Pediatric glioblastoma: a single institution experience.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate characteristics of childhood glioblastoma multiforme, effectiveness of treatment modalities, and detect factors related to outcome. METHODS: A detailed analysis was performed on a series of 15 patients treated between 2000 and 2013, based on their clinical, radiologic, pathologic, treatment, and follow-up data. RESULTS: Median survival time of children with glioblastoma was 13.5 months. One- and 2-year overall survival probabilities were 66.7 and 20 %, respectively. There were no significant differences in survival based on patients' gender, age, disease presentation with or without epileptic seizures, signs/symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, or tumor location. The presence of neurological deficit initially, as well as prior to radiotherapy, which was quantified by neurologic function score (NFS), had an impact on overall survival. Children with NFS 0 lived longer compared to others (p = 0.001). Survival of children that underwent gross total resection was longer than that of children that underwent subtotal resection (p = 0.030). Mean survival time of children with gross total resection was 73.5 months, compared to 13 months in children with subtotal resection. There was no significant correlation between outcome and type of radiotherapy. In four patients with gigantocellular glioblastoma, we found no evidence of a better prognosis. Two long-term survivors were recorded. Both of them underwent gross total resection and were assigned a NFS 0. CONCLUSIONS: Gross total resection is essential for longer overall survival among pediatric patients with glioblastoma and offers a possibility for long-term survival. Severity of neurologic symptoms quantified by NFS can be considered as a potential predictor of outcome.

Intraventricular Meningiomas: A Series of 42 Patients at a Single Institution and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Primary intraventricular meningiomas (IVMs) make up 0.5%-5% of all intracranial meningiomas and represent one of the most challenging lesions in neurosurgery. METHODS: Between 1990 and 2013, 42 patients (30 female, 12 male; mean age, 43.6 years) underwent resection of their IVM. The removal was performed by a posterior parietal approach in 19 of the 40 lateral ventricle tumors, and 1 third ventricle meningioma. The transcallosal approach was used for 3 meningiomas, and patients with other lesions underwent temporal (7 cases) and temporoparietal approaches (12 patients), respectively. RESULTS: The most common presenting signs were increased intracranial pressure (83.3%), visual impairment (78.6%) and cognitive changes (50%). Forty lesions (95.2%) arose in the lateral ventricles, and 2 (4.8%) in the third ventricle, ranging in size from 3 to 10 cm. Total removal was achieved in 39 cases and the pathology report disclosed World Health Organization grade I lesions in 41 cases. Hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and cerebral edema were the postoperative complications (7.15%); 1 patient died of respiratory problems not directly related to surgery. Thirty-five patients (83.3%) showed a 6-month Glasgow Outcome Scale of 5. One patient, who underwent partial resection, presented a recurrence after 1 year that remained stable until last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: IVMs usually reach a large size before being diagnosed. Surgical treatment is the most suitable option and total removal should represent the main goal of the procedure. The posterior parietal transulcal approach and the temporoparietal approach are the most common surgical routes used in our series.

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis can be presenting manifestation of breast carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC) is a serious complication occuring in solid cancer patients with rather poor prognosis. CASE REPORT: We presented a 47-year-old woman with the 6-month history of diffuse headache, nausea and visual obscuration. Initially, clinical status and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated syndrome of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Due to clinical progression and high papillary stasis, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination was performed only after ventriculoperitoneal shunt was implanted. This led to a significant although transient clinical improvement. Futher investigations led to the diagnosis of invasive lobular breast carcinoma and repeated CSF analysis revealed malignant breast carcinoma cells. In this case LC was an initial presentation of a malignant-disease. CONCLUSION: In the presence of a high clinical suspicion of LC, in spite of initially negative findings, a clinician should persist in repeating relevant tests, such are MRI with larger amounts of gadolinium and high-volume cytological CSF analyses in order to make the diagnosis.