Demographics aspects of brain and spine metastatic melanoma. Retrospective analysis in a single third-level center.

Background: Melanoma metastases to the CNS rank third in frequency, just after lung and breast metastases. There is controversy regarding the factors predisposing to developing CNS metastases in patients with cutaneous melanoma and their survival with conventional treatments. Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis in a third-level hospital in Mexico to determine epidemiological aspects of melanoma metastases to the central nervous system, factors related to its appearance, clinical presentation, and survival in three treatment groups: surgery, radiotherapy, and conservative management. Results: We found that the nodular variant has the most significant association with CNS metastases. In addition, the superficial spreading variant has the highest risk of presenting a more substantial number of lesions, up to seven for each case and predominantly in the infratentorial space. On the other hand, we found more remarkable survival in patients treated only with surgery than those treated with radiotherapy or conservatively. Conclusions: This study lays the foundations for future prospective survival analysis of the different current treatment modalities for metastatic melanoma in the brain and spine. It also highlights the clinical risk factors for metastatic brain and spine tumors of melanoma.

Histopathological Correlation (World Health Organization Classification) of Meningiomas and Their Anatomical Localization: A Multicenter Epidemiological Study in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the epidemiology of the localization and histological type of meningiomas in the Mexican population and the distribution of the different histological patterns and their relationship to tumor localization and patient demographics. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in 5 hospitals in Mexico from 2009 to 2019. For qualitative variables, mean values were compared using Pearson χ2 test for the correlation between location and histological pattern as well as the clinical presentation and the patient's sex. Student t test was performed for age and its correlation with location and histology. RESULTS: Analysis of 179 patients revealed significant differences in histopathological pattern, patient sex, and tumor location. No significant differences were found for age or clinical presentation in association with any specific histological pattern. CONCLUSIONS: There was a correlation between the histology of the 15 histopathological varieties of meningiomas and the predilection site of appearance as well as certain demographic aspects, such as sex. This study lays the foundation for future studies in Mexico on the differentiation and typing of meningiomas regardless of the histological grade to which they belong, as the exact behavior of these tumors, including grade I tumors, remains unknown to date.

360-surgery for a giant cervical chordoma with involvement of the right vertebral artery.

BACKGROUND: Chordomas are malignant tumors that arise from the remnants of the notochord. Complete en bloc radical resection with postoperative radiation therapy is currently considered the gold standard. Here, we performed a 360-staged approach to manage a C3-C4 chordoma that involved the right vertebral artery. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 40-year-old woman presented with a C3-C4 chordoma that invaded the right vertebral artery. She responded well to a circumferential approach including resection and stabilization. CONCLUSION: A 40-year-old woman with a C3-C4 spinal chordoma was optimally managed with a combined anterior/posterior surgical approach including decompression/fusion.

Spinal drop of atypical choroid plexus papilloma in an adult patient: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Choroid plexus papillomas (CPPs) are benign extra-axial tumors that originate from the choroid plexus; these tumors rarely have metastases, being at the spinal level the location with few reported cases. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report the case of a 48-year-old man with a history of atypical fourth ventricular CPP and gross total resection (GTR) in 2008. In 2015, he presented with radicular pain, decreased strength, and paresthesia in the left leg. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-defined intradural ovoid lesion in the vertebral canal at the level of the L3-L4 intersomatic space. Subtotal resection of the tumor was performed. The patient recovered well, with relief of pain and no neurological deficit. A literature research few cases of CPP metastasis in adults. We describe here a fifth-decade male patient with a lumbar neoplasm, which according to the histopathologic characteristics and location is the first case of an atypical papilloma implant of the choroid plexus at this spinal level. CONCLUSION: GTR of primary lesions and associated implants remains the gold standard for surgical treatment of CPP. Radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and chemotherapy are adjuvant therapies for CPP but there is no definitive protocol for the management of implants. Proper follow-up of these patients is essential since spinal drop can appear many years after the initial presentation of CPP.

Brown tumor of the cervical spine in a patient with secondary hyperparathyroidism: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Brown tumors are non-neoplastic, expansive bone lesions that occur only in the setting of hyperparathyroidism. The most usual localization of brown tumors is in mandible, ribs and large bones. In cervical spine, to date, there are only 11 cases reported. The aim of this work is to report the case of a patient with Wegener´s granulomatosis with secondary end stage renal failure who developed a brown tumor in C4 vertebra. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 25-year-old woman with an history of 2 months of worsening cervicalgia without history of trauma. She complained about progressive neck pain with irradiation to both shoulders and right arm paresthesias, spontaneous fracture or brown spinal cord tumor were suspected. She presented cervical spine instability, was managed with corpectomy of C4 and biopsy. DISCUSSION: The initial suspicion of this disease must be since the first clinician contact of the patient and with the past medical history of end stage renal failure plus recent neurologic manifestations. The aim of neurosurgical management of these patients is to promote spinal stability and release spinal cord and nerve roots to eliminate risk of neurological deficits. CONCLUSION: The importance of the prompt diagnosis of the brown tumor is to establish a multidisciplinary management to prevent progression, neurologic complications and sequelae despite its benign behavior.

Anaplasic astrocytoma with exophytic growth in Sylvian fissure in a pediatric patient: a case report.

Gliomas are the most frequent supratentorial intracranial tumors in the pediatric population. Usually, they are intra-axial lesions with a characteristic image pattern, however, there are few reported cases of gliomas with exophytic growth. There are no previous reports in the literature of gliomas with exophytic growth in the Sylvian fissure. Fourteen year-old female patient who started with seizures. In imaging studies, a neoplasic mass with an exophytic portion in the left Sylvian fissure was found. Macroscopically, total resection was performed, definitive diagnosis was anaplastic astrocytoma. She presented recurrence and is currently receiving adjuvant treatment. Supratentorial gliomas with exophytic growth are extremely rare. We report the first case in the pediatric population, and we consider it is important to know its imaging and macroscopic characteristics for its initial management and to take it into account as a differential diagnosis of exophytic lesions.

Enfermedad de Castleman multicéntrica en una paciente postrasplantada de médula ósea / Multicentric Castleman's disease in a patient post-transplanted of bone marrow

Resumen La enfermedad de Castleman es un grupo heterogéneo de trastornos linfoproliferativos con dos formas de manifestación: variedad unicéntrica y multicéntrica. En términos histológicos se caracteriza por ganglios linfáticos con hiperplasia del centro germinal y aumento en la vascularidad. Se comunica el caso de una paciente de 70 años de edad con antecedente de trasplante autólogo de células troncales y progenitoras hematopoyéticas, que acudió a consulta por padecer astenia, pérdida de peso, dolor abdominal y disnea de evolución progresiva; a la que se le encontró un tumor retroperitoneal y derrame pleural derecho. Se plantea el abordaje del caso y se revisa la bibliografía, ya que se estima la incidencia en 21-25 casos por un millón de habitantes, sólo 14% de los casos reportados con manifestación retroperitoneal.

Abstract Castleman's disease is a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD'S), which has two types of presentation, unicentric (UCD) and multicentric (MCD) variety. Histologically it is characterized by lymph nodes with hyperplasia of germinal centers and increased vascularity. This article reports the clinical case of a 70-year-old female with previous autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant. She arrived with asthenia, weight loss, abdominal pain and progressive dyspnea. A retroperitoneal tumor and right pleural effusion were found. Clinical approach and bibliographic review are reported, the incidence estimation for this disorder is 21-25 cases per million population, and only 14% of reported cases had a retroperitoneal presentation.

Malignant nerve sheath tumor involving glossopharyngeal, vagus and spinal nerve with intracranial-extracranial extension and systemic metastases in a patient with type 1 neurofibromatosis: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Intracranial malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are an extremely rare pathology with a high morbidity and mortality. Epidemiological, clinical and prognostic data are scarce and with little certainty in the literature. The aim of this paper is to report for first time in English literature, the case of a patient with type 1 neurofibromatosis, who presented a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor that involved the left glossopharyngeal, vagus and spinal nerves with intracranial and extracranial extension through jugular foramen and systemic metastases. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 37 years-old female patient with malnutrition and Villaret́s syndrome. It was confirmed by brain magnetic resonance imaging and PET-CT the presence of a neoplasic lesion which was radiologically compatible with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor with systemic metastases. Partial surgical resection was performed; the patient postoperative course was without significant clinical improvement but with added peripheral facial palsy. The patient did not accept adjuvant management because of personal reasons. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Behavior therapy is unclear due to the low frequency of the disease and the lack of case series, representing a challenge for the physician in its approach and a poor prognosis for the patient.

[The Mexican Board of Pathology: microscopy examination before and after digital microscopy]. / Consejo Mexicano de Médicos Anatomopatólogos: su examen de microscopia, antes y después de su digitalización.

INTRODUCTION: The examination carried out by the COMMAP for the certification process assessed pathologist formed in dissimilar institutions. In 2007 COMMAP's governing body in turn, decided to digitize it. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the conversion to virtual slides in the microscopy section, compared with the traditional have had an impact on the scores of the candidates. METHOD: The slides were scanned with high resolution. The virtual microscope is a standard computer screen where there is a program (Aperio Scope Image Viewer) that can display the scanned slides. The results of the microscopy section of the past nine years were compared; two groups were formed: 1) those without digitized examination, and 2) with it. The results were compared by Student t-test and Mann-Whitney. RESULTS: Of a 461 results 240 belonged to the first group and 221 to the second one. On a scale of 1-10, the average scores were 6.6 and 6.8, respectively (p > 0.6 and > 0.5).The minimum and maximum scores were also similar in each group. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, the digitized exam in the COMMAP's certification process shows no difference between the digitized and the conventional versions.

Mucormicosis renal aislada / Isolated renal mucormicosis

La mucormicosis es una infección causada por hongos de la clase Zygomycetes. Existen varias formas de presentación clínica, siendo las más comunes la rinocerebral y la pulmonar. La mucormicosis renal aislada es un tipo de mucormicosis muy poco frecuente hasta el momento; se han reportado 25 casos en la literatura. Se presenta el caso de una paciente con leucemia aguda que desarrolló mucormicosis renal aislada, y se revisa la literatura.

Mucormycosis is an infection caused by a class Zygomycetes fungi. The rhinocerebral and pulmonary are the most common clinical presentations. Renal mucormycosis is a very rare form. To date, only 25 cases have been reported in the literature. We describe the case of a patient with leukemia who developed isolated renal mucormycosis and review the literature.

[Isolated renal mucormicosis]. / Mucormicosis renal aislada.

Mucormycosis is an infection caused by a class Zygomycetes fungi. The rhinocerebral and pulmonary are the most common clinical presentations. Renal mucormycosis is a very rare form. To date, only 25 cases have been reported in the literature. We describe the case of a patient with leukemia who developed isolated renal mucormycosis and review the literature.

Arteritis segmentaria y focal de arterias intracraneanas: Informe de cuatro casos de autopsia / Segmental and focal arteritis of intracranial arteries: A report of four autopsy cases

El sistema nervioso central puede ser afectado por diversos tipos de vasculitis, ya sea como parte de una afección sistémica o de manera aislada. Se informan cuatro casos de arteritis segmentarias y focales de arterias intracraneanas, todos los pacientes fueron jóvenes y no presentaron datos clínicos de afección, ni lesiones en arterias extracraneanas. La afección de las arterias cerebrales fue focal y segmentaria y produjo trombosis con el consiguiente infarto isquémico en el territorio irrigado por el vaso afectado. Se revisan los conceptos sobre patogenía y clasificación de las vasculitis que afectan al sistema nervioso central, con especial atención de aquellas producidas por complejos inmunes circulantes

Enterocolitis neutropénica. Estudio de 16 casos en pacientes con leucemia en un periodo de 12 años / Neutropenic enterocolitis. a study of 16 cases in patients with leukemia during a 12 years period

La enterocolitis neutropénica es una complicación que se observa principalmente en pacientes con leucemia tratados con inmunosupresores citotóxicos que posteriormente, debido a su estado de inmunodepresión, presentan infección por agentes oportunistas como bacterias, virus u hongos. En este estudio se encontró que el 4 por ciento de 325 casos de leucemia en material de autopsias del Hospital General de México, presentaron esta complicación. En todos los casos hubo afección extensa del colon e ileon; en dos casos la muerte se debió a perforación y peritonitis. Además se encontraron casos con afección en sitios extraintestinales como lengua, esófago, bronquio y cérvix, por lo que consideramos que esta complicación no es exclusiva de la región enterocólica y proponemos el término de ®lesión neutropénica sistémica¼ cuando exista afección fuera de este sitio en múltiples órganos

La hemorragia secundaria en el tallo cerebral (de Duret): estudio clínico patológico de 195 casos de autopsia / Secondary brain stem hemorrhage of Duret. A clinicopathologic study of 195 autopsy cases

La hemorragia secundaria en el tallo cerebral es una complicación de cualquier masa supratentorial de crecimiento rápido. Se revisaron los protocolos de 17,422 autopsias efectuadas de 1969 a 1992. Se encontraron 377 casos de masas supratentoriales de crecimiento rápido, en 195 hubo hemorragia secundaria y en 182 no se presentó. Hubo un ligero predominio de estas hemorragias en hombres. Las masas supratentoriales que produjeron hemorragia secundaria fueron, en orden decreciente de frecuencia; hemorragias asociadas a hipertensión arterial, infartos arteriales embólicos, hematomas subdurales, tumores aneurismas saculares rotos, etc. Hubo infarto en el territorio de la arteria cerebral posterior en el 20.5 por ciento, y sólo se encontraron datos clínicos de descerebración en el 11.8 por ciento de los casos. Se revisan algunos conceptos sobre la patogenia y se analizan las posibles explicaciones para la ausencia de hemorragia en muchos casos de lesiones supratentoriales expansivas. Se concluye que el número de casos con esta complicación fatal en este material de autopsias es alarmantemente elevado

Angiopatía cerebral amiloide: informe de tres casos autopsia / Cerebral amyloid angiopathy. A report of three autopsy cases

Hay diferentes enfermedades que cursan con depósito de amiloidosis sistémica. Este material se deposita en los vasos pequeños corticales y de las leptomeninges y generalmente se manifiesta con demencia o hemorragia. Se informa un caso que cursó clínicamente con demencia, y dos que murieron como consecuencia de una hemorragia parenquimatosa extensa. Todos tenían angiopatía amiloide. Se revisan los conceptos sobre angiopatía amiloide, las enfermedades en las que se presenta y el posible mecanismo de la proteína beta, componente del amiloide de la mayor parte de las entidades con amiloidosis cerebral primaria