scholarly journals The Role of Neuroendoscopy in the Treatment of Pineal Region Tumors

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-25
Author(s):  
Flávio Ramalho Romero ◽  
Eduardo De Freitas Bertolini ◽  
Adalberto Sestari ◽  
Sérgio Soares Guerrero ◽  
Ramon Barbalha Guerrero ◽  
...  

Object. The authors report their experience in six patients presenting with pineal tumors and associated hydrocephalus who underwent an endoscopic biopsy procedure and third ventriculostomy (ETV) in a single setting. The purpose of this report is to discuss the role of neuroendoscopic procedures in the management of pineal region tumors. Methods. A retrospective review of patients undergoing simultaneous ETV and tumor biopsy was ndertaken. Neuroendoscopic surgery was first applied for tumor debulking with tissue diagnosis and gross morphological analysis of the tumor and the intraventricular structures, followed by third ventriculostomy. Subsequent procedures were determined on the basis of verified individual tumors. Results. Over a 2-year interval, 6 patients underwent simultaneous ETV and tumor management. These patients ranged from 6 to 54 years of age (mean 24.3 years). All cases were completed without complications or the need for an additional CSF diversionary procedure within 6 months. The diagnostic yield of the biopsy was 100%. Favorable therapeutic outcomes were obtained in all cases of germinoma and pineoblastoma, with follow-up periods ranging from 6 to 24 months. Conclusion. The majority of our patients with dilated ventricles were treated satisfactorily with effective neuroendoscopic procedures as the initial procedure, avoiding unnecessary craniotomy and promising excellent therapeutic outcomes.

2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. E3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter F. Morgenstern ◽  
Nathan Osbun ◽  
Theodore H. Schwartz ◽  
Jeffrey P. Greenfield ◽  
Apostolos John Tsiouris ◽  
...  

Object Simultaneous endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and tumor biopsy is a widely accepted therapeutic and diagnostic procedure for patients with noncommunicating hydrocephalus secondary to a pineal region tumor. Multiple approaches have been advocated, including the use of a steerable fiberoptic or rigid lens endoscope via 1 or 2 trajectories. However, the optimal approach has not been established based on the individual anatomical characteristics of the patient. Methods A retrospective review of patients undergoing simultaneous ETV and tumor biopsy was undertaken. Preoperative MR images were examined to measure the width of the anterior third ventricle and maximal diameters of the tumor, Monro foramen (right), and massa intermedia. The distances between the tumor and massa intermedia, tumor and anterior commissure, midbrain and massa intermedia, and the dorsum sella and anterior commissure were also recorded. Single and dual trajectory approaches were compared using paired t-tests for each parameter. Results Over an 8-year interval, 15 patients underwent simultaneous ETV and tumor management. These patients ranged from 6 to 71 years of age (mean 36.7 years); 5 were younger than 18 years of age. Seven were treated using a dual trajectory approach, and 8 were treated using a single trajectory approach. All cases were completed without complications or the need for an additional CSF diversionary procedure within 6 months. The diagnostic yield at biopsy was 86.7%. There were no statistically significant differences between the single and dual trajectory groups for the measured parameters. However, the dual trajectory group demonstrated a larger anterior third ventricular diameter (1.43 vs 1.21 cm, p = 0.29). The single trajectory group trended toward a smaller tumor–anterior commissure interval (2.23 vs 2.51 cm, p = 0.24) and a larger dorsum sella–anterior commissure distance (1.67 vs 1.49 cm, p = 0.28). Conclusions These data confirm the safety and diagnostic efficacy of simultaneous ETV and biopsy for tumors of the pineal region. Although no statistically significant differences were seen in the authors' recorded measurements, several trends suggest a role for a tailored approach to selecting a single or dual trajectory approach when using a rigid endoscope.


2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aminul I. Ahmed ◽  
Malik J. Zaben ◽  
Nijaguna V. Mathad ◽  
Owen C.E. Sparrow

2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shizuo Oi ◽  
Masayoshi Shibata ◽  
Jiro Tominaga ◽  
Yumie Honda ◽  
Masaki Shinoda ◽  
...  

Object. This prospective study is based on a consecutive series of 20 patients with pineal region tumors who underwent minimally invasive preferential management. The purpose of this report is to discuss the role of neuroendoscopic procedures in the management of pineal region tumors.Methods. If the tumor markers α-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin were not detected in serum and there was significant ventricular dilation visualized on neuroimages, neuroendoscopic surgery was first applied for tumor debulking with tissue diagnosis and gross morphological analysis of the tumor and the intraventricular structures, followed by third ventriculostomy.Subsequent procedures were determined on the basis of verified individual tumors. For treatment of germinomas and pineoblastomas, if no tumor dissemination was confirmed by pre-, intra-, or postoperative findings, stereotactic radiotherapy or radiosurgery was performed after one course of chemotherapy with the ICE regimen (isofomid, cisplatin, and etoposide) and followed by two additional courses of chemotherapy. For treatment of malignant germ cell tumors, after extensive surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy with the ICE regimen was performed in three courses in all cases. Then radiotherapy was started using various methods, depending on the evidence of tumor dissemination. For treatment of teratomatous and neuroectodermal tumors other than pineoblastomas, extensive surgical removal was performed. As for adjuvant therapy, if the tumor was a low-grade glioma or if the patient was younger than 5 years of age, postoperative treatment did not include radiotherapy. If the tumor was a malignant teratoma or high-grade glioma, conventional focal radiotherapy was performed, followed by chemotherapy with ICE for 1 year.All but two treated patients had ventriculomegaly. Neuroendoscopic procedures were performed in six of 15 treated patients. Neuroendoscopic biopsy with tumor debulking offered enough material for tissue diagnosis, including immunohistochemical analysis and, in one case, revealed evidence of tumor dissemination undetectable on neuroimaging. With one exception, no shunt was required in any patient undergoing endoscopic third ventriculostomy. Stereotactic radiotherapy was performed in indicated cases. Favorable therapeutic outcomes were obtained in all cases of germinoma and pineoblastoma, with follow-up periods ranging from 24 months to 6.5 years.Conclusions. Our minimally invasive preferential regimen clarified the precise indication for neuroendoscopic procedures, and the majority of our patients with dilated ventricles and no evidence of tumor markers were treated satisfactorily with effective neuroendoscopic procedures as the initial procedure, avoiding unnecessary craniotomy and radiotherapy and promising excellent therapeutic outcomes. The treatment for malignant pineal region tumors remains a subject for further study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 976
Author(s):  
AwadheshKumar Jaiswal ◽  
Gagandeep Attri ◽  
JaskaranSingh Gosal ◽  
Deepak Khatri ◽  
KuntalKanti Das ◽  
...  

1989 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 682-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Horst W. Korf ◽  
Jeffrey A. Bruce ◽  
Barbara Vistica ◽  
Mark Rollag ◽  
Bennett M. Stein ◽  
...  

✓ This investigation evaluated the possibility that the occurrence of S-antigen in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) might be used as a preoperative marker of pineal parenchymal tumors (pineoblastoma and pineocytoma). Such a marker could provide a means of preoperatively differentiating these neoplasms from pineal region tumors of other origin. The S-antigen, also known as the 48-kD protein or arrestin, is a highly antigenic protein originally found in the retina and pineal gland. In the retinal photoreceptors and submammalian pineal photoreceptors the protein is thought to be involved in phototransduction; its function in the mammalian pinealocyte is unknown. S-Antigen immunoreactivity also occurs in certain neoplastic cells of retinoblastomas, pineocytomas, pineoblastomas, and cerebellar medulloblastomas. This study included a group of 13 patients with tumors of the pineal region. Samples of CSF were obtained preoperatively and analyzed for the S-antigen using western blot technology. Tumor biopsy material was classified according to conventional neurohistological criteria and was also examined by immunocytochemical techniques for the presence of the S-antigen. S-Antigen immunoreactivity was found in the preoperative CSF of the one patient found to have pineocytoma; tumor tissue removed from this patient was the only neoplastic tissue examined in this study which contained S-antigen immunoreactive tumor cells. Furthermore, hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activity was detectable in the pineocytoma but not in three other pineal tumors, and melatonin levels in the CSF of the pineocytoma patient were the highest in the patient group examined. These preliminary results suggest that testing for S-antigen in CSF might be useful in characterizing and treating tumors of the pineal region and, when identified in conjunction with other markers, it might also help to better define pineal parenchymal tumors. This study needs confirmation with a larger number of patients. If this approach is eventually found to be a reliable predictor of pineal cell tumors, it may supplant the need for surgical biopsies before initiating appropriate adjunctive therapy.


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