Endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke in patients with tandem lesion in the anterior circulation: analysis from the METRICS study.

BACKGROUND: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to anterior circulation tandem lesion (TL) remains a technical and clinical challenge for endovascular treatment (EVT). Conflicting results from observational studies and missing evidence from the randomized trials led us to report a recent real-world multicenter clinical experience and evaluate possible predictors of good outcome after EVT. METHODS: We analyzed all AIS patients with TL enrolled in the prospective national study METRICS (Mechanical Thrombectomy Quality Indicators Study in Czech Stroke Centers). A good 3-month clinical outcome was scored as 0-2 points in modified Rankin Scale (mRS), achieved recanalization using the Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (TICI) scale and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) according to the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-Monitoring Study (SITS-MOST) criteria. RESULTS: Of 1178 patients enrolled in METRICS, 194 (19.2%) (59.8% males, mean age 68.7±11.5 years) were treated for TL. They did not differ in mRS 0-2 (48.7% vs 46.7%; p=0.616), mortality (17.3% vs 22.7%; p=0.103) and sICH (4.7% vs 5.1%; p=0.809) from those with single occlusion (SO). More TL patients with prior intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) reached TICI 3 (70.3% vs 50.8%; p=0.012) and mRS 0-2 (55.4% vs 34.4%; p=0.007) than those without IVT. No difference was found in the rate of sICH (6.2% vs 1.6%; p=0.276). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed prior IVT as a predictor of mRS 0-2 after adjustment for potential confounders (OR 3.818, 95% CI 1.614 to 9.030, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Patients with TL did not differ from those with SO in outcomes after EVT. TL patients with prior IVT had more complete recanalization and mRS 0-2 and IVT was found to be a predictor of good outcome after EVT.

A single reference measurement can predict liver tumor motion during respiration.

AIM: To evaluate liver tumor motion and how well reference measurement predicts motion during treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 20 patients with colorectal cancer that had metastasized to the liver who were treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. An online respiratory tumor tracking system was used. Tumor motion amplitudes in the superior-inferior (SI), latero-lateral (LL), and anterior-posterior (AP) directions were collected to generate patient-specific margins. Reference margins were generated as the mean motion and 95th percentile of motion from measurements recorded for different lengths of time (1, 3, and 5 min). We analyzed the predictability of tumor motion in each axis, based on the reference measurement and intra-/interfraction motions. RESULTS: About 96,000 amplitudes were analyzed. The mean tumor motions were 9.9 ± 4.2 mm, 2.6 ± 0.8 mm, and 4.5 ± 1.8 mm in the SI, LL, and AP directions, respectively. The intrafraction variations were 3.5 ± 1.8 mm, 0.63 ± 0.35 mm, and 1.4 ± 0.65 mm for the SI, LL, and AP directions, respectively. The interfraction motion variations were 1.32 ± 0.79 mm, 0.31 ± 0.23 mm, and 0.68 ± 0.62 mm for the SI, LL, and AP directions, respectively. The Pearson's correlation coefficients for margins based on the reference measurement (mean motion or 95th percentile) and margins covering 95% of the motion during the whole treatment were 0.8-0.91, 0.57-0.7, and 0.77-0.82 in the SI, LL, and AP directions, respectively. CONCLUSION: Liver tumor motion in the SI direction can be adequately represented by the mean tumor motion amplitude generated from a single 1 min reference measurement. Longer reference measurements did not improve results for patients who were well-educated about the importance of regular breathing. Although the study was based on tumor tracking data, the results are useful for ITV delineation when tumor tracking is not available.

[The rational diagnostic of cholangiocarcinoma]. / Racionální diagnostika cholangiokarcinomu.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CC) is a rare malignant tumour arising from cholangiocytes, and its prognosis is usually unfavourable, mostly as a result of late diagnosis of the tumour. The current incidence of cholangiocarcinoma in the Czech Republic is 1.4/100,000 inhabitants per year; in less than 30 % of patients with CC, one of the known risk factors can be identified, most frequently, primary sclerosing cholangitis. Only patients with early diagnosed and surgically amenable cholangiocarcinoma are likely to have a longer survival time; in their case, survival for more than five years has been achieved in 20 % to 40 %. From the perspective of the need for early diagnosis of CC, a significant part is played by imaging and histopathologic evaluation; the early diagnostic significance of oncomarkers is limited. The rational early diagnosis of CC consists in effective use of differentiated advantages of different imaging modalities - MRI with DSA appears to be the optimal method, endosonography is a sensitive method for the identification of malignancy in the hepatic hilum or distal common bile duct, MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography) is used to display pathological changes in the biliary tree, ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) allows material removal for histopathological examination. Other new approaches are also beneficial, such as IDUS - intraductal ultrasonography of biliary tract or SPY-GLASS, enabling examination of the bile ducts by direct view with the possibility of taking targeted biopsies. Sensitivity and specificity of histology and cytology can be increased by using the molecular cytogenetic FISH method, i.e. fluorescence in situ by hybridization, with a specificity of 97 %.

The analysis of respiration-induced pancreatic tumor motion based on reference measurement.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate pancreatic tumor motion and its dynamics during respiration. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This retrospective study includes 20 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer who were treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. An online respiratory tumor tracking system was used. Periodical maximum and minimum tumor positions with respiration in superior-inferior (SI), latero-lateral (LL), and anterior-posterior (AP) directions were collected for tumor motion evaluation. The predictability of tumor motion in each axis, based on reference measurement, was analyzed. RESULTS: The use of a 20-mm and 5-mm constant margins for SI and LL/AP directions, avoids target underdosage, without the need for reference measurement. Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated only a modest correlation between reference and subsequent measurements in the SI direction (r = 0.50) and no correlation in LL (r = 0.17) and AP (r = 0.35) directions. When margins based on the reference measurement of respiratory tumor motion are used, then 30% of patients have a risk zone of underdosage >3 mm (in average). ITV (internal target volume) optimization based on the reference measurement is possible, but allows only modest margin reduction (approximately from 20 mm to 16-17 mm) in SI direction and no reduction in AP and LL directions. CONCLUSION: Our results support the use of 20-mm margin in the SI direction and 5-mm margins in the LL and AP directions to account for respiratory motion without reference measurement. Single measurement of tumor motion allows only modest margin reduction. Further margin reduction is only possible when there is on-line tumor motion control according to internal markers.

Decompressive surgery for malignant supratentorial infarction remains underutilized after guideline publication.

Decompressive surgery <48 h from stroke onset reduces the prevalence of mortality and morbidity from malignant supratentorial infarction. We investigated if utilization of decompressive surgery changed in the Czech Republic (CZ) after the release of new guidelines regarding treatment of malignant brain infarction. The volume of decompressive surgery in 2009 in all centers in the CZ was assessed using the same methodology as in 2006. All neurosurgery departments in the CZ were asked to complete a questionnaire and asked to identify all cases of decompressive surgery for malignant brain infarction through a combination of discharge codes for "brain infarction" and "decompressive surgery" from electronic hospital charts. Data for 56 patients were obtained from 15 of the 16 neurosurgery departments in the CZ. The average age was 53 ± 13; number of males 20; median time to surgery was 48 h (range 24-62); median NIHSS score was 25 (IQR, 20-30); median infarct volume was 300 cm(3) [interquartile (IQR, 250-350)]; mean shift on CT was 10.6 ± 3.6 mm and size of hemicraniectomy was 125 cm(2) (IQR, 110-154). A favorable outcome was achieved in 45% of the patients. The number of procedures increased from 39 in 2,006 to 2,056 in 2009. Based on data from one stroke center, 10% suffered from malignant supratentorial infarction and 2.3% met the criteria for decompressive surgery. In 2009, as compared to 2006, the volume of decompressive surgery carried out moderately increased. However, procedures remained underutilized because only ~10% of those who needed decompressive surgery underwent surgery.

Nationwide study of decompressive surgery for malignant supratentorial infarction in the Czech Republic: utilization and outcome predictors. Clinical article.

OBJECT: Decompressive surgery within 48 hours in patients younger than 60 years of age reduces mortality and morbidity from malignant supratentorial infarction. The goal of this study was to characterize the utilization of decompressive surgery in the Czech Republic in 2006. METHODS: This nationwide study was undertaken from September to December 2007 using a questionnaire sent to all neurosurgery departments in the Czech Republic. Diagnosis of brain infarction and decompressive surgery was based on discharge codes. Patient data were retrieved from hospital charts. Favorable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale score ≤4 on the day of discharge from the hospital. RESULTS: Data were obtained from 15 of the 16 neurosurgery departments in the Czech Republic (94%) and from 39 patients (11 female [28%]). The average patient age was 52 +/-14 years (11 patients > 60), median time to surgery was 48 hours (interquartile range [IQR] 26-67 hours; 15 patients > 48 hours), median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 22 (IQR 16-30), median infarct volume was 341 cm³ (IQR 243-375 cm³), mean shift from the midline was 9.9 +/- 4.1 mm, median duration of hospitalization was 19 days (IQR 13-30 days), and mean bone flap surface area was 75 cm² (IQR 70-97 cm²). A favorable outcome was achieved in 19 patients (49%). The median number of procedures per site in 2006 was 1.5 (range 0-13 procedures). Five sites (31%) serving one-third of the entire population did not perform any decompressive surgery. No variable was a significant predictor of outcome in a multiple regression model. CONCLUSIONS: In 2006 decompressive surgery was underutilized and occurred late in the clinical course in the Czech Republic. Revision of national guidelines is necessary to incorporate the latest data and ensure that the patients who can benefit most receive treatment.