Anatomical aspects and technical note of a modified retropharyngeal approach and reconstruction of the anterior occipitocervical junction.

Surgery to expose the anterior occiptocervical junction (OCJ) is exacting, and optimal approaches are debatable. The close proximity of vital structures and difficult surgical access present a unique challenge to treat lesions in this area. Routine access to the upper anterior cervical spine remains limited. The authors present a modified retropharyngeal approach and instrumentation in order to resect an exceptionally rare atypical rhabdoid teratoid tumor involving the craniovertebral junction. The technical aspects of this approach in anatomical perspectives are discussed in this article.

Neuroinflammation and immunoregulation in glioblastoma and brain metastases: Recent developments in imaging approaches.

Brain tumors and brain metastases induce changes in brain tissue remodeling that lead to immunosuppression and trigger an inflammatory response within the tumor microenvironment. These immune and inflammatory changes can influence invasion and metastasis. Other neuroinflammatory and necrotic lesions may occur in patients with brain cancer or brain metastases as sequelae from treatment with radiotherapy. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary malignant brain cancer in adults. Imaging methods such as positron emission tomography (PET) and different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are highly valuable for the diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of GBM and other malignant brain tumors. However, differentiating between tumor tissue and inflamed brain tissue with imaging protocols remains a challenge. Here, we review recent advances in imaging methods that have helped to improve the specificity of primary tumor diagnosis versus evaluation of inflamed and necrotic brain lesions. We also comment on advances in differentiating metastasis from neuroinflammation processes. Recent advances include the radiosynthesis of 18 F-FIMP, an L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1)-specific PET probe that allows clearer differentiation between tumor tissue and inflammation compared to previous probes, and the combination of different advanced imaging protocols with the inclusion of radiomics and machine learning algorithms.

Maffucci's syndrome complicated by intracranial chondrosarcoma: two new illustrative cases.

Maffucci's syndrome is a rare congenital condition, sometimes misdiagnosed as Ollier's disease, characterized by multiple enchondromas combined with hemangiomas and phlebectasia. Coexisting primary malignancies have been described sporadically. We report two cases of Maffucci's syndrome associated with cranial base chondrosarcoma, emphasizing pathophysiological features and the challenging management of intracranial chondrosarcomas. To the best of our knowledge, only twelve similar cases have been reported in the literature.

Maffucci' s syndrome complicated by intracranial chondrosarcoma: two new illustrative cases

Maffucci's syndrome is a rare congenital condition, sometimes misdiagnosed as Ollier's disease, characterized by multiple enchondromas combined with hemangiomas and phlebectasia. Coexisting primary malignancies have been described sporadically. We report two cases of Maffucci's syndrome associated with cranial base chondrosarcoma, emphasizing pathophysiological features and the challenging management of intracranial chondrosarcomas. To the best of our knowledge, only twelve similar cases have been reported in the literature.

Síndrome de Maffucci é uma condição congênita rara, às vezes confundida com a doença de Ollier, caracterizada por encondromas múltiplos associados com hemangiomas e flebectasia. A concomitância com neoplasias primárias tem sido relatada esporadicamente. Nós relatamos dois casos de síndrome de Maffucci associada a condrossarcoma da base do crânio, enfatizando aspectos fisiopatológicos e o manejo desafiador dos condrossarcomas intracranianos. Em revisão da literatura, podemos encontrar o relato de apenas doze casos similares.