Smartphone Applications for Remote Monitoring of Patients After Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery: A Narrative Review of Emerging Technologies.

OBJECTIVE: Almost all postoperative assessments for pituitary patients are performed in clinical settings under the supervision of medical providers. With the emergence of telemedicine, however, there are opportunities to monitor these patients remotely. The potential for use of such technologies is inconsistently described in the brain tumor literature, especially for patients with pituitary adenomas. METHODS: In this comprehensive narrative review, we present the literature for the use of mobile applications (apps) for monitoring of postoperative symptomatology that is specific to patients undergoing pituitary surgery. Our primary research question was: "Which smartphone apps exist in the literature to monitor parameters associated with common complications of pituitary surgery?" Specifically, we search for apps in the literature that facilitate the measurement of parameters associated with adrenal insufficiency, disorders of water imbalance, and visual changes-3 common complications of pituitary surgery. RESULTS: Twenty-six apps were identified. Fourteen apps pertained to monitoring of visual changes, followed by 9 apps for monitoring water and electrolyte imbalances and 3 apps for monitoring adrenal dysfunction. Novel technologies that were integrated into these apps included digital image-based colorimetry, sonouroflowmetry, visual contrast sensitivity, and lateral flow immunoassays, among others. CONCLUSIONS: Due to advancing capabilities of smartphone apps, the potential of telemedicine may extend beyond patient appointments. We show that by integrating novel advances in medical technologies from a variety of specialties, it is possible to develop smartphone-based protocols for remote monitoring of patients after pituitary surgery.

Frailty in patients with IDH-mutant gliomas: experience from a high-volume tumor center.

PURPOSE: Gliomas are increasingly diagnosed in an aging population, with treatment outcomes influenced by factors like tumor genetics and patient frailty. This study focused on IDH-mutant gliomas and assessed how frailty affects 30-day readmission and overall survival (OS). We aimed to address a gap in understanding the impact of frailty on this specific glioma subtype. METHODS: 136 patients with an IDH-mutant glioma between 2007 and 2021 were identified at our institution. High frailty was classified by scores ≥ 1 on the 5-factor modified frailty index (mFI-5) and ≥ 3 on the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Patient and tumor characteristics including age, sex, race, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), Body Mass Index (BMI), tumor type and location, type of operation, and therapy course were recorded. Outcomes measured included 30-day readmission and overall survival (OS). Analysis was conducted utilizing logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: Of the 136 patients, 52 (38%) had high frailty: 18 with CCI ≥ 3, 34 with mFI-5 ≥ 1. High frailty correlated with increased BMI (CCI: 30.2, mFI-5: 30.1 kg/m2), more neurological deficits (CCI: 61%, mFI-5: 56%), and older age at surgery (CCI: 63, mFI-5: 48 years). Hospital readmission within 30 days occurred in 8 (5.9%) patients. Logistic regression indicated no significant difference in 30-day readmission rates (CCI: p = 0.30, mFI-5: p = 0.62) or median OS between high and low frailty groups. However, patients treated at our institution with newly diagnosed tumors with high mFI-5 had a 6.79 times higher adjusted death hazard than those with low mFI-5 (p = .049). CONCLUSION: Our analysis revealed that CCI and mFI-5 were not significantly associated with 30-day nor OS. However, in patients with non-recurrent tumors, there was a significant association of mFI-5 with OS. Further study of frailty with larger cohorts is warranted to enhance prognostication of outcome after neurosurgical treatment.

Health Disparities in the Neurosurgical Care of Patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia.

BACKGROUND: There has been limited investigation into how social determinants of health impact treatment outcomes in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN). We aimed to investigate how social determinants of health may alter the course of clinical care for patients with TN. METHODS: The electronic medical record was queried for patients with a diagnosis of TN comanaged by neurosurgeons and other facial pain specialists at our medical center. Area Deprivation Index served as a proxy for socioeconomic status (SES). Multivariable linear regression models were performed using RStudio to assess the impact of social determinants on the time to neurosurgical referral and surgical intervention. RESULTS: A total of 229 patients (mean age 50 years, 74% female) were included. Of these, 135 (60%) patients underwent a neurosurgical procedure after referral, the most common being microvascular decompression (n = 84, 62%) (Table 1). Most of the patients were white (76.3%) and insured by Medicare (51.8%), followed by private insurance (38.6%). Age and sex were significant predictors of time to neurosurgical referral after symptom onset, as older patients (P < 0.01, Figure 3) and females (P = 0.02) tended to have a greater delay between symptom onset and specialist referral. Race, SES, and insurance status were not significantly associated with time-to-referral or time-to-treatment. CONCLUSION: This study found that older and female patients with TN had a longer time from symptom onset to specialist referral. Based on these data, there is no association between race, SES, and insurance status with time-to-referral or time-to-treatment in patients with TN.

Examining the Effect of ALK and EGFR Mutations on Survival Outcomes in Surgical Lung Brain Metastasis Patients.

In the context of the post-genomic era, where targeted oncological therapies like monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are gaining prominence, this study investigates whether these therapies can enhance survival for lung carcinoma patients with specific genetic mutations-EGFR-amplified and ALK-rearranged mutations. Prior to this study, no research series had explored how these mutations influence patient survival in cases of surgical lung brain metastases (BMs). Through a multi-site retrospective analysis, the study examined patients who underwent surgical resection for BM arising from primary lung cancer at Emory University Hospital from January 2012 to May 2022. The mutational statuses were determined from brain tissue biopsies, and survival analyses were conducted. Results from 95 patients (average age: 65.8 ± 10.6) showed that while 6.3% had anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged mutations and 20.0% had epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-amplified mutations-with 9.5% receiving second-line therapies-these mutations did not significantly correlate with overall survival. Although the sample size of patients receiving targeted therapies was limited, the study highlighted improved overall survival and progression-free survival rates compared to earlier trials, suggesting advancements in systemic lung metastasis treatment. The study suggests that as more targeted therapies emerge, the prospects for increased overall survival and progression-free survival in lung brain metastasis patients will likely improve.

Purely nasal floor mucosa-free graft for reconstruction after endoscopic endonasal transellar approach: an anatomical and clinical analysis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: In this radioanatomical study with clinical correlate, we study a variation of the 'extended nasal floor mucosa' (ENFM) free-graft, the purely nasal floor mucosa (PuNFM) free-graft. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the coverage surface area provided by the PuNFM, study the adequacy of the PuNFM in the reconstruction of endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) transsellar postoperative defects and compare and evaluate this reconstructive technique with current sellar region reconstruction practices. METHODS: Dissections were performed on five cadaveric specimens. PuNFM were harvested bilaterally and the area provided for reconstruction was calculated. Twenty-five consecutive cases of pituitary adenomas resected through an EEA were analyzed to estimate the sellar defect surface area (SDSA) after a transsellar EEA and calculate the area of PuNFM bilaterally. RESULTS: The median cadaveric SDSA was 4.77 cm2, with a median left and right side PuNFM area of 5.09 and 5.19 cm2, respectively. Clinically, the median SDSA was 5.36 cm2, and the total radiological PuNFM surface area was 5.46 cm2, with modified Knosp grade >2 tumors having larger SDSA than that of Knosp grade <2 tumors. The PuNFM graft proved to be most effective for covering modified Knosp <2 tumor defects. CONCLUSIONS: The PuNFM represents a variation of the ENFM free-graft sellar defect reconstruction technique that provides sufficient surface area to reconstruct the majority of the sellar defects related to transsellar EAA for pituitary adenomas. This technique may positively impact sinonasal function and quality of life. Future prospective clinical studies are needed to verify these findings.

Complication rate of overlapping versus nonoverlapping functional and stereotactic surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Overlapping surgery, in which one attending surgeon manages two overlapping operating rooms (ORs) and is present for all the critical portions of each procedure, is an important policy that improves healthcare access for patients and case volumes for surgeons and surgical trainees. Despite several studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of overlapping neurosurgical operations, the practice of overlapping surgery remains controversial. To date, there are no studies that have investigated long-term complication rates of overlapping functional and stereotactic neurosurgical procedures. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the 1-year complication rates and OR times for nonoverlapping versus overlapping functional procedures. The secondary objective was to gain insight into what types of complications are the most prevalent and test for differences between groups. METHODS: Seven hundred eighty-three functional neurosurgical cases were divided into two cohorts, nonoverlapping (n = 342) and overlapping (n = 441). The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scale score was used to compare the preoperative risk for both cohorts. A complication was defined as any surgically related reason that required readmission, reoperation, or an unplanned emergency department or clinic visit that required intervention. Complications were subdivided into infectious and noninfectious. Chi-square tests, independent-samples t-tests, and uni- and multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine significance. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in mean ASA scale score (2.7 ± 0.6 for both groups, p = 0.997) or overall complication rates (8.8% nonoverlapping vs 9.8% overlapping, p = 0.641) between the two cohorts. Infections accounted for the highest percentage of complications in both cohorts (46.6% vs 41.8%, p = 0.686). There were no statistically significant differences between mean in-room OR time (187.5 ± 141.7 minutes vs 197.1 ± 153.0 minutes, p = 0.373) or mean open-to-close time (112.2 ± 107.9 minutes vs 121.0 ± 123.1 minutes, p = 0.300) between nonoverlapping and overlapping cases. CONCLUSIONS: There was no increased risk of 1-year complications or increased OR time for overlapping functional and stereotactic neurosurgical procedures compared with nonoverlapping procedures.

Artificial neural networks predict the need for permanent cerebrospinal fluid diversion following posterior fossa tumor resection.

Background: Resection of posterior fossa tumors (PFTs) can result in hydrocephalus that requires permanent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. Our goal was to prospectively validate a machine-learning model to predict postoperative hydrocephalus after PFT surgery requiring permanent CSF diversion. Methods: We collected preoperative and postoperative variables on 518 patients that underwent PFT surgery at our center in a retrospective fashion to train several statistical classifiers to predict the need for permanent CSF diversion as a binary class. A total of 62 classifiers relevant to our data structure were surveyed, including regression models, decision trees, Bayesian models, and multilayer perceptron artificial neural networks (ANN). Models were trained using the (N = 518) retrospective data using 10-fold cross-validation to obtain accuracy metrics. Given the low incidence of our positive outcome (12%), we used the positive predictive value along with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) to compare models. The best performing model was then prospectively validated on a set of 90 patients. Results: Twelve percent of patients required permanent CSF diversion after PFT surgery. Of the trained models, 8 classifiers had an AUC greater than 0.5 on prospective testing. ANNs demonstrated the highest AUC of 0.902 with a positive predictive value of 83.3%. Despite comparable AUC, the remaining classifiers had a true positive rate below 35% (compared to ANN, P < .0001). The negative predictive value of the ANN model was 98.8%. Conclusions: ANN-based models can reliably predict the need for ventriculoperitoneal shunt after PFT surgery.

Surgery for acromegaly: Indications and goals.

Acromegaly is a disease that occurs secondary to high levels of GH, most often from a hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma, with multisystem adverse effects. Diagnosis includes serum GH and IGF-1 levels, and obtaining an MRI pituitary protocol to assess for a functional pituitary adenoma. Attempted gross total resection of the GH-secreting adenoma is the gold standard in treatment for patients with acromegaly for a goal of biochemical remission. Medical and radiation therapies are available when patients do not achieve biochemical cure after surgical therapy.

Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Grade II, Atypical Meningioma of the Skull Base.

Introduction Atypical meningiomas (AM) are meningiomas that are more aggressive than their grade-I counterparts and have a higher rate of recurrence. The effect of adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) on AM of the skull base is not defined. Methods A retrospective review of all AM's of the skull base primarily resected at our institution from 1996 to 2018 was completed. ART was defined as radiotherapy (RT) that occurred within 6 months of initial resection, regardless of Simpson's grade. Minimum time length of follow-up after resection was 2 years. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS. Results There were a total of 59 skull base-located (SBL) AMs resected at our institution from 1996 to 2018. The average age of our cohort was 53.2 years. Gross total resection, defined as Simpson's grades I to III resection, was achieved in 36 (61%) of cases. Thirty-five of 59 (59%) patients received ART. Recurrence was observed in 14 patients (24%), and mean time to recurrence was 63.8 months. Patients who received ART had a lower observed rate of recurrence (8 vs. 46%); however, time to recurrence was not significantly different between the two populations. Conclusion We observe that AM in the skull base location have higher recurrence rates than we would expect from grade-I meningioma. These data suggest that ART may offer benefit to the overall observed frequency of recurrence of SBL AM; however, the time to recurrence between patients who received ART and those who did not was not statistically significant in survival analysis.

Cushing Disease: Medical and Surgical Considerations.

Cushing disease is a disorder of hypercortisolemia caused by hypersecretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone by a pituitary adenoma and is a rare diagnosis. Cushing disease presents with characteristic clinical signs and symptoms associated with excess cortisol, but diagnosis is difficult and often relies on repeated and varied endocrinologic assays and neuroradiologic investigations. Gold standard treatment is surgical resection of adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma, which is curative. Patients require close endocrinologic follow-up for maintenance of associated neuroendocrine deficiencies and surveillance for potential recurrence. Medications, radiation therapy, and bilateral adrenalectomy are alternative treatments for residual or recurrent disease.

Clinical and radiographic characteristics of diffuse astrocytic glioma, IDH-wildtype, with molecular features of glioblastoma: a single institution review.

PURPOSE: Genetic analyses of gliomas have identified key molecular features that impact treatment paradigms beyond conventional histomorphology. Despite at-times lower grade histopathologic appearances, IDH-wildtype infiltrating gliomas expressing certain molecular markers behave like higher-grade tumors. For IDH-wildtype infiltrating gliomas lacking traditional features of glioblastoma, these markers form the basis for the novel diagnosis of diffuse astrocytic glioma, IDH-wildtype (wt), with molecular features of glioblastoma (GBM), WHO grade-IV (DAG-G). However, given the novelty of this approach to diagnosis, literature detailing the exact clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic findings associated with these tumors remain in development. METHODS: Data for 25 patients matching the DAG-G diagnosis were obtained from our institution's retrospective database. Information regarding patient demographics, treatment regimens, radiographic imaging, and genetic pathology were analyzed to determine association with clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The initial radiographic findings, histopathology, and symptomatology of patients with DAG-G were similar to lower-grade astrocytomas (WHO grade 2/3). Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) associated with our cohort, however, were similar to that of IDH-wt GBM, indicating a more severe clinical course than expected from other associated features (15.1 and 5.39 months respectively). CONCLUSION: Despite multiple features similar to lower-grade gliomas, patients with DAG-G experience clinical courses similar to GBM. Such findings reinforce the need for biopsy and subsequent analysis of molecular features associated with any astrocytoma regardless of presenting characteristics.

Microsurgical Gross Total Resection of an Intracanalicular-Cisternal (Koos-4) Vestibular Schwannoma via a Retrosigmoid Approach with Intraoperative Endoscopic Assistance.

We present the case of a 23-year-old female with a history of progressive hearing loss in the left ear, dizziness, and vertigo. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a left mass extending from the internal auditory canal into the cerebellopontine angle (Koos-4).1 A retrosigmoid approach assisted with a microinspection tool was chosen.2-5 Microsurgical near total resection was achieved. The patient presented a postoperative facial deficit (House-Brackman grade 2 postoperative), with complete resolution after 2 months. Video 1 highlights the critical steps of the retrosigmoid approach and the benefit of using the microinspection tool for vestibular schwannoma resection.

Surgical Outcomes of Novel Collagen Tile Cesium Brachytherapy for Recurrent Intracranial Tumors at a Tertiary Referral Center.

Treatment for recurrent intracranial neoplasms is often difficult and less standardized. Since its approval by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), GammaTileTM (GT, GT Medical Technologies, Tempe, AZ), a novel collagen tile cesium brachytherapy, has been investigated for use in this population. This study presents the initial experience with the use of GT for patients with recurrent intracranial neoplasms at a tertiary referral center. A retrospective analysis of all patients with GT implantation from November 2019 to July 2021 was performed. Information regarding demographics, clinical history, imaging data, prior tumor treatment, dosing, surgical complications, and outcomes was collected. Twelve patients were included in this study. Pathologies included gliomas (five patients), meningiomas (five patients), and metastatic tumors (two patients). The median tumor volume treated was 24 cc (IQR: 21.2 - 31.3 cc), and patients had a median of 7.5 tiles implanted (IQR: 5.4 - 10.3). One patient had a delayed epidural hematoma requiring reoperation, which was unrelated to GT implantation. Median follow-up was seven months (IQR: 3 -10), with the longest follow-up time of 20 months. Two patients have had local disease recurrence and three patients have had systemic progression of their disease. Three patients are deceased with survivals of 2.9, 4.8, and 5.8 months. Collagen tile brachytherapy is a safe and viable option for patients with recurrent intracranial tumors. Our data are consistent with early results seen at other institutions. Long-term data with larger patient populations are required to assess efficacy, safety, and indications for the use of this novel technology.

Permanent Cerebrospinal Fluid Diversion in Adults With Posterior Fossa Tumors: Incidence and Predictors.

BACKGROUND: Posterior fossa tumors (PFTs) can cause hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus can persist despite resection of PFTs in a subset of patients requiring permanent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. Characteristics of this patient subset are not well defined. OBJECTIVE: To define preoperative and postoperative variables that predict the need for postoperative CSF diversion in adult patients with PFTs. METHODS: We surveyed the CNS (Central Nervous System) Tumor Outcomes Registry at Emory (CTORE) for patients who underwent PFT resection at 3 tertiary-care centers between 2006 and 2019. Demographic, radiographic, perioperative, and dispositional data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate models. RESULTS: We included 617 patients undergoing PFT resection for intra-axial (57%) or extra-axial (43%) lesions. Gross total resection was achieved in 62% of resections. Approximately 13% of patients required permanent CSF diversion/shunting. Only 31.5% of patients who required pre- or intraop external ventricular drain (EVD) placement needed permanent CSF diversion. On logistic regression, size, transependymal flow, use of perioperative EVD, postoperative intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and surgical complications were predictors of permanent CSF diversion. Preoperative tumor size was only independent predictor of postoperative shunting in patients with subtotal resection. In patients with intra-axial tumors, transependymal flow (P = .014), postoperative IVH (P = .001), surgical complications (P = .013), and extent of resection (P = .03) predicted need for shunting. In extra-axial tumors, surgical complications were the major predictor (P = .022). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that presence of preoperative hydrocephalus in patients with PFT does not necessarily entail the need for permanent CSF diversion. We report the major predictive factors for needing permanent CSF diversion.

The Transorbital Pericranial Flap.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to describe and evaluate the feasibility, mobility, and surface area provided by the simple and extended transorbital pericranial flap (TOPF). Furthermore, we compared this novel technique with the current practice of pericranial flap harvesting and insetting techniques. We also studied the adequacy of the TOPF in the reconstruction of postoperative anterior cranial fossa (ACF) defects. METHODS: The TOPF was performed bilaterally in 5 alcohol-preserved, latex-injected human cadaveric specimens. The TOPF was harvested in 2 stages: the orbitonasal stage and the cranial stage. For the orbitonasal stage, a transorbital superior eyelid approach was used. We have described 2 harvesting techniques for creating 2 distinct TOPF types (simple and extended) according to the main vascular pedicle. The superficial flap areas offered by the simple and extended TOPF and the traditional bicoronal pericranial flap were calculated and compared. The distances from the supratrochlear and supraorbital arteries to specified anatomical landmarks were also measured. Additionally, the ACF defect area of relevant surgical cases performed using endoscopic transcribriform approaches were measured on immediate postoperative computed tomography head scans using radiological imaging software. RESULTS: The harvest of both the simple and the extended TOPFs was efficient. As expected, the areas offered by simple and extended TOPFs were smaller than that offered by the traditional bicoronal flap. However, the surface area offered by either the simple or extended TOPF provides sufficient coverage for most ACF defects. A high spatial distribution was observed between the vascular pedicles and their respective foramen or notch. CONCLUSIONS: The TOPF represents a novel harvesting, tunneling, and insetting technique that offers a large, versatile, pedicled flap for coverage of most standard ACF defects after endoscopic surgery.