Factors involved in time reduction between seizure relapses in patients with epilepsy attending emergency rooms in Medellín, Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Seizure relapses are the leading cause of admission to emergency rooms (ER) in people with epilepsy. OBJECTIVE: To analyze administrative and clinical factors associated with the duration between seizure relapses in people with epilepsy admitted to the Neurological Institute of Colombia (Medellin) between July 2018 and July 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective follow-up study of 156 patients over 18 years old, diagnosed with epilepsy, and treated for over a year. The outcome variable was the time between seizure relapses, identified through the record of ER attendances. In addition, difficulties in the prescription filling process (delay, omission, or brand change) and clinical characteristics were analyzed as potential associated influence factors. The statistical analysis was performed using the Prentice, Williams & Peterson-Gap Time survival model for recurrent events. Finally, Adjusted Hazard Ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) are also presented. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-six patients were analyzed. Their average age of diagnosis was 15.5 years (SD = 22.5), the median number of monthly seizures was 3 (SD = 9.3), and 50.6% were women. Moreover, difficulties in the prescription filling process were associated with a time reduction between seizure relapses (aHR = 2.61; 95%CI 1.49-4.57), showing a similar impact as having a history of three or four types of events (aHR = 2.96; 95%CI 1.23-7.12) and neuropsychiatric comorbidity (aHR = 1.89; 95%CI 1.04-3.54). CONCLUSION: Neuropsychiatric comorbidity, history of several types of events, and experiencing difficulties with prescription filling are associated with lower benefit from treatment to control seizure relapses.

Características clínicas y patológicas de pacientes con tumores del sistema nervioso central en un centro en Suramérica desde 2010 hasta 2015 / Clinico-pathological characteristics of central nervous system tumors in a South American center from 2010 to 2015

Resumen Objetivo: Caracterizar los pacientes diagnosticados con tumores del sistema nervioso central en el Instituto Neurológico de Colombia durante el periodo 2010-2015. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. Para los tumores primarios se usó la clasificación de la Organización Mundial de la Salud y para los metastásicos se usó la Clasificación Internacional de Enfermedades en Oncología. Resultados: Se identificaron 288 pacientes, 194 de ellos con tumores primarios y 94 tumores metastásicos. No se lograron clasificar los tumores primarios en el 23,7 % de los casos y para los metastásicos no se obtuvo la clasificación morfológica (histológica) en el 35,1 % de los casos. Los hombres presentaron con mayor frecuencia tumores de comportamiento maligno tipo glioblastoma NEO (no especificado de otra manera) (14,9 %) y en las mujeres predominaron los tumores de comportamiento benigno tipo meningioma (23,2 %). En mayores de 65 años, tanto el glioblastoma NEO como el meningioma fueron más frecuentes en mujeres con 17,4 % y 28,3 %, respectivamente. Entre los pacientes con tumores metastásicos, de acuerdo con la clasificación topográfica, los tumores primarios más frecuentes se localizaron en pulmón (39,4 %) y mama (17 %). No se identificó el sitio primario de metástasis en el 11,7 % de los casos. La histología más comúnmente identificada fue el adenocarcinoma (14,9 %), seguido del carcinoma (8,5 %). Conclusiones: Para una vigilancia efectiva de la enfermedad es necesario realizar un monitoreo epidemiológico y clínico de tumores primarios y metastásicos, mediante el uso de registros institucionales de cáncer, incluyendo datos topográficos, histológicos y moleculares, según disponibilidad.

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize patients with a diagno- sis of a central nervous system (CNS) tumors at the Instituto Neurologico de Colombia during the period between 2010 to 2015. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted. The Classification of the World Health Organization was used for CNS primary tumors whereas the International Classification of Diseases for oncology (ICD-O) was used for CNS metastatic tumors. Results: 288 patients were identified, 194 of them with primary tumors of CNS and 94 with metastatic tu- mors from systemic cancer. It was not possible to classify primary tumors in 23.7% of the cases and regarding the metastatic tumors it was not possible to obtain the classification in 35.1 % of the cases. Men presented more frequently tumors of ma- lignant behavior such as glioblastoma NOS (not otherwise specified) (14.9 %) while in women benign behavior tumors such as meningioma predominated (23.2 %). For population older than 65 years old, both glioblastoma NOS and meningioma were more frequent in women with 17.4 % and 28.3 %, respectively. In patients with CNS metastatic tumors, according to the topographic classification, the most frequent primary tumors were lung (39.4 %), followed by breast (17 %). Its origin was not iden- tified in 11.7 % of the cases. The most identified histology was adenocarcinoma (14.9 %), followed by carcinoma (8.5 %). Conclusion: For disease surveillance, it is necessary to complete epidemiological and clinical monitoring of primary and metastatic tumors of the CNS by using institutional cancer registries including topographic, histological and molecular data according to availability.

Textiloma Mimicking a Recurrent High-Grade Astrocytoma: A Case Report.

Introduction Textiloma (Txm) is a nonmedical term that has been given to foreign body-related inflammatory pseudotumor arising from retained nonabsorbable cotton matrix that is either inadvertently or deliberately left behind during surgery, which may trigger an inflammatory reaction. This report describes a case of Txm mimicking a recurrent high-grade astrocytoma. Case Report We, here, present the case of a 69-year-old female with a 6-month history of progressive left-sided weakness. Neuroimaging studies revealed a large nonenhancing mass in the right frontoparietal lobe. Pathology reported a World Health Organization tumor classification grade II, diffuse astrocytoma. After surgical intervention, external beam radiation was given to the remaining areas of residual tumor. Routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a nodular area of contrast enhancement in the dorsal and inferior margin of the biopsy tract, growing between interval scans, and perfusion-weighted imaging parameters were elevated being clinically asymptomatic. She underwent a complete resection of this area of interest and pathology returned as a Txm with Surgicel fibers. Conclusion After treatment of a neoplasm, if unexpected clinical or imaging evidence of recurrence is present, a foreign body reaction to hemostatic material used during the initial surgery should be included in the differential diagnosis.