The use of stereotactic MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy for the treatment of pediatric cavernous malformations: the SUNY Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital experience.

PURPOSE: Cavernous malformations (CM) are central nervous system lesions characterized by interlaced vascular sinusoids coated with endothelial cells without intervening parenchyma. Magnetic resonance imaging-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRIgLITT) is a minimally invasive treatment modality that can precisely treat pathologic cerebral tissue, making it an effective alternative for the management of cavernomas. We describe the outcomes of a series of pediatric patients with cavernous brain malformations treated with MRIgLITT between 2014 and 2018 at our institution. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 11 cavernomas in 6 pediatric patients treated with MRIgLITT. Both the Visualase System® and/or Neuroblate® systems were used. A variation of the surgical technique on the application of the laser was developed. Post-ablation MRIs were obtained to assess ablated areas. RESULTS: A total of 11 cavernomas in 6 patients were treated with MRIgLITT. Median age was 15 years (12 to 17 years); 75% were males. Presenting symptoms were headache (75%) and seizures (25%). Two patients presented with multiple CMs. All lesions in this study were supratentorial (cerebral hemispheres 81.8%, corpus callosum 9.1%, basal ganglia 9.1%). Our surgical technique was well-tolerated, with no significant adverse events observed. Hospital stay for all patients was less than 48 hours. CONCLUSION: MRIgLITT is an effective minimally invasive technique for the treatment of pediatric CMs. It represents a useful and safe tool, when other therapeutic alternatives may represent a greater risk of surgical morbidity.

A rare occurrence of an epithelioid glioblastoma in a pediatric patient: case report and review of the literature.

Epithelioid glioblastoma is a rare tumor in the pediatric population. We present a case report of a 5-year-old boy found to have a large right frontotemporal epithelioid glioblastoma. The patient was treated with maximal safe resection followed by craniospinal radiation. He has now reached 5-year survival and does not have tumor progression. Given the rarity of epithelioid glioblastoma in the pediatric population, the literature surrounding the diagnosis and treatment options for these tumors is reviewed.

Central and peripheral nervous system involvement by COVID-19: a systematic review of the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, neuropathology, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and cerebrospinal fluid findings.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 can affect the human brain and other neurological structures. An increasing number of publications report neurological manifestations in patients with COVID-19. However, no studies have comprehensively reviewed the clinical and paraclinical characteristics of the central and peripheral nervous system's involvement in these patients. This study aimed to describe the features of the central and peripheral nervous system involvement by COVID-19 in terms of pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, neuropathology, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and cerebrospinal fluid findings. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive systematic review of all the original studies reporting patients with neurological involvement by COVID-19, from December 2019 to June 2020, without language restriction. We excluded studies with animal subjects, studies not related to the nervous system, and opinion articles. Data analysis combined descriptive measures, frequency measures, central tendency measures, and dispersion measures for all studies reporting neurological conditions and abnormal ancillary tests in patients with confirmed COVID-19. RESULTS: A total of 143 observational and descriptive studies reported central and peripheral nervous system involvement by COVID-19 in 10,723 patients. Fifty-one studies described pathophysiologic mechanisms of neurological involvement by COVID-19, 119 focused on clinical manifestations, 4 described neuropathology findings, 62 described neuroimaging findings, 28 electrophysiology findings, and 60 studies reported cerebrospinal fluid results. The reviewed studies reflect a significant prevalence of the nervous system's involvement in patients with COVID-19, ranging from 22.5 to 36.4% among different studies, without mortality rates explicitly associated with neurological involvement by SARS-CoV-2. We thoroughly describe the clinical and paraclinical characteristics of neurological involvement in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our evidence synthesis led to a categorical analysis of the central and peripheral neurological involvement by COVID-19 and provided a comprehensive explanation of the reported pathophysiological mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 infection may cause neurological impairment. International collaborative efforts and exhaustive neurological registries will enhance the translational knowledge of COVID-19's central and peripheral neurological involvement and generate therapeutic decision-making strategies. REGISTRATION: This review was registered in PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020193140 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020193140.

Rupture or traumatic dislocation of cranial suture on infants, involvement of the lambdoidal accessory bones (Wormian bones): case presentation and analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sutural or Wormian bones are accessory bones of genetic and hereditary relevance, considered as ethnic and anatomical variables. Recently, they have been related to a certain type of congenital alterations such as osteogenesis imperfecta; however, there is no description in the literature of their involvement in skull fractures in infants. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a male patient aged 15 months who suffered a fall from the stairs of his home approximately 6 h before arrival in the emergency room. This fall of approximately 1 m in height and with an area of direct impact on the right occipito-parietal region with no apparent loss of consciousness. At admission, with a Glasgow of 14 for irritability with subgaleal hematoma and cranial endostosis on occipitoparietal region, no more neurological signs were present. A CT scan of the skull was performed showing an occipital-parietal discontinuity at the lambdoid suture, and the scan also showed that a displacement occurred below the thickness of the adjacent bone. In addition, radiographic evidence showed a high possibility of dural penetration and an area of adjacent hemorrhagic contusion. Due to these findings, a surgical approach was decided upon. The findings in the surgical procedure were a complete dislocation (rupture) of lambdoidal cranial suture on the occipital border of the accessory bone (Wormian bone) with dura mater tear on the rupture tracing. A craniotomy was performed with dural plasty without eventualities. Forty-eight hours after surgery, he was discharged home in a stable neurologic condition. CONCLUSIONS: The present report shows the implications of approaching this type of injury, which can be confused as a depressed skull fracture. There is no description in the literature of a sutural rupture associated with Wormian bones.

Single and staged laser interstitial thermal therapy ablation for cortical tubers causing refractory epilepsy in pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) is a novel, minimally invasive treatment for the surgical treatment of epilepsy. In this paper, the authors report on clinical outcomes for a series of pediatric patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and medication-refractory epileptogenic cortical tubers. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed at SUNY Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse, New York. The authors included all cases involving pediatric patients (< 18 years) who underwent MRgLITT for ablation of epileptogenic cortical tubers between February 2013 and November 2015. RESULTS Seven patients with cortical tubers were treated (4 female and 3 male). The patients' average age was 6.6 years (range 2-17 years). Two patients had a single procedure, and 5 patients had staged procedures. The mean time between procedures in the staged cases was 6 months. All of the patients had a meaningful reduction in seizure frequency as reported by Engel and ILAE seizure outcome classifications, and most (71.4%) of the patients experienced a reduction in AED burden. Three of the 4 patients who presented with neuropsychiatric symptoms had some improvement in these domains after laser ablation. No perioperative complications were noted. The mean duration of follow-up was 19.3 months (range 4-49 months). CONCLUSIONS Laser ablation represents a minimally invasive alternative to resective epilepsy surgery and is an effective treatment for refractory epilepsy due to cortical tubers.

The first lady president of the ISPN: Prof. Dr. Graciela Zuccaro and her journey through pediatric neurosurgery.

The International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ISPN) was founded in 1972 in Chicago, IL, USA. It has been 45 years since the creation of the ISPN, but it is not until now that the pediatric neurosurgery community has been led by a female neurosurgeon.

Unilateral Postoperative Deep Cerebral Venous Thrombosis with Complete Recovery: A Report of 2 Cases.

Postsurgical deep brain venous thrombosis has not been well described in children before. When approaching thalamic or intraventricular lesions, extra care should be taken to prevent injury to the internal cerebral veins (ICVs) and the vein of Galen. However, even when they are well preserved during surgery, postoperative hemodynamic changes, mainly in the first 24 h, or surgical manipulation can cause thrombosis of these veins. We report 2 children with unilateral postoperative ICV thrombosis; in 1 of the patients the vein of Galen was also thrombosed. Although both patients had altered sensorium initially, no anticoagulation therapy was given, and they both recovered well. When approaching thalamic or intraventricular lesions, extra care should be taken to prevent injury to the ICV and the vein of Galen. The surgeon should respect the deep brain venous system when approaching midline structures. Both the neurosurgeon and the neuroradiologist should be aware of this possible complication in order to make a prompt diagnosis and to offer proper treatment if needed.

MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy for the treatment of low-grade gliomas in children: a case-series review, description of the current technologies and perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric low-grade gliomas (LGGs) account for approximately half of all pediatric central nervous system tumors. The low-grade gliomas' first line of treatment is gross total resection. However, when gross total resection is not possible, options for adjuvant therapy are limited. MRI-guided laser ablation (magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT)) offers a new option for treatment in selected cases. We present a description of the current MRgLITT technology and an exemplary case-series review of our experience in its use in LGGs. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 19-month-old male was referred to the pediatric neurosurgery clinic with an incidental left temporal lesion discovered on a prenatal ultrasound. An MRI of the brain revealed a diffuse mesial temporal lesion. Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed generalized activity arising from the lesion. The patient underwent a navigation-guided biopsy then, two bolts were secured to the skull, and laser ablation was performed with intraoperative MR guidance. Pathology was consistent with ganglioglioma. Follow-up images 13 months after ablation showed a significant volumetric reduction in size of the tumor. DISCUSSION: It is important to achieve maximal resection of low-grade gliomas in children, lessening the need for adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, while minimizing the length of hospital stay and disruption to the child's life. Of our nine LGGs patients treated with this technology, six had undergone previous surgery and MRgLITT proved itself to be a safe surgical treatment option to achieve further cytoreduction. While most of the cases are pilocytic astrocytomas, the location of the tumors was surgically challenging. Eight of the nine cases required a single trajectory-laser-while our case example requires two lasers. Only a case of a midbrain-thalamic tumor presented a post-ablation significant brain edema as perioperative complication [1]. Eight of the nine tumors did not require any coadjuvant therapy or further surgical treatment to date. CONCLUSION: MRIgLITT is a successful option for treatment for selected de novo or recurrent low-grade gliomas in children. It can be combined with other therapies offering the advantages of a minimally invasive procedure. LITT may be added to the current pediatric neuro-oncology protocols, but larger prospective series are needed to show the effectiveness of LITT and to standardize indications and protocols.

The use of MRI-guided laser-induced thermal ablation for epilepsy.

PURPOSE: Epilepsy surgery is constantly researching for new options for patients with refractory epilepsy. MRI-guided laser-induced thermal ablation for epilepsy is an exciting new minimally invasive technology with an emerging use for lesionectomy of a variety of epileptogenic focuses (hypothalamic hamartomas, cortical dysplasias, cortical malformations, tubers) or as a disconnection tool allowing a new option of treatment without the hassles of an open surgery. METHODS: MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) is a procedure for destroying tissue-using heat. To deliver this energy in a minimally invasive fashion, a small diameter fiber optic applicator is inserted into the lesion through a keyhole stereotactic procedure. The thermal energy induces damage to intracellular DNA and DNA-binding structures, ultimately leading to cell death. The ablation procedure is supervised by real-time MRI thermal mapping and confirmed by immediate post-ablation T1 or FLAIR MRI images. RESULTS: The present report includes an overview of the development and practice of an MR-guided laser ablation therapy known as MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT). The role of modern image-guided trajectory planning in MRgLITT will also be discussed, with particular emphasis on the treatment of refractory epilepsy using this novel, minimally invasive technique. CONCLUSION: MRI-guided laser-induced thermal ablation for epilepsy is an exciting new minimally invasive technology that finds potential new applications every day in the neurosurgical field. It certainly brings a new perspective on the way we practice epilepsy surgery even though long-term results should be properly collected and analyzed.

Equity in neurosurgery: a worldwide survey of women neurosurgeons.

OBJECTIVE: The global neurosurgery workforce does not have a defined stance on gender equity. The authors sought to study and characterize the demographic features of the international women neurosurgery community and to better understand the perceptions and reflections of their neurosurgical careers. The objective was to define and characterize the workplace inequities faced by the global women neurosurgeon community. METHODS: A 58-item cross-sectional survey was distributed to the global women neurosurgery community. The survey was distributed via an online and mobile platform between October 2018 and December 2020. Responses were anonymized. The authors utilized chi-square analysis to differentiate variables (e.g., career satisfaction) between various groups (e.g., those based on academic position). The authors calculated 95% CIs to establish significance. RESULTS: Among 237 respondents, approximately 40% were between the ages of 26 and 35 years. Within their respective departments, 45% identified themselves as the only woman neurosurgeon in their practice. Forty-three percent stated that their department supported women neurosurgeons for leadership roles. Seventy-five percent of respondents were members of organized neurosurgery professional societies; of these, 38% had been involved in leadership roles. Almost 60% of respondents postponed their decision to get pregnant because of resident or work-related influences. CONCLUSIONS: This survey provides international feedback for characterizing and understanding the experiences of women neurosurgeons worldwide. Future research should aim to understand all neurosurgeons' experiences throughout the pipeline and career life cycle of neurosurgery in order to improve the field of neurosurgery.

Spina Bifida Global Learning Collaborative: Educating the next generation of clinicians, researchers, and advocates.

PURPOSE: This project aimed to launch an international learning community to guide the development of a spina bifida (SB) curriculum for global health trainees. METHODS: Using a descriptive study design, a convenience sample of SB curricula were identified in 2022-23 by members of the Spina Bifida World Congress Outreach Committee and evaluated during a series of monthly Zoom calls to discuss SB education in a global health context. Participants included (1) leadership from the ReachAnother Foundation, (2) invited panelists from the Spina Bifida World Congress Global Health Symposium, and (3) global health students and preceptors. Education initiatives in Ethiopia, Sweden, Argentina, Ecuador, and the United States were evaluated vis-à-vis format and content. RESULTS: All of the education initiatives referenced the framework of the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Formats varied and included both virtual and interactive workshops, print materials, videos, and guides for small group discussion. Content addressed four domains: Folate Prevention, Neurosurgical Training, After Care, and Data Collection. A multidisciplinary approach, partnerships with families, and workforce pipeline training were identified as guiding themes for educating the next generation of SB researchers and clinicians in global health settings. CONCLUSION: The Spina Bifida Global Learning Collaborative is a transnational group of advocates, clinicians, and investigators whose mission is the advancement of SB-related global health education. Lessons learned from the collaborative are being leveraged to develop a global health curriculum for learners, which may improve services for individuals with SB around the globe.

Magnetic resonance imaging-guided stereotactic laser ablation therapy for the treatment of pediatric epilepsy: a retrospective multiinstitutional study.

OBJECTIVE: The authors of this study evaluated the safety and efficacy of stereotactic laser ablation (SLA) for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) in children. METHODS: Seventeen North American centers were enrolled in the study. Data for pediatric patients with DRE who had been treated with SLA between 2008 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 225 patients, mean age 12.8 ± 5.8 years, were identified. Target-of-interest (TOI) locations included extratemporal (44.4%), temporal neocortical (8.4%), mesiotemporal (23.1%), hypothalamic (14.2%), and callosal (9.8%). Visualase and NeuroBlate SLA systems were used in 199 and 26 cases, respectively. Procedure goals included ablation (149 cases), disconnection (63), or both (13). The mean follow-up was 27 ± 20.4 months. Improvement in targeted seizure type (TST) was seen in 179 (84.0%) patients. Engel classification was reported for 167 (74.2%) patients; excluding the palliative cases, 74 (49.7%), 35 (23.5%), 10 (6.7%), and 30 (20.1%) patients had Engel class I, II, III, and IV outcomes, respectively. For patients with a follow-up ≥ 12 months, 25 (51.0%), 18 (36.7%), 3 (6.1%), and 3 (6.1%) had Engel class I, II, III, and IV outcomes, respectively. Patients with a history of pre-SLA surgery related to the TOI, a pathology of malformation of cortical development, and 2+ trajectories per TOI were more likely to experience no improvement in seizure frequency and/or to have an unfavorable outcome. A greater number of smaller thermal lesions was associated with greater improvement in TST. Thirty (13.3%) patients experienced 51 short-term complications including malpositioned catheter (3 cases), intracranial hemorrhage (2), transient neurological deficit (19), permanent neurological deficit (3), symptomatic perilesional edema (6), hydrocephalus (1), CSF leakage (1), wound infection (2), unplanned ICU stay (5), and unplanned 30-day readmission (9). The relative incidence of complications was higher in the hypothalamic target location. Target volume, number of laser trajectories, number or size of thermal lesions, or use of perioperative steroids did not have a significant effect on short-term complications. CONCLUSIONS: SLA appears to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for children with DRE. Large-volume prospective studies are needed to better understand the indications for treatment and demonstrate the long-term efficacy of SLA in this population.

Efficacy of laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) for newly diagnosed and recurrent IDH wild-type glioblastoma.

Background: Treatment options for unresectable new and recurrent glioblastoma remain limited. Laser ablation has demonstrated safety as a surgical approach to treating primary brain tumors. The LAANTERN prospective multicenter registry (NCT02392078) data were analyzed to determine clinical outcomes for patients with new and recurrent IDH wild-type glioblastoma. Methods: Demographics, intraprocedural data, adverse events, KPS, health economics, and survival data were prospectively collected and then analyzed on IDH wild-type newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma patients who were treated with laser ablation at 14 US centers between January 2016 and May 2019. Data were monitored for accuracy. Statistical analysis included individual variable summaries, multivariable differences in survival, and median survival numbers. Results: A total of 29 new and 60 recurrent IDH wild-type WHO grade 4 glioblastoma patients were treated. Positive MGMT promoter methylation status was present in 5/29 of new and 23/60 of recurrent patients. Median physician-estimated extent of ablation was 91%-99%. Median overall survival (OS) was 9.73 months (95% confidence interval: 5.16, 15.91) for newly diagnosed patients and median post-procedure survival was 8.97 months (6.94, 12.36) for recurrent patients. Median OS for newly diagnosed patients receiving post-LITT chemo/radiation was 16.14 months (6.11, not reached). Factors associated with improved survival were MGMT promoter methylation, adjuvant chemotherapy within 12 weeks, and tumor volume <3 cc. Conclusions: Laser ablation is a viable option for patients with new and recurrent glioblastoma. Median OS for IDH wild-type newly diagnosed glioblastoma is comparable to outcomes observed in other tumor resection studies when those patients undergo radiation and chemotherapy following LITT.

A prospective multicenter study of laser ablation for drug resistant epilepsy - One year outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To report one-year seizure outcomes, procedural data, and quality of life scores following laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) of epileptogenic foci. METHODS: Data from an ongoing prospective, multi-center registry were assessed. Procedural information, Engel seizure outcomes, and quality of life (QoL) scores were analyzed. A responder analysis was performed to better understand potential clinical characteristics that could influence seizure outcome. RESULTS: Sixty patients have been enrolled into LAANTERN (Laser Ablation of Abnormal Neurological Tissue Using Robotic NeuroBlate System) specifically for epilepsy treatment, of which 42 reached one year follow up. Engel I outcome was achieved in 64.3 % at one year follow up. Patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) comprised 56.7 % of this cohort of multiple epilepsy types. Other significant etiologies included focal cortical dysplasia, hypothalamic hamartoma, cavernoma, heterotopias, and tuberous sclerosis. Median length of stay was 32.7 h. At discharge, head pain score averaged 1.4 ± 2.1 on a scale from 1 to 10. Five adverse events were reported, one categorized as serious. Seizure worry and social functioning scores improved significantly in quality of life measures. SIGNIFICANCE: Surgical treatment with LITT for epileptic foci is a safe and effective treatment option for people with drug resistant epilepsy. Our multicenter prospective seizure outcomes continue to expand published LITT experience in MTLE as well as non-MTLE epilepsies. The minimally invasive nature allows for short hospitalizations with minimal reported pain and discomfort.

Laser Ablation of Abnormal Neurological Tissue Using Robotic NeuroBlate System (LAANTERN): 12-Month Outcomes and Quality of Life After Brain Tumor Ablation.

BACKGROUND: Laser Ablation of Abnormal Neurological Tissue using Robotic NeuroBlate System (LAANTERN) is an ongoing multicenter prospective NeuroBlate (Monteris Medical) LITT (laser interstitial thermal therapy) registry collecting real-world outcomes and quality-of-life (QoL) data. OBJECTIVE: To compare 12-mo outcomes from all subjects undergoing LITT for intracranial tumors/neoplasms. METHODS: Demographics, intraprocedural data, adverse events, QoL, hospitalizations, health economics, and survival data are collected; standard data management and monitoring occur. RESULTS: A total of 14 centers enrolled 223 subjects; the median follow-up was 223 d. There were 119 (53.4%) females and 104 (46.6%) males. The median age was 54.3 yr (range 3-86) and 72.6% had at least 1 baseline comorbidity. The median baseline Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) was 90. Of the ablated tumors, 131 were primary and 92 were metastatic. Most patients with primary tumors had high-grade gliomas (80.9%). Patients with metastatic cancer had recurrence (50.6%) or radiation necrosis (40%). The median postprocedure hospital stay was 33.4 h (12.7-733.4). The 1-yr estimated survival rate was 73%, and this was not impacted by disease etiology. Patient-reported QoL as assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain was stabilized postprocedure. KPS declined by an average of 5.7 to 10.5 points postprocedure; however, 50.5% had stabilized/improved KPS at 6 mo. There were no significant differences in KPS or QoL between patients with metastatic vs primary tumors. CONCLUSION: Results from the ongoing LAANTERN registry demonstrate that LITT stabilizes and improves QoL from baseline levels in a malignant brain tumor patient population with high rates of comorbidities. Overall survival was better than anticipated for a real-world registry and comparative to published literature.

Magnetic resonance-guided stereotactic laser ablation therapy for the treatment of pediatric brain tumors: a multiinstitutional retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of MR-guided stereotactic laser ablation (SLA) therapy in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors. METHODS: Data from 17 North American centers were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical, technical, and radiographic data for pediatric patients treated with SLA for a diagnosis of brain tumor from 2008 to 2016 were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 86 patients (mean age 12.2 ± 4.5 years) with 76 low-grade (I or II) and 10 high-grade (III or IV) tumors were included. Tumor location included lobar (38.4%), deep (45.3%), and cerebellar (16.3%) compartments. The mean follow-up time was 24 months (median 18 months, range 3-72 months). At the last follow-up, the volume of SLA-treated tumors had decreased in 80.6% of patients with follow-up data. Patients with high-grade tumors were more likely to have an unchanged or larger tumor size after SLA treatment than those with low-grade tumors (OR 7.49, p = 0.0364). Subsequent surgery and adjuvant treatment were not required after SLA treatment in 90.4% and 86.7% of patients, respectively. Patients with high-grade tumors were more likely to receive subsequent surgery (OR 2.25, p = 0.4957) and adjuvant treatment (OR 3.77, p = 0.1711) after SLA therapy, without reaching significance. A total of 29 acute complications in 23 patients were reported and included malpositioned catheters (n = 3), intracranial hemorrhages (n = 2), transient neurological deficits (n = 11), permanent neurological deficits (n = 5), symptomatic perilesional edema (n = 2), hydrocephalus (n = 4), and death (n = 2). On long-term follow-up, 3 patients were reported to have worsened neuropsychological test results. Pre-SLA tumor volume, tumor location, number of laser trajectories, and number of lesions created did not result in a significantly increased risk of complications; however, the odds of complications increased by 14% (OR 1.14, p = 0.0159) with every 1-cm3 increase in the volume of the lesion created. CONCLUSIONS: SLA is an effective, minimally invasive treatment option for pediatric brain tumors, although it is not without risks. Limiting the volume of the generated thermal lesion may help decrease the incidence of complications.

Evidence-Based Perioperative Protocol for Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infection Reduction at a Single Institution.

OBJECTIVE: Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections are common and result in significant morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditure. The objective of this study was to create an evidence-based perioperative shunt infection prevention protocol and analyze its efficacy by comparing the incidence of shunt infection before and after implementation at one institution. METHODS: A perioperative ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery protocol was developed based on a systematic literature review with the goal of reducing infection rates. Patients undergoing shunt surgery at Upstate Medical University Hospital, from before and after implantation of the perioperative shunt surgery protocol, were retrospectively analyzed and compared. Retrospective data collection included shunt infection incidence as a primary outcome and clinical features of patients from both cohorts. RESULTS: The pre-protocol and post-protocol cohorts included 226 and 285 patients, respectively. Twenty (8.8%) pre-protocol shunt infections and 16 (5.6%) post-protocol shunt infections were identified (P = 0.156). The relative risk of shunt infection between cohorts was 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.92-1.02). CONCLUSIONS: Although shunt infection rates pre-protocol and post-protocol were not significantly different, a trend toward fewer shunt infections was observed with protocol implementation. Suboptimal compliance at our institution may have limited accurate assessment of protocol efficacy. Similar future studies may benefit from objectively assessing protocol compliance.

GOPC-ROS1 Fusion Due to Microdeletion at 6q22 Is an Oncogenic Driver in a Subset of Pediatric Gliomas and Glioneuronal Tumors.

ROS1 is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase proto-oncogene that has been shown to have rearrangements with several genes in glioblastoma and other neoplasms, including intrachromosomal fusion with GOPC due to microdeletions at 6q22.1. ROS1 fusion events are important findings in these tumors, as they are potentially targetable alterations with newer tyrosine kinase inhibitors; however, whether these tumors represent a distinct entity remains unknown. In this report, we identify 3 cases of unusual pediatric glioma with GOPC-ROS1 fusion. We reviewed the clinical history, radiologic and histologic features, performed methylation analysis, whole genome copy number profiling, and next generation sequencing analysis for the detection of oncogenic mutation and fusion events to fully characterize the genetic and epigenetic alterations present in these tumors. Two of 3 tumors showed pilocytic features with focal expression of synaptophysin staining and variable high-grade histologic features; the third tumor aligned best with glioblastoma and showed no evidence of neuronal differentiation. Copy number profiling revealed chromosome 6q22 microdeletions corresponding to the GOPC-ROS1 fusion in all 3 cases and methylation profiling showed that the tumors did not cluster together as a single entity or within known methylation classes by t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding.

The role of magnetoencephalography in epilepsy surgery.

Epilepsy surgery requires the precise localization of the epileptogenic zone and the anatomical localization of eloquent cortex so that these areas can be preserved during cortical resection. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a technique that maps interictal magnetic dipole sources onto MR imaging to produce a magnetic source image. Magneto-encephalographic spike sources can be used to localize the epileptogenic zone and be part of the workup of the patient for epilepsy surgery in conjunction with data derived from an analysis of seizure semiology, scalp video electroencephalography, PET, functional MR imaging, and neuropsychological testing. In addition, magnetoencephalographic spike sources can be linked to neuronavigation platforms for use in the neurosurgical field. Finally, paradigms have been developed so that MEG can be used to identify functional areas of the cerebral cortex including the somatosensory, motor, language, and visual evoked fields. The authors review the basic principles of MEG and the utility of MEG for presurgical planning as well as intra-operative mapping and discuss future applications of MEG technology.