Extracranial arteriovenous malformation mimicking a peripheral nerve tumor: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are vascular malformations that are more commonly found intracranially, followed by the head, neck, limbs, and trunk. Extracranially, AVMs can mimic peripheral nerve tumors, leading to misdiagnosis. OBSERVATIONS: A 19-year-old female, who presented with left lateral lower leg pain, was preoperatively thought to have a peripheral nerve tumor; at surgery, however, she was found to have an extracranial AVM. The distinct margins of the tumor on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging suggested that the patient might have a peripheral nerve tumor; however, the clinical symptoms of focal pain at rest and the absence of Tinel's sign should have raised questions about this diagnosis. LESSONS: This case highlights the difficulty in differentiating a peripheral nerve tumor from an extracranial AVM in certain clinical scenarios. It is important to use a multifaceted diagnostic approach to get a correct preoperative diagnosis and plan treatment appropriately.

Clinical and Imaging Outcomes After Trigeminal Schwannoma Radiosurgery: Results From a Multicenter, International Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An international, multicenter, retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes and tumor control rates after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for trigeminal schwannoma. METHODS: Patient data (N = 309) were collected from 14 international radiosurgery centers. The median patient age was 50 years (range 11-87 years). Sixty patients (19%) had prior resections. Abnormal facial sensation was the commonest complaint (49%). The anatomic locations were root (N = 40), ganglion (N = 141), or dumbbell type (N = 128). The median tumor volume was 4 cc (range, 0.2-30.1 cc), and median margin dose was 13 Gy (range, 10-20 Gy). Factors associated with tumor control, symptom improvement, and adverse radiation events were assessed. RESULTS: The median and mean time to last follow-up was 49 and 65 months (range 6-242 months). Greater than 5-year follow-up was available for 139 patients (45%), and 50 patients (16%) had longer than 10-year follow-up. The overall tumor control rate was 94.5%. Tumors regressed in 146 patients (47.2%), remained unchanged in 128 patients (41.4%), and stabilized after initial expansion in 20 patients (6.5%). Progression-free survival rates at 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years were 91%, 86%, and 80 %. Smaller tumor volume (less than 8 cc) was associated with significantly better progression-free survival ( P = .02). Seventeen patients with sustained growth underwent further intervention at a median of 27 months (3-144 months). Symptom improvement was noted in 140 patients (45%) at a median of 7 months. In multivariate analysis primary, SRS ( P = .003) and smaller tumor volume ( P = .01) were associated with better symptom improvement. Adverse radiation events were documented in 29 patients (9%). CONCLUSION: SRS was associated with long-term freedom (10 year) from additional management in 80% of patients. SRS proved to be a valuable salvage option after resection. When used as a primary management for smaller volume tumors, both clinical improvement and prevention of new deficits were optimized.

Automated Preoperative and Postoperative Volume Estimates Risk of Retreatment in Chronic Subdural Hematoma: A Retrospective, Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several neurosurgical pathologies, ranging from glioblastoma to hemorrhagic stroke, use volume thresholds to guide treatment decisions. For chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH), with a risk of retreatment of 10%-30%, the relationship between preoperative and postoperative cSDH volume and retreatment is not well understood. We investigated the potential link between preoperative and postoperative cSDH volumes and retreatment. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients operated for unilateral cSDH from 4 level 1 trauma centers, February 2009-August 2021. We used a 3-dimensional deep learning, automated segmentation pipeline to calculate preoperative and postoperative cSDH volumes. To identify volume thresholds, we constructed a receiver operating curve with preoperative and postoperative volumes to predict cSDH retreatment rates and selected the threshold with the highest Youden index. Then, we developed a light gradient boosting machine to predict the risk of cSDH recurrence. RESULTS: We identified 538 patients with unilateral cSDH, of whom 62 (12%) underwent surgical retreatment within 6 months of the index surgery. cSDH retreatment was associated with higher preoperative (122 vs 103 mL; P < .001) and postoperative (62 vs 35 mL; P < .001) volumes. Patients with >140 mL preoperative volume had nearly triple the risk of cSDH recurrence compared with those below 140 mL, while a postoperative volume >46 mL led to an increased risk for retreatment (22% vs 6%; P < .001). On multivariate modeling, our model had an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.60-0.93) for predicting retreatment. The most important features were preoperative and postoperative volume, platelet count, and age. CONCLUSION: Larger preoperative and postoperative cSDH volumes increase the risk of retreatment. Volume thresholds may allow identification of patients at high risk of cSDH retreatment who would benefit from adjunct treatments. Machine learning algorithm can quickly provide accurate estimates of preoperative and postoperative volumes.

Establishment of Age- and Sex-Specific Reference Cerebral Ventricle Volumes.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of hydrocephalus is dependent on clinical symptoms and radiographic findings including ventriculomegaly. Our goal was to generate a data set of ventricular volume utilizing non-pathologic computed tomography (CT) scans for adults to help define reference ventricle size. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of non-contrast head CTs for adults at a single institution to identify patients who had undergone imaging and did not have a diagnosis of hydrocephalus, history of ventriculoperitoneal shunting, or treatments for hydrocephalus. A convolutional neural network was trained on hand-segmented scans from a variety of age ranges and then utilized to automate the segmentation of the entire data set. RESULTS: Ventricles on 866 CT scans were segmented to generate a reference range of volumes for both male and female individuals ranging in age from 18-99 years. The generated data were binned by age ranges. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a convolutional neural network that can segment the ventricles on CT scans of adult patients over a range of ages. This network was used to measure the ventricular volume of non-pathologic head CTs to produce reference ranges for several age bins. This data set could be utilized to aid in the diagnosis of hydrocephalus by comparing potentially pathologic scans to reference ventricular volumes.

Primary Spinal Cord Astrocytomas: Two-Center Clinical Experience of Low- and High-Grade Lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Primary spinal cord astrocytomas are rare, fatal, and poorly studied. METHODS: This study included a 2-center, retrospective analysis of primary spinal cord astrocytoma patients from 1997 to 2020. Patients with drop metastases or without at least one follow-up were excluded. RESULTS: Seven World Health Organization grade I, 6 grade II, 7 grade III, and 4 grade IV astrocytoma patients were included. Older patients had higher grades (median 20 years in grade I vs. 36.5 in grade IV). The median follow-up was 15 months. Thirteen patients were discharged to rehabilitation. Eight patients demonstrated radiographic progression. Adjuvant therapy was utilized more in higher grades (5 of 13 grades III vs. all 11 grades IIIIV). Six patients died (1 death in grades III vs. 5 in grades IIIIV). Ten patients had worsened symptoms at the last follow-up. The median progression-free survival in grade I, II, III, and IV tumors was 116, 36, 8, and 8.5 months, respectively. The median overall survival in grade I, II, III, and IV tumors was 142, 69, 19, and 12 months, respectively. Thrombotic complications occurred in 2 patients, one with isocitrate dehydrogenasewild type glioblastoma. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes worsen with higher grades and lead to difficult postoperative periods. Clinicians should be vigilant for thromboembolic complications. Further research is needed to understand these rare tumors.

Flow Diverter Devices for Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms in Small Parent Vessels-A Systematic Review of Literature.

BACKGROUND: The overall safety and efficacy of flow diverting stents (FDSs) deployed in small caliber parent arteries (≤2.5 mm) for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms remains unclear. Recent studies have provided additional outcomes data to assess the use of FDSs for such arteries. In the present review, we have summarized the reported clinical and angiographic outcomes of FDS-treated brain aneurysms in small parent arteries. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed for outcomes data related to FDS-treated intracranial aneurysms using PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Web of Science. Procedural data, angiographic outcomes, and clinical outcomes at various time points were collected and summarized. RESULTS: The 19 studies included 580 patients with 604 aneurysms, of which 6.1% had been acutely ruptured and 28.3% had been previously treated. The procedural complication rate and symptomatic stroke rate was 9.8% and 7.5%. The complete occlusion rate at the last radiographic follow-up (mean, 12.1 months) was 73.6%. At the last clinical follow-up (mean, 10.6 months), the FDS-associated mortality was 2.5%. CONCLUSIONS: FDSs for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms located in small caliber arteries was associated with rates of long-term complete aneurysm occlusion, mortality, and permanent neurologic deficit comparable to the rates with FDS-treated aneurysms in larger parent arteries. However, the relatively increased risk of symptomatic stroke of these FDS-treated aneurysms should not be ignored. Direct comparisons with alternative endovascular approaches are necessary to further define the optimal use of FDS for these aneurysms.

Optimizing the residency application process: insights from neurological surgery during the pandemic virtual application cycle.

OBJECTIVE: In this article, the authors describe the impact of the COVID-19 virtual match cycle and discuss approaches to optimize future cycles through applicant and neurosurgical education leadership insights. METHODS: Anonymous surveys of neurosurgery program leaders (program directors and program chairs), program administrators (PAs), and 2020-2021 neurosurgery residency match applicants were distributed by the SNS, in conjunction with the Association of Resident Administrators in Neurological Surgery and AANS Young Neurosurgeons Committee. RESULTS: Responses were received from 77 (67.0%) of 115 PAs, 119 (51.7%) of 230 program leaders, and 124 (44.3%) of 280 applicants representing geographically diverse regions. During the virtual application cycle relative to the previous year, programs received more Electronic Residency Application Service applications (mean 314.8 vs 285.3, p < 0.0001) and conducted more applicant interviews (mean 45.2 vs 39.9, p = 0.0003). More than 50% of applicants applied to > 80 programs; 60.3% received ≤ 20 interview invitations, and 9% received > 40 invitations. Overall, 65% of applicants completed ≤ 20 interviews, whereas 34.7% completed > 20 interviews. Program leaders described one 4-week home subinternship (93.3%) and two 4-week external subinternships (68.9%) as optimal neurosurgical exposure; 62.8% of program leaders found the standardized letter of recommendation template to be somewhat (47.5%) or significantly (15.3%) helpful. Applicants, PAs, and program leaders all strongly preferred a hybrid model of in-person and virtual interview options for future application cycles over all in-person or all virtual options. Ninety-three percent of applicants reported matching within their top 10-ranked programs, and 52.9% of programs matched residents within the same decile ranking as in previous years. CONCLUSIONS: Optimizing a national strategy for the neurosurgery application process that prioritizes equity and reduces costs, while ensuring adequate exposure for applicants to gain educational opportunities and evaluate programs, is critical to maintain a successful training system.

Routine postoperative fluid restriction to prevent syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion after transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenoma.

OBJECTIVE: Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is a common problem during the postoperative course after pituitary surgery. Although treatment of this condition is well characterized, prevention strategies are less studied and reported. The authors sought to characterize outcomes and predictive factors of SIADH after implementation of routine postoperative fluid restriction for patients undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma. METHODS: In March 2018, routine postoperative fluid restriction to 1000 ml/day for 7 days was instituted for all patients who underwent surgery for pituitary adenoma. These patients were compared with patients who underwent surgery for pituitary adenoma between March 2016 and March 2018, prior to implementation of routine fluid restriction. Patients with preoperative history of diabetes insipidus (DI) or concern for postsurgical DI were excluded. Patients were followed by neuroendocrinologists and neurosurgeons, and sodium levels were checked between 7 and 10 days postoperatively. SIADH was defined by a serum sodium level less than 136 mmol/L, with or without symptoms within 10 days after surgery. Thirty-day readmission was recorded and reviewed to determine underlying reasons. RESULTS: In total, 82 patients in the fluid-unrestricted cohort and 135 patients in the fluid-restricted cohort were analyzed. The patients in the fluid-restricted cohort had a significantly lower rate of postoperative SIADH than patients in the fluid-unrestricted cohort (5% vs 15%, adjusted OR [95% CI] 0.1 [0.0-0.6], p = 0.01). Higher BMI was associated with lower rate of postoperative SIADH (adjusted OR [95%] 0.9 [0.9-1.0], p = 0.03), whereas female sex was associated with higher rate of SIADH (adjusted OR [95% CI] 3.1 [1.1-9.8], p = 0.03). There was no difference in the 30-day readmission rates between patients in the fluid-unrestricted and fluid-restricted cohorts (4% vs 7%, adjusted OR [95% CI] 0.5 [0-5.1], p = 0.56). Thirty-day readmission was more likely for patients with history of hypertension (adjusted OR [95% CI] 5.7 [1.3-26.3], p = 0.02) and less likely for White patients (adjusted OR [95% CI] 0.3 [0.1-0.9], p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Routine fluid restriction reduced the rate of SIADH in patients who underwent surgery for pituitary adenoma but was not associated with reduction in 30-day readmission rate.

Intrasaccular flow disruption for brain aneurysms: a systematic review of long-term outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The long-term safety and efficacy of intrasaccular flow disruption (IFD) for the treatment of brain aneurysms remain unclear. With accumulating experience and increasing use of IFD devices, recent studies have provided additional data regarding their outcomes. This review summarizes the long-term outcomes of IFD-treated brain aneurysms. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed on May 23, 2021, in PubMed, Web of Science, and Ovid MEDLINE for aneurysm treatment outcomes with IFD devices. Procedural details, including use of adjunctive devices and complications, were collected. The quality of studies was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist. Angiographic outcomes were classified as complete occlusion, residual neck, and residual aneurysm. Other outcomes included need for retreatment, permanent neurological deficit, and mortality. Pooled analyses were performed. RESULTS: The final analysis comprised 1217 patients with 1249 aneurysms from 22 studies. The mean aneurysm diameter and neck width were 6.9 and 4.5 mm, respectively, and 27.6% of aneurysms were ruptured. The complete occlusion rates at 12 months and final follow-up (pooled mean duration 15.7 months) were 50.1% and 58.2%, respectively. Adjunctive devices were used in 6.4% of cases. The rates of hemorrhage, symptomatic infarction, permanent neurological deficit, and mortality were 1.2%, 2.8%, 1.0%, and 2.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IFD is a very safe treatment for appropriately selected brain aneurysms with low complication and neurological deterioration rates. However, complete occlusion is achieved in only half of IFD-treated aneurysms at 1 year with a modest increase beyond this time point. As the majority of the studies were single arm, the pooled data are subject to selection and reporting biases. Future device developments, increased operator experience, and direct comparisons with alternative endovascular strategies and surgical clipping may clarify the role of IFD in aneurysm management.

Applying to residency: survey of neurosurgical residency applicants on virtual recruitment during COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant disruption to residency recruitment, including a sudden, comprehensive transition to virtual interviews. The authors sought to characterize applicant experiences and perceptions concerning the change in the application, interview, and match process for neurological surgery residency during the 2020-2021 recruitment cycle. METHODS: A national survey of neurosurgical residency applicants from the 2020-2021 application cycle was performed. This survey was developed in cooperation with the Society of Neurological Surgeons (SNS) and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Young Neurosurgeons Committee (YNC) and sent to all applicants (n = 280) who included academic video submissions to the SNS repository as part of their application package. These 280 applicants accounted for 69.6% of the total 402 neurosurgical applicants this year. RESULTS: Nearly half of the applicants responded to the survey (44.3%, 124 of 280). Applicants favored additional reform of the interview scheduling process, including a centralized scheduling method, a set of standardized release dates for interview invitations, and interview caps for applicants. Less than 8% of students desired a virtual-only platform in the future, though the majority of applicants supported incorporating virtual interviews as part of the process to contain applicant costs and combining them with traditional in-person interview opportunities. Program culture and fit, as well as clinical and research opportunities in subspecialty areas, were the most important factors applicants used to rank programs. However, subjective program "fit" was deemed challenging to assess during virtual-only interviews. CONCLUSIONS: Neurosurgery resident applicants identified standardized interview invitation release dates, centralized interview scheduling methods, caps on the number of interviews available to each candidate, and regulated opportunities for both virtual and in-person recruitment as measures that could significantly improve the applicant experience during and effectiveness of future neurosurgery residency application cycles. Applicants prioritized program culture and "fit" during recruitment, and a majority were open to incorporating virtual elements into future cycles to reduce costs while retaining in-person opportunities to gauge programs and their locations.

Interventional outcomes for patients eligible for entry into the ARUBA clinical trial: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A Randomized Trial of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations (ARUBA) suggested that medical management afforded outcomes superior to those following intervention for unruptured arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), but its findings have been controversial. Subsequent studies of AVMs that would have met the eligibility requirements of ARUBA have supported intervention for the management of some cases. The present meta-analysis was conducted with the object of summarizing interventional outcomes for ARUBA-eligible patients reported in the literature. METHODS: A systematic literature search (PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar) for AVM intervention studies that used inclusion criteria identical to those of ARUBA (age ≥ 18 years, no history of AVM hemorrhage, no prior intervention) was performed. The primary outcome was death or symptomatic stroke. Secondary outcomes included AVM obliteration, hemorrhage, death, and poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≥ 2 at final follow-up). Bias assessment was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and the results were synthesized as pooled proportions. RESULTS: Of the 343 articles identified through database searches, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria, yielding an overall study cohort of 1909 patients. The primary outcome occurred in 11.2% of patients (pooled = 11%, 95% CI 8%-13%). The rates of AVM obliteration, hemorrhage, poor outcome, and death were 72.7% (pooled = 78%, 95% CI 70%-85%), 8.4% (pooled = 8%, 95% CI 6%-11%), 9.9% (pooled = 10%, 95% CI 7%-13%), and 3.5% (pooled = 2%, 95% CI 1%-4%), respectively. Annualized primary outcome and hemorrhage risks were 1.85 (pooled = 2.05, 95% CI 1.31-2.94) and 1.34 (pooled = 1.41, 95% CI 0.83-2.13) per 100 patient-years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Intervention for unruptured AVMs affords acceptable outcomes for appropriately selected patients. The risk of hemorrhage following intervention compared favorably to the natural history of unruptured AVMs. The included studies were retrospective and varied in treatment and AVM characteristics, thereby limiting the generalizability of their data. Future studies from prospective registries may clarify patient, nidus, and intervention selection criteria that will refine the challenging management of patients with unruptured AVMs.

Antiplatelet therapy and delayed cerebral ischemia in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a potentially preventable cause of morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The authors performed a meta-analysis to assess the effect of antiplatelet therapy (APT) on DCI in patients with aSAH. METHODS: A systematic review of the PubMed and MEDLINE databases was performed. Study inclusion criteria were 1) ≥ 5 aSAH patients; 2) direct comparison between aSAH management with APT and without APT; and 3) reporting of DCI, angiographic, or symptomatic vasospasm rates for patients treated with versus without APT. The primary efficacy outcome was DCI. The outcomes of the APT versus no-APT cohorts were compared. Bias was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist. RESULTS: The overall cohort comprised 2039 patients from 15 studies. DCI occurred less commonly in the APT compared with the no-APT cohort (pooled = 15.9% vs 28.6%; OR 0.47, p < 0.01). Angiographic (pooled = 51.6% vs 68.7%; OR 0.46, p < 0.01) and symptomatic (pooled = 23.6% vs 37.7%; OR 0.51, p = 0.01) vasospasm rates were lower in the APT cohort. In-hospital mortality (pooled = 1.7% vs 4.1%; OR 0.53, p = 0.01) and functional dependence (pooled = 21.0% vs 35.7%; OR 0.53, p < 0.01) rates were also lower in the APT cohort. Bleeding event rates were comparable between the two cohorts. Subgroup analysis of cilostazol monotherapy compared with no APT demonstrated a lower DCI rate in the cilostazol cohort (pooled = 10.6% vs 28.1%; OR 0.31, p < 0.01). Subgroup analysis of surgically treated aneurysms demonstrated a lower DCI rate for the APT cohort (pooled = 18.4% vs 33.9%; OR 0.43, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: APT is associated with improved outcomes in aSAH without an increased risk of bleeding events, particularly in patients who underwent surgical aneurysm repair and those treated with cilostazol. Although study heterogeneity is the most significant limitation of the analysis, the findings suggest that APT is worth exploring in patients with aSAH, particularly in a randomized controlled trial setting.

Skull Base Leiomyomas and Angioleiomyomas: A Systematic Literature Review and an Uncommon Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Skull base leiomyomas (LMs) and angioleiomyomas (ALMs) are rare, and the understanding of this disease is limited. We present a systematic literature review of skull base LM and ALM and report a case of internal auditory canal (IAC) ALM. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed and Embase were systematically queried for skull base LM and ALM, and Rayyan QCRI was used for the review. After applying exclusion criteria, individual articles were evaluated for quality control, data collection, and analysis. The presentation, management, and outcome of a 37-year-old man with a right-sided IAC ALM are described. RESULTS: Of 68 unique entries, 27 studies were included. Thirty-four cases of skull base LM (n = 6) or ALM (n = 28) were identified. Average age at presentation was 45.1 ± 14.5 years, and 52.9% of patients were male. Tumor diameter was 2.75 ± 1.6 cm, with headaches being the most reported symptom. Commonly reported locations were the cavernous sinus and the external auditory canal. Only 3 cases of IAC ALM met the criteria for this review. All tumors were treated with surgery, and gross total resection was achieved in 27 patients. Radiation was given in 3 cases with subtotal resection. CONCLUSIONS: Skull base LM and ALM are rare. Given the need for pathology, surgery has been the standard treatment for symptomatic skull base LM and ALM. It is important to understand the available data about this disease and consider it in the differential of skull base lesions.

Posterior Polyethylene Tethers Reduce Occurrence of Proximal Junctional Kyphosis After Multilevel Spinal Instrumentation for Adult Spinal Deformity: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) is a common postoperative complication after adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery and may manifest with neurological decline, worsening spinal deformity, and spinal instability, which warrant reoperation. Rates of PJK may be as high as 69.4% after ASD surgery. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of junctional tethers for PJK prophylaxis after multilevel instrumented surgery for ASD with minimum 2-yr follow-up. METHODS: Single-center retrospective analysis of adult patients (age ≥18 yr) who underwent ASD surgery with index operations performed between November 2010 and June 2016 and achieved minimum 2-yr follow-up. Patients with ASD were subdivided into 3 treatment cohorts based on institutional protocol: no tether (NT), polyethylene tether-only (TO), and tether with crosslink (TC). PJK was defined as a proximal junctional angle (PJA) >10° and 10° greater than the corresponding preoperative measurement. Patient demographics, operative details, standard radiographic scoliosis measurements (including PJA and assessment of PJK), and complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 184 patients, 146 (79.3%) achieved minimum 2-yr follow-up (mean = 45 mo; mean age = 67 yr; 67.8% women). PJK rates reported for the NT, TO, and TC cohorts were 60.7% (37/61), 35.7% (15/42), and 23.3% (10/43), respectively. PJK rates among TC patients were significantly lower than NT (P = .01601). CONCLUSION: Junctional tethers with crosslink significantly reduced the incidence of PJK and revisions for PJK among ASD patients treated with long-segment posterior instrumented fusions who achieved minimum 2-yr follow-up.

Clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes for patients who undergo cytoreductive surgery for thoracic meningiomas: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Primary spinal meningiomas represent a rare indolent neoplasm usually situated in the intradural-extramedullary compartment. They have a predilection for afflicting the thoracic spine and most frequently present with sensory and/or motor symptoms. Resection is the first-line treatment for symptomatic tumors, whereas other clinical factors will determine the need for adjuvant therapy. In this study, the authors aimed to elucidate clinical presentation, functional outcomes, and long-term outcomes in this population in order to better equip clinicians with the tools to counsel their patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of patients treated at the authors' institution between 1998 and 2018. All patients with thoracic meningiomas who underwent resection and completed at least one follow-up appointment were included. Multiple preoperative clinical variables, hospitalization details, and long-term outcomes were collected for the cohort. RESULTS: Forty-six patients who underwent resection for thoracic meningiomas were included. The average age of the cohort was 59 years, and the median follow-up was 53 months. Persistent sensory and motor symptoms were present in 29 patients (63%). Fifteen lesions were ventrally positioned. There were 43 WHO grade I tumors, 2 WHO grade II tumors, and 1 WHO grade III tumor; the grade III tumor was the only case of recurrence. The median length of hospitalization was 4 days. Seventeen patients (37%) were discharged to rehabilitation facilities. Thirty patients (65.2%) experienced resolution or improvement of symptoms, and there were no deaths within 30 days of surgery. Only 1 patient developed painful kyphosis and was managed medically. Ventral tumor position, new postoperative deficits, and length of stay did not correlate with disposition to a facility. Age, ventral position, blood loss, and increasing WHO grade did not correlate with length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes are overall favorable for patients who undergo resection of thoracic meningiomas. Symptomatic patients often experience improvement, and patients generally do not require significant future operations. Tumors located ventrally, while anatomically challenging, do not necessarily herald a significantly worse prognosis or limit the extent of resection.

Radiological and clinical outcomes of pituitary apoplexy: comparison of conservative management versus early surgical intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Early surgical intervention for patients with pituitary apoplexy (PA) is thought to improve visual outcomes and decrease mortality. However, some patients may have good clinical outcomes without surgery. The authors sought to compare the radiological and clinical outcomes of patients with PA who were managed conservatively versus those who underwent early surgery. METHODS: Patients with symptomatic PA were identified. Radiological, endocrinological, and ophthalmological data were reviewed. Patients with progressive visual deterioration or ophthalmoplegia were candidates for early surgery (within 7 days). Patients without visual symptoms or whose symptoms improved on high-dose steroids were treated conservatively. Log-rank and univariate analysis compared clinical and radiological outcomes between those receiving early surgery and those who underwent intended conservative management. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients with PA were identified: 47 (73.4%) underwent intended conservative management, while 17 (26.6%) had early surgery. Patients receiving early surgery had increased rates of impaired visual acuity (VA; 64.7% vs 27.7%, p = 0.009); visual field (VF) deficits (64.7% vs 19.2%, p = 0.002); and cranial neuropathies (58.8% vs 29.8%, p < 0.05) at presentation. Tumor volumes were greater in the early surgical cohort (15.1 ± 14.8 cm3 vs 4.5 ± 10.3 cm3, p < 0.001). The median clinical and radiological follow-up visits were longer in the early surgical cohort (70.0 and 64.4 months vs 26.0 and 24.7 months, respectively; p < 0.001). Among those with VA/VF deficits, visual outcomes were similar between both groups (p > 0.9). The median time to VA improvement (2.0 vs 3.0 months, p = 0.9; HR 0.9, 95% CI 0.3-3.5) and the median time to VF improvement (2.0 vs 1.5 months; HR 0.8, 95% CI 0.3-2.6, p = 0.8) were similar across both cohorts. Cranial neuropathy improvement was more common in conservatively managed patients (HR 4.8, 95% CI 1.5-15.4, p < 0.01). Conservative management failed in 7 patients (14.9%) and required surgery. PA volumes spontaneously regressed in 95.0% of patients (38/40) with successful conservative management, with a 6-month regression rate of 66.2%. Twenty-seven patients (19 in the conservative and 8 in the early surgical cohorts) responded to a prospectively administered Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25). VFQ-25 scores were similar across both cohorts (conservative 95.5 ± 3.8, surgery 93.2 ± 5.1, p = 0.3). Younger age, female sex, and patients with VF deficits or chiasmal compression were more likely to experience unsuccessful conservative management. Surgical outcomes were similar for patients receiving early versus delayed surgery. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that a majority of patients with PA can be successfully managed without surgical intervention assuming close neurosurgical, radiological, and ophthalmological follow-up is available.

Bevacizumab as a surgery-sparing agent for spinal ependymoma in patients with neurofibromatosis type II: Systematic review and case.

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a rare, hereditary tumor syndrome, often requiring repeated surgeries for multiple lesions with significant cumulative morbidity. As such, non-operative management should be considered when possible for this patient population. The aim of this study is to provide a systematic review of the literature regarding this treatment strategy. A descriptive case of a patient in whom bevacizumab treatments enabled over 15 years of surgical postponement for a symptomatic spinal cord ependymoma is also provided. Evidence suggests that bevacizumab is a reasonable surgery-deferring option for cystic lesions, and it may be especially useful in NF2 patients to reduce cumulative morbidity.

A Rare Case of Pancreatoblastoma with Intracranial Seeding.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatoblastoma is an extremely rare neoplasm that accounts for 0.5% of all pancreatic exocrine tumors. These rare entities typically manifest in the pediatric population but can rarely occur in adults. Systemic seeding has been described before but intracranial metastasis in adults has yet to be described. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 28-year-old woman with a history of pancreatoblastoma that had been in remission for 51 months after treatment with cisplatin, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), and etoposide had presented to the emergency room with chronic recurrent headaches. Conservative management of the headaches failed, which led to a diagnostic workup with magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a well-circumscribed solitary cerebellar lesion. Metastatic disease was suspected, and the patient underwent suboccipital craniotomy for tumor resection with adjuvant gamma knife radiosurgery. CONCLUSIONS: Central nervous system seeding of pancreatoblastoma is rare, and the available evidence suggests that the strategy we used could be adequate for treating such occurrences.

Neurocysticercosis Presenting as an Isolated Suprasellar Lesion.

BACKGROUND: Although extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis (NCC) is well established, presentation in the suprasellar space is rare. When presenting in the suprasellar space, the imaging characteristics may mimic more common lesions including craniopharyngioma and Rathke cleft cyst depending on the life cycle of the parasite. Although antiparasitic medical therapy may be effective for viable NCC, it is not routinely employed for calcified NCC. CASE DESCRIPTION: This report presents a 39-year-old male patient who presented with profound visual decline secondary to a partially calcified suprasellar NCC. Suprasellar NCC was presumed based on specific radiologic findings, which are discussed. Medical therapy was not offered because of the proximity to the optic chiasm and the partial calcification of the lesion leading to the presumption that the mass was nonviable. The patient underwent successful endoscopic endonasal resection of the suprasellar NCC and experienced significant improvement in vision. Despite the calcification, pathological evaluation revealed that a portion remained viable. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the life cycle stage, endonasal resection offers a minimally invasive approach for suprasellar NCC; treatment can be tailored to the patient's presentation and stage of infection.