Surgical Strategy for Petroclival Meningioma-Related Trigeminal Neuralgia: The Role of Porus Trigeminus Opening.

OBJECTIVE: Petroclival meningiomas invade Meckel's cave through the porus trigeminus, leading to secondary trigeminal neuralgia. Microsurgery and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are the typical treatment options. This study investigated symptom control, outcomes, and surgical strategies for PC meningioma-induced TN. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 28 TN patients with PC meningiomas who underwent microsurgical nerve decompression between January 2021 and February 2023. In all patients undergoing a transpetrosal approach, the porus trigeminus was opened to enable the removal of the entire tumor within Meckel's cave. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Barrow Neurologic Institute (BNI) pain intensity scale. Risk factors for poor TN outcomes and poor facial numbness were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 28 patients, 21 (75%) underwent the transpetrosal approach, 5 (17.9%) underwent the retrosigmoid approach, and 2 (7.1%) underwent the Dolenc approach. Following microsurgery, 23 patients (82.1%) experienced TN relief without further medication (BNI I or II). TN recurrence occurred in 2 patients (7.1%), and 3 patients (10.7%) did not achieve TN relief. Cavernous sinus invasion was significantly correlated with poor TN outcomes (P = 0.047). A history of previous SRS (P = 0.011) and upper clivus type tumor (P = 0.018) were significantly associated with poor facial numbness. CONCLUSIONS: Microsurgical nerve decompression is effective in improving BNI scores in patients with TN associated with PC meningiomas. Considering the results of our study, the opening of the porus trigeminus can be considered as a suggested procedure in the treatment of PC meningiomas, especially in cases accompanied by TN.

Exploring prognostic factors and treatment strategies for long-term survival in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma patients.

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXA) are rare, accounting for < 1% of all astrocytomas. Literature on the clinical course and treatment outcomes of PXAs is limited. The study aimed to determine prognosis and treatment strategies for PXAs. Patients who had PXAs surgery between 2000-2021 were retrospectively analyzed for demographics and radiological characteristics. Initial and salvage treatment outcomes were recorded. Overall, 40 and 9 patients had grade 2 and 3 PXAs; their 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 75.8% and 37.0%, respectively (p = 0.003). Univariate analysis revealed that strong T1 enhancement (p = 0.036), infiltrative tumor margins (p < 0.001), peritumoral edema (p = 0.003), WHO grade (p = 0.005), and gross total resection (p = 0.005) affected the PFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that the WHO grade (p = 0.010) and infiltrative tumor margins (p = 0.008) influenced the PFS. The WHO grade (p = 0.027) and infiltrative tumor margins (p = 0.027) also affected the overall survival (OS). Subgroup analysis for grade 2 PXAs revealed no significant associations between adjuvant radiation therapy and the PFS and OS. This study highlighted the heterogeneous nature of PXAs and its impact on patient prognosis. Infiltrative tumor margins emerged as a key prognostic factor. Our findings have emphasized the prognostic relevance of radiological features and the need for larger studies on comprehensive management.

Generative AI in glioma: ensuring diversity in training image phenotypes to improve diagnostic performance for IDH mutation prediction.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated whether generative artificial intelligence-based augmentation (GAA) can provide diverse and realistic imaging phenotypes and improve deep learning-based classification of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) type in glioma compared with neuroradiologists. METHODS: For model development, 565 patients (346 IDH-wildtype, 219 IDH-mutant) with paired contrast-enhanced T1 and FLAIR MRI scans were collected from tertiary hospital and The Cancer Imaging Archive. Performance was tested on internal (119, 78 IDH-wildtype, 41 IDH-mutant [IDH1 and 2]) and external test sets (108, 72 IDH-wildtype, 36 IDH-mutant). GAA was developed using score-based diffusion model and ResNet50 classifier. The optimal GAA was selected in comparison with null model. Two neuroradiologists (R1, R2) assessed realism, diversity of imaging phenotypes, and predicted IDH mutation. The performance of a classifier trained with optimal GAA was compared with that of neuroradiologists using area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). The effect of tumor size and contrast enhancement on GAA performance was tested. RESULTS: Generated images demonstrated realism (Turing's test: 47.5%-50.5%) and diversity indicating IDH type. Optimal GAA was achieved with augmentation with 110 000 generated slices (AUC: 0.938). The classifier trained with optimal GAA demonstrated significantly higher AUC values than neuroradiologists in both the internal (R1, P=.003; R2, P<.001) and external test sets (R1, P<.01; R2, P<.001). GAA with large-sized tumors or predominant enhancement showed comparable performance to optimal GAA (internal test: AUC 0.956 and 0.922; external test: 0.810 and 0.749). CONCLUSIONS: Application of generative AI with realistic and diverse images provided better diagnostic performance than neuroradiologists for predicting IDH type in glioma.

The Korean Society for Neuro-Oncology (KSNO) Guideline for the Management of Brain Tumor Patients During the Crisis Period: A Consensus Recommendation Using the Delphi Method (Version 2023.1).

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the need for appropriate treatment guidelines for patients with brain tumors was indispensable due to the lack and limitations of medical resources. Thus, the Korean Society for Neuro-Oncology (KSNO), a multidisciplinary academic society, has undertaken efforts to develop a guideline that is tailored to the domestic situation and that can be used in similar crisis situations in the future. METHODS: The KSNO Guideline Working Group was composed of 22 multidisciplinary experts on neuro-oncology in Korea. In order to reach consensus among the experts, the Delphi method was used to build up the final recommendations. RESULTS: All participating experts completed the series of surveys, and the results of final survey were used to draft the current consensus recommendations. Priority levels of surgery and radiotherapy during crises were proposed using appropriate time window-based criteria for management outcome. The highest priority for surgery is assigned to patients who are life-threatening or have a risk of significant impact on a patient's prognosis unless immediate intervention is given within 24-48 hours. As for the radiotherapy, patients who are at risk of compromising their overall survival or neurological status within 4-6 weeks are assigned to the highest priority. Curative-intent chemotherapy has the highest priority, followed by neoadjuvant/adjuvant and palliative chemotherapy during a crisis period. Telemedicine should be actively considered as a management tool for brain tumor patients during the mass infection crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: It is crucial that adequate medical care for patients with brain tumors is maintained and provided, even during times of crisis. This guideline will serve as a valuable resource, assisting in the delivery of treatment to brain tumor patients in the event of any future crisis.

The Korean Society for Neuro-Oncology (KSNO) Guideline for the Management of Brain Tumor Patients During the Crisis Period: A Consensus Survey About Specific Clinical Scenarios (Version 2023.1).

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a shortage of medical resources and the need for proper treatment guidelines for brain tumor patients became more pressing. Thus, the Korean Society for Neuro-Oncology (KSNO), a multidisciplinary academic society, has undertaken efforts to develop a guideline that is tailored to the domestic situation and that can be used in similar crisis situations in the future. As part II of the guideline, this consensus survey is to suggest management options in specific clinical scenarios during the crisis period. METHODS: The KSNO Guideline Working Group consisted of 22 multidisciplinary experts on neuro-oncology in Korea. In order to confirm a consensus reached by the experts, opinions on 5 specific clinical scenarios about the management of brain tumor patients during the crisis period were devised and asked. To build-up the consensus process, Delphi method was employed. RESULTS: The summary of the final consensus from each scenario are as follows. For patients with newly diagnosed astrocytoma with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant and oligodendroglioma with IDH-mutant/1p19q codeleted, observation was preferred for patients with low-risk, World Health Organization (WHO) grade 2, and Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) ≥60, while adjuvant radiotherapy alone was preferred for patients with high-risk, WHO grade 2, and KPS ≥60. For newly diagnosed patients with glioblastoma, the most preferred adjuvant treatment strategy after surgery was radiotherapy plus temozolomide except for patients aged ≥70 years with KPS of 60 and unmethylated MGMT promoters. In patients with symptomatic brain metastasis, the preferred treatment differed according to the number of brain metastasis and performance status. For patients with newly diagnosed atypical meningioma, adjuvant radiation was deferred in patients with older age, poor performance status, complete resection, or low mitotic count. CONCLUSION: It is imperative that proper medical care for brain tumor patients be sustained and provided, even during the crisis period. The findings of this consensus survey will be a useful reference in determining appropriate treatment options for brain tumor patients in the specific clinical scenarios covered by the survey during the future crisis.

Proteomic analysis predicts anti-angiogenic resistance in recurred glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Recurrence is common in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) because of the infiltrative, residual cells in the tumor margin. Standard therapy for GBM consists of surgical resection followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but the median survival of GBM patients remains poor (~ 1.5 years). For recurrent GBM, anti-angiogenic treatment is one of the common treatment approaches. However, current anti-angiogenic treatment modalities are not satisfactory because of the resistance to anti-angiogenic agents in some patients. Therefore, we sought to identify novel prognostic biomarkers that can predict the therapeutic response to anti-angiogenic agents in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. METHODS: We selected patients with recurrent GBM who were treated with anti-angiogenic agents and classified them into responders and non-responders to anti-angiogenic therapy. Then, we performed proteomic analysis using liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues obtained from surgical specimens. We conducted a gene-ontology (GO) analysis based on protein abundance in the responder and non-responder groups. Based on the LC-MS and GO analysis results, we identified potential predictive biomarkers for anti-angiogenic therapy and validated them in recurrent glioblastoma patients. RESULTS: In the mass spectrometry-based approach, 4957 unique proteins were quantified with high confidence across clinical parameters. Unsupervised clustering analysis highlighted distinct proteomic patterns (n = 269 proteins) between responders and non-responders. The GO term enrichment analysis revealed a cluster of genes related to immune cell-related pathways (e.g., TMEM173, FADD, CD99) in the responder group, whereas the non-responder group had a high expression of genes related to nuclear replisome (POLD) and damaged DNA binding (ERCC2). Immunohistochemistry of these biomarkers showed that the expression levels of TMEM173 and FADD were significantly associated with the overall survival and progression-free survival of patients with recurrent GBM. CONCLUSIONS: The candidate biomarkers identified in our protein analysis may be useful for predicting the clinical response to anti-angiogenic agents in patients with recurred GBM.

High-Throughput Metal 3D Printing Pen Enabled by a Continuous Molten Droplet Transfer.

In metal additive manufacturing (AM), arc plasma is attracting attention as an alternative heat source to expensive lasers to enable the use of various metal wire materials with a high deposition efficiency. However, the stepwise material deposition and resulting limited number of degrees of freedom limit their potential for high-throughput and large-scale production for industrial applications. Herein, a high-throughput metal 3D printing pen (M3DPen) strategy is proposed based on an arc plasma heat source by harnessing the surface tension of the molten metal for enabling continuous material deposition without a downward flow by gravity. The proposed approach differs from conventional arc-based metal AM in that it controls the solidification and cooling time between interlayers of a point-by-point deposition path, thereby allowing for continuous metal 3D printing of freestanding and overhanging structures at once. The resulting mechanical properties and unique microstructures by continuous metal deposition that occur due to the difference in the thermal conditions of the molten metal under cooling are also investigated. This technology can be applied to a wide range of alloy systems and industrial manufacturing, thereby providing new possibilities for metal 3D printing.

Treatment Outcome of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Brain Metastasis from Thyroid Cancer: Favorable Local Control but Poor Survival.

BACKGROUND: Brain metastasis from thyroid cancer (TCBM) is extremely rare; thus, despite a good treatment outcome for thyroid cancer, TCBM has shown poor clinical outcomes. Considering the short survival and poor general condition of patients with TCBM, stereotactic radiosurgery may be preferred to achieve local control. METHODS: A total of 25 patients with TCBM who underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS) were initially included in this study; however, 3 patients were excluded because of a lack of data. RESULTS: There were 7 men (31.8%) and 15 women (68.2%) and the mean age was 63.7 years. The most common type of thyroid cancer histology was papillary carcinoma. Fourteen patients (63.6%) harbored single brain metastatic tumor and 8 (36.3%) had multiple brain metastatic tumors. The mean duration from thyroid cancer diagnosis to detection of brain metastasis was 7.7 years (range, 0-23 years). The median dose of radiation of GKS was 22 Gy (range, 18-25 Gy). There was no radiation-induced complication after GKS. The median overall survival (OS) was 15 months and the 1-year OS of patients with TCBM was 63%, the 2-year OS was 38%, and the 5-year OS was 28%. The 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) for local recurrence of TCBM was 90.4%, the 1-year PFS was 84%, and the 3-year PFS was 84%. CONCLUSIONS: GKS showed favorable local control for TCBM. However, the rate of distant brain metastasis was high and median survival of patients with TCBM was only 15 months.

Corrigendum: Vestibular schwannoma associated with neurofibromatosis type 2: Clinical course following stereotactic radiosurgery.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.996186.].

Anaplastic Meningioma: Clinical Characteristics, Prognostic Factors and Survival Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Anaplastic meningioma is very rare and is generally known to have a poor prognosis. However, due to its rarity, the relationship between clinical prognosis and prognostic factors is not clear. We analyzed the prognostic factors influencing survival outcomes of patients with anaplastic meningioma. Moreover, we analyzed on the progression pattern and the response to treatment about anaplastic meningioma. METHODS: Retrospective review of 48 patients with diagnosis of World Health Organization (WHO) grade 3 meningioma was performed. According to diagnosis type, primary anaplastic meningioma was included in 28 cases and secondary anaplastic meningioma in 20 cases. Gross total resection was performed in 36 patients (75.0%), and 32 patients (66.7%) received adjuvant radiotherapy after tumor resection with confirmed WHO grade 3 meningioma. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used for outcome analysis. RESULTS: The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 13.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.8 to 19.1) and 56.9 months (95% CI, 24.1 to 89.7), respectively. Adjuvant radiotherapy was a robust prognostic factor for PFS and OS. Extent of resection and diagnosis type which appeared to be significant prognostic factors in univariate analysis were failed to prove statistical significance in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant radiotherapy is an essential treatment arm in patients with anaplastic meningiomas. Stereotactic radiosurgery seems to play an important role as a salvage treatment. But chemotherapy seems to have limited efficacy. Because of the disseminated nature of the disease, further investigations to improve survival outcome are needed.

Clinical Features and Prognosis of Diffuse Midline Glioma: A Series of 24 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) which occurs in midline structures and characterized by harboring K27M mutation in genes encoding the histone 3 protein is classified as World Health Organization (WHO) grade IV regardless of histological findings and has a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, because of its relatively rare incidence compared with other high-grade gliomas, a comprehensive description encompassing clinical features and genomic profiles of DMG is still lacking. METHODS: In this study, we analyzed data of 24 patients who were diagnosed as DMG which was confirmed by surgical specimens in both pediatric and adult patients. We described the clinical outcomes of patients with DMG and their genomic profiles through a retrospective analysis of 24 patients with DMG. RESULTS: The clinical characteristics of the 24 patients with DMG were analyzed. Ten patients (41%) underwent tumor resection and 14 patients (59%) underwent tumor biopsy. The median overall survival was 10.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.4 to 12.5) and progression free survival was 3.9 months (95% CI, 2.6 to 5.2). Fifteen patients (62%) were accompanied by hydrocephalus. None of the patient, tumor, or treatment factors had any significant associated with survival. In both immunohistochemistry staining (n=24) and targeted next generation sequencing (n=15), TP53 mutation was the most common genetic mutation (25% and 46%, respectively) found in the patients except alterations in histone 3 protein. CONCLUSION: Although surgical treatment of patient with DMG does not affect the overall survival prognosis, it can help improve the patient's accompanying neurological symptoms in some limited cases. Hydrocephalus is often accompanied with DMG and treatment for hydrocephalus is often also required. Multidisciplinary therapeutic approach is needed.

Vestibular schwannoma associated with neurofibromatosis type 2: Clinical course following stereotactic radiosurgery.

Objective: A lack of understanding of the clinical course of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-associated vestibular schwannoma (VS) often complicates the decision-making in terms of optimal timing and mode of treatment. We investigated the outcomes of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in this population. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed NF2 patients treated with Gamma-Knife SRS for VS in our tertiary referral center. A total of 41 treated lesions from 33 patients were collected with a follow-up period of 69.1 (45.0-104.8) months. We reviewed the treatment history, hearing function, and other treatment-related morbidities in individual cases. We also analyzed pre- and post-treatment tumor volumes via imaging studies. Longitudinal volumetric analyses were conducted for the tumor volume response of the 41 treated lesions following SRS. The growth pattern of 22 unirradiated lesions during an observation period of 83.4 (61.1-120.4) months was separately evaluated. Results: Most treated lesions showed effective tumor control up to 85% at 60 months after SRS, whereas unirradiated lesions progressed with a relative volume increase of 14.0% (7.8-27.0) per year during the observation period. Twelve (29%) cases showed pseudoprogression with significant volume expansion in the early follow-up period, which practically reduced the rate of tumor control to 57% at 24 months. Among the patients with serviceable hearing, two (20%) cases lost the hearing function on the treated side during the early follow-up period within 24 months. Conclusions: Progressive NF2-associated VS can be adequately controlled by SRS but the short-term effects of this treatment are not highly advantageous in terms of preserving hearing function. SRS treatment candidates should therefore be carefully selected.

Thirty-year clinical experience in gamma knife radiosurgery for trigeminal schwannomas.

We aimed to evaluate the radiographic and clinical outcomes after gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for trigeminal schwannomas (TSs). A total of 87 patients who underwent GKRS for TSs between 1990 and 2020 were enrolled. The mean tumor volume was 4.3 cm3. The median prescribed dose for the margins of the tumor was 13 Gy. The median follow-up duration was 64.3 months (range 12.0-311.5 months). The overall local tumor control rate was 90%, and the symptom response rate was 93%. The response rate for each symptom was 88% for facial pain, 97% for facial sensory change, and 86% for cranial nerve deficits. Nineteen (22%) patients showed transient swelling, which had regressed at the time of the last follow-up. Cystic tumors were associated with transient swelling (p = 0.04). A tumor volume of < 2.7 cm3 was associated with local tumor control in univariable analysis. Transient swelling was associated with symptom control failure in both univariable and multivariable analyses (p = 0.04, odds ratio 14.538). GKRS is an effective treatment for TSs, both for local control and symptom control.

Fate of Residual Tumor After Subtotal Resection of a Previously Irradiated Vestibular Schwannoma: Long-Term Follow-Up of a Single-Institutional Series.

BACKGROUND: The fate of residual tumor after salvage surgery for recurrent vestibular schwannoma (VS) after radiosurgery has not been elucidated so far. We reviewed our surgical series of salvage surgery for recurrent VS, with focus on the natural history of the residual tumor after salvage surgery. METHODS: This study enrolled 14 patients who underwent salvage surgical resection in our institute and were followed up for >12 months. RESULTS: The study included 3 men and 11 women with a median age of 55 years (range: 16-70 years). The median pre-stereotactic radiosurgery tumor volume was 6591 mm3. All patients were treated using gamma knife radiosurgery. The median duration from gamma knife radiosurgery to surgery was 52 months (range: 10-116 months). Solid tumor growth and cyst formation were observed in 6 (42.9%) and 8 (57.1%) patients, respectively. Subtotal resection and partial resection were performed in 13 (92.8%) patients, and gross total resection was achieved in only one (7.2%) patient. Postoperative facial paresis and surgical complication occurred in 5 (35.7%) and 2 (14.3%) patients, respectively. After salvage resection for irradiated VS, no patient showed tumor progression or recurrence during the follow-up period (13 subtotal/partial resections and 1 total resection). In addition, 2 patients in the subtotal resection group showed residual tumor shrinkage after salvage surgery during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The behavior of residual tumors after salvage surgery for irradiated VS was stable. Adjuvant treatment for these residual tumors may not be necessary.

Extraventricular Neurocytoma: Clinical Investigation of Heterogenous Prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Extraventricular neurocytoma (EVN) is an extremely rare neuronal neoplasm that arises outside the ventricle. The clinical implication of the heterogenous prognosis of this rare tumor has not yet been clarified. Herein, we analyzed our institutional series of EVN. METHODS: A total of eight consecutive cases were enrolled and investigated. The prognosis of EVN was analyzed and compared to that of central neurocytoma (CN). RESULTS: There were two male and six female patients, and the median age was 36.5 years. The median tumor size was 38 mm, and the most common location of the tumor was the frontal lobe (3, 37.5%), followed by the parietal and temporal lobes. In brain imaging, four (50%) tumors showed peritumoral edema and three (37.5%) tumors showed calcification. All patients underwent gross total resection, and two (25%) underwent adjuvant radiotherapy. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 55.6%, and the 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 42.9%. The OS and PFS of EVN were poor compared to those of CN. Although EVN is a single disease entity, individual patients showed varying prognosis. One patient showed no recurrence during the 7-year follow-up period; however, another patient had a recurrence 4 months after surgery and died 2 years later. CONCLUSION: EVN may be a heterogenous disease entity. Additional cases with long-term followup are needed to develop optimal management protocols.

A Rare Case of Metastatic Brain Tumor From Classic Biphasic Pulmonary Blastoma Presented as Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Pulmonary blastoma is a rare type of primary lung cancer that accounts for only 0.25%-0.5% of all lung malignancies. Pulmonary blastoma consists of three subgroups: classic biphasic pulmonary blastoma (CBPB), pleuropulmonary blastoma, and well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma. Due to the rarity of the tumor, metastatic brain tumor from CBPB is extremely rare, and only 13 cases, including our case, have been reported. A 60-year-old woman who underwent left upper lobectomy of the lung because of pathologically diagnosed as CBPB 5 months ago, suddenly lost consciousness and presented with stupor mental status. The emergent CT scan showed a large, 51 mL, intracerebral hemorrhage on left parieto-occipital lobe with midline shifting. The patient underwent emergent craniotomy, and a hypervascular tumor was identified during the operation. Histopathologic examination reported metastatic pulmonary blastoma, CBPB. The patient has been in a vegetative state, but there has been no evidence of recurrence over a 6-month follow-up period. We report a rare case of brain metastasis from CBPB presenting with altered mentality due to massive tumor bleeding. This is the only reported case of brain metastasis from CBPB presenting with acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

Posterior Fossa Teratomas in Adults : A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: The occurrence of posterior fossa teratomas in adulthood is extremely rare. In this study, we aimed to report our experience with two cases of posterior fossa mature teratoma in adults who underwent surgical resection. We also performed a systematic review of published papers available to date. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of patients who had onset of posterior fossa teratomas in adulthood at our institute between 1995 and 2020. We evaluated the clinical, radiographic, and pathological features of mature teratomas at the posterior fossa in adulthood. Furthermore, we searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science database and reviewed published articles. RESULTS: We found 507 articles on database review; of them, 102 were duplicates and 389 were excluded based on the inclusion criteria. Finally, 16 cases of posterior fossa from the web search and related articles. Subsequently, we added two cases that underwent surgery at our institute. We analyzed a total of 18 cases of mature teratomas. Headache was the most common (55.6%) symptom. The teratomas showed heterogeneous signals on magnetic resonance imaging. Thirteen patients (72.2%) had lesion at midline, five patients (27.8%) had calcification. Surgical resection was performed in all patients. No studies reported recurrence after resection. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of posterior fossa teratomas in adulthood is difficult to diagnose at the initial stage. Radiographic diagnosis alone can lead to misdiagnosis. Pathological confirmation is essential. Surgical resection is a curative option for posterior fossa teratomas in adulthood.

Intracranial solitary fibrous tumor/hemangiopericytoma: tumor reclassification and assessment of treatment outcome via the 2016 WHO classification.

PURPOSE: As per the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on the classification of central nervous system tumors, solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) and hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) constitute a single disease entity, known as SFT/HPC. This study provides a clinical analysis of these tumors and describes the treatment outcomes of SFT/HPCs. METHODS: This retrospective study included 76 patients with histopathologically proven SFT/HPC. Reclassification according to the 2016 WHO guideline was done for patients who were diagnosed with SFT or HPC based on the 2007 WHO classification. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated for all patients and subgroups. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 77.9 months. The median RFS and OS were 126.5 and 136.8 months, respectively. The 1-, 5-, 10-, and 15-year RFS rates were 93%, 72%, 40%, and 40%, respectively. The 1-, 5-, 10- and 15-year OS rates were 97%, 89%, 54%, and 35%, respectively. In multivariable analyses, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS; p = 0.009, hazard ratio [HR] 6.986), female sex (p = 0.023, HR 1.76), and age over 45 (p = 0.037, HR 2.74) were associated with shorter RFS. Patients who underwent SRS as initial treatment had a shorter OS than that of patients who underwent primary resection (p < 0.001, HR 12.86). CONCLUSIONS: High-grade tumors tended to have worse OS and occur extracranial metastases earlier than low-grade tumors. The median RFS was not different between grade II and III tumors. Male sex, younger age, and GTR were associated with a better RFS. A history of SRS before tumor resection was associated with a shorter RFS and OS.

Treatment Outcome of Hydrocephalus Associated with Vestibular Schwannoma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Managing hydrocephalus in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) is controversial. We evaluated the clinical factors associated with hydrocephalus. METHODS: Between 2000 and 2019, 562 patients with VS were treated at our institute. We applied endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), external ventricular drainage (EVD), and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts to patients with hydrocephalus. The relationships of patient, tumor, and surgical variables with the hydrocephalus outcome were assessed. RESULTS: Preoperative hydrocephalus (Evans ratio ≥0.3) was present in 128 patients. Six patients who received a preresectional VP shunt were excluded after analyzing the hydrocephalus outcome. Seven of the remaining 122 patients had severe hydrocephalus (Evans ratio ≥0.4). Primary tumor resection, VP shunting, ETV, and EVD were performed in 60, 6, 57, and 5 patients, respectively. The hydrocephalus treatment failure rate was highest in the EVD group. Persistent hydrocephalus was present in five (8%) and seven (12%) patients in the primary resection and ETV groups, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that severe hydrocephalus, the cystic tumor, and the extent of resection (subtotal resection or partial resection) were associated with hydrocephalus treatment failure. CONCLUSIONS: Larger ventricles and a higher cystic portion are predictive of persistent hydrocephalus. We recommend attempting near-total tumor resection in patients with VS.

A Nationwide, Population-Based Epidemiology Study of Primary Central Nervous System Tumors in Korea, 2007-2016: A Comparison with United States Data.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiologic characteristics and survival of patients with primary brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors in Korea and to compare our findings with those from the United States. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected data on primary brain and CNS tumors diagnosed between 2007 and 2016 from the Korea Central Cancer Registry. The age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) and 5-year relative survival rates (RSRs) were evaluated. We applied the classification and definitions of the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States to our analysis for direct comparison with United States data. RESULTS: A total of 115,050 primary brain and CNS tumors were identified, and the ASR of all tumors was 22.01 per 100,000 individuals, which was lower than the 23.41 in the United States. However, the ASR of malignant tumors was significantly lower herein (4.27) than in the United States (7.08). Meningeal tumors were the most common histologic group among all tumors (ASR, 8.32). The 5-year RSR of all primary brain and other CNS tumors was 86.4%, and that of all malignant tumors was 44.1%, which was higher than the 35.8% observed in the United States. Among malignant tumors, glioblastomas had the lowest 5-year RSR (12.1%). CONCLUSION: In Korea, malignant brain and other CNS tumors have a lower incidence and better survival outcome.