Enterprise Treatment for Recurrent Basilar Tip Aneurysm after PulseRider-assisted Coil Embolization: A Case Report.

PulseRider (Cerenovus, Irvine, CA, USA) is a relatively novel device used for the treatment of wide-neck aneurysms with a coil-assisted effect. However, treatment options for recurrent aneurysms after PulseRider-assisted coil embolization remain controversial. Here we report a case of recurrent basilar tip aneurysm (BTA) treated with Enterprise 2 after PulseRider-assisted coil embolization. A woman in her 70s underwent coil embolization for a subarachnoid hemorrhage with ruptured BTA 16 years ago. Recurrence was detected at 6-year follow-up, and an additional coil embolization was performed. Nevertheless, gradual recurrence still occurred, and PulseRider-assisted coil embolization was performed without any complications 9 years after the second treatment. However, recurrence was detected once more at 6-month follow-up. Thus, stent-assisted coil embolization using Enterprise 2 (Cerenovus) through PulseRider was selected for angular remodeling. Enterprise 2 was deployed between the right P2 segment of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) and basilar artery (BA) after an effective coil embolization, which achieved effective angular remodeling between the right PCA and BA. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and no recanalization was detected after half a year. Although PulseRider is effective for wide-neck aneurysm treatment, recurrence remains a possibility. Additional treatment using Enterprise 2 is safe and effective with the expectation of angular remodeling.

Bilateral symptomatic large cavernous carotid artery aneurysms treated by extracranial-intracranial bypass with parent artery occlusion.

Bilateral large cavernous sinus internal carotid aneurysms (CCAs) occur very rarely. While the choice of treatment method is important, the timing of contralateral side treatment is equally important. We herein report the case of a 72-year-old woman who presented with progressive bilateral visual impairment and was treated by two-stage. First, the left CCAs had been treated, and the aneurysm was thrombosed, but her left visual acuity did not recover; the right CCA was becoming larger 2 years later, and her right visual acuity began worsening. The right CCAs was treated by almost same method. Her right visual acuity improved compared with the second preoperative findings. Our case findings suggest the importance of considering the appropriate timing to avoid symptom aggravation in patients with bilateral CCAs.

Selective surgical mamillo-thalamic tract disconnection in hypothalamic hamartoma results in complete disappearance of gelastic seizures.

Hypothalamic hamartoma is a less common condition characterized by the several types of epileptic seizures including the gelastic type. It is reported that gelastic seizures are resistant to medical treatment with anticonvulsants, while stereotactic thermocoagulation or Gamma Knife radiosurgery are effective for seizure control. Here, we report an individual case where direct surgical resection disconnecting hypothalamic hamartoma from mammillothalamic tract resulted in complete disappearance of gelastic seizures without deterioration of cognitive function. A 6-year-old boy developed gelastic seizures at the age of 2 and suffered from precocious puberty. Anticonvulsants including carbamazepine and zonisamide failed to control seizures. The patient underwent direct division of the mammillothalmic tract by removal of hypothalamic hamartoma partially via anterior interhemispheric approach. It was observed that gelastic seizures disappeared completely after the surgical treatment without any endocrine and cognitive dysfunction for a follow-up period of 14 years. The mammillothalamic tract which connects anterior nucleus of thalamus and mammillary bodies plays a key role in gelastic seizures related to hypothalamic hamartoma. In this case, we disconnected the hamartoma specifically from the mammillary bodies and not from the rest of hypothalamus. Effectively, it enabled permanent control of seizures. This result shows that fibers connecting other hypothalamic structures and the dorsomedial nucleus of thalamus are not involved in gelastic seizure propagation from the hypothalamic hamartoma. When surgical treatment of hypothalamic hamartomas is performed it has high morbidity associated with hypothalamic disorders. Therefore, disconnection between hypothalamic hamartoma and mammillary bodies presents a possibility of reducing hypothalamic damage. Surgical disconnection between hamartoma and mammillothalamic tract carries minimal hypothalamic injury risk and our results suggest that it has the potential of seizure control for intractable gelastic seizures with less complications.

Urgent Carotid Artery Stenting with Intracranial and Carotid Stent for Symptomatic Bilateral Consecutive Internal Carotid Artery Dissection: A Case Report.

Spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection (CAD) is a relatively rare disease, with patients, including those with bilateral CAD, often recovering after conservative therapy. However, patients with symptomatic and progressive disease require urgent carotid artery stenting (CAS). If CAD extends to the petrous portion of the internal carotid artery (ICA), it is difficult to treat with a carotid stent alone. This report describes a rare case of consecutive spontaneous bilateral CAD that required an intracranial stent with an interval of 4 years between the first and second CAS. A 58-year-old man with a history of dyslipidemia was admitted for transient ischemic attacks. He underwent CAS with carotid and intracranial stents on the third day for the left CAD due to exacerbation of symptoms under antithrombotic therapy and new stroke on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He recovered well. However, 4 years after the initial treatment, the patient was admitted again because of a sudden headache, photophobia, and transient weakness of the left lower limb. He was diagnosed with CAD on the contralateral side. He underwent CAS with carotid and intracranial stents due to progressive neurological deterioration under antithrombotic therapy. After treatment, he was clinically stable without any new infarctions on a follow-up MRI. He was discharged without neurological deficit. Our case of bilateral internal CAD treatment demonstrated that early revascularization with immediate stenting with carotid and intracranial stents in CAD contributes to the prevention of extensive neurological damage, thereby providing a favorable outcome in some cases.

A Case of Cavernous Malformation of the Midbrain Removed via an Interhemispheric Transcallosal Subchoroidal Approach.

Cavernous malformations of the midbrain have a higher rate of hemorrhage and a poorer prognosis than vascular malformations of other brain areas. Surgical resection of these lesions is often necessary to avoid neurological deficits in affected patients. Herein, the literature surrounding cavernous malformations was examined, and the case of a 48-year-old man with left hemiparesis and diplopia caused by incomplete right oculomotor nerve palsy, who was diagnosed with a hemorrhage from a midbrain cavernous malformation, was discussed. The lesion expanded gradually on magnetic resonance imaging and was symptomatic; radical removal of the lesion before the onset of irreversible symptoms due to recurring bleeding was therefore considered to be beneficial for the patient. Surgical removal of the entire cavernous malformations of the midbrain was performed using an interhemispheric transcallosal subchoroidal approach, with excellent postoperative results and complete recovery from the oculomotor nerve palsy and left hemiparesis. This case shows that this approach is the most appropriate for surgical resections of lesions in the upper midbrain.

Kissing Aneurysms of the Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Treated by Anchor Coil Technique and Stenting from the Contralateral Side: A Case Report.

Kissing aneurysms refer to the condition in which two cerebral aneurysms with separate necks are in contact with each other. At present, there is scarce information on kissing aneurysms occurring near the vertebral artery (VA)-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). We report the first case of VA-PICA and nonbranched PICA kissing aneurysms, which were successfully treated with contralateral stenting after the anchor coil technique using two microcatheters. A 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with a left VA-PICA aneurysm (5.5 mm) and an adjacent small PICA aneurysm (2.5 mm) with the aneurysmal walls in close contact. For stenting, microcatheters were navigated to the PICA from the contralateral side, and framing coils for the anchor were placed into each aneurysm from the ipsilateral side. Next, a Neuroform Atlas stent was deployed from the PICA to the distal side of the VA, and coiling was completed using the jailing technique. The patient had a good postoperative course, and a left vertebral angiogram revealed complete occlusion of both aneurysms after 6 months. Adequate surgical planning and application of an appropriate stent-assisted coil embolization technique contributed to the success of the procedure in this rare case.

Aspergillus sphenoiditis growth on long cut ends of a non-absorbable sellar floor dura closure suture.

BACKGROUND: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is a common complication after transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). Suturing of sellar dura is effective in the prevention of postoperative CSF rhinorrhea, but it may cause rare postoperative infections. Herein, we report a case of Aspergillus sphenoiditis with the growth noted on cut ends of a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) suture used for dural closure. CASE DESCRIPTION: A previously healthy 51-year-old woman complained of abnormal odor 5 years after TSS for null cell adenoma. A white mass in the sphenoidal sinus was detected on rhinoscopy. Fungal balls were found clustered around the ends of a PVDF suture used for dural closure at the initial surgery. She underwent removal of both the fungal ball and dural suture. The pathological diagnosis was Aspergillus hyphae. It is thought that a dural suture protruding out of the sphenoid sinus mucosa can cause Aspergillus infection even in immunocompetent patients. A rapid and accurate diagnosis followed by surgical removal of the fungal ball and follow-up with oral antimycotic drugs result in good clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: It is crucial to cut short the suture end and cover it with sphenoid sinus mucosa to avoid such complications.

Maximum Nidus Depth as a Risk Factor of Surgical Morbidity in Eloquent Brain Arteriovenous Malformations.

BACKGROUND: Eloquent location of a brain arteriovenous malformation (BAVM) is known to increase the surgical risk. Surgical removal of such BAVMs is challenging. Useful indicators for the safe removal of eloquent BAVMs are needed. The aim of this study was to determine the surgical risk factors for these challenging entities. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed 29 motor and/or sensory BAVM patients who underwent surgeries. The risk factors for surgical morbidity were analyzed. As a new risk factor, maximum nidus depth, was evaluated. RESULTS: Complete obliteration was achieved in 28 patients (96.6%). Postoperative transient and permanent neurological deteriorations were seen in nine patients (31.0%) and five patients (17.2%), respectively. In univariate analysis, maximum nidus depth (p = 0.0204) and asymptomatic onset (p = 0.0229) were significantly correlated with the total morbidity. In multivariate analysis, only maximum nidus depth was significantly correlated with total morbidity (p = 0.0357; odds ratio, 2.78598; 95% confidence interval, 0.8866-8.7535). The cut-off value for the maximum nidus depth was 36 mm for total morbidity (area under the curve [AUC], 0.7428) and 41 mm for permanent morbidity (AUC, 0.8833). The cutoff value of the maximum nidus size was 30 mm for total morbidity (AUC, 0.5785) and 30 mm for permanent morbidity (AUC, 0.7625). AUC was higher for the maximum nidus depth than it was for the maximum nidus size. CONCLUSIONS: Maximum nidus depth was significantly associated with surgical morbidity of eloquent BAVMs. The maximum nidus depth is a novel and a simpler indicator of the risk of surgical morbidity.

Mucosal thickening of the maxillary sinus is frequently associated with diffuse glioma patients and correlates with poor survival prognosis of GBM patients: comparative analysis to meningioma patients.

Glioma patients were frequently associated with mucosal thickening of the maxillary sinus (MTMS), which reflects mucosal inflammation. We suspected that MTMS is associated with impaired mucosal immune response and correlated with dysfunction in the anti-tumor immune response in diffuse glioma patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether the occurrence of diffuse glioma is correlated with MTMS compared to meningioma and control groups. Furthermore, we investigated whether MTMS is associated with overall survival (OS) in glioblastoma (GBM) patients. This study included 343 patients with newly diagnosed diffuse gliomas and 218 patients with meningioma treated at our institution between 2015 and 2018. As control, 201 patients with headache who did not have an intracranial organic lesion were included. Using three-axis MR images, we evaluated the incidence of MTMS in all patients. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between MTMS and OS. The incidence of MTMS in patients with diffuse glioma was significantly higher than that in the meningioma (p < .0001) and control groups (p < .0001). In 128 patients with GBM, MTMS status correlated significantly with OS (p = .0064). We revealed that the incidence of MTMS is significantly associated with patients with diffuse glioma. This suggests that MTMS is indirectly involved in the occurrence of diffuse gliomas. Furthermore, the presence of MTMS correlated significantly with shorter OS in GBM patients, indicating that MTMS is involved in suppression of anti-tumor immune response. Preoperative recognition of MTMS might be useful for improving the clinical management of GBM patients.

Intracranial Mycotic Aneurysm after Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation Treated with Trans-arterial Embolization via the Brachial Artery: A Case Report.

Implantation of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is widely performed in patients with end-stage chronic heart failure. Infection and stroke are major complications after LVAD implantation. However, the incidence of intracranial mycotic aneurysm after LVAD implantation is rare, and with no standard of care. In this study, we describe a case of an intracranial mycotic aneurysm after LVAD implantation that was successfully treated with trans-arterial embolization (TAE) with N-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) via the brachial artery. A 49-year-old man with a history of implantation of LVAD for ischemic cardiomyopathy was admitted to our institution. He had infectious endocarditis and was administered systemic antibiotics. At 3 weeks after admission, intracranial mycotic aneurysm of the left posterior parietal artery was detected during a diagnostic examination for asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Anticoagulant therapy was administered to prevent thromboembolic complications of LVAD implantation. Under local anesthesia, TAE with NBCA was performed via the brachial artery because of the tortuous anatomy of the origin of the innominate artery and implant of the aortic arch. The aneurysm was completely obliterated. The patient was discharged without neurological deficits. TAE using NBCA could be an effective modality for the treatment of intracranial mycotic aneurysm after LVAD implantation.

Do Direct Bypasses Really Resolve Capillary Vessels in Moyamoya Disease? Delayed Hemorrhage Potentially Relevant to Direct Bypasses: A Pathological Investigation.

OBJECTIVE: Moyamoya disease is a chronic but progressive obliterative cerebrovascular disease of bilateral internal carotid arteries (ICAs) causing hemorrhagic or ischemic cerebral strokes. Surgical revascularization has the potential for resolving the capillary vessels, but the effect on the occlusive ICA and the moyamoya vessels after a direct bypass remains unclear. PATIENT: A 2-year-old girl with a history of repeated transient ischemic attacks and direct bypasses but demonstrating improvement and associated anomaly is reported. A year and a half later, after a bilateral revascularization, an intracerebral capsulized hematoma growth was identified, and it was removed surgically. Neovascularization including many microvessels similar to capillary telangiectasia were identified by pathological investigation despite the reduction of moyamoya vessels on the repeated angiograms after the revascularization surgeries. In the present case, proliferation of capillary vessels was clearly confirmed by direct bypasses. CONCLUSION: There is no doubt that direct bypasses prevent further ischemic stroke by improving cerebral blood flow. However, they may result in failure in reducing the load of moyamoya vessels, albeit decreasing the potential risk of hemorrhagic strokes.

PiTMaP: A New Analytical Platform for High-Throughput Direct Metabolome Analysis by Probe Electrospray Ionization/Tandem Mass Spectrometry Using an R Software-Based Data Pipeline.

A new analytical platform called PiTMaP was developed for high-throughput direct metabolome analysis by probe electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry (PESI/MS/MS) using an R software-based data pipeline. PESI/MS/MS was used as the data acquisition technique, applying a scheduled-selected reaction monitoring method to expand the targeted metabolites. Seventy-two metabolites mainly related to the central energy metabolism were selected; data acquisition time was optimized using mouse liver and brain samples, indicating that the 2.4 min data acquisition method had a higher repeatability than the 1.2 and 4.8 min methods. A data pipeline was constructed using the R software, and it was proven that it can (i) automatically generate box-and-whisker plots for all metabolites, (ii) perform multivariate analyses such as principal component analysis (PCA) and projection to latent structures-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), (iii) generate score and loading plots of PCA and PLS-DA, (iv) calculate variable importance of projection (VIP) values, (v) determine a statistical family by VIP value criterion, (vi) perform tests of significance with the false discovery rate (FDR) correction method, and (vii) draw box-and-whisker plots only for significantly changed metabolites. These tasks could be completed within ca. 1 min. Finally, PiTMaP was applied to two cases: (1) an acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury model and control mice and (2) human meningioma samples with different grades (G1-G3), demonstrating the feasibility of PiTMaP. PiTMaP was found to perform data acquisition without tedious sample preparation and a posthoc data analysis within ca. 1 min. Thus, it would be a universal platform to perform rapid metabolic profiling of biological samples.

Treatment Strategy for Recurrent Hemorrhage from Meningioma: Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: We came across a rare case of recurrent hemorrhage from a meningioma. Here, we describe this case and discuss the treatment strategies for recurrent hemorrhage from a meningioma using a literature review. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 61-year-old woman with a history of 2 episodes of hemorrhage from a meningioma originating from the left falx cerebri presented to our outpatient clinic. She was asymptomatic, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a small tumor along the falx cerebri. However, we decided to remove the hemorrhagic meningioma. No abnormal vascular structures were recognized on preoperative angiography and intraoperative evaluation. The tumor was easily removed along the falx cerebri (Simpson grade I). The pathologic diagnosis was transitional meningioma, World Health Organization grade I. The patient experienced no recurrence of tumor or hemorrhage for up to 15 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of repeated bleeding from meningiomas is very rare and is seldom reported because the mortality associated with hemorrhage in meningiomas is high (28%-50%). Immediate diagnosis and surgical treatment with both hematoma evacuation and tumor removal are crucial to avoid inadequate and delayed treatment that may cause mortality.

Multimodal Interventional Treatment and Outcomes for Unruptured Arteriovenous Malformations.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the selection and outcomes of multimodal interventional treatment for unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (uAVMs) in ARUBA-eligible patients in a single institution. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 94 patients with uAVMs treated between 2002 and 2014. They were divided into an intervention group and a conservative group. The primary outcome was defined as the composite of death or symptomatic stroke. Functional outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). RESULTS: The intervention and conservative groups included 75 and 19 patients, respectively, with mean follow-up periods of 59.2 ± 41.6 and 72.8 ± 39.2 months (P = 0.20), among whom the primary outcome occurred in 9 (12.3%) and 3 (17.6%) patients, respectively (P = 0.91). The proportion of patients with an mRS score ≥ 2 at last follow-up was not significantly different between the two groups (6.9% vs. 11.7%). In the intervention group, the incidence of death or stroke was lower and functional outcomes were better among patients with grade I/II AVMs than among patients with grade III AVMs. CONCLUSION: For patients with uAVMs, interventional treatment is not inferior to medical treatment alone, and careful selection should be made for patients with grade III AVMs.

Predicting the Occurrence of Hemorrhagic Cerebral Hyperperfusion Syndrome Using Regional Cerebral Blood Flow After Direct Bypass Surgery in Patients with Moyamoya Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis is an established treatment for moyamoya disease. However, hemorrhagic cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) leads to poor outcomes. This study aimed to identify predictors of hemorrhagic CHS based on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with moyamoya disease. METHODS: The study included 251 hemispheres in 155 patients with moyamoya disease who underwent preoperative and postoperative rCBF measurements and superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery double anastomosis. We used rCBF increase rate for predicting hemorrhagic CHS. rCBF increase rate was calculated by 2 methods. In method 1, the rCBF value on the operated side was compared with the rCBF value on the nonoperated side. In method 2, the postoperative rCBF value on the operated side was compared with the preoperative rCBF value on the operated side. Patients were classified into 4 groups according to rCBF increase rate to predict risk of hemorrhagic CHS. RESULTS: Hemorrhagic CHS occurred in 7 (2.8%) hemispheres (no children). Severe hemorrhagic CHS occurred in only 1 (0.4%) hemisphere. Hemorrhagic CHS was observed in patients with ≥30% rCBF increase according to method 1 and ≥50% rCBF increase according to method 2 and was most frequently noted in ≥100% rCBF increase. CONCLUSIONS: Predictors for hemorrhagic CHS were ≥30% rCBF increase when using method 1 and ≥50% increase when using method 2.

Ultrarapid Evaluation of Meningioma Malignancy by Intraoperative Flow Cytometry.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis for World Health Organization (WHO) grade II/III meningiomas is worse than for WHO grade I meningiomas. Histopathologic grade should ideally be identified during tumor resection, but current methods are time-consuming and have doubtful reliance. The aim of this study was to evaluate intraoperative flow cytometry (iFC) as a method for providing ultrarapid evaluation of meningioma malignancy. METHODS: A total of 117 meningiomas were analyzed with iFC during surgery. For each, the malignancy index (MI) was calculated as the number of cells with a greater than normal DNA content as a proportion of the total number of cells. Each specimen was investigated histopathologically and was diagnostically graded according to the 2016 WHO grading system. MI results were compared with WHO grades of the meningiomas. RESULTS: The automatic measurement of iFC took approximately 9 minutes on average. The difference in MI between grade I and grade II/III meningiomas was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis provided an optimal cutoff MI value of 8.0% for discrimination between grade I and grade II/III groups, with 64.7% sensitivity and 85.0% specificity for grade II/III meningiomas. CONCLUSIONS: Our method of calculating MI with iFC appears to be technically feasible and reliable for ultrarapid evaluation of meningioma malignancy. MI with iFC could potentially enable determination of an optimal treatment strategy during surgery, such as extent of resection of the tumor and management of invaded normal brain or nerves.

Long-term outcomes following thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke in patients with a left ventricular assist device: a case series and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) were developed for the treatment of patients with severe heart failure (HF) as a bridge to heart transplantation (HT). Although long-term LVAD support results in substantial improvements, their long-term use often leads to severe acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Serious neurological events make it difficult to continue LVAD support, and these patients are excluded as candidates for HT. AIS remains a challenging problem in patients receiving LVAD support. Recently, although thrombectomy has been established in selected patients who are independent, it has not been established in patients who are not completely independent, such as those with LVAD support. METHODS: We describe four AIS patients with severe HF who were implanted with an LVAD as a bridge to HT. Five mechanical thrombectomies were performed for AIS associated with an LVAD in four patients. A literature review is presented and compared to the present results. RESULTS: Good recanalization was achieved in all patients. In three cases, marked neurological improvement was observed, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores were maintained without deterioration. The median total follow-up period was 592 days. In one patient, HT was successfully performed after thrombectomy. Currently, two of the patients without neurological deficits are awaiting HT. CONCLUSIONS: Embolism is a major problem encountered by patients under LVAD support while waiting for an HT. Thrombectomy for AIS associated with LVAD support is a useful and safe treatment modality. It is possible to maintain a reasonable mRS score in patients who are not completely independent.

A Rare Case of Malignant Craniopharyngioma Reactive to Adjunctive Stereotactic Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy: Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Malignant craniopharyngioma or anaplastic craniopharyngioma was first reported in 1987 by Akachi and colleagues. It has malignant clinical and histological features, remarkably rapid progression, atypical pathology like squamous cell carcinoma, and a poor prognosis. To date, 17 cases of malignant craniopharyngioma have been reported, most of which were secondary malignant tumors. In classic benign craniopharyngioma, adjunctive treatment after gross total removal is not necessary, but in cases of malignant tumors, adjunctive treatment is important. CASE DESCRIPTION: Here we report the first case of malignant craniopharyngioma treated with adjunctive gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery and chemotherapy (carboplatin and etoposide, as well as temozolomide chemotherapy). Treatment effectively controlled progression of the tumor temporarily. CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery and chemotherapy for malignant craniopharyngioma affects follow-up strategies, we propose the need for a revision to the World Health Organization classification regarding the evaluation of malignant craniopharyngioma.

Pediatric Optic Pathway/Hypothalamic Glioma.

Optic pathway/hypothalamic gliomas (OP/HGs) are rare astrocytic tumors that appear more commonly among young children and often are unresectable. They comprise approximately 2% of all central nervous system tumors and account for 3-5% of pediatric intracranial tumors. Initial manifestations are often visual disturbances, endocrinopathies and hypothalamic dysfunction such as the diencephalic syndrome, and sometimes hydrocephalus due to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow obstruction. In many cases, the tumors are diagnosed late in the clinical course because they silently enlarge. These tumors consist mostly of histologically benign, World Health Organization (WHO) grade I tumors represented by pilocytic astrocytomas (PA), the rest being pilomyxoid astrocytomas (PXA) - WHO grade II tumors. In young pediatric patients, however, can be seen PXA that show aggressive clinical course such as CSF dissemination. Our small series of 14 non-Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) OP/HGs PA patients underwent extended resection without any adjuvant treatments. The median age at initial treatment was 11.5 ± 6.90 years (range, 1-25 years) and median follow up 85.5 ± 25.0 months. Surgical resection for OP/HGs results in acceptable middle-term survival, tumor control and functional outcome equivalent to chemotherapy. There is, however, no longer doubt that chemotherapy with or without biopsy and as-needed debulking surgery remains the golden standard in management of OP/H. Clinical conditions and treatment plans for OP/HGs vary depending on their structure of origin.