RESUMEN
Background: There are no generally accepted criteria for selecting patients with recurrent glioblastoma for surgery. This retrospective study in a Danish population-based cohort aimed to identify prognostic factors affecting postoperative survival after repeated surgery for recurrent glioblastoma and to test if the preoperative New Scale for Recurrent Glioblastoma Surgery (NSGS) developed by Park CK et al could assist in the selection of patients for repeat glioblastoma surgery. Methods: Clinical data from 66 patients with recurrent glioblastoma and repeated surgery were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier plots were produced to illustrate survival in each of the three NSGS prognostic groups, and Cox proportional hazard regression was used to identify prognostic variables. Multivariable analysis was used to identify differences in survival in the three prognostic groups. Results: Six variables significantly affected postoperative survival: preoperative Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) < 70 (p = 0.002), decreased KPS after second surgery (p = 0.012), ependymal involvement (p = 0.002), tumor volume ⧠50 cm3 (p = 0.021), age (p = 0.033) and Ki-67 (p = 0.005). Retrospective application of the criteria previously published by Park CK et al showed that median postoperative survival for the three prognostic groups was 390 days (0 points), 279 days (1 point), and 80 days (2 points), respectively. Conclusion: Several prognostic variables to predict postoperative survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma were identified and should be considered when selecting patient for repeat surgery. The NSGS scoring system was useful as there were significant differences in postoperative survival between its three prognostic groups.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Surgery at the cervicomedullary junction carries a risk of damaging vital brainstem functions. Because the nucleus of the solitary tract (NS) is involved in the baroreceptor reflex, damage to its integrity may lead to orthostatic hypotension. OBSERVATIONS: A 56-year-old man with a medical history of hypertension, von Hippel-Lindau disease, and previous bilateral adrenalectomy due to pheochromocytoma was referred with symptoms of dysphagia and paralysis of the left vocal cord. Paralysis of the left vagus nerve was suspected. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a contrast-enhancing cystic process in the cervicomedullary junction. Twenty-three years earlier, the patient had undergone surgical treatment for a hemangioblastoma in the same region. After repeated surgery, the patient temporarily developed orthostatic hypotension. At discharge, the patient no longer needed antihypertensive medication. LESSONS: Surgery near the cervicomedullary junction can affect the NS, leading to disruption of the baroreceptor response that regulates blood pressure.