Recurrence of intracranial meningiomas: the role played by regional multicentricity

1986 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernardo Borovich ◽  
Yaffa Doron ◽  
Jacob Braun ◽  
Joseph N. Guilburd ◽  
Menashe Zaaroor ◽  
...  

check; Globular single meningiomas are generally regarded as benign tumors that can be completely removed. Nevertheless, after a total macroscopic resection including the insertion zone (Grade 1 operation according to Simpson's classification), the incidence of recurrence ranged from 9% to 14% at the 5-year follow-up review. The authors have shown that single meningiomas represent only the visible predominant growth in the midst of a wide neoplastic field in the dura mater. Regional multiplicity in meningiomas would thus seem to be the rule. With this in mind, the authors propose to divide recurrences after Grade 1 operations into 1) true local and 2) false regional. A local recurrence is defined as a regrowth within the limits of the previous dural flap. Regional recurrence is when new growth develops outside the previous craniotomy site; this should not be considered as a recurrence but as a new primary site. These regional recurrences might explain some unexpected late tumor growth occurring after a Grade 1 operation. Five illustrative cases in which regional recurrence was detected by computerized tomography are presented. The authors also propose to add a supplementary grade to Simpson's surgical grading: Grade 0. This operation would entail a wide resection of the dura around the attachment zone of the meningioma. The authors hope that with a Grade 0 operation the incidence of recurrence might be reduced.

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 596-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphaël Vialle ◽  
Antoine Feydy ◽  
Ludovic Rillardon ◽  
Carla Tohme-Noun ◽  
Philippe Anract ◽  
...  

✓ Chondroblastoma is a benign cartilaginous neoplasm that generally affects the appendicular skeleton. Twenty-six cases of spinal chondroblastoma have been reported in the past 50 years, only six of which were located in the lumbar region. The authors report two cases involving this exceptional location. In both patients, low-back pain, in the absence of radicular pain, was the presenting symptom. In both cases, plain radiography and computerized tomography scanning revealed an osteolytic lesion surrounded by marginal sclerosis. Magnetic resonance imaging allowed the authors to study the tumor's local extension. Examination of a percutaneous fluoroscopy-guided biopsy sample revealed the following typical histological features of chondroblastoma: chondroid tissue, focally alternating with cellular areas, and no nuclear atypia or pleomorphism. To reduce the risk of local recurrence, vertebrectomy and anterior—posterior fusion were performed in both cases. In one case, a structural lumbar scoliosis was corrected during the posterior procedure. There was no postoperative complication. No recurrence was observed during the 3- to 6-year follow-up period. The surgery-related results were deemed successful. Although exceptional, the diagnosis of chondroblastoma is possible in lesions involving the lumbar spine. Other spinal locations are described in the literature, and frequency of recurrence is stressed. A vertebrectomy is advised to reduce the risk of local recurrence.


1983 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 631-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Kline ◽  
Donald J. Judice

✓ A 12-year operative experience with 171 consecutive patients with severe brachial plexus lesions who had at least 1½ years of follow-up review is analyzed. Selection for and timing of operation was helped by categorization of each individual plexus element as “completely” or “incompletely” injured and as “in continuity” or “not in continuity.” Results for each element could be given a single grade by a system which defined that element's proximal and distal input. For most lesions in continuity, an operative delay of several months is advocated so that intraoperative electrical evaluation can be used. Thus, in 282 gunshot wounded and stretch-injured elements of which 210 were thought to be clinically complete, 63 were spared resection because of nerve action potentials (NAP's) found at intraoperative testing, and 57 recovered function with only neurolysis. Elements resected (120) were confirmed as neurotmetic both by intraoperative electrical and subsequent histological studies. Acceptable results were achieved in 16 of 24 sutures, in 43 of 89 grafts, and in each of seven split repairs. Upper trunk and lateral and posterior cord elements fared better than lower trunk and medial cord lesions unless the latter were shown, with evidence of NAP's, to be regenerating and could be spared resection. Some stretched elements could, however, not be repaired, even though an attempt was made to exclude such cases from operation. Lacerations to the brachial plexus where continuity is lost are best repaired primarily if the injury is sharp; in this series, 14 of 18 elements having such repair recovered, whereas in 37 elements with secondary repair, grafts were often necessary and only 50% recovered function. Although associated with skin lacerations, 17 elements with complete loss were in continuity, and six of these were shown to be regenerating and were not resected. Despite intraneural location, large size, and prior operation, many benign tumors (including neurofibromas) can be removed without significant loss by use of the surgical loupes or microscope and repetitive NAP recording. Surgery for selected brachial plexus lesions is worthwhile.


2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 107-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Pendl ◽  
Frank Unger ◽  
Georg Papaefthymiou ◽  
Sandro Eustacchio

Object. Large brain lesions are considered unamenable to gamma knife treatment because of possible adverse effects. The proximity of eloquent brain to a target location, including some arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), still poses a challenge to the neurosurgeon. Because meningiomas and AVMs often show a slow or absent growth rate, partial radiosurgical treatment in cases with risk of unacceptable surgery-related morbidity is an alternative. The authors evaluated the results of staged treatment. Methods. Since April 1992, 12 patients suffering from large benign tumors (meningiomas) and seven with AVMs considered inoperable underwent gamma knife radiosurgery in staged procedures. All patients with tumors underwent primary open surgery for partial removal of recurrent growth and subsequent radiosurgical treatment. Four men and eight women ranging in age from 26 to 73 years harbored tumors that ranged in volume from 19 to 90 cm3. Marginal dose ranged from 10 to 25 Gy prescribed in the 30 to 50% isodose. The time interval between the radiosurgical treatments varied from 1 to 8 months. Follow up ranged from 5 and 89 months. Three female and four male patients (age range 10–48 years) had undergone previous AVM embolization and were treated with margin doses of 18 to 22 Gy in the 40 to 50% isodose. The volume range of these AVMs was 11 to 25 cm3. The time interval between radiosurgical treatments ranged from 5 to 36 months. The mean follow up was 22.6 months. Neurological follow-up examinations showed clinical improvement in 11 patients (58%), whereas five (26%) remained unchanged. Among tumor patients no deterioration or further tumor growth was observed. Tumor necrosis demonstrated noticed in five patients (26%). One patient with an AVM suffered from seizures and hemiparesis. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging of the residual nidus disclosed no rebleeding. Conclusions. For selected patients with large benign lesions staged gamma knife radiosurgery could be an alternative, as evidenced by the authors' series in which there was no mortality and low incidence morbidity.


1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Pencalet ◽  
Wirginia Maixner ◽  
Christian Sainte-Rose ◽  
Arielle Lellouch-Tubiana ◽  
Giuseppe Cinalli ◽  
...  

Object. Cerebellar astrocytomas are benign tumors of childhood known to be associated with excellent long-term survival in patients in whom complete surgical resection is possible. However, the roles of other factors—clinical, radiological, histological, and therapeutic—in the survival of the patient, tumor recurrence, and long-term patient outcome remain imprecise. The goal of this study was to examine these factors and their relationships.Methods. To clarify these issues a retrospective review was conducted of 168 children who were surgically treated for a cerebellar astrocytoma at Hôpital Necker—Enfants Malades between 1955 and 1995. These patients' clinical files were examined, the histological characteristics of their tumors were reviewed, and their outcomes were assessed according to Bloom's scale and the Wechsler intelligence quotient test.Of the 168 patients in the study, 91 were male and 77 were female with a mean age of 6.9 years and a mean follow up lasting 7.7 years. Tumors were identified as being strictly located in the cerebellum in 76.2% of the patients and as involving the brainstem (referred to as the “transitional form”) in 23.8% of the patients. Complete surgical excision was possible in 88.7% of cases. There was a total mortality rate of 4.2% and a tumor recurrence rate of 9.5%. Fifty-eight percent of the patients had no neurological sequelae at follow-up evaluation.Pejorative factors that were discovered by multivariate analysis to be important included: a long preoperative duration of symptoms and the transitional form of tumor with respect to survival; incomplete tumor excision with respect to an increased risk of recurrence; and a long preoperative duration of symptoms, an early epoch during which surgery was performed (1955–1974), severe ventricular dilation, and the transitional form of tumor with respect to a poorer long-term patient outcome.Conclusions. The presence of brainstem involvement (tumor in the transitional form) emerged as a significant negative prognostic factor and should be treated as a distinct nosological entity. The extent of surgical excision has a significant bearing on the risk of tumor recurrence.


1981 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandro Mercuri ◽  
Antonio Russo ◽  
Lucio Palma

✓ In a series of 41 cases of hemispheric supratentorial astrocytoma (HSA) in children, 29 patients have been followed for periods ranging from 5 to 27 years. The follow-up data show that HSA's are relatively benign tumors. Twenty-two patients (76%) are still living: 12 in good, eight in fair, and two in poor neurological condition. Their mean survival is 13.3 years. Five patients died from tumor recurrence within 4 years of the operation. All five were operated on before the age of 8 years. The best results in terms of mean survival and quality of life were obtained in cases of cystic HSA, especially the pilocytic variety. In children, HSA tends to take the cystic form (often pilocytic), and its relatively benign course points up an analogy between this rare supratentorial tumor and the more common tumor of the cerebellum (the so-called “cerebellar astrocytoma”).


1999 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 364-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce E. Pollock ◽  
John Huston

Object. To determine the natural history of colloid cysts of the third ventricle in patients in whom the cysts were incidentally discovered, the authors retrospectively reviewed cases observed during the modern neuroimaging era (1974–1998).Methods. During this 25-year interval, 162 patients with colloid cysts were examined and cared for at our center. Sixty-eight patients (42%) were thought to be asymptomatic with regard to their colloid cyst and observation with serial neuroimaging was recommended. The mean patient age was 57 years at the time of diagnosis (range 7–88 years) and the mean cyst size was 8 mm (range 4–18 mm). Computerized tomography scanning revealed a hyperdense cyst in 49 (84%) of 58 patients. Three patients were excluded from the study because they died of unrelated causes within 6 months of scanning and seven patients were lost to follow-up review. Clinical follow-up evaluation was available at a mean of 79 months (range 7–268 months) in the remaining 58 patients. The numbers of patients who participated in follow-up review at 2, 5, and 10 years after diagnosis were 40, 28, and 14, respectively. The incidences of symptomatic progression related to the cyst were 0%, 0%, and 8% at 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively. No patient died suddenly during the follow-up interval. Two (6%) of 34 patients in whom follow-up imaging was performed either exhibited cyst growth (one patient) or experienced hydrocephalus (one patient) at a mean of 41 months after diagnosis (range 4–160 months).Conclusions. Patients in whom asymptomatic colloid cysts are diagnosed can be cared for safely with observation and serial neuroimaging. If a patient becomes symptomatic, the cyst enlarges, or hydrocephalus develops, prompt neurosurgical intervention is necessary to prevent the occurrence of neurological decline from these benign tumors.


2000 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul E. Fewings ◽  
Robert D. E. Battersby ◽  
Walter R. Timperley

Object. A long-term prospective analysis of patients with benign meningioma was undertaken to determine whether progesterone receptor (PR) status of the excised tumor has any influence on recurrence.Methods. Between 1983 and 1985, a total of 62 meningiomas in 53 patients (age range 19–79 years, mean age 55.6 years) were studied for clinical, histological, and pathological characteristics, including hormone receptor status and DNA features. Progesterone receptor status was quantified by cryostat section assay, and then factors affecting recurrence were analyzed. During 1997 all case records were reviewed to determine whether tumor had recurred in any patient, and PR status was correlated with tumor recurrence.Of the 62 tumors, 60 were benign, and of the benign tumors 29 (48%) were PR positive. Patients harboring 14 of the 60 benign tumors were lost to follow up. Of the 46 tumors included in the final analysis, 13 were recurrent (all within 5 years) and 33 were nonrecurrent. Of the 33 nonrecurrent tumors, 14 had not recurred 5 to 10 years postresection and 19 had not recurred after more than 10 years. Chi-square analysis of the results did not show an association between recurrence and patient's sex, extent of resection, histological subtype, or tumor site but did show an association between recurrence and PR negativity (p = 0.013).Conclusions. The results indicate that benign meningiomas that are PR positive are less likely to recur, a finding that has prognostic and therapeutic implications.


2001 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 798-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenan I. Arnautović ◽  
Ossama Al-Mefty

Object. Chordomas have a high propensity for local recurrence and progression, as well as for systemic and cerebrospinal fluid metastasis. The authors identified and analyzed a series of patients with chordomas, focusing on an underrecognized pathological entity—surgical seeding of tumor cells. Methods. In a retrospective analysis of 82 patients with chordomas treated over a 10-year period (1990–2000), the authors found six patients (7.3%) in whom surgical seeding had occurred. In five (83%) of these patients the primary tumor was located at the clivus. In one (17%), the tumor was present at the cervical spine. There were two male (33%) and four female patients (67%) whose mean age was 34 years. The seeding sites, which were separate from the primary tumor, were located along the operative route or in the abdomen where fat was removed. The seeding was diagnosed 5 to 15 months (mean 12 months) after surgery. One seeding site was present in five patients, and 17 seeding sites were present in one patient. The involved tissues included mucosa, bone, dura, muscle, and fat. After resection, all seedings were confirmed histologically. Conclusions. Seeding of chordomas occurs along the operative route and at distant locations where tissue is harvested. Early diagnosis and aggressive surgery are recommended. Based on the results of this study, the authors suggest that surgical techniques, postoperative radiotherapy, neuroradiological follow-up protocol, and even research on chordomas should be reevaluated.


2000 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 306-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian E. McCutcheon ◽  
Keith E. Friend ◽  
Tammy M. Gerdes ◽  
Bing-Mei Zhang ◽  
David M. Wildrick ◽  
...  

Object. Although human meningioma cells have been heterotopically implanted in nude mice, introducing these cells into intracranial locations seems more likely to reproduce normal patterns of tumor growth. To provide an orthotopic xenograft model of meningioma, the authors implanted a controlled quantity of meningioma cells at subdural and intracerebral sites in athymic mice.Methods. Malignant (one tumor), atypical (two tumors), or benign (three tumors) meningiomas were placed into primary cell cultures. Cells (106/10 µl) from these cultures and from an immortalized malignant meningioma cell line, IOMM-Lee, were injected with stereotactic guidance into the frontal white matter or subdural space of athymic mice. Survival curves were plotted for mice receiving tumor cells of each histological type and according to injection site. Other mice were killed at intervals and their heads were sectioned whole. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of these sections revealed the extent of tumor growth.Conclusions. The median length of survival for mice with malignant, atypical, or benign tumors was 19, 42, or longer than 84 days, respectively. Atypical and malignant tumors were invasive, but did not metastasize extracranially. Malignant tumors uniformly showed leptomeningeal dissemination and those implanted intracerebrally grew locally and spread noncontiguously to the ventricles, choroid plexus, convexities, and skull base. Tumors formed in only 50% of mice injected with benign meningioma cells, whereas injection of more aggressive cells was uniformly successful at tumor production. The three types of human meningiomas grown intracranially in athymic mice maintained their relative positions in the spectrum of malignancy. However, atypical meningiomas became more aggressive after xenografting and acquired malignant features, implying that there had been immune constraint in the original host. Tumor cells injected into brain parenchyma migrated to more optimal environments and grew best there. This model provides insights into the biology of meningiomas and may be useful for testing new therapies.


2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 120-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chihiro Ohye ◽  
Tohru Shibazaki ◽  
Junji Ishihara ◽  
Jie Zhang

Object. The effects of gamma thalamotomy for parkinsonian and other kinds of tremor were evaluated. Methods. Thirty-six thalamotomies were performed in 31 patients by using a 4-mm collimator. The maximum dose was 150 Gy in the initial six cases, which was reduced to 130 Gy thereafter. The longest follow-up period was 6 years. The target was determined on T2-weighted and proton magnetic resonance (MR) images. The point chosen was in the lateral-most part of the thalamic ventralis intermedius nucleus. This is in keeping with open thalamotomy as practiced at the authors' institution. In 15 cases, gamma thalamotomy was the first surgical procedure. In other cases, previous therapeutic or vascular lesions were visible to facilitate targeting. Two types of tissue reaction were onserved on MR imaging: a simple oval shape and a complex irregular shape. Neither of these changes affected the clinical course. In the majority of cases, the tremor subsided after a latent interval of approximately 1 year after irradiation. The earliest response was demonstrated at 3 months. In five cases the tremor remained. In four of these cases, a second radiation session was administered. One of these four patients as well as another patient with an unsatisfactory result underwent open thalamotomy with microrecording. In both cases, depth recording adjacent to the necrotic area revealed normal neuronal activity, including the rhythmic discharge of tremor. Minor coagulation was performed and resulted in immediate and complete arrest of the remaining tremor. Conclusions. Gamma thalamotomy for Parkinson's disease seems to be an alternative useful method in selected cases.


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