Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) hormones 6 months after cranial radiotherapy in adult patients with primary brain tumors outside the HPA region.

BACKGROUND: Cranial radiotherapy is a common treatment for brain tumors, but it can affect the hypothalamic-pituitary (H-P) axis and lead to hormonal disorders. This study aimed to compare serum levels of HPA hormones before and after cranial radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study involved 27 adult patients who underwent brain tumor resection before the initiation of radiotherapy, and none had metastatic brain tumors. All participants had the HPA within the radiation field, and their tumors were located in brain areas outside from the HPA. Serum levels of HPA hormones were recorded both before and 6 months after cranial radiotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 27 adult patients, comprising 16 (59.3%) males and 11 (40.7%) females, with a mean age of 56.37 ± 11.38 years, were subjected to evaluation. Six months post-radiotherapy, serum levels of GH and TSH exhibited a significant decrease. Prior to radiotherapy, a substantial and direct correlation was observed between TSH and FSH (p = 0.005) as well as LH (p = 0.014). Additionally, a significant and direct relationship was noted between serum FSH and LH (p < 0.001) before radiotherapy. After radiotherapy, a significant and direct correlation persisted between TSH and FSH (p = 0.003) as well as LH (p = 0.005), along with a significant and direct relationship between serum FSH and LH (p < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant and direct association was identified between changes in serum GH levels and FSH (p = 0.04), as well as between serum LH and FSH (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Reduced serum levels of HPA hormones are a significant complication of cranial radiotherapy and should be evaluated in follow-up assessments.

Rate and Risk Factors of Early Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Revision: A Five-Year Retrospective Analysis of a Referral Center.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral shunts are the mainstay treatment of hydrocephalus. Because most previous studies have focused on factors related to long-term outcomes of shunt surgery, we aimed to assess the rates and causes of 30-day ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) failure in a single referral center over 5 years in both adult and pediatric patients. METHODS: Patients who underwent VPS surgery from February 2012 to February 2017 in Ghaem Teaching Hospital, Mashhad, Iran were evaluated retrospectively through clinical history, operative reports, imaging studies, and follow-up notes. Data of 12 possible factors related to shunt failure were collected comprising age, gender, household income, level of education, cause of hydrocephalus, causes of revision, type of failure, anatomic site, duration of operation, time of surgery, surgeons' level of expertise, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. RESULTS: Among 403 VPS placements, 121 VPS revisions were performed, and 82 eligible patients were included in the study (57.3% male and 42.7% female). The 30-day shunt failure rate was 24.4% among all revisions. Obstruction and malposition were the most common causes of early revisions. Six factors were statistically significant in the univariate analysis. After adjustment in a logistic regression model, 2 factors, namely surgeons' level of expertise (odds ratio, 10.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-98.80) and anatomic site of the shunt (odds ratio, 10.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-87.35) were associated with early shunt revision. CONCLUSIONS: Shunt surgeries performed by junior residents and shunts placed in the frontal site were associated with early shunt failure.

Malignant Cerebral Venous Infarction: Decompressive Craniectomy versus Medical Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a common type of stroke in young adults and associated with 8% mortality. High intracranial pressure (ICP) and brain herniation are the most common causes of death in these patients. In contrast with malignant arterial middle cerebral infarction, there are few studies reporting the efficacy of decompressive craniectomy (DC) for treatment of high ICP in patients with CVT. In this study, we assess the clinical outcome of patients with CVT with impending brain herniation treated with DC versus medical management. METHODS: In this retrospective study, medical records of all patients with CVT admitted to our hospital were reviewed. Patients with the following inclusion criteria were entered into the study: 1) CVT proven by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venogram and/or computed tomography venogram, 2) malignant CVT (impending brain herniation according to imaging and clinical finding), and 3) age between 16 and 80 years. Patients with deep venous system thrombosis, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3, and bilateral nonreactive midposition pupils or mydriasis on admission were excluded. Patients were classified into 2 groups: surgical group (DC group) including patients who received medical treatment and DC and medical group (MG) including patients who received only medical treatment. Outcomes and complications were assessed and compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Of 357 patients with CVT hospitalized in our center, 48 patients entered into the study. Twenty-three patients were managed medically, and 25 patients were managed surgically. There was no significant difference between the groups concerning age, sex, presenting symptoms, transient and permanent risk factors of CVT, GCS score on admission, and pupils' reactivity on admission. All patients in the MG died during hospitalization in comparison with 8 patients in the DC group (100% vs. 32%, P < 0.001). Favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale score 0-2) was achieved in 52% of the DC group and 0% of the MG group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study confirmed that in contrast with DC, medical treatment could not prevent transtentorial herniation. DC is not only lifesaving for patients with CVT with impending brain herniation but also results in favorable outcome in most patients.

Association of Opium Addiction with Rupture of Intracranial Aneurysms: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Disorders related to opioid use account for the most substantial burden of disease attributable to drug use disorders. We aimed to justify if there is an association between either opium consumption or addiction and rupture of intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: In this case-control study, we enrolled 50 cases with ruptured intracranial aneurysms and 43 control subjects with an incidental finding of an intracranial aneurysm without history of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Four major risk factors of rupture including age, sex, size, and site of aneurysm were matched among both groups. All participants were asked about cigarette smoking state, opium addiction, opium consumption, and duration and route of opium consumption. Eight other trigger factors were assessed in the period soon before SAH (hazard period). The odds ratio (OR) of all factors was calculated separately, and then a logistic regression for the factors with significant odds was calculated. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of cases and 32.6% of control subjects were addicted to opium. The OR for opium consumption in the hazard period was 8.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-30.1) and for opium addiction was 3.3 (95% CI, 1.4-7.9). Of those trigger factors, cola consumption was included in the logistic regression model. After adjustment, results demonstrated an OR of 9.2 (95% CI, 2.4-34.7) for opium consumption in the hazard period. CONCLUSIONS: There is an association between opium addiction and opium consumption in the hazard period with the occurrence of aneurysmal SAH. Replication of the study with a larger sample size and conduction of prospective studies is suggested.

Problems in Diagnosis and Treatment of Retrorectal Tumors: Our Experience in 50 Patients.

Retrorectal tumors are rare lesions in adults, which remains a difficult diagnostic and management problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of surgical management of retrorectal tumors in our institution. In a retrospective study, a consecutive series of patients who underwent surgical excision of a retrorectal tumor were identified from a database. Medical records, radiology, pathology reports and surgical approach were checked retrospectively. The data was analyzed using SPSS statistical software (version 18). From 50 patients, 24 were male, and 26 were female with the mean age of 41.7 years. The origin of mass was congenital in 46% (23 cases) and neurogenic in 14% (7 patients), bone origin in 12% (6 cases) and miscellaneous in 24% (12 cases). In total, 56.7% (21 cases) were malignant. Surgical approaches included laparotomy in 11 cases, the sacral approach in 17 cases, the anterior-posterior approach in 14 cases and one case through abdomino-sacral approach. The mean follow-up was 56.7 (10-277) month. Ten patients died due to extensive metastases with a mean survival of 46.6 (1-158) months. Primary urethrorectal tumors are very rare. Successful treatment of these tumors requires careful clinical evaluation and expertise in pelvic surgery.

Remote transplantation of a third ventricle colloid cyst: case report.

The authors report the case of a 15-year-old girl with a third ventricle colloid cyst. She presented with prolonged headache, nausea, vomiting, and loss of visual acuity with bilateral papilledema. Computed tomography and MRI revealed severe biventricular hydrocephalus with transependymal periventricular fluid and a minimally enhancing cystic mass of the third ventricle. The patient was diagnosed with a colloid cyst and obstructive hydrocephalus, and endoscopic resection with ablation of the cyst remnant was performed. While attempting to extricate the cyst from the patient's head, control of the cyst was lost and the cyst fell into the lateral ventricle beyond the surgeon's view. Postoperative imaging showed that the cyst had settled in the right occipital horn. After 3 years of follow-up, imaging suggests growth of the cyst in its new position without necrosis or displacement on prone imaging.

Decompressive craniectomy after unsuccessful intravenous thrombolysis of malignant cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is an approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke within 4.5 h of symptoms onset. Decompressive craniectomy (DC) has been shown as an effective therapeutic modality in malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. As rt-PA could result in hemorrhagic complication during or after any surgery DC may be associated with severe bleeding after intravenous thrombolysis. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 57-year-old woman was presented 90 min after the sudden onset of left hemiplegia. Despite intravenous thrombolytic therapy, she lost consciousness within 48 h and brain CT scan showed a right malignant MCA infarction associated with a small bleeding. DC was performed without any complication. The patient improved dramatically. CONCLUSION: DC could be done safety for malignant MCA infarction after unsuccessful intravenous thrombolytic therapy even the later was complicated with intra-infarction hemorrhage.

High disease activity is associated with high disease damage in an Iranian inception cohort of patients with lupus nephritis.

OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to determine disease activity and damage in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) and to evaluate the correlation among these domains and sociodemographic features. METHODS: This study was carried out on 71 lupus patients who were candidate for kidney biopsy due to their clinical renal manifestations. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected and the Systemic Lupus Erythaematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI-2K updated version), European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement (ECLAM) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI) were assessed after 10 days of admission, the day prior to performing renal biopsy. RESULTS: Sixty-five females (91.5%) and six males (8.5%) were studied. Their age was 24 (21-32) yr and disease duration was 1.5 (0.8-4) yr (median [IQR]). SLEDAI-2K, ECLAM and SDI scores were 25.5±12.3, 6.21±2.45, 2.0±2.3 (mean±SD) respectively. A great relationship between SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM (r=0.827, p<0.001) was found. SDI was significantly associated with SLEDAI-2K (r=0.742, p<0.001) and ECLAM (r=0.699, p<0.001). Age, gender and disease duration had no significant impact on SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM, while SDI was significantly higher in subjects with longer disease duration particularly in those of more than 3 years. Patients with lower education attainment had less medication adherence and higher disease activity and damage. CONCLUSIONS: There is a highly significant correlation of high disease activity with cumulative damage in patients with LN, particularly in those with newly-onset disease. Considering that the first years of SLE are an active critical period which can lead to severe damage, this highlights the necessity of aggressive treatment, tight-organised follow-ups and more patient compliance with the physician orders.