Epidemiology and survival of adult-type diffuse glioma in Belgium during the molecular era.

BACKGROUND: Survival data of diffuse adult-type glioma is mostly based on prospective clinical trials or small retrospective cohort studies. Real-world data with large patient cohorts is currently lacking. METHODS: Using the nationwide, population-based Belgian Cancer Registry, all known histological reports of patients diagnosed with an adult-type diffuse glioma in Belgium between 2017 and 2019 were reviewed. The ICD-O-3 morphology codes were matched with the histological diagnosis. The gathered data were transformed into the 2021 World Health Organization classification of CNS tumors using the IDH- and 1p/19q-mutation status. RESULTS: Between 2017 and 2019, 2233 diffuse adult-type gliomas were diagnosed in Belgium. Full molecular status was available in 67.1% of identified cases. The age-standardized incidence rate of diffuse adult-type glioma in Belgium was estimated at 8.55 per 100 000 person-years and 6.72 per 100 000 person-years for grade 4 lesions. Median overall survival time in IDH-wild-type glioblastoma was 9.3 months, significantly shorter compared to grade 4 IDH-mutant astrocytoma (median survival time: 25.9 months). The 3-year survival probability was 86.0% and 75.7% for grades 2 and 3 IDH-mutated astrocytoma. IDH-wild-type astrocytoma has a worse prognosis with a 3-year survival probability of 31.6% for grade 2 and 5.7% for grade 3 lesions. CONCLUSIONS: This registry-based study presents a large cohort of adult-type diffuse glioma with known molecular status and uses real-world survival data. It adds to the current literature which is mainly based on historical landmark trials and smaller retrospective cohort studies.

Are the standard parameters of cervical spine alignment and range of motion related to age, sex, and cervical disc degeneration?

OBJECT: The aims of this study were 1) to establish the standard parameters of alignment and total and segmental range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine in the asymptomatic population, and 2) to identify factors that influence cervical ROM and alignment. METHODS: The authors measured 636 standard cervical lateral, flexion, and extension plain radiographs of 212 asymptomatic volunteers. The relationship between cervical alignment and total ROM was assessed with simple linear regression. Multivariate linear regression was used to determine the effect of the influential factors on cervical alignment and total and segmental ROM. RESULTS: The mean value for C2-7 cervical alignment was 21.40° ± 12.15°, and the mean value for total ROM was 63.59° ± 15.37°. Sex was a significant factor in cervical alignment, total ROM, and segmental ROM for C2-3 and C5-6 (p < 0.05). Age had a significant negative association with both the total ROM and all of the segmental ROM measurements (p < 0.05). Cervical disc degeneration at the level of interest had a significant negative association with C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7 ROM (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Cervical alignment in female subjects was 2.47° lower than that in male subjects. Total ROM was 3.86° greater in female than in male subjects and decreased 6.46° for each decade of aging. Segmental ROM decreased 1.28° for each decade of aging and 2.26° for each category increase in disc degeneration at the level of interest.

Potentiel d'indication chirurgicale de l'epilepsie en milieu neuropsychiatrique a Kinshasa: cas du centre de sante mentale Telema: etude preliminaire

Contexte et objectifs Environ 30% des patients epileptiques ne repondent pas au traitement medical et deviennent des candidats potentiels pour un traitement chirurgical dont l'indication repose sur les donnees electro-cliniques et d'imagerie. L'objectif de cette etude etait de decrire les caracteristiques anthropometriques et cliniques ainsi que l'evolution sous traitement des patients epileptiques; de documenter le niveau d'investigation de cette pathologie afin d'identifier les patients potentiellement eligibles pour un traitement chirurgical. Methodologie Il s'agit d'une etude documentaire descriptive couvrant une periode de 2 ans. Les variables d'interet comprenaient : les donnees anthropometriques; les caracteristiques de l'epilepsie; les donnees therapeutiques; le niveau et les resultats des investigations complementaires. Resultats Au total; 1184 dossiers de nouveaux cas d'epilepsie ont ete retenus. L'age median etait de 19 ans avec un sex ratio H/F de 1;1. 68% des patients avaient un age de debut inferieur a 20 ans et plus de 90% avaient des crises generalisees tonico-cloniques. La disparition des crises sous traitement etait observee chez 31% des patients et 22% avaient une persistance ou une aggravation. L'EEG etait realise chez 17% des patients et le scanner cerebral chez 0;8%. Vingt (20 )% des patients avaient recu au moins 2 antiepileptiques. Environ 26 % des patients suivis pendant 2 ans ou plus etaient consideres refractaires. Conclusion L'epilepsie affecte les patients en age scolaire et les jeunes adultes qui sont des candidats de choix pour la chirurgie en cas de pharmaco-resistance. La pathologie reste cependant tres peu investiguee. Un programme d'investigation plus large permettra d'identifier notamment les epilepsies lesionnelles afin de soumettre ces patients a une evaluation en vue d'un traitement neurochirurgical

Treatment of cystic craniopharyngioma by endocavitary instillation of yttrium9° radioisotope--still a valuable treatment option.

Craniopharyngiomas are a challenging pathology in neurosurgery because of their anatomic localization in the (supra)sellar region and their contact with diencephalic structures around the third ventricle. Among the different treatment modalities, stereotactic intracavitary treatment by instillation of yttrium9° radioisotope is a minimally invasive technique of particular use in the treatment of cystic or partially cystic craniopharyngiomas. It can be performed under local anesthesia during a short hospitalization and has a long-lasting effect. This treatment can be repeated or used in combination with other treatment modalities such as microsurgery, endoscopy, conformal external radiation therapy, or stereotactic radiosurgery. Thus, this old and perhaps almost forgotten treatment option is still valuable in the treatment of cystic craniopharyngiomas.

Spontaneous delayed brain herniation through a subdural membrane after tumor surgery.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: We report on a rare case of spontaneous cerebral herniation through a subdural membrane in a 54-year-old patient. Brain herniation in adults as a complication of chronic subdural hematomas shortly after a neurosurgical intervention is rare. We are the first to report a case of delayed local herniation in an adult patient more than 1 year after a neurosurgical procedure. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: The patient suffered from a low-grade oligodendroglioma since 1993. Radiotherapy was then applied, followed by resective surgery and chemotherapy in 2008 because of tumor progression. Subsequently, he developed a symptomatic subdural hygroma treated with a subduro-atrial cerebrospinal fluid shunt. In January 2010, the shunt was occluded. Follow-up brain imaging showed a stable situation after tumor resection, with a cyst in the temporal resection cavity and a stable subdural hygroma. In February 2011, the patient visited the emergency department because of an acute right hemiparesis and progressive motor aphasia. Urgent magnetic resonance imaging was suspicious of a herniation of brain parenchyma in the left middle cranial fossa. Explorative surgery showed a locally incarcerated brain herniation through a membrane with a ring-like aperture. Resection of this membrane led to normalization of the position of the brain tissue and to clinical improvement. CONCLUSION: Brain herniation through a subdural membrane is an extremely rare complication, but must be a differential diagnosis in patients with a known chronic subdural hematoma or hygroma and clinical deterioration, even in the absence of recent surgery. Urgent surgical intervention of the herniated brain is recommended to reduce the risk of permanent neurological damage.