ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Spinal cord diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a relatively rare disease with a poor prognosis and no effective treatment. OBSERVATIONS: A 45-year-old man presented with rapidly progressive paraplegia in both lower extremities, along with bladder and bowel disturbance. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a heterogeneously contrast-enhanced mass at the T1-4 levels. A biopsy via T1-4 decompressive laminectomy with expansive duraplasty was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was DMG, H3K27-altered, World Health Organization grade 4. Radiation plus concomitant temozolomide was started; however, follow-up MRI showed tumor progression. Additional hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT; 24 Gy/5 fractions) was performed, with bevacizumab (BEV) plus low-dose ifosfamide-carboplatin-etoposide (ICE) as second-line treatment. One month later, MRI showed tumor regression with significant improvement in the peritumoral edema. The chemotherapy regimen was repeated every 4-6 weeks, and the patient remained stable. After 13 courses of chemotherapy, the size of the spinal DMG increased markedly, with dissemination to the temporal lobe. The patient died approximately 21 months after the initial diagnosis. LESSONS: Spinal DMG is a malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. However, treatment with additional HFRT combined with BEV plus low-dose ICE may inhibit tumor progression to prolong the progression-free period and survival. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE2464.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The prognosis for cancer patients has been improved because of the development of molecularly targeted drugs. Treatment of intracranial tumors must be personalized while prioritizing the treatment of comorbid cancers. OBSERVATIONS: A 38-year-old man presented with bloody sputum, bilateral multiple nodules, and a mass in the lower lobe of his right lung. Bronchoscopy revealed stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. Screening head magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 38-mm-diameter mass in the left petroclival area. Because the patient was neurologically intact, the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma was prioritized, and the third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib was used. Although nodules in the lung began to shrink, the intracranial lesion expanded and caused hydrocephalus, necessitating a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The tumor also caused diplopia, dysarthria, and gait abnormalities. A left anterior transpetrosal approach was used to remove the tumor derived from the trochlear nerve. The pathological examination revealed schwannoma. Neurological symptoms improved following surgery. Osimertinib was continued during the perioperative period. LESSONS: Osimertinib was effective for lung adenocarcinoma but not for trochlear nerve schwannoma, which required surgical intervention. It is necessary to tailor the treatment of benign brain tumors in patients with concurrent malignant cancers. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24144.
ABSTRACT
The spread of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a concern as it may delay the detection of malignant tumors due to delayed medical checkups. We examined changes in the treatment of metastatic brain tumors before and after COVID- 19. A retrospective review of 211 patients with metastatic brain tumors who underwent initial gamma knife radiosurgery between July 2019 and December 2021 was conducted. Data collected include patient age, gender, the Karnofsky performance status(KPS), primary tumor control, number, total volume, and outcome during the COVID-19 emergency declaration period and outside of it. The patient number was 164 outside of the emergency period and 47 during the period. Symptomatic cases(KPS<90)and poor control of the primary site increased during the COVID-19 period. The treatment number and volume of brain metastasis did not change. Metastatic control after 4 months of treatment also showed no difference. The number of symptomatic patients increased during the emergency declaration period, suggesting that COVID- 19 may have reduced the rate of asymptomatic patients being seen. However, these were not enough to affect the prognosis at 4 months. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic had a small impact on the provision of stereotactic radiotherapy for metastatic brain tumors.
Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms , COVID-19 , Radiosurgery , Humans , Pandemics , Brain Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Brain Neoplasms/surgeryABSTRACT
The number of awake craniotomies is increasing because of its beneficial features. However, not enough information is available regarding the current status of awake craniotomy in Japan. To evaluate the current status of awake craniotomy in institutes, a nationwide questionnaire survey was conducted. From June to August 2019, we conducted a questionnaire survey on awake craniotomy in the neurosurgery department of 45 institutes that perform awake craniotomies in Japan. Responses were obtained from 39 institutes (response rate, 86.7%). The main methods of awake craniotomy were almost the same in all institutes. Twenty-six institutes (66.7%) had fewer than 10 awake craniotomies (low-volume institutes) per year, and 13 high-volume institutes (33.3%) performed more than 10 awake craniotomies annually. Some institutes experienced a relatively high frequency of adverse events. In 11 institutes (28.2%), the frequency of intraoperative seizures was more than 10%. An intraoperative seizure frequency of 1%-9%, 10%-29%, and over 30% was identified in 12 (92%), 0 (0%), and 1 (8%) of the high-volume institutes, which was significantly less than in 16 (62%), 10 (38%), and 0 (0%) of the low-volume institutes (p = 0.0059). The routine usage of preoperative antiepileptic drugs was not different between them, but the old type was used more often in the low-volume institutes (p = 0.0022). Taken together, the annual number of awake craniotomies was less than 10 in over two-thirds of the institutes. Fewer intraoperative seizures were reported in the high-volume institutes, which tend not to preoperatively use the old type of antiepileptic drugs.