systems of treatment, the prognosis of this pathology has improved significantly in recent years. Nonetheless, treatment of primary cerebral lymphoma continues to give rise to numerous controversies at present due to its high neurotoxicity in patients over 60 years of age, a group of patients frequently affected by this pathology. To resolve these and other questions it is necessary to deep in the study of primary cerebral lymphoma and to carry out high quality clinical trials.