Clinical considerations and surgical approaches for low-grade gliomas in deep hemispheric locations: thalamic lesions.

BACKGROUND: Tumors with epicenter in the thalamus occur in about 4 % of pediatric brain tumors. The histological diagnosis is mainly gliomas. Among them, low-grade glioma (LGG) constituted of a significant entity of the tumors (Cuccia et al., Childs Nerv Syst 13:514-521, 1997; Puget et al., J Neurosurg 106:354-362, 2007; Bernstein et al., J Neurosurg 61:649-656, 1984; Bilginer et al., Childs Nerv Syst 30:1493-1498, 2014). Since Kelly's report in 1989, >90 % resection of thalamic tumors were achieved in reported series (Ozek and Ture, Childs Nerv Syst 18:450-6, 2002; Villarejo et al., Childs Nerv Syst 10:111-114, 1994; Moshel et al., Neurosurgery 61:66-75, 2007; Albright, J Neurosurg 100(5 Suppl Pediatrics): 468-472, 2004; Kelly, Neurosurgery 25:185-195, 1989; Drake et al., Neurosurgery 29: 27-33, 1991). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-nine cases of thalamic tumors in children were retrospectively reviewed. There were 25 cases of LGGs. We analyzed our experience and correlated it with reported series. RESULTS: Summing up of 4 reported series and the present series, there were 267 cases of thalamic tumors in children. Among these tumors, 107 (40.1 %) were LGGs and 91 (34.1 %) were low-grade astrocytomas (LGAs). In the present series, all of the 25 LGGs were LGAs that consisted of 11 pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) and 14 diffuse astrocytomas (DAs). Six cases received biopsy sampling only. The remaining 19 cases received different degrees of surgical resection via several approaches. Radical (>90 %) resection was achieved better in PAs comparing with DAs. There was no operative mortality. Two patients had increased neurological deficits. In a mean follow-up period of 11.9 years, three patients died of tumor progression and one patient died of anaplastic change. The 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) was 87.1 and 87.1 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: Thalamic LGGs are mainly LGAs and are indolent. The rate of >90 % resection was relatively low in the present series. By applying contemporary diagnostic MRI studies, surgical facilities, and appropriate approaches in selective cases, we may try maximum neuroprotective radical (>90 %) resection.

Factors affecting survival of medulloblastoma in children: the changing concept of management.

Medulloblastoma (MB) is a type of malignant tumor arising only in the cerebellum that was first defined by Cushing and Bailey in 1920s. In this review paper, we trace the evolution of risk stratification and the correlated changing concept of management in the past years. Outcome analysis of the hospital series of the Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, and Taipei Medical University Hospital was performed to correlate prognostic indicators with reported studies. The purpose is to provide clues for age-specific and risk-adjusted optimal, effective, but beneficial and protective treatment strategies of these tumors in children.

Synergistic Effect of Sorafenib and Radiation on Human Oral Carcinoma in vivo.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma often causes bone invasion resulting in poor prognosis and affects the quality of life for patients. Herein, we combined radiation with sorafenib, to evaluate the combination effect on tumor progression and bone erosion in an in situ human OSCC-bearing mouse model. Treatment procedure were arranged as following groups: (a) normal (no tumor); (b) control (with tumor); (c) sorafenib (10 mg/kg/day); (d) radiation (single dose of 6 Gy); (e) pretreatment (sorafenib treatment for 3 days prior to radiation), and (f) concurrent treatment (sorafenib and radiation on the same day). The inhibition of tumor growth and expression level of p65 of NF-κB in tumor tissues were the most significant in the pretreatment group. EMSA and Western blot showed that DNA/NF-κB activity and the expressions of NF-κB-associated proteins were down-regulated. Notably, little to no damage in mandibles and zygomas of mice treated with combination of sorafenib and radiation was found by micro-CT imaging. In conclusion, sorafenib combined with radiation suppresses radiation-induced NF-κB activity and its downstream proteins, which contribute to radioresistance and tumorigenesis. Additionally, bone destruction is also diminished, suggesting that combination treatment could be a potential strategy against human OSCC.

Tuberculosis-associated hemophagocytic syndrome in a hemodialysis patient with protracted fever.

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is a clinicopathological reflection of uncontrolled activation of macrophages. To our knowledge, only a few cases of tuberculosis-associated HPS in hemodialysis have been reported in the English literature. We report a case of tuberculosis-associated HPS during hemodialysis. Bone marrow aspiration showed histiocytosis with hemophagocytosis; in addition, results of acid-fast staining and polymerase chain reaction showed the presence of acid-fast bacilli. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was subsequently cultured from sputum. The patient received late treatment with antituberculosis agents combined with intravenous immunoglobulin and had a poor response. On the basis of the results in this case, we recommend early bone marrow and tuberculous examination for patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis who have fever of unknown origin.

Amyand's Hernia - Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Amyand's hernia is an extremely rare condition in which the appendix is positioned in the inguinal hernia sac. Acute appendicitis is much less common in this situation and few reports are found in the literature. We report a case of acute appendicitis with the tip of the appendix incarcerated outside the external ring of the right groin. A mobilized cecum and ascending colon were noticed during surgery. We conducted a review of the literature, emphasizing possible causes and suggesting a predisposing factor for the condition.

Follicular dendritic cell tumor of the liver associated with Epstein-Barr virus.

Follicular dendritic cell tumors are an uncommon neoplasm. About half of all cases occur in the lymph nodes, especially in the neck region. Follicular dendritic cell tumors of the liver are even rarer. In this article we report a case of a hepatic follicular dendritic cell tumor. A 30-year-old female was noted to have a hepatic mass 6 cm in size in segment 6. The patient underwent a right lobectomy of the liver. Microscopically, the lesion was an admixture of spindle cells and inflammatory cells, chiefly lymphocytes, plasma cells, histiocytes and a few neutrophils. The spindle cells were arranged in a wavy pattern, with a vague cellular border and eosinophilic cytoplasm. These tumor cells were immunoreactive to CD21 and CD68. The test for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded nuclear RNAs using in situ hybridization was also positive. Although hepatic follicular dendritic cell tumors appear similar to conventional inflammatory pseudotumors in terms of histology, they should be regarded as a clonal proliferation of follicular dendritic cells. In contrast to follicular dendritic cell tumors in extrahepatic areas, hepatic follicular dendritic cell tumors have a strong association with EBV and a greater inflammatory component and are more prevalent in females.

Middle lobe syndrome as the pulmonary manifestation of primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Middle lobe syndrome - recurrent atelectasis and/or bronchiectasis involving the right middle lobe and/or lingula - has, up to now, not been reported as the pulmonary manifestation of primary Sjögren's syndrome. We describe a patient in whom lymphocytic bronchiolitis in the atelectatic lobes was proved histologically from two separate transbronchial biopsies. The atelectasis responded well to glucocorticoid treatment, suggesting that the peribronchiolar lymphocytic infiltrates may have played an important role in the development of middle lobe syndrome in this patient.