Prognostic significance of telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter gen mutations in high grade meningiomas / Importancia pronóstica de las mutaciones del gen promotor de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa en los meningiomas de alto grado

Introduction: Mutations in the promoter region of telomerase reverse transcriptase occur frequently in meningiomas. Objective: To estimate the prognostic importance of telomerase reverse transcriptase mutations in Colombian patients with grades II and III meningioma. Materials and methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with refractory or recurrent WHO grades II and III meningiomas, recruited between 2011 and 2018, and treated with systemic therapy (sunitinib, everolimus ± octreotide, and bevacizumab). Mutation status of the telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter was established by PCR. Results: Forty patients were included, of which telomerase reverse transcriptase mutations were found in 21 (52.5%), being C228T and C250T the most frequent variants with 87.5 % and 14.3 %, respectively. These were more frequent among patients with anaplastic meningiomas (p=0.18), with more than 2 recurrences (p=0.04); and in patients with parasagittal region and anterior fossa lesions (p=0.05). Subjects characterized as having punctual mutations were more frequently administered with everolimus, sunitinib and bevacizumab drug series (p=0.06). Overall survival was 23.7 months (CI95% 13.1-34.2) and 43.4 months (CI95% 37.5-49.3; p=0.0001) between subjects with and without mutations, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the number of recurrences and the presence of telomerase reverse transcriptase mutations were tthe only variables that negatively affected overall survival. Conclusions: Mutations in telomerase reverse transcriptase allows the identification of high-risk patients and could be useful in the selection of the best medical treatment.

Introducción. En los meningiomas, ocurren con frecuencia mutaciones en la región promotora de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa. Objetivo. Estimar la importancia pronóstica de las mutaciones de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa en pacientes colombianos con meningiomas de grados II y III. Materiales y métodos. Es un estudio de cohorte, retrospectivo y multicéntrico, que incluyó pacientes con diagnóstico de meningioma persistente o recidivante, de grados II y III, según la clasificación de la OMS, reclutados entre el 2011 y el 2018, con tratamiento sistémico (sunitinib, everolimus con octreótido o sin él, y bevacizumab). El estado de la mutación del promotor de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa se determinó por medio de la PCR. Resultados. Se incluyeron 40 pacientes, en 21 (52,5 %) de los cuales se encontraron mutaciones en la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa, siendo las variantes más frecuentes la C228T (87,5 %) y la C250T (14,3 %). Estas fueron más frecuentes entre los pacientes con meningiomas anaplásicos (p=0,18), en aquellos con más de dos recurrencias (p=0,04), y en los que presentaron lesiones en la región parasagital y la fosa anterior (p=0,05). Los sujetos caracterizados por tener alteraciones puntuales fueron tratados con mayor frecuencia con la serie de medicamentos everolimus, sunitinib y bevacizumab (p=0,06). Tras el inicio del tratamiento médico, la supervivencia global fue de 23,7 meses (IC95% 13,1-34,2) en los pacientes con mutaciones y, de 43,4 meses (IC95% 37,5-49,3), entre aquellos sin mutaciones (p=0,0001). Los resultados del análisis multivariado demostraron que, únicamente, el número de recurrencias y la presencia de mutaciones en el gen de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa, fueron factores que afectaron negativamente la supervivencia global. Conclusiones. Las mutaciones en el gen promotor de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa permiten identificar los pacientes con alto riesgo, cuya detección podría ser de utilidad para seleccionar el mejor esquema terapéutico.

Importancia pronóstica de las mutaciones del gen promotor de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa en los meningiomas de alto grado / Prognostic significance of telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter gen mutations in high grade meningiomas

Introducción. En los meningiomas, ocurren con frecuencia mutaciones en la región promotora de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa. Objetivo. Estimar la importancia pronóstica de las mutaciones de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa en pacientes colombianos con meningiomas de grados II y III. Materiales y métodos. Es un estudio de cohorte, retrospectivo y multicéntrico, que incluyó pacientes con diagnóstico de meningioma persistente o recidivante, de grados II y III, según la clasificación de la OMS, reclutados entre el 2011 y el 2018, con tratamiento sistémico (sunitinib, everolimus con octreótido o sin él, y bevacizumab). El estado de la mutación del promotor de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa se determinó por medio de la PCR. Resultados. Se incluyeron 40 pacientes, en 21 (52,5 %) de los cuales se encontraron mutaciones en la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa, siendo las variantes más frecuentes la C228T (87,5 %) y la C250T (14,3 %). Estas fueron más frecuentes entre los pacientes con meningiomas anaplásicos (p=0,18), en aquellos con más de dos recurrencias (p=0,04), y en los que presentaron lesiones en la región parasagital y la fosa anterior (p=0,05). Los sujetos caracterizados por tener alteraciones puntuales fueron tratados con mayor frecuencia con la serie de medicamentos everolimus, sunitinib y bevacizumab (p=0,06). Tras el inicio del tratamiento médico, la supervivencia global fue de 23,7 meses (IC95% 13,1-34,2) en los pacientes con mutaciones y, de 43,4 meses (IC95% 37,5-49,3), entre aquellos sin mutaciones (p=0,0001). Los resultados del análisis multivariado demostraron que, únicamente, el número de recurrencias y la presencia de mutaciones en el gen de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa, fueron factores que afectaron negativamente la supervivencia global. Conclusiones. Las mutaciones en el gen promotor de la transcriptasa inversa de la telomerasa permiten identificar los pacientes con alto riesgo, cuya detección podría ser de utilidad para seleccionar el mejor esquema terapéutico.

Introduction: Mutations in the promoter region of telomerase reverse transcriptase occur frequently in meningiomas. Objective: To estimate the prognostic importance of telomerase reverse transcriptase mutations in Colombian patients with grades II and III meningioma. Materials and methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with refractory or recurrent WHO grades II and III meningiomas, recruited between 2011 and 2018, and treated with systemic therapy (sunitinib, everolimus ± octreotide, and bevacizumab). Mutation status of the telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter was established by PCR. Results: Forty patients were included, of which telomerase reverse transcriptase mutations were found in 21 (52.5%), being C228T and C250T the most frequent variants with 87.5 % and 14.3 %, respectively. These were more frequent among patients with anaplastic meningiomas (p=0.18), with more than 2 recurrences (p=0.04); and in patients with parasagittal region and anterior fossa lesions (p=0.05). Subjects characterized as having punctual mutations were more frequently administered with everolimus, sunitinib and bevacizumab drug series (p=0.06). Overall survival was 23.7 months (CI95% 13.1-34.2) and 43.4 months (CI95% 37.5-49.3; p=0.0001) between subjects with and without mutations, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the number of recurrences and the presence of telomerase reverse transcriptase mutations were the only variables that negatively affected overall survival. Conclusions: Mutations in telomerase reverse transcriptase allows the identification of high-risk patients and could be useful in the selection of the best medical treatment.

Efficacy of osimertinib plus bevacizumab in glioblastoma patients with simultaneous EGFR amplification and EGFRvIII mutation.

BACKGROUND: Amplification of EGFR and its active mutant EGFRvIII are common in glioblastoma (GB). While EGFR and EGFRvIII play critical roles in pathogenesis, targeted therapy with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors or antibodies has shown limited efficacy. To improve the likelihood of effectiveness, we targeted adult patients with recurrent GB enriched for simultaneous EGFR amplification and EGFRvIII mutation, with osimertinib/bevacizumab at doses described for non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively explored whether previously described EGFRvIII mutation in association with EGFR gene amplification could predict response to osimertinib/bevacizumab combination in a subset of 15 patients treated at recurrence. The resistance pattern in a subgroup of subjects is described using a commercial next-generation sequencing panel in liquid biopsy. RESULTS: There were ten males (66.7%), and the median patient's age was 56 years (range 38-70 years). After their initial diagnosis, 12 patients underwent partial (26.7%) or total resection (53.3%). Subsequently, all cases received IMRT and concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ; the median number of cycles 9, range 6-12). The median follow-up after recurrence was 17.1 months (95% CI 12.3-22.6). All patients received osimertinib/bevacizumab as a second-line intervention with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.1 months (95% CI 2.8-7.3) and overall survival of 9.0 months (95% CI 3.9-14.0). The PFS6 was 46.7%, and the overall response rate was 13.3%. After exposure to the osimertinib/bevacizumab combination, the main secondary alterations were MET amplification, STAT3, IGF1R, PTEN, and PDGFR. CONCLUSIONS: While the osimertinib/bevacizumab combination was marginally effective in most GB patients with simultaneous EGFR amplification plus EGFRvIII mutation, a subgroup experienced a long-lasting meaningful benefit. The findings of this brief cohort justify the continuation of the research in a clinical trial. The pattern of resistance after exposure to osimertinib/bevacizumab includes known mechanisms in the regulation of EGFR, findings that contribute to the understanding and targeting in a stepwise rational this pathway.

Simultaneous Arterial and Venous Brain Infarctions in a Patient with COVID-19: Case Report.

Stroke is one of the manifestations of COVID-19-associated coagulopathy. Arterial infarcts are the most common presentation; however involvement of both arterial and venous irrigation is possible but rare. We report, what is, to our knowledge, the second case of concomitant arterial and venous brain thrombosis evidenced in magnetic resonance. A 62-year-old man presented with acute weakness of the left hand and lack of coordination in the left arm. Nine days earlier, he was positive for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. The brain images revealed two subacute infarcts, one corresponding to the territory of the right middle cerebral artery, and the other in the right frontal cortical vein. The existence of both venous and arterial brain infarcts due to COVID-19 infection, has been previously reported once. Most of the cases of stroke are due to only arterial thrombosis; therefore, this could be the starting point to start collecting data about simultaneous compromise in order to assess and compare outcomes, severity of the disease, among other variables.

Reliability and accuracy of individual Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score regions using a medical and a smartphone reading system in a telestroke network.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess individual regions of the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score in noncontrast head computed tomography interpretations using a smartphone in a telestroke network, by comparison to a medical monitor. METHODS: The review board of our institution approved this retrospective study. A factorial design with 188 patients, four radiologists and two reading systems was used. Accuracy and reliability were evaluated. RESULTS: Very good interobserver agreements were observed on the total Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score for both the medical and smartphone reading systems, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.84 respectively. Interobserver agreements were moderate to very good for the medical reading system (all intraclass correlation coefficients >0.74), whereas they were fair to very good for the smartphone (intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.31-0.81). All intraobserver agreements were good (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.64), except for internal capsule (0.48) and M2 (0.55) regions. The areas under the receiver-operating curve ranged from 0.69-0.89 for the medical system, while for the smartphone ranged from 0.44-0.86. No statistical differences were observed between medical and smartphone reading systems for each region (all p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: If radiologists are better trained in the evaluation of the lesions in the insula, the internal capsule and the M2 regions, the total and the dichotomised Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score will be more precise. Hence, ruling out contraindications to thrombolysis administration will be improved, allowing assessment of head computed tomography in a telestroke network using a smartphone to be a common practice.

Densidad escanográfica de los senos venosos en pacientes sanos a 2600 metros sobre el nivel del mar / Computed Tomography Density of the Venous Sinuses in Healthy Patients at 2600 Meters Above Sea Level

Introducción: Existe relación entre la densidad escanográfica de las estructuras vasculares medida en unidades Hounsfield (UH) y el hematocrito, el cual se incrementa en las personas que viven a mayor altitud sobre el nivel del mar. Se ha descrito que una densidad de 70 UH es el valor límite superior de normalidad de densidad de los senos venosos en personas sin trombosis venosa que habitan a una altitud de 1.000 m s. n. m.; sin embargo, no se ha establecido esta medida en personas que habitan en altitudes geográficas mayores. En este estudio se determinó dicho valor para personas sin trombosis de senos venosos que viven a 2.600 m s. n. m. Objetivo: Este estudio tiene como propósito caracterizar la densidad normal de los senos venosos en pacientes que habitan en altitudes geográficas de 2.600 m s. n. m. Metodología: Se analizaron las densidades escanográficas de los senos venosos longitudinal superior y de los sitios de unión entre los senos transversos y senos sigmoides de 240 sujetos que habitan a 2.600 m s. n. m., quienes asistieron a la institución entre enero de 2008 y junio de 2016. Estas personas consultaron por cefalea, convulsiones, alteración del estado de conciencia o focalización neurológica. A estos pacientes se les realizó inicialmente un estudio escanográfico de cráneo simple, hemoglobina y hematocrito con diferencia no mayor a 3 días entre el estudio escanográfico y el hemograma, así como estudios confirmatorios de positividad o ausencia de trombosis de senos intracraneales mediante resonancia magnética simple o angiorresonancia. Resultados: La media de UH fue de 59,8 con un rango entre 43,2 y 74,9, para pacientes normales. Se encontró una correlación positiva de 0,49 entre el hematocrito y las UH como es ampliamente conocido en la literatura. Conclusión: El rango en UH de los pacientes sin trombosis de senos venosos es amplio y supera por 4 puntos el informado en la literatura. Esto puede ser atribuible al aumento del hematocrito en individuos que viven a 2.600 m s. n. m. Para establecer normalidad en los pacientes con valores superiores a 70 UH se sugiere tomar en cuenta la simetría de la densidad escanográfica con respecto al seno venoso contralateral, así como evaluar la morfología del borde anterior del seno venoso y la adecuada localización del ROI (Region of Interest) para medir la densidad venosa.

Introduction: There is a relationship between the intravascular density measured in Hounsfield units (HU) in computed tomography (CT) and the hematocrit levels, which increases in people who live above sea level. The expected density in venous sinuses is lower than 70 HU in healthy people living at 1000 meters above sea level. However, this measure has not been established in people living at higher geographic altitudes. In this study, this value was determined for normal people living at 2,600 meters above sea level. Objective: The purpose of this study is to characterize the normal density of the venous sinuses in patients who live at geographical altitudes of 2,600 m above sea level. Methodology: We measured the density on CT at the superior longitudinal venous sinus and at the junction between the transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus of 240 subjects living at 2600 meters above sea level from January 2008 to June 2016. These patients consulted for headache, seizures, altered state of consciousness or neurological focus. Initially, all participants had a non-enhanced CT brain, hemoglobin and hematocrit levels with a difference of no more than 3 days between the CT study and the hemogram, as well as confirmatory studies of positivity or absence of intracranial sinus thrombosis by non-enhanced MR or MRA. Results: The mean HU was 59.8 with a range between 43.2 and 74.9, for normal patients. A positive correlation of 0.49 was found between hematocrit and HU, as is widely known in the literature. Conclusion: We obtained a wide range in the HU of healthy patients compared to the values reported in other papers, and exceeds the highest value by 4 points. This may be attributable to the increased hematocrit in healthy patients living at 2,600 meters above sea level. In order to establish whether patients with venous sinus densities greater than 70 HU have venous thrombosis, our suggestion is to evaluate the symmetry of the density compared to the contralateral venous sinus, as well as to evaluate the morphology and the location of the ROI used to measure venous density.

Accuracy and Reliability of the Recommendation for IV Thrombolysis in Acute Ischemic Stroke Based on Interpretation of Head CT on a Smartphone or a Laptop.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy and reliability of IV thrombolysis recommendations made after interpretation of head CT images of patients with symptoms of acute stroke displayed on smartphone or laptop reading systems compared with those made after interpretation of images displayed on a medical workstation monitor. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective study was institutional review board-approved, and the requirement for informed consent was waived. We used a factorial design including 2256 interpretations (188 patients, four neuroradiologists, and three reading systems). To evaluate the reliability, we calculated the intraobserver and interobserver agreements using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the following interpretation variables: hemorrhagic lesions, intraaxial neoplasm, stroke dating (acute, subacute, and chronic), hyperdense arteries, and infarct size assessment. Accuracy equivalence tests were performed for the IV thrombolysis recommendation; for this variable, sensitivity, specificity, and ROC curves were evaluated. RESULTS. Good or very good interobserver and intraobserver agreements were obtained after interpretation of each variable. The IV thrombolysis recommendation showed very good interobserver agreements (ICC ≥ 0.85) and very good intraobserver agreements (ICC ≥ 0.81). For the IV thrombolysis recommendation, the AUC values (0.83-0.84) and sensitivities (0.94-0.95) were equivalent among all the reading systems at a 5% equivalent threshold. CONCLUSION. Our study found that mobile devices are reliable and accurate to help stroke teams to decide whether to administer IV thrombolysis in patients with acute stroke.

Systemic management of malignant meningiomas: A comparative survival and molecular marker analysis between Octreotide in combination with Everolimus and Sunitinib.

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of octreotide/everolimus vs. sunitinib for the systemic treatment of recurrent aggressive meningiomas. METHODS: 31 patients with recurrent or refractory WHO II or WHO III meningiomas were examined in two reference centers in Colombia. Patients who had systemic treatment (sunitinib, everolimus/octreotide) and a complete follow-up were included. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicities were evaluated. Additionally, tissue samples were examined for PDGFRß and VEGFR2, their expression was correlated with outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (72%) were female with a median age of 55 years (SD±15.3). The most prevalent histology was anaplastic meningioma in 20 patients (65%) with 48% of patients suffering from three previous relapses before the start of systemic treatment. A total of 14 patients received combination therapy with octreotide/everolimus, 11 received sunitinib and the remaining 6 received other second-line agents. Median OS was 37.3 months (95%CI 28.5-42.1) and the PFS during the treatment with everolimus/octreotide (EO) and sunitinib (Su) was 12.1 months (95%CI 9.2-21.1) and 9.1 months (95%CI 6.8-16.8); p = 0.43), respectively. The OS of the group treated with the EO→Su→Bev sequence (1st/2nd/3rd line) was 6.5 months longer than the Su→EO→Bev sequence (36.0 vs. 29.5 months) (p = 0.0001). When analyzing molecular markers, the positive PDGFRß and negative VEGFR2 expression were associated with longer survival both in OS and PFS. CONCLUSION: Sunitinib and octreotide/everolimus have similar efficacy and safety in the systemic management of refractory meningioma. VEGFR2 and PDGFRß expression are associated with better outcomes.

Evaluation of the Accuracy Equivalence of Head CT Interpretations in Acute Stroke Patients Using a Smartphone, a Laptop, or a Medical Workstation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the clinical performance of observers interpreting head CT images from patients with symptoms of acute stroke with a medical workstation or a smartphone or laptop reading system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our institutional review board approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement for informed consent. We employed a factorial design including 2,256 interpretations (188 patients × 4 neuroradiologists × 3 reading systems). Accuracy equivalence tests, at a threshold of 5% and 10%, were performed for the following variables: detection of imaging contraindications for intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator administration (eg, hemorrhagic lesions), ischemic lesions, hyperdense arteries, and acute ischemic lesions. For each clinical variable, the sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were evaluated. RESULTS: For each variable, the shapes of the ROC curves were very similar for all of the reading systems, indicating similar observer performance with different specificities and sensitivities. For all the clinical variables, the areas under the ROC curves were equivalent for all of the reading systems at a 10% threshold and were equivalent at a 5% threshold for hemorrhagic lesions, hyperdense middle cerebral artery, and acute ischemic lesion in the middle cerebral artery territory. There was no more than 30 seconds of difference between the reading time of the mobile devices compared with that for the medical workstation. CONCLUSION: The results of this pilot study showed equivalent diagnostic accuracy when using smartphone and laptops compared with medical monitors to interpret head CT images of patients with symptoms of acute stroke.

Xantoastrocitoma pleomórfico anaplásico recurrente y respuesta a la combinación de carmustine y bevacizumab, un reporte de caso / Recurrent pleomorphic anaplastic xanthoastrocytoma and response to combination of carmustine and bevacizumab, a case report

RESUMEN Se expone el caso de una mujer de 19 años a quien se le realizó el diagnóstico de un xantoastrocitoma pleomórfico anaplásico parietooccipital izquierdo, neoplasia poco frecuente que suele presentarse en la población pediátrica y en los adultos jóvenes. Dicho tumor debuta generalmente con crisis convulsivas y sus características histológicas patognomónicas son el pleomorfismo celular, la vacuolización lipídica de su citoplasma y la reactividad a la proteína ácida fibrilar glial (PAFG) y S100. El estudio de nuevos marcadores que puedan brindar otras oportunidades terapéuticas ha permitido encontrar mutaciones en el oncogén BRAF. Este tumor presenta una variante anaplásica más agresiva que se trata con cirugía y quimiorradiación. En nuestro caso, después de varias progresiones a otras intervenciones, se utilizó bevacizumab y carmustine como tratamiento de segunda línea con respuesta completa.

SUMMARY The case of a young woman of 19-years-old is presented; whom the diagnosis was made of a left parietal-occipital xanthoastrocytoma pleomorphic anaplastic; this neoplasia is rare and usually affects the pediatric and young adult population. This generally debuts with seizures and their pathognomonic histologic characteristics are the pleomorphic cells with cytoplasmatic lipid vacuolation and the reactivity of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100. The study of new markers that may provide other therapeutic opportunities has allowed finding mutations in the BRAF oncogene. This tumor has a more aggressive anaplastic variant that is treated with surgery and chemoradation. In our case after several progressions to other interventions, we used bevacizumab and carmustine as second-line treatment obtaining complete response.

Mobile device for thrombolysis decisions for telestroke / Dispositivo móvil para decisiones de trombólisis mediante Telestroke

Abstract Aim: This study compares the reliability of brain CT interpretations performed using a diagnostic workstation and a mobile tablet computer in a telestroke context. Methods: A factorial design with 1,452 interpretations was used. Reliability was evaluated using the Fleiss' kappa coefficient on the agreements of the interpretation results on the lesion classification, presence of imaging contraindications to the intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) administration, and on the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS). Results: The intra-observer agreements were as follows: good agreement on the overall lesion classification (κ= 0.63, p<0.001), very good agreement on hemorrhagic lesions (κ= 0.89, p<0.001), and moderate agreements on both without acute lesion classification and acute ischemic lesion classification (κ= 0.59 and κ= 0.58 respectively, p<0.001). There was good intra-observer agreement on the dichotomized-ASPECTS (κ= 0.65, p<0.001). Conclusions: The results of our study allow us to conclude that the reliability of the mobile solution for interpreting brain CT images of patients with acute stroke was assured, which would allow efficient and low-cost telestroke services.

Resumen Objetivo: Este estudio compara la confiabilidad de interpretaciones de TAC de cráneo simple realizadas utilizando una estación de trabajo de diagnóstico y un computador tableta en un contexto de teleACV. Métodos: Se utilizó un diseño factorial con 1,452 interpretaciones. La confiabilidad se evaluó utilizando el coeficiente kappa de Fleiss en las concordancias sobre los resultados de la interpretación en la clasificación de la lesión, la presencia de contraindicaciones en la imagen para la administración intravenosa del activador del plasminógeno tisular (AP-t) y con el Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT Score (ASPECTS). Resultados: Se obtuvieron las siguientes concordancias intraobservadores: buena concordancia en la clasificación general de la lesión (κ= 0.63, p<0.001), muy buena concordancia en lesiones hemorrágicas (κ= 0.89, p< 0.001), y concordancia moderada en ambos sin clasificación de lesión aguda y clasificación de lesión isquémica aguda (κ= 0.59 y κ= 0.58 respectivamente, p<0.001). Hubo una buena concordancia intraobservadores en el ASPECTS dicotomizado (κ= 0.65, p<0.001). Conclusiones: Los resultados de nuestro estudio permiten concluir que la confiabilidad de la solución móvil para la interpretación de imágenes de TAC de cráneo simple de pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular agudo (ACV) estaba garantizada, lo que permitiría servicios de teleACV eficientes y de bajo costo.

Efficacy and safety of Levetiracetam vs. other antiepileptic drugs in Hispanic patients with glioblastoma.

Epilepsy is a common symptom in patients with glioblastoma (GB). 213 patients with GB from RedLANO follow-up registry were included. All patients underwent surgery, if feasible, followed by chemoradiation based on temozolomide (Stupp platform). Information was recorded regarding demographics, seizure timing, anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), dosage, time to next seizure, total seizures in 6 months, and main side effects of AEDs. The relationship between epilepsy treatment and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. Mean age was 53 years old and 56.8% were male. Seventy-eight patients (37%) were treated with levetiracetam (LEV), 27% were given another AED and 36% did not require any AED. Choice of AED was not associated with age (p = 0.67), performance status (p = 0.24) or anatomic tumor site (p = 0.34). Seizures and AED requirement were greater in those having primary GB (p = 0.04). After starting an AED, the mean time until next crisis was 9.9 days (SD ± 6.3), which was shorter in those receiving LEV (p = 0.03); mean number of seizures during the first 3 and 6 months were 2.9 and 4, respectively. Most patients treated with LEV (n = 46) required less than two medication adjustments compared to those treated with other AEDs (p = 0.02). Likewise, less patients exposed to LEV required a coadjuvant drug (p = 0.04). Additionally, patients receiving LEV had significantly less adverse effects compared to patients treated with another AED. OS was significantly higher in the group treated with LEV compared to other AEDs (25.5 vs. 17.9 months; p = 0.047). Patients treated with LEV had better seizure control and longer OS compared to other AEDs.

Mobile device for thrombolysis decisions for telestroke.

AIM: This study compares the reliability of brain CT interpretations performed using a diagnostic workstation and a mobile tablet computer in a telestroke context. METHODS: A factorial design with 1,452 interpretations was used. Reliability was evaluated using the Fleiss' kappa coefficient on the agreements of the interpretation results on the lesion classification, presence of imaging contraindications to the intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) administration, and on the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS). RESULTS: The intra-observer agreements were as follows: good agreement on the overall lesion classification (κ= 0.63, p<0.001), very good agreement on hemorrhagic lesions (κ= 0.89, p<0.001), and moderate agreements on both without acute lesion classification and acute ischemic lesion classification (κ= 0.59 and κ= 0.58 respectively, p<0.001). There was good intra-observer agreement on the dichotomized-ASPECTS (κ= 0.65, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study allow us to conclude that the reliability of the mobile solution for interpreting brain CT images of patients with acute stroke was assured, which would allow efficient and low-cost telestroke services.

OBJETIVO: Este estudio compara la confiabilidad de interpretaciones de TAC de cráneo simple realizadas utilizando una estación de trabajo de diagnóstico y un computador tableta en un contexto de teleACV. MÉTODOS: Se utilizó un diseño factorial con 1,452 interpretaciones. La confiabilidad se evaluó utilizando el coeficiente kappa de Fleiss en las concordancias sobre los resultados de la interpretación en la clasificación de la lesión, la presencia de contraindicaciones en la imagen para la administración intravenosa del activador del plasminógeno tisular (AP-t) y con el Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT Score (ASPECTS). RESULTADOS: Se obtuvieron las siguientes concordancias intraobservadores: buena concordancia en la clasificación general de la lesión (κ= 0.63, p<0.001), muy buena concordancia en lesiones hemorrágicas (κ= 0.89, p< 0.001), y concordancia moderada en ambos sin clasificación de lesión aguda y clasificación de lesión isquémica aguda (κ= 0.59 y κ= 0.58 respectivamente, p<0.001). Hubo una buena concordancia intraobservadores en el ASPECTS dicotomizado (κ= 0.65, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados de nuestro estudio permiten concluir que la confiabilidad de la solución móvil para la interpretación de imágenes de TAC de cráneo simple de pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular agudo (ACV) estaba garantizada, lo que permitiría servicios de teleACV eficientes y de bajo costo.

Ruling Out Brain CT Contraindications prior to Intravenous Thrombolysis: Diagnostic Equivalence between a Primary Interpretation Workstation and a Mobile Tablet Computer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the equivalence of brain CT interpretations performed using a diagnostic workstation and a mobile tablet computer, in a telestroke service. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ethics committee of our institution approved this retrospective study. A factorial design with 1452 interpretations was used. The assessed variables were the type of stroke classification, the presence of contraindications to the tPA administration, the presence of a hyperdense intracranial artery sign (HMCA), and the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) score. These variables were evaluated to determine the effect that the reading system had on their magnitudes. RESULTS: The achieved distribution of observed lesions using both the reading systems was not statistically different. The differences between the two reading systems to claim equivalence were 1.6% for hemorrhagic lesions, 4.5% for cases without lesion, and 5.2 for overall ischemic lesion. Equivalence was achieved at 2.1% for ASPECTS ≤ 6, 6.5% for the presence of imaging contraindication to the tPA administration, and 7.2% for the presence of HMCA. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performance for detecting acute stroke is likely equivalent whether a tablet computer or a diagnostic workstation is used or not.

Developing a Social Cognition Task for fMRI in Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury / Desarrollo de una tarea de Cognición Social para IRMf en pacientes con trauma craneoencefálico leve

Social cognition impairments are frequently found in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) when structural lesions may not reveal the severity of the injury. Though instruments used to assess social behavior are thought to be sensitive, the absence of structural damage in TBI patients may lead to underscore such problems. The aim of this study was to develop a complementary diagnostic tool such as a paradigm for functional Magnetic resonance Imaging (fMRI) involving a simple task that could tell how patients understand certain complex social behavior by identifying different movements with or without social intentions where language and complex cognitive process were not required. Eleven patients with mild TBI and social cognition difficulties and twelve control subjects were matched by demographic variables. A paradigm of social fMRI was developed by using dots in movement representing human motion, human motion with social intention such as dancing or sharing, and dots moving without meaning. Patients had less activation in parietotemporal junction and bilateral middle frontal gyrus in the social perception task movement compared with control group subjects. The fMRI paradigm developed can be an additional diagnostic tool for identifying social cognition impairments in mild TBI patients. Regardless the absence of structural injury, changes in activation areas suggest a prospective use of this tool since clinical, cognitive and functional outcomes support such finding.

Los cambios en la cognición social son encontrados frecuentemente en pacientes con trauma craneoencefálico leve (TCE) aunque no exista evidencia de lesiones estructurales. Aunque los instrumentos utilizados para evaluar la cognición social son sensibles al cambio, la ausencia de daño estructural en los pacientes con TCE puede llevar pasar por inadvertidos estos problemas. El objetivo de este estudio fue desarrollar una herramienta diagnóstica complementaria como un paradigma para resonancia magnética funcional (RMf), la cual involucra una tarea simple que pudiera explicar cómo los pacientes entienden ciertos comportamientos sociales complejos por medio de movimientos con o sin intención social sin intermediación del lenguaje. Participaron once pacientes con TCE leve y con reporte de alteraciones en cognición social, estos fueron emparejados con doce sujetos control por variables demográficas. Un paradigma de RMf fue desarrollado por medio de la animación puntos blancos sobre una pantalla negra que representan el movimiento humano, el movimiento humano con la intención social como el baile o el compartir, y puntos que se mueven sin significado. Los pacientes tuvieron menos activación en la unión parietotemporal y giro frontal medio bilateral frente al movimiento social en comparación con los sujetos del grupo de control. El paradigma de fMRI desarrollado puede ser una herramienta de diagnóstico adicional para identificar las alteraciones cognitivas sociales en pacientes con TCE leve. Independientemente de la ausencia de lesión estructural, los cambios en las áreas de activación sugieren la posibilidad de usar esta herramienta como pronóstico dado que los resultados clínicos, cognitivos y funcionales soportan este hallazgo.

Diagnóstico y evaluación de la esclerosis múltiple: lo que el radiólogo debe conocer e informar. Conceptos actuales / Diagnosis and Evaluation of Multiple Sclerosis: What the Radiologist Should Know and Report. Current Concepts

La esclerosis múltiple (EM) es una enfermedad inflamatoria y neurodegenerativa, de curso crónico, caracterizada por áreas focales de desmielinización/daño axonal, llamadas "placas". Los criterios actualmente utilizados en su diagnóstico incluyen la demostración clínica o paraclínica de diseminación de estas lesiones en el espacio y en el tiempo, y la exclusión de diagnósticos alternativos. La resonancia magnética (RM) es la herramienta paraclínica más importante para establecer el diagnóstico de EM y permite demostrar la diseminación en el espacio, con base en la presencia de, al menos, un criterio en dos de las cinco localizaciones características: una lesión en cortical-yuxtacortical, tres en la sustancia blanca periventricular, una en el tejido nervioso infratentorial, una en la médula espinal y una en el nervio óptico. La diseminación en tiempo se puede establecer a partir de la detección simultánea de lesiones con y sin realce con el medio de contraste en un mismo examen de RM, o mediante la demostración de nuevas lesiones en estudios de RM de seguimiento. El curso de la enfermedad y el tratamiento farmacológico producen cambios característicos en las imágenes de RM que incluyen el desarrollo de atrofia, la leucoencefalopatía multifocal progresiva y el síndrome inflamatorio de reconstitución inmunológica.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease characterized by focal areas of demyelination/axonal damage known as "plaques". The diagnostic criteria currently used include clinical or para-clinical demonstration of the dissemination of these lesions in space and time, and the exclusion of alternative diagnoses. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most important para-clinical tool for the diagnosis of MS and allows to demonstrate the dissemination in space based on the presence of at least one criteria in two of the five characteristic locations: one lesion in cortical-yuxtacortical, three in the periventricular white matter, one in the infratentorial nervous tissue, one in the spinal cord and one in the optic nerve. Dissemination in time can be established from the simultaneous detection of lesions with and without contrast enhancement in a single MRI study, or through the demostration of new lesions in follow-up MRI studies. The course of the disease and its pharmacological treatment lead to characteristic changes in imaging including the development of atrophy, multifocal progressive leukoencephalopathy and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome.