Superficial meningioma with bone involvement: surgical strategies and clinical outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Meningiomas with bone involvement account for 4.5-17% of all intracranial meningiomas. Little is known about whether these meningiomas (WHO grade I) behave differently than meningiomas without bone involvement. We sought to study the relatively uncommon imaging manifestations of meningioma and to evaluate their clinical significance. METHODS: A single-institution retrospective cohort study of surgically treated superficial meningioma patients between 2011 and 2022 was conducted. Age, sex, preoperative imaging, operative data, and surgical outcomes were reviewed. Imaging variables and outcomes were reported for patients with bone-invading meningiomas and compared with those with nonbone-invading meningiomas. Univariate analyses were also conducted. RESULTS: Of 577 total superficial meningiomas treated surgically, 47 (8.1%) exhibited bone invasion. Most bone-invading meningiomas were parasagittal (n = 29, 61.7%). A total of 12.7% (n = 6) of patients with bone-invading meningioma had recurrence, whereas 9.1% (n = 48) of patients with non-bone-invading meningioma had recurrence (p = 0.426). No significant difference in the median time to recurrence was observed between patients with bone-invading meningiomas and patients with nonbone-invading meningiomas (69.8 months, Q1:53.1; Q3:81.4 months vs. 69.7 months, Q1:47.5; Q3:96.7; p = 0.638). CONCLUSIONS: Superficial meningioma with bone involvement had similar outcomes compared to those of superficial meningioma without bone involvement. Hyperostosis in meningioma (WHO grade I) may not be a surrogate for aggressive meningioma behavior.

MR-CT image fusion method of intracranial tumors based on Res2Net.

BACKGROUND: Information complementarity can be achieved by fusing MR and CT images, and fusion images have abundant soft tissue and bone information, facilitating accurate auxiliary diagnosis and tumor target delineation. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to construct high-quality fusion images based on the MR and CT images of intracranial tumors by using the Residual-Residual Network (Res2Net) method. METHODS: This paper proposes an MR and CT image fusion method based on Res2Net. The method comprises three components: feature extractor, fusion layer, and reconstructor. The feature extractor utilizes the Res2Net framework to extract multiscale features from source images. The fusion layer incorporates a fusion strategy based on spatial mean attention, adaptively adjusting fusion weights for feature maps at each position to preserve fine details from the source images. Finally, fused features are input into the feature reconstructor to reconstruct a fused image. RESULTS: Qualitative results indicate that the proposed fusion method exhibits clear boundary contours and accurate localization of tumor regions. Quantitative results show that the method achieves average gradient, spatial frequency, entropy, and visual information fidelity for fusion metrics of 4.6771, 13.2055, 1.8663, and 0.5176, respectively. Comprehensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method preserves more texture details and structural information in fused images than advanced fusion algorithms, reducing spectral artifacts and information loss and performing better in terms of visual quality and objective metrics. CONCLUSION: The proposed method effectively combines MR and CT image information, allowing the precise localization of tumor region boundaries, assisting clinicians in clinical diagnosis.

Outcomes following surgical resection of cystic intracranial meningiomas.

INTRODUCTION: Cystic meningiomas are rare, accounting for 2-7% of all intracranial meningiomas. Little is known regarding whether these meningiomas behave differently compared to solid meningiomas. We sought to study this relatively uncommon imaging appearance of meningioma and to evaluate its clinical significance. METHODS: A single-institution retrospective cohort study of surgically-treated meningioma patients between 2000 and 2019 was conducted. Cystic meningioma was defined as a tumor with an intratumoral or peritumoral cyst present on preoperative imaging. Demographics, preoperative imaging, histopathology characteristics, operative data, and surgical outcomes were reviewed. Imaging variables, histopathology and outcomes were reported for cystic meningiomas and compared with non-cystic meningiomas. Univariate/multivariable analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Of 737 total meningiomas treated surgically, 38 (5.2%) were cystic. Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 84.2% of cystic meningioma patients. Eighty-two percent of cystic meningiomas were WHO grade I (n = 31), 15.7% were grade II and 2.6% were grade III. Most cystic meningiomas had low Ki-67/MIB-1 proliferation index (n = 24, 63.2%). A total of 18.4% (n = 7) patients with cystic meningioma had recurrence compared to 12.2% (n = 80) of patients with non-cystic meningioma (p = 0.228). No significant difference in median time to recurrence was observed between cystic and non-cystic meningiomas (25.4, Q1:13.9, Q3:46.9 months vs. 13.4, Q1:8.6, Q3:35.5 months, p = 0.080). CONCLUSIONS: A small portion of intracranial meningiomas have cystic characteristics on imaging. Cystic meningiomas are frequently WHO grade I, have low proliferation index, and had similar outcomes compared to non-cystic meningioma. Cysts in meningioma may not be a surrogate to determine aggressive meningioma behavior.

Diencephalic syndrome in a female child due to intracranial germinoma: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Diencephalic syndrome (DS) is a rare syndrome with failure to thrive (FTT) as the primary manifestation, which is often associated with astrocytoma or glioma and rarely caused by germinoma. To our knowledge, there are no reports of female patients presenting with DS secondary to germinoma. CASE REPORT: we report a case (an 11-year-old girl) of diencephalic syndrome presenting with FTT. She was diagnosed with severe malnutrition in the local hospital two years before admission and still did not show normal development after long-term nutritional support. Finally, after ruling out increased metabolism, inadequate caloric intake, and nutrient absorption, intracranial MRI showed a space-occupying lesion in the suprasellar cisterna-hypothalamus area. After excluding other causes of FTT, a biopsy was performed for pathological examination and demonstrated a germinoma. An excellent therapeutic effect was achieved during the three-month follow-up after radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: This case reminds us that intracranial tumors should be considered an indispensable etiology for patients with suspicious FTT, and early diagnosis and intervention may achieve a good prognosis.

Preoperative risk model for perioperative stroke after intracranial tumor resection: ACS NSQIP analysis of 30,951 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Perioperative and/or postoperative cerebrovascular accidents (PCVAs) after intracranial tumor resection (ITR) are serious complications with devastating effects on quality of life and survival. Here, the authors retrospectively analyzed a prospectively maintained, multicenter surgical registry to design a risk model for PCVA after ITR to support efforts in neurosurgical personalized medicine to risk stratify patients and potentially mitigate poor outcomes. METHODS: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for ITR cases (2015-2019, n = 30,951). Patients with and without PCVAs were compared on baseline demographics, preoperative clinical characteristics, and outcomes. Frailty (physiological reserve for surgery) was measured by the Revised Risk Analysis Index (RAI-rev). Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent associations between preoperative covariates and PCVA occurrence. The ITR-PCVA risk model was generated based on logit effect sizes and assessed in area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis. RESULTS: The rate of PCVA was 1.7% (n = 532). Patients with PCVAs, on average, were older and frailer, and had increased rates of nonelective surgery, interhospital transfer status, diabetes, hypertension, unintentional weight loss, and elevated BUN. PCVA was associated with higher rates of postoperative reintubation, infection, thromboembolic events, prolonged length of stay, readmission, reoperation, nonhome discharge destination, and 30-day mortality (all p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, predictors of PCVAs included RAI "frail" category (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.4; p = 0.006), Black (vs White) race (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1; p = 0.009), nonelective surgery (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.7; p = 0.003), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-1.9; p = 0.002), hypertension (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.7; p = 0.006), and preoperative elevated blood urea nitrogen (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8; p = 0.014). The ITR-PCVA predictive model was proposed from the resultant multivariable analysis and performed with a modest C-statistic in AUROC analysis of 0.64 (95% CI 0.61-0.66). Multicollinearity diagnostics did not detect any correlation between RAI-rev parameters and other covariates (variance inflation factor = 1). CONCLUSIONS: The current study proposes a novel preoperative risk model for PCVA in patients undergoing ITR. Patients with poor physiological reserve (measured by frailty), multiple comorbidities, abnormal preoperative laboratory values, and those admitted under high acuity were at highest risk. The ITR-PCVA risk model may support patient-centered counseling striving to respect goals of care and maximize quality of life. Future prospective studies are warranted to validate the ITR-PCVA risk model and evaluate its utility as a bedside clinical tool.

IV tPA for acute ischemic stroke in the setting of intracranial tumor: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: A systematic review of published cases of standard-dose IV tPA for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) within 4.5 hours of symptom onset and intracranial tumor was performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were used to identify studies that included patients given standard-dose IV tPA for presumed AIS within 4.5 hours of symptom onset who had an intracranial tumor. The primary outcome measure was rate of ICH. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included, involving 495 patient cases. One case-control study presented data only in the form of an odds ratio (OR), with OR 0.72 (p=0.16) for risk of ICH in 297 benign brain tumors, and OR for ICH of 2.33 (p value <0.001) in 119 malignant brain tumors, compared to controls. The remaining 22 sources included 79 cases; 49 were classified as benign, 16 malignant, and 14 "not otherwise specified." ICH occurred in 4; one was an asymptomatic parenchymal hematoma (5.1% total ICH, 3.8% symptomatic ICH). ICH only occurred in cases of malignant or metastatic intracranial tumors. CONCLUSION: There were no reports of ICH in cases of benign intracranial tumor, and the reported rate of ICH with standard-dose IV tPA in the setting of any brain tumor appears similar to the general AIS population. There is heterogeneity and risk of selection bias with the included studies, and findings are not confirmatory. Further research is indicated to assess the rate of ICH with IV tPA for AIS in the setting of brain tumor.

Glycation of benign meningioma cells leads to increased invasion.

Meningiomas are the most common non-malignant intracranial tumors. Like most tumors, meningiomas prefer anaerobic glycolysis for energy production (Warburg effect). This leads to an increased synthesis of the metabolite methylglyoxal (MGO). This metabolite is known to react with amino groups of proteins. This reaction is called glycation, thereby building advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). In this study, we investigated the influence of glycation on two meningioma cell lines, representing the WHO grade I (BEN-MEN-1) and the WHO grade III (IOMM-Lee). Increasing MGO concentrations led to the formation of AGEs and decreased growth in both cell lines. When analyzing the influence of glycation on adhesion, chemotaxis and invasion, we could show that the glycation of meningioma cells resulted in increased invasive potential of the benign meningioma cell line, whereas the invasive potential of the malignant cell line was reduced. In addition, glycation increased the E-cadherin- and decreased the N-cadherin-expression in BEN-MEN-1 cells, but did not affect the cadherin-expression in IOMM-Lee cells.

Secondary stabbing headache associated with intracranial tumors, aneurysms, and arteriovenous malformation: An alarming warning sign.

BACKGROUND: Stabbing headache (SH) is considered as a pure primary headache, but according to a few clinical observations it could also be secondary. Over the past decades, we have been observing the complaint of SH in patients with intracranial vascular and neoplastic lesions. OBJECTIVE: To describe a series of patients with intracranial lesions who experienced SH. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional, retrospective study of 34 patients with intracranial lesions associated with SH, admitted at Hospital das Clínicas, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. RESULTS: In this series of 34 patients [29 women, 44 ± 12 years (mean ± SD)] with secondary SH, the causes were intracranial neoplasms (n = 31), cerebral aneurysms (n = 2), or arteriovenous malformation (n = 1). Pituitary tumor (n = 18), meningioma (n = 6), and vestibular schwannomas (n = 4) were the most prevalent types of intracranial neoplasms. All these lesions had intimate contact with the dura mater, including an oligodendroglioma, the only intra-axial tumor in the series. A characteristic in the secondary SH is the crescendo pattern (12/34, 35%), progressing from infrequent attacks to recurrent crises occurring several times a day. The SH lasted from 5 days to 60 months (15 ± 18 months, mean ± SD) until the correct diagnosis [16/34 (47%) of the patients ≤6 months]. The SH was triggered by the movement of the head (5/34, 15%) or Valsalva maneuver (1/34). After surgery, suppression of the SH was observed. In a few of the patients to whom dexamethasone was prescribed, the SH subsided within a few days. CONCLUSION: This study was able to identify clinical red flags associated with intracranial lesions and secondary SH, for example, recent onset of SH, exclusively unilateral (ipsilateral) at the same location, crescendo pattern, triggered by head movements, or Valsalva maneuver.

Factors impacting time to diagnosis in pediatric CNS tumors in Chinese children.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the factors impacting time to diagnosis in pediatric central nervous system tumors. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used in this study. A self-developed questionnaire for health-seeking behavior and influencing factors was used in children with intracranial tumors. The factors related to time to diagnosis and the long-term prognosis of children were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 433 families replied to the questionnaire. The median parental interval was 50 days (range 0 ~ 884), the median diagnostic interval was 97 days (range 4 ~ 1646), and the median prediagnostic symptomatic interval (PSI) was 123 days (range 8 ~ 1844). Higher education was associated with a shorter parental interval (mother: P = 0.048; father: P = 0.035). The diagnostic interval was shortened in patients with dizziness (P = 0.022), abnormal eye movement (P = 0.034), or drowsiness (P = 0.021). A shorter PSI was observed in patients who presented with high intracranial pressure such as headache (P = 0.016), dizziness (P = 0.009), or drowsiness (P = 0.023) and those who went to a higher-level health institution or patients who went to neurology or neurosurgery department as the first medical consultation. No statistically significant difference was found in the interval time (parental interval, diagnostic interval, and PSI) regarding patients' outcomes. CONCLUSION: Different time intervals showed different factors influencing the long delay in diagnosing central nervous system tumors, highlighting the need for increased awareness to improve the treatment efficacy.

Cumulative Intracranial Tumor Volume as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Brain Metastases Undergoing Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Approximately 25-35% of all cancer patients suffer from brain metastases (BM), and many of them-in particular, those with a limited number of intracranial tumors-are treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Accurate prediction of survival remains a key clinical challenge in this population. Several prognostic scales have been developed to facilitate this prognostication, including the Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) classification, the modified Recursive Partitioning Analysis (mRPA) subclassifications, the Basic Score for Brain Metastases (BS-BM), the Score Index for Radiosurgery (SIR), the Graded Prognostic Assessment (GPA), and the diagnosis-specific Graded Prognostic Assessment (dsGPA). However, none of these scales include consideration of the cumulative intracranial tumor volume (CITV), which is defined as the sum of all intracranial tumor volumes. Since there is mounting evidence that the CITV carries significant prognostic value in SRS-treated patients with BM, this variable should be considered during survival prognostication, along with other pertinent clinical, pathological, and molecular characteristics.

Safety and efficacy of upfront stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases with high cumulative intracranial tumor volume (> 7 ml): analysis of 233 consecutive patients.

BACKGROUND: The cumulative intracranial tumor volume (CITV) has recently been suggested to be a more relevant predictive factor for patients with brain metastases (BM) treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). We aimed to investigate the feasibility of upfront SRS for patients with BM having a high CITV, i.e., exceeding 7 ml. METHODS: Two hundred thirty-three consecutive patients with BM having a CITV > 7 ml who underwent SRS as first-line treatment from 2011 to 2019 were retrospectively identified. The overall survival (OS) and intracranial disease control rates were analyzed. Multivariate proportional hazards models were used to identify prognostic factors associated with treatment outcome. Toxicity and salvage therapy were also investigated. RESULTS: The median OS was 8.7 months (95% confidence interval: 7.1-10.4), and 6-month and 1-year OS rates were 60 and 40%, respectively. Systemic anticancer therapy (hazard ratio (HR): 0.45, p < 0.001), female sex (HR: 0.61, p = 0.001), synchronous SRS (HR: 0.57, p = 0.003), number of BM (HR: 1.04, p = 0.008), controlled extracranial disease (HR: 0.56, p = 0.009), Karnofsky performance status (HR: 0.87, p = 0.015), and staged SRS (HR: 0.71, p = 0.037) were found to be factors independently associated with OS. Post-SRS toxicities of CTCAE grades 3, 4, and 5 were observed in 14, 5, and 1 patient, respectively. As salvage management, repeat SRS, whole brain radiotherapy, and surgical resection were required for 84, 16, and 10 patients, respectively, CONCLUSIONS: With vigilant surveillance and appropriate salvage management, upfront SRS alone can be considered as a relatively safe and effective treatment strategy even for BM with CITV > 7 ml.

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases as Candidate Prognostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Meningioma.

Meningioma (MGM) is the most common type of intracranial tumor in adults. The validation of novel prognostic biomarkers to better inform tumor stratification and clinical prognosis is urgently needed. Many molecular and cellular alterations have been described in MGM tumors over the past few years, providing a rational basis for the identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The role of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) as oncogenes, including those of the ErbB family of receptors, has been well established in several cancer types. Here, we review histological, molecular, and clinical evidence suggesting that RTKs, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, ErbB1), as well as other members of the ErbB family, may be useful as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in MGM.

Reliability of fluorescein-assisted stereotactic brain biopsies in predicting conclusive tissue diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of fluorescein sodium in predicting conclusive tissue diagnosis in stereotactic brain biopsies and to characterize features of contrast-enhancing and non-enhancing MRI lesions associated with fluorescence. METHODS: A total of 19 patients were studied, 14 of which had contrast-enhancing and 5 of which had non-enhancing lesions on preoperative T1 post-gadolinium MRI scan. All patients received 3 mg/kg fluorescein sodium during anesthesia induction. Biopsy specimens were photographed under the operating microscope, using the Yellow560 module, prior to histopathological analysis. Two observers blinded to the MRI scans and histopathological results categorized the photographs retrospectively as "fluorescent" or "not fluorescent." Inter-rater agreement was assessed using Cohen's kappa coefficient. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of fluorescence reliability were calculated for MRI contrast-enhancing lesions and confirmed location-concordance of tumor pathology based on rater's fluorescence status assessment. Results were correlated finally with final results on permanent sections. RESULTS: Strength of inter-rater fluorescence status agreement was found to be "substantial" (kappa = 0.771). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for "fluorescent" and "not fluorescent" specimen in comparison with MRI contrast-enhancing lesions were 97%, 40%, and 82%, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for confirmed tumor pathology were 100%, 63%, and 91%, respectively. Permanent pathology revealed high-grade glioma n = 5, low-grade glioma n = 3, lymphoma n = 5, pineal tumor n = 2, hamartoma n = 1, and nonspecific hypercellularity n = 3. CONCLUSIONS: Fluorescein-assisted stereotactic brain biopsies demonstrated a high likelihood to manifest fluorescence in contrast-enhancing MRI lesions, while adequately predicting conclusive tumor pathology.

The importance of social relationships for brain tumor patients' quality of life: A case for the inclusion of the concept of disclosure in psycho-oncological care.

Purpose: Interpersonal factors are of major importance for cancer patients' physical and mental health. Brain tumor patients rank amongst those cancer patients with the highest psychosocial burden. Changes in language, cognition, and personality pose specific risk factors for impeding interpersonal functioning in this patient group. Despite this, role and relevance of social support including both supportive (e.g., emotional support) and detrimental interactions causing distress (e.g., critical remarks) are not well understood. Aims of this study were thus (1) to investigate the association of social support and patients' Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and (2) to assess whether this relationship is mediated by the patients' disclosure behavior.Methods: Seventy-four ambulatory brain tumor patients (mean age 54 years; 58% women) completed the following self-report questionnaires: Illness-specific Social Support Scale (SSUK) for assessment of positive support and detrimental interactions, the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ) for assessment of patients' disclosure behavior, and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-8) for assessment of QoL.Findings: Detrimental social interactions were significantly related to patients' mental and physical well-being while positive support was not. Our results support a model in which patients perceiving detrimental social interactions show more difficulties in talking about illness-specific contents in a functional manner. This, in turn, was associated with a lower physical and mental HRQoL.Conclusions: This was the first study in which the close associations of detrimental social interactions, brain tumor patients' dysfunctional disclosure behavior and patients' mental as well as physical well-being were empiricially validated. Thus, dysfunctional disclosure behavior might pose a relevant therapeutic target when offering psycho-oncological support for brain tumor patients and their families.

Brain and Salivary Gland Tumors and Mobile Phone Use: Evaluating the Evidence from Various Epidemiological Study Designs.

Mobile phones (MPs) are the most relevant source of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure to the brain and the salivary gland. Whether this exposure implies a cancer risk has been addressed in several case-control and few cohort studies. A meta-analysis of these studies does not show increased risks for meningioma, pituitary, and salivary gland tumors. For glioma and acoustic neuroma, the results are heterogeneous, with few case-control studies reporting substantially increased risks. However, these elevated risks are not coherent with observed incidence time trends, which are considered informative for this specific topic owing to the steep increase in MP use, the availability of virtually complete cancer registry data from many countries, and the limited number of known competing environmental risk factors. In conclusion, epidemiological studies do not suggest increased brain or salivary gland tumor risk with MP use, although some uncertainty remains regarding long latency periods (>15 years), rare brain tumor subtypes, and MP usage during childhood.

Evaluation of the psychological burden during the early disease trajectory in patients with intracranial tumors by the ultra-brief Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression and Anxiety (PHQ-4).

PURPOSE: Depressive symptoms of patients with intracranial tumors need to be assessed adequately. The Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression and Anxiety (PHQ-4) is an ultra-short screening tool consisting of four items, a cutoff of six indicates depressive symptoms. The aim was to assess patients' psychological burden by the PHQ-4 compared with the results of well-established screening instruments. METHODS: Patients were screened three times after primary diagnosis postoperatively (t1), after 3 (t2) and 6 (t3) months using the PHQ-4, the Hornheide Screening Instrument (HSI), the NCCN Distress Thermometer (DT), and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire with its brain module (EORTC QLQ-C30 + BN20). Demographic, tumor-related data, and Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) were analyzed. A cutoff value for PHQ-4 indicating a need for support or increased distress was determined by applying receiver operating characteristic (ROC). RESULTS: The proportion of patients reaching a total score ≥ 6 was n = 32 out of 139 (23%) at t1; at t2, n = 12 out of 117 (10%) scored ≥ 6. At t3, n = 8 out of 96 (8%) scored ≥ 6. At t1, PHQ-4 scores did not differ significantly between gender, age groups, and tumor laterality. A cutoff value of 2.5 was identified to moderately discriminate between patients in or not in distress (sensitivity 76.8%) and between patients wishing further, specific support or not (sensitivity 82.5%). CONCLUSION: The PHQ4 can be applied in this patient cohort to detect those with relevant psychological comorbidities. The cutoff value should be re-evaluated in a larger cohort as we observed that a cutoff of 6, as recommended previously, may be too high in order to detect affected patients adequately.

Meningiomas: skull base versus non-skull base.

To identify differences between skull base meningiomas (SBM) and non-skull base meningiomas (NSBM). All adult patients (18.0-69.9 years) operated for intracranial meningiomas between 1990 and 2010 at our institution were investigated. Al-Mefty's definition was used to dichotomize tumors into SBM and NSBM. Overall, 1148 consecutive patients were identified. Median age at surgery was 54.2 years [18.1-69.9]. Median follow-up was 7.4 years [0.0-20.9]. There were 562 patients (49%) with SBM and 586 (51%) with NSBM. The two groups were similar with respect to patient age, follow-up time, and number of patients. Overall female-to-male ratio was 2.6:1, but 3.2:1 in SBM and 2.2:1 in NSBM (p < 0.005). With respect to presenting symptoms, SBMs had more often neurological deficits (risk ratio (RR) 1.4; p < 0.0001) and less often seizures (RR 0.4; p < 0.0001). Gross total resections were less frequent in SBM than NSBM (62 vs 84%) (RR 1.3; p < 0.0001). SBMs had a lower risk of WHO grades II and III histology (4.5 vs 9.5%) (RR 0.5; p < 0.001). Worsening of neurological function was more frequent in SBM (21 vs 121%) (RR 1.8; p < 0.001). Retreatment-free survival at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively, was 80, 70, and 62% for SBM versus 90, 82, and 74% for NSBM (p < 0.0001). Overall survival at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively, was 93, 85, and 78% for SBM and 96, 91, and 79% for NSBM (p = 0.14). Patients with SBMs had more new-onset neurological deficits and significantly shorter retreatment-free survivals, but this did not adversely affect the overall survival.

Skull base versus non-skull base meningioma surgery in the elderly.

To compare outcomes after surgery for skull base meningiomas (SBMs) with non-skull base meningiomas (NSBMs) in the elderly. Overall, 128 consecutive patients ≥ 70 years of age with intracranial SBMs operated between 1990 and 2010 were compared to 193 consecutive patients ≥ 70 years of age with NSBMs operated within the same time period. Median age at surgery was 75.0 years (mean 75.7, range 70.0-92.4). Follow-up was complete with median 4.7 years (mean 5.5, range 0-19). The female-to-male ratio was 2.8 for SBMs and 1.3 for NSBMs (p < 0.005). The groups had similar preoperative KPS (median 80, range 20-100), but SBMs presented significantly more frequently with raised ICP (RR = 2.2, p < 0.005) and less frequently with seizures (RR = 0.6, p < 0.05). WHO I was significantly more frequent in SBMs (p < 0.005). Gross-total resection (GTR) was less frequent in SBMs (63 vs 82%) (RR = 2.1, p < 0.0001). SBMs were similar to NSBMs with respect to neurological outcome at 6-12 months, reoperations for hematomas, postoperative infections, and 30-day mortality. Retreatment rates and time to retreatments were also similar. There were no differences between the two groups with respect to risk of retreatment and overall survival (OS) at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. In elderly patients with SBMs selected to surgical treatment, the risks of surgery, risk of retreatment, and OS were similar to NBSMs. Therefore, surgery for SBMs may be considered as safe as NSBMs in the elderly population.

A comparison of the prevalence and risk factors of complications in intracranial tumor embolization between the Japanese Registry of NeuroEndovascular Therapy 2 (JR-NET2) and JR-NET3.

BACKGROUND: The Japanese Registry of NeuroEndovascular Therapy 2 (JR-NET2) and 3 (JR-NET3) were nationwide surveys that evaluated clinical outcomes after neuroendovascular therapy in Japan. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence and risk factors of complications of intracranial tumor embolization between JR-NET2 and JR-NET3. METHODS: A total of 1018 and 1545 consecutive patients with intracranial tumors treated with embolization were enrolled in JR-NET2 and JR-NET3, respectively. The prevalence of complications in intracranial tumor embolization and related risk factors were compared between JR-NET2 and JR-NET3. RESULTS: The prevalence of complications in JR-NET3 (3.69%) was significantly higher than that in JR-NET2 (1.48%) (p = 0.002). The multivariate analysis in JR-NET2 showed that embolization for tumors other than meningioma was the only significant risk factor for complication (odds ratio [OR], 3.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-12.10; p = 0.032), and that in JR-NET3 revealed that embolization for feeders other than external carotid artery (ECA) (OR, 3.56; 95% CI, 2.03-6.25; p < 0.001) and use of liquid materials (OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.50-4.68; p < 0.001) were significant risks for complications. The frequency of embolization for feeders other than ECA in JR-NET3 (15.3%) was significantly higher than that in JR-NET2 (9.2%) (p < 0.001). Also, there was a significant difference in the frequency of use of liquid materials between JR-NET2 (21.2%) and JR-NET3 (41.2%) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Embolization for feeders other than ECA and use of liquid materials could increase the complication rate in intracranial tumor embolization.

Ultrasonic aspiration in neurosurgery: comparative analysis of complications and outcome for three commonly used models.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasonic aspiration (UA) devices are commonly used for resecting intracranial tumors, as they allow for internal debulking of large tumors, hereby avoiding damage to adjacent brain tissue during the dissection. Little is known about their comparative safety profiles. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We analyzed data from a prospective patient registry. Procedures using one of the following UA models were included: Integra® CUSA, Söring®, and Stryker® Sonopet. The primary endpoint was morbidity at discharge, defined as significant worsening on the Karnofsky Performance Scale. Secondary endpoints included morbidity and mortality until 3 months postoperative (M3), occurrence, type, and etiology of complications. RESULTS: Of n = 1028 procedures, the CUSA was used in n = 354 (34.4 %), the Söring in n = 461 (44.8 %), and the Sonopet in n = 213 (20.7 %). There was some heterogeneity of study groups. In multivariable analysis, patients in the Söring (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.29; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.80-2.08; p = 0.299), and Sonopet group (aOR, 0.86; 95 % CI, 0.46-1.61; p = 0.645) were as likely as patients in the CUSA group to experience discharge morbidity. At M3, patients in the Söring (aOR, 1.20; 95 % CI, 0.78-1.86; p = 0.415) and Sonopet group (aOR, 0.53; 95 % CI, 0.26-1.08; p = 0.080) were as likely as patients in the CUSA group to experience morbidity. There were also no differences for M3 morbidity in subgroup analyses for gliomas, meningiomas, and metastases. The grade (p = 0.608) and etiology (p = 0.849) of postoperative complications were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Neurosurgeons select UA types with regard to certain case-specific characteristics. The safety profiles of three commonly used UA types appear mostly similar.