The role of anticoagulation for superior sagittal sinus thrombosis following craniotomy for resection of parasagittal/parafalcine meningiomas.

OBJECTIVE: The safety and efficacy of anticoagulation in managing superior sagittal sinus (SSS) thrombosis remains unclear. The present study investigated the relationship between anticoagulation and cerebrovascular complications in parasagittal/parafalcine meningioma patients presenting with post-surgical SSS thrombosis. METHODS: We analyzed 266 patients treated at a single institution between 2005 and 2020. Bivariate analysis was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test. Multivariate analysis was conducted using a logistic regression model. Blood thinning medications investigated included aspirin, warfarin, heparin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, and other novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs). A symptomatic SSS thrombosis was defined as a radiographically apparent thrombosis with new headaches, seizures, altered sensorium, or neurological deficits. RESULTS: Our patient cohort was majority female (67.3%) with a mean age ([Formula: see text] SD) of 58.82 [Formula: see text] 13.04 years. A total of 15 (5.6%) patients developed postoperative SSS thrombosis and 5 (1.9%) were symptomatic; 2 (0.8%) symptomatic patients received anticoagulation. None of these 15 patients developed cerebrovascular complications following observation or anticoagulative treatment of asymptomatic SSS thrombosis. While incidence of any other postoperative complications was significantly associated with SSS thrombosis in bivariate analysis (p = 0.015), this association was no longer observed in multivariate analysis (OR = 2.15, p = 0.16) when controlling for patient age, sex, and anatomical location of the tumor along the SSS. CONCLUSIONS: Our single-institution study examining the incidence of SSS thrombosis and associated risk factors highlights the need for further research efforts better prognosticate this adverse outcome. Conservative management may represent a viable treatment strategy for patients with SSS thrombosis.

Exploring disparities in surgical recommendations for patients with primary intramedullary spinal cord tumors: an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2000 to 2019.

OBJECTIVE: Factors that may drive recommendations for operative intervention for patients with intramedullary spinal cord tumors (ISCTs) have yet to be extensively studied. The authors investigated racial and socioeconomic disparities in the management of patients with primary spinal cord ependymomas and nonependymal gliomas, with the aim of determining the associations between socioeconomic patient characteristics, survival, and recommendations for the resection of primary ISCTs. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry was queried to identify all patients > 18 years of age with ISCTs diagnosed between 2000 and 2019. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios for variables associated with receiving a surgical recommendation. Log-rank tests and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). RESULTS: The authors identified 2325 patients (mean age 49 [SD 16] years; 48.8% female; 67.4% non-Hispanic White, 7.8% non-Hispanic Black, 16.2% Hispanic, 6.5% Asian/Pacific Islander, 0.6% Native American; 56.7% married; 64.4% with household income < $75,000; 73.8% with spinal ependymoma; and 26.2% with nonependymal spinal glioma). Eighty-seven percent of patients received a surgical recommendation. In multivariable models, marriage was associated with higher odds of receiving a surgical recommendation for ependymomas (OR 1.80, p = 0.005). In multivariable models for nonependymal spinal gliomas, older age (OR 0.98, p = 0.001) and increased number of tumors (OR 0.62, p = 0.015) were associated with decreased odds of receiving surgical recommendations. Among ependymomas, marriage (HR 0.59, p = 0.001), younger age (HR 0.93, p < 0.001), female sex (HR 0.43, p = 0.006), and decreased number of tumors (HR 0.56, p < 0.001) were associated with improved OS. Among nonependymal spinal gliomas, median household income ≥ $75,000 (HR 0.69, p = 0.020) and younger age (HR 0.98, p < 0.001) were associated with improved DSS, while Black race (HR 4.65, p = 0.027) and older age (HR 1.05, p < 0.001) were associated with worse OS. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with spinal ependymomas and nonependymal spinal gliomas, recommendations for surgery appear to be unaffected by patient sex, race, or income. Survival disparities appear to exist among unmarried, male, Black, and lower-income cohorts. Continued initiatives to identify drivers of disparities while improving health equity in this patient population are needed.

Availability and utilization of molecular testing for primary central nervous system tumors among US hospitals.

Advanced molecular testing has increasingly become an integral component for accurate diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) tumors. We sought to establish the current state of molecular testing availability and approaches for the diagnosis of CNS tumors in US hospitals that conduct high volumes of CNS tumor resections. We distributed a 16-item survey inquiring about molecular testing approaches for CNS tumors to 115 neuropathologists at US hospitals with neurosurgery residency programs. Thirty-five neuropathologists (30.4%) responded to the survey, all of whom indicated their institutions perform molecular testing on CNS tumor tissue. The most commonly offered tests were MGMT methylation profiling and next-generation sequencing. Fourteen respondents (40%) indicated that their institution is able to test for and report all of the molecular alterations included in our survey. Nine (25.7%) respondents indicated that molecular testing is performed as standard of care for all patients with resected CNS tumors. Our results suggest that even in academic hospitals with a high volume of CNS tumor resections, molecular testing for these tumors is limited. Continued initiatives are necessary to expand the availability of molecular testing for CNS tumors to ensure diagnostic accuracy and guide targeted therapy.

External Validation of Predictive Models for Failed Medical Management of Spinal Epidural Abscess.

OBJECTIVE: There is limited consensus regarding management of spinal epidural abscesses (SEAs), particularly in patients without neurologic deficits. Several models have been created to predict failure of medical management in patients with SEA. We evaluate the external validity of 5 predictive models in an independent cohort of patients with SEA. METHODS: One hundred seventy-six patients with SEA between 2010 and 2019 at our institution were identified, and variables relevant to each predictive model were collected. Published prediction models were used to assign probability of medical management failure to each patient. Predicted probabilities of medical failure and actual patient outcomes were used to create receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve used to quantify a model's discriminative ability. Calibration curves were plotted using predicted probabilities and actual outcomes. The Spiegelhalter z-test was used to determine adequate model calibration. RESULTS: One model (Kim et al) demonstrated good discriminative ability and adequate model calibration in our cohort (ROC = 0.831, P value = 0.83). Parameters included in the model were age >65, diabetes, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection, and neurologic impairment. Four additional models did not perform well for discrimination or calibration metrics (Patel et al, ROC = 0.580, P ≤ 0.0001; Shah et al, ROC = 0.653, P ≤ 0.0001; Baum et al, ROC = 0.498, P ≤ 0.0001; Page et al, ROC = 0.534, P ≤ 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Only 1 published predictive model demonstrated acceptable discrimination and calibration in our cohort, suggesting limited generalizability of the evaluated models. Multi-institutional data may facilitate the development of widely applicable models to predict medical management failure in patients with SEA.

Predicting High-Value Care Outcomes After Surgery for Skull Base Meningiomas.

BACKGROUND: Although various predictors of adverse postoperative outcomes among patients with meningioma have been established, research has yet to develop a method for consolidating these findings to allow for predictions of adverse health care outcomes for patients diagnosed with skull base meningiomas. The objective of the present study was to develop 3 predictive algorithms that can be used to estimate an individual patient's probability of extended length of stay (LOS) in hospital, experiencing a nonroutine discharge disposition, or incurring high hospital charges after surgical resection of a skull base meningioma. METHODS: The present study used data from patients who underwent surgical resection for skull base meningiomas at a single academic institution between 2017 and 2019. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to predict extended LOS, nonroutine discharge, and high hospital charges, and 2000 bootstrapped samples were used to calculate an optimism-corrected C-statistic. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to assess model calibration, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 245 patients were included in our analysis. Our cohort was mostly female (77.6%) and white (62.4%). Our models predicting extended LOS, nonroutine discharge, and high hospital charges had optimism-corrected C-statistics of 0.768, 0.784, and 0.783, respectively. All models showed adequate calibration (P>0.05), and were deployed via an open-access, online calculator: https://neurooncsurgery3.shinyapps.io/high_value_skull_base_calc/. CONCLUSIONS: After external validation, our predictive models have the potential to aid clinicians in providing patients with individualized risk estimation for health care outcomes after meningioma surgery.

An Online Calculator for Predicting Academic Career Trajectory in Neurosurgery in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Determining factors that predict a career in academic neurosurgery can help to improve neurosurgical training and faculty mentoring efforts. Although many academic career predictors have been established in the literature, no method has yet been developed to allow for individualized predictions of an academic career trajectory. The objective of the present study was to develop a Web-based calculator for predicting the probability of a career in academic neurosurgery. METHODS: The present study used data from neurosurgeons listed in the American Association of Neurological Surgeons database. A logistic regression model was used to predict probability of an academic career, and bootstrapping with 2000 samples was used to calculate an optimism-corrected C-statistic. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 1818 neurosurgeons were included in our analysis. Most surgeons were male (89.7%) and employed in nonacademic positions (60.2%). Factors independently associated with an academic career were female sex, attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News medical school, attaining a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, attaining a Master of Science (MS) degree, higher h-index during residency, more months of protected research time during residency, and completing a clinical fellowship. Our final model had an optimism-corrected C-statistic of 0.74. This model was incorporated into a Web-based calculator (https://neurooncsurgery.shinyapps.io/academic_calculator/). CONCLUSIONS: The present study consolidates previous research investigating neurosurgery career predictors into a simple, open-access tool. Our work may serve to better clarify the many factors influencing trainees' likelihood of pursuing a career in academic neurosurgery.

Predictors of Academic Neurosurgical Career Trajectory among International Medical Graduates Training Within the United States.

BACKGROUND: Within the literature, there has been limited research tracking the career trajectories of international medical graduates (IMGs) following residency training. OBJECTIVE: To compare the characteristics of IMG and US medical school graduate (USMG) neurosurgeons holding academic positions in the United States and also analyze factors that influence IMG career trajectories following US-based residency training. METHODS: We collected data on 243 IMGs and 2506 USMGs who graduated from Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited neurosurgery residency programs. We assessed for significant differences between cohorts, and a logistic regression model was used for the outcome of academic career trajectory. RESULTS: Among the 2749 neurosurgeons in our study, IMGs were more likely to pursue academic neurosurgery careers relative to USMGs (59.7% vs 51.1%; P = .011) and were also more likely to complete a research fellowship before beginning residency (odds ratio [OR] = 9.19; P < .0001). Among current US academic neurosurgeons, USMGs had significantly higher pre-residency h-indices relative to IMGs (1.23 vs 1.01; P < .0001) with no significant differences between cohorts when comparing h-indices during (USMG = 5.02, IMG = 4.80; P = .67) or after (USMG = 14.05, IMG = 13.90; P = .72) residency. Completion of a post-residency clinical fellowship was the only factor independently associated with an academic career trajectory among IMGs (OR = 1.73, P = .046). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that while IMGs begin their US residency training with different research backgrounds and achievements relative to USMG counterparts, they attain similar levels of academic productivity following residency. Furthermore, IMGs are more likely to pursue academic careers relative to USMGs. Our work may be useful for better understanding IMG career trajectories following US-based neurosurgery residency training.

Predictors of Nonroutine Discharge Disposition Among Patients with Parasagittal/Parafalcine Meningioma.

OBJECTIVE: Discharge disposition is an important outcome for neurosurgeons to consider in the context of high-quality, value-based care. There has been limited research into how the unique anatomic considerations associated with parasagittal/parafalcine meningioma resection may influence discharge disposition. We investigated the effects of various predictors on discharge disposition within a cohort of patients with parasagittal/parafalcine meningioma. METHODS: A total of 154 patients treated at a single institution were analyzed (2016-2019). Bivariate analysis was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U and Fisher exact tests. Multivariate analysis was conducted using logistic regression. An optimism-corrected C-statistic was calculated using 2000 bootstrap samples to assess logistic regression model performance. RESULTS: Our cohort was mostly female (67.5%) and white (72.7%), with a mean age of 57.29 years. Most patients had tumors associated with the middle third of the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) (60.4%) and had tumors that were not fully occluding the SSS (74.0%). In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of nonroutine discharge disposition included 5-factor Modified Frailty Index score (odds ratio [OR], 2.06; P = 0.0088), Simpson grade IV resection (OR, 4.22; P = 0.0062), and occurrence of any postoperative complication (OR, 2.89; P = 0.031). The optimism-corrected C-statistic of our model was 0.757. CONCLUSIONS: In our single-institution experience, neither extent of SSS invasion nor location along the SSS predicted nonroutine discharge, suggesting that tumor invasion and posterior location along the SSS are not necessarily contraindications to surgery. Our results also highlight the importance of frailty and tumor size in stratifying patients at risk of nonroutine discharge disposition.