The utilisation of fMRI for pre-operative mapping in the paediatric population with central nervous system tumours: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Functional MRI (fMRI) is a well-established tool for pre-operative planning, providing neurosurgeons with a roadmap of critical functional areas to preserve during surgery. Despite its increasing use, there is a need to compare task-based (tb-fMRI) and resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) in the peadiatric population to comprehensively evaluate the existing literature on the use of fMRI for pre-operative mapping in pediatric patients, comparing tb-fMRI and rs-fMRI. METHODS: Two databases were searched for relevant studies published before July 2024 following the PRISMA guidelines. Eleven studies were selected and comprised 431 participants: 377 patients with different types and locations of brain tumours, and 54 healthy controls (HC). RESULTS: Results indicate that tb-fMRI could reliably locate the eloquent cortex with more than an 80% success rate. Furthermore, results were comparable with intraoperative mapping. Two studies reported that 68-81% of patients did not develop deficits in the postoperative period. Results also found that rs-fMRI can fill the gap in the situation of paediatric patients when other techniques do not apply to younger patients. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that tb-fMRI is more effective for pre-operative mapping in pediatric patients, offering precise localisation of critical brain functions and enhancing surgical planning. Although rs-fMRI is less demanding and compatible with light sedation, it lacks the specificity needed for accurate identification of language, sensory, and motor areas, which limits its clinical relevance. rs-fMRI can aid in function-preserving treatments for brain tumour patients and reduce the need for invasive procedures. Combining tb-fMRI with intraoperative mapping optimizes precision and safety in pediatric-neurosurgery.

Prediction of Histological Grade and Completeness of Resection of Intracranial Meningiomas: Role of Peritumoural Brain Edema.

BACKGROUND: Meningioma is the commonest primary intracranial tumour in adults. Excision is curative for low grade meningioma, whereas high-grade meningioma requires adjuvant therapy following surgery. Several studies have examined the association between peritumoural brain Edema - a common feature in meningioma - and histological grading with mixed results. The present study attempted to elucidate this association and if peritumoural brain Edema affects the intra-operative judgement of surgeons on the completeness of resection. METHODS: An observational study was conducted among those who underwent surgery for meningioma. Eighteen subjects were recruited each for low- and high-grades, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to surgery was employed for interpreting the Edema index and MRI after surgery was used to determine residual tumour. RESULTS: Median age was 50 years, male to female ratio was 1:3.5, 69.4% had peritumoural brain Edema and 75% had reported gross resection. Among the reported gross total resection cases, 40.7% had residual tumour. Analysis showed statistically significant association between peritumoural brain Edema (P = 0.027) and tumour volume (P = 0.001) with high-grade meningioma, however multivariate analysis did not present any association. No association was noted between judgement of tumour resection by surgeons and peritumoural brain Edema. CONCLUSION: Odds ratio for peritumoural brain Edema remained high and the tumour volume exhibited marginal P-value marginal significance for prediction of high grade meningioma. These two factors may still contribute to the tumour grade and should be included in further studies on the prognosis of meningioma.

Profiling of autoantibodies in the sera of glioblastoma patients.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the expression pattern of autoantibody proteins from the serum of grade IV glioblastoma patients.Materials & methods: We performed high throughput antibody profiling via the Sengenics i-Ome® Protein Array to determine the differentially expressed autoantibodies.Results: The results portrayed that anti-COL4A3BP and anti-HSP90AA1 were among the upregulated autoantibodies in glioblastoma sera.Conclusion: The selected autoantibodies offer promising targets for future glioblastoma pathogenesis. However, further validation is required to elucidate the autoantibody signature in glioblastoma patients.

Glioblastoma is a disease affecting many people. Herein we have identified several proteins called autoantibodies that are abundant in the serum of glioblastoma patients and can be used as targets to treat or diagnose this disease.

Case report: Triple whammy: Synchronous radiotherapy induced glioblastoma multiforme and papillary thyroid cancer following nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Secondary malignancies following radiotherapy are well documented, with an estimated incidence of 5%. These may manifest as carcinomas, gliomas, or sarcomas within the previous radiation field. Glioblastoma multiforme following radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma is an uncommon occurrence and carries a poor prognosis, whereas papillary thyroid carcinoma following radiotherapy is well documented, though the exact incidence is not well documented. The occurrence of synchronous radiotherapy-induced malignancy over both sites has not been described in the literature before. We describe a middle-aged gentleman diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme and papillary thyroid carcinoma 6 years after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Though our case is the first reported case of a synchronous tumour of its nature, it is likely that such cases are under-reported. Long-term vigilance for loco-regional radiotherapy-induced secondary malignancies is a must, and the presence of a second distinct secondary malignancy must be entertained.

Survey on Untethering of the Spinal Cord and Urological Manifestations among Spina Bifida Patients in Malaysia.

The incidence and severity of urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to spina bifida is poorly understood in Malaysia. Tethering of the spinal cord is a pathological fixation of the cord in the vertebral column that can result in neurogenic bladder dysfunction and other neurological problems. It occurs in patients with spina bifida, and the authors of this study sought to investigate the impact of untethering on the urological manifestations of children with a tethered cord, thereby consolidating a previously known understanding that untethering improves bladder and bowel function. Demographic and clinical data were collected via an online questionnaire and convenient sampling techniques were used. A total of 49 individuals affected by spina bifida participated in this study. UTIs were reported based on patients' observation of cloudy and smelly urine (67%) as well as urine validation (60%). UTI is defined as the combination of symptoms and factoring in urine culture results that eventually affects the UTI diagnosis in spina bifida individuals irrespective of CISC status. Furthermore, 18% of the respondents reported being prescribed antibiotics even though they had no history of UTI. Therefore, indiscriminate prescription of antibiotics by healthcare workers further compounds the severity of future UTIs. Employing CISC (73%) including stringent usage of sterile catheters (71%) did not prevent patients from getting UTI. Overall, 33% of our respondents reported manageable control of UTI (0-35 years of age). All individuals below the age of 5 (100%, n = 14) were seen to have improved urologically after the untethering surgery under the guidance of the Malaysia NTD support group. Improvement was scored and observed using KUB (Kidneys, Ureters and Bladder) ultrasound surveillance before untethering and continued thereafter. Spina bifida individuals may procure healthy bladder and bowel continence for the rest of their lives provided that neurosurgical and urological treatments were sought soon after birth and continues into adulthood.

Somatic mitochondrial DNA mutations in different grades of glioma.

Aim: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) alterations play an important role in the multistep processes of cancer development. Gliomas are among the most diagnosed brain cancer. The relationship between mtDNA alterations and different grades of gliomas are still elusive. This study aimed to elucidate the profile of somatic mtDNA mutations in different grades of gliomas and correlate it with clinical phenotype. Materials & methods: Forty histopathologically confirmed glioma tissue samples and their matched blood were collected and subjected for mtDNA sequencing. Results & conclusion: About 75% of the gliomas harbored at least one somatic mutation in the mtDNA gene, and 45% of these mutations were pathogenic. Mutations were scattered across the mtDNA genome, and the commonest nonsynonymous mutations were located at complex I and IV of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. These findings may have implication for future research to determine the mitochondrial energetics and its downstream metabolomics on gliomas.

Heterotopic ossification in psammomatous spinal meningioma: a diagnostic controversy.

Heterotopic ossification (HO), a synonym for osseous metaplasia, is a pathological phenomenon, characterized by abnormal bone formation outside the skeletal system observed commonly in various neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. HO occurring in meningioma is exceptionally rare. We reportherein an unusual case of spinal meningioma containing numerous calcified psammoma bodies and extensive HO in a 75-year-old woman, who presented with progressive worsening bilateral lower limb weakness and numbness. The presence of remarkable bone formation within a meningioma is controversial among pathologists; while some regard them as psammomatous meningioma as the primary diagnosis, others prefer osteoblastic meningioma, a form of metaplastic meningioma. There is compelling molecular data to advocate that HO is an active disease process involving metaplastic (osseous) differentiation of meningioma stroma mesenchymal stem-like cells, but not the meningothelial-derived tumor cells. Henceforth, the term "metaplastic meningioma" may not be appropriate in this context. A plausible designation as "psammomatous meningioma with osseous metaplasia" defines this entity more accurately. This paper highlights the need for a unifying nomenclature to reduce diagnostic controversy caused by conflicting terms in the literature. The possible pathogenesis of this intriguing phenomenon is discussed.

Now You See, Now You Don't: A Case Of Spontaneous Regression of Pituitary Tumour.

Spontaneous regression of pituitary tumours are rare and can be due to tumour ischaemia, pituitary apoplexy, or lymphocytic hypophysitis. We report a case of a 32-year-old female, who presented with symptoms and signs of extrasellar pituitary enlargement and hypothyroidism. MRI revealed a pituitary mass that spontaneously regressed after a month, with complete resolution of symptoms. Not all pituitary tumours require surgical intervention especially in the case of autoimmune lymphocytic hypophysitis.

Rare and Unique Case of Midline Anterior Arch of Atlas Non-formation Mimicking Jefferson Type 1 Fracture.

Cervical spine injuries are rare occurrences in children, especially the congenital anomalies of the atlas vertebra. Any injury involving the craniovertebral junction such as Jefferson fracture, is a valid cause for alarm due to the complex nature of the craniovertebral junction and the morbidity associated with it. We report the case of a 10-year-old male, who had failure of fusion of anterior arch of atlas due to the failure of formation of the anterior midline synchondrosis, and this mimicked a Jefferson fracture. If it was not for the peculiar absence of any corresponding evidence to suggest spinal injury, we might have mistaken this extremely rare but benign anomaly for a Jefferson fracture and subjected the patient to needless surgical treatment. Hence, it is concluded that keen clinical acumen and clear understanding of the developmental anatomy of these patients may be necessary to adequately manage them.

An Unusual Case of the Successful Treatment of Carbapenem-resistant Ventriculitis with Intravenous Colistin.

Ventriculitis is a well-documented complication of ventriculostomy, which is difficult to treat and is associated with high rates of mortality. There is a growing trend of resistance among many organisms, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, in particular, to most antibiotics with the exception of colistin. It is thought that colistin has poor blood-brain barrier penetration; therefore, in cases of ventriculitis, it is preferentially administered via the intrathecal or intraventricular route. These routes, in turn, risk introducing infections, which may perpetuate the problem. We report a case of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculitis, which was treated successfully with intravenous colistin monotherapy.