Peritoneal metastasis of third ventricular atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor after VP shunt implantation for unexplained hydrocephalus

Peritoneal carcinomatosis after lumboperitoneal shunt in a patient with a cancer of unknown primary site: Case report and review of the literature

Cancer of unknown primary site (CUP) often presents with atypical clinical behaviours that make identifying the primary tumour challenging. In this paper, we discuss the case of a patient with brain metastases from a CUP, which was ultimately diagnosed as pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung following autopsy. Clinically, the development of peritoneal carcinomatosis had reduced suspicion of a primary lung neoplasm, despite imaging tests initially suggesting this. However, the patient had previously undergone lumboperitoneal (LP) shunt insertion. The sequence of clinical events and autopsy findings strongly indicated that the LP shunt facilitated the metastatic spread. In addition to this case report, we provide a systematic review of the literature on the role of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) and LP shunts in the metastatic dissemination of tumours. Although the spread of primary brain tumours via VP or LP shunts is rare, albeit well-documented, this phenomenon has been reported only twice for secondary tumours.

Identifying the Preoperative Radiological Risk Features in Patients with Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis Undergoing Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage

BACKGROUND

Patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC) experience a poor prognosis and rapid progression, and cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) is used to manage intracranial hypertension and hydrocephalus in LMC patients. This study aims to describe a novel discovery of preoperative radiological features in patients who underwent CSFD for LMC.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted during the past 5 years of LMC patients with intracranial hypertension and hydrocephalus who underwent CSFD. We evaluated the patients' preoperative radiological features, clinical characteristics, and survival times.

RESULTS

A total of 36 patients were included. Of the 36 patients, 34 underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunting, and 2 patients underwent only external ventricular drainage due to rapid progression. The median preoperative Karnofsky performance scale score was 40.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 20.0-40.0). The median survival time after surgery was 5 months (IQR, 0.00-10.43 months). Of the 36 patients, 24 (66.7%) had supratentorial cerebral edema before surgery, including 14 patients (38.9%) with features of disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus (DESH). Four patients (11.1%) exhibited cerebellar swelling and had a median survival time of 0.27 month (IQR, 0.00-0.56 month). Nine patients (25%) have enhancement lesions on the cerebellum. The survival curve analysis shows that patients with features of cerebellar enhancement have shorter survival times than other patients. Patients with DESH features have longer survival times compared with those with global cerebral edema.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with radiological features of cerebellar enhancement have shorter postoperative survival than other patients; however, those with supratentorial cerebral edema, especially features of DESH, could benefit from CSFD. Patients with cerebellar swelling should avoid undergoing CSFD.

Peritoneal metastasis of a brainstem anaplastic ganglioglioma in a 2-year-old boy: case report and literature review

Anaplastic gangliogliomas (AGG) are rare tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) that commonly affect children and young adults, with an unusual infratentorial presentation, which is related to hydrocephalus and a worse prognosis. We report a case of a brainstem AGG in a 2-year-old boy who underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS) and later presented peritoneal metastasis. We also reviewed the related literature. Even though rare, disease dissemination through VPS should be sought in patients with CNS tumors and VPS who develop new abdominal symptoms. The early diagnosis and intervention may minimize morbidity and improve quality of life of such patients.

Embryonal tumors with multilayered rosettes: A tertiary care centre experience

BACKGROUND

Embryonal tumors with multilayered rosettes (ETMR) is an extremely rare and highly aggressive tumor. It includes three distinct entities i.e, embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes (ETANTR), ependymoblastoma (EBL) and medulloepithelioma (MEPL). Here, we present our institutional experience of seven ETMR cases treated over a period of five years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients' records from 2015 to 2019 were reviewed manually and electronically to retrieve the data. Clinicopathological and outcome details of ETMR cases were entered in a predesigned proforma.

RESULTS

A total of seven cases of ETMR were registered from 2015 to 2019 with a median age at presentation of four years (range 3-7 years). All patients underwent surgery. However, only three patients completed the planned adjuvant treatment, comprising of focal radiotherapy (RT) alone, craniospinal irradiation (CSI) alone and CSI followed by six cycles of chemotherapy in one patient each respectively. Two patients commenced CSI but deteriorated during RT and thereafter needed best supportive care. Two patients could not be started on any adjuvant treatment. Unfortunately, six patients succumbed to their disease within one year of their diagnosis. Only one patient who received both CSI and adjuvant chemotherapy is alive at 15 months of diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

ETMR is a rare and aggressive entity. Majority of the patients die within one year of the diagnosis despite multimodality treatment.

Cerebrospinal fluid leaks after spine tumor resection: avoidance, recognition and management

Post-operative CSF leaks are a known complication of spine surgery in general, and patients undergoing surgical intervention for spinal tumors may be particularly predisposed due to the presence of intradural tumor and a number of other factors. Post-operative CSF leaks increase morbidity, lengthen hospital stays, prolong immobilization and subject patients to a number of associated complications. Intraoperative identification of unintended durotomies and effective primary repair of dural defects is an important first step in the prevention of post-operative CSF leaks, but in patients who develop post-operative pseudomeningoceles, durocutaneous fistulae or other CSF-leak-related sequelae, early recognition and secondary intervention are paramount to preventing further CSF-leak-related complications and achieving the best patient outcomes possible. In this article, the incidence, risk factors and complications of CSF leaks after spine tumor surgery are reviewed, with an emphasis on avoidance of post-operative CSF leaks, early post-operative identification and effective secondary intervention.

A brainstem mass of Müllerian type Epithelial Origin without any primary cancer source

Brainstem tumors are rare, even rarer is a brainstem tumor containing tissues of an embryologic gynecologic origin. We report a very rare case of presence of a calcified heterogeneously contrast enhancing brainstem mass of Müllerian origin in a patient in a 38 year old female with no female genital tract cancer and past surgical history of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement for congenital hydrocephalus. To our knowledge this is the very first and unusual case of a mass of gynecologic origin in the brainstem region especially in the setting of no history of gynecological tumor. The authors also reviewed the literature for all tumors reported for anterograde and retrograde dissemination of tumor cells through VP shunt. This case is a reaffirmation of the importance of brain tumor location and tissue diagnosis for the purpose of adjuvant treatment of neurosurgical lesions in the neurocritical care setting. It also highlights the role of catheters as potential routes of iatrogenic transmission not just in anterograde but also in a retrograde manner to the CNS, which is very unusual. This is the only second case to report retrograde flow of tumor cells from an extraneural source up the VP catheters. The authors suggest that intraperitoneal chemotherapy should be considered in the cases of known extraneural abdominal malignancies of high malignant potential with or without the presence of peritoneal infiltration in order to avoid dissemination through VP shunts.

Extracranial extra-CNS spread of embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMR): case series and systematic review

BACKGROUND

Embryonal tumors with multilayered rosettes (ETMR) is a rare variant of embryonal tumor of infancy with nearly 200 cases reported in the literature. Leptomeningeal spread of this tumor is well known; however, extracranial metastasis has been sparsely reported in the literature.

METHODS

Our study was divided into two sections: (1) We conducted a retrospective review of our patient series of ETMR and screened for patients with evidence of ETMR over the last 10 years 2007-2017 at a single tertiary referral pediatric hospital, and (2) we conducted a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines of all reported cases of ETMR to determine the incidence of extracranial metastasis and treatment paradigms.

RESULTS

Here we report three cases of extracranial non-CNS spread of ETMR and conduct a systematic review of ETMR to improve our understanding of ETMR metastases and treatment paradigms. In our systematic review (n = 204), median overall survival was less than 1 year with 44.1% children surviving over 1 year. Previously, only five cases of extracranial metastasis of ETMR have been reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Our case series (n = 3) and review demonstrate that these tumors may behave like soft tissue sarcomas and may be susceptible to tumor seeding through surgical manipulation or by CSF (ventriculoperitoneal shunt). Surgery for tumor recurrence may offer an improved local disease control, but preventative measures such as meticulous surgical resection may be necessary to reduce intraoperative contamination.

Palliative shunt surgery for patients with leptomeningeal metastasis

OBJECTIVES

Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) is associated with poor prognosis and affects the quality of life (QOL) of end-stage cancer patients. Severe headache associated with hydrocephalus causes reduced QOL. We investigated the clinical value of surgical treatment for hydrocephalus in LM patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The medical records of 11 consecutive patients who underwent lumboperitoneal shunt (LPS) or ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) at our institution between 2007 and 2016 were investigated. Primary brain tumor patients were excluded. We assessed the neurological status and therapeutic effects at 1 month after the shunt surgery.

RESULTS

The patients were three males and eight females with a median age of 58 years (interquartile range [IR] 52-68 years). The median preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was 6.4 (IR 4.8-9.2). Symptom improvement was observed in nine patients, and severe headache was relieved in seven (88%) out of eight patients. The median Karnofsky performance status scale increased from 40 to 60, and the median overall survival after primary malignancy diagnosis was 27.4 months (IR 19.6-63.1 months). The median survival after the diagnosis of brain parenchymal metastasis, LM, and shunt surgery were 7.2 months (IR 5.1-14.1 months), 3.9 months (IR 3.5-6.3 months), and 3.3 months (IR 2.9-5.7 months), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Shunt surgery for hydrocephalus could offer an effective palliative surgical option for symptom relief especially relief of severe headache, contributing improvement of QOL in LM patients.

Widespread Intra-abdominal Carcinomatosis from a Rhabdoid Meningioma after Placement of a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Intra-abdominal metastasis (IAM) of central nervous system (CNS) tumors via ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is rare but has been previously reported (e.g., germinomas and medulloblastomas). However, there has been no previous report in the literature involving meningiomas. A case of primary rhabdoid meningioma with widespread intra-abdominal carcinomatosis after placement of a VPS in a 36-year-old man is described. The patient underwent preoperative angioembolization of the tumor, craniotomy, and surgical excision, followed by postoperative gamma knife radiosurgery. Five months later, he underwent a decompressive craniectomy and surgical excision for tumor recurrence causing raised intracranial pressure and communicating hydrocephalus, necessitating placement of a VPS. One month after placement of the VPS, the patient developed abdominal distension and confusion. He was treated for a VPS infection, and the shunt was explanted. He continued to deteriorate with high output from the peritoneal drain placed at the time of shunt explantation. An exploratory laparotomy revealed multiple diffuse peritoneal and omental nodules which had the same histopathological and immunohistochemical morphology as the primary tumor. We reviewed the current literature on IAM of primary CNS tumors via VPS, which revealed that patients belonging in the pediatric age group, of the male gender, and with a primary intracranial germinoma or medulloblastoma have a higher incidence of IAM. Majority of IAM occurred within 2 years of VPS placement, and patients most commonly present with abdominal distension and ascites. Treatment after diagnosis is varied and the prognosis is poor, with more than half of the patients dying within a year. It is vital for clinicians to maintain a high index of suspicion for similar patients, as early intervention could potentially improve patient outcomes and patient expectations managed more effectively.

Widespread Intra-abdominal Carcinomatosis from a Rhabdoid Meningioma after Placement of a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Intra-abdominal metastasis (IAM) of central nervous system (CNS) tumors through ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is rare but has been previously reported (e.g., germinomas and medulloblastomas). However, there has been no previous reports in literature involving meningiomas. A case of primary rhabdoid meningioma with widespread intra-abdominal carcinomatosis after placement of a VPS in a 36-year-old man is described. The patient underwent preoperative angioembolization of the tumor, craniotomy, and surgical excision, followed by postoperative gamma knife radiosurgery. Five months later, he underwent a decompressive craniectomy and surgical excision for tumor recurrence causing raised intracranial pressure and communicating hydrocephalus, necessitating placement of a VPS. One month after placement of the VPS, the patient developed abdominal distension and confusion. He was treated for a VPS infection and the shunt was explanted. He continued to deteriorate with high output from the peritoneal drain placed at the time of shunt explantation. An exploratory laparotomy revealed multiple diffuse peritoneal and omental nodules which had the same histopathological and immunohistochemical morphology as the primary tumor. We reviewed the current literature on IAM of primary CNS tumors through VPS, which revealed that patients belonging to the pediatric age group of the male gender and with a primary intracranial germinoma or medulloblastoma have a higher incidence of IAM. The majority of IAM occurred within 2 years of VPS placement, and patients most commonly present with abdominal distension and ascites. Treatment after diagnosis is varied, and the prognosis is poor, with more than half of the patients dying within a year. It is vital for clinicians to maintain a high index of suspicion for similar patients as early intervention could potentially improve patient outcomes and patient expectations managed more effectively.

Extracranial, peritoneal seeding of primary malignant brain tumors through ventriculo-peritoneal shunts in children: Case report and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS) have been implicated as a source of the extraneural spread of a wide variety of central nervous system tumors. The purpose is to review the literature on peritoneal seeding of central nervous system tumors from VPS in the context of a case report.

METHODS

Medline was searched using the phrase 'peritoneal seeding ventriculoperitoneal shunt'. Inclusion criteria included patients (<18 years) with evidence of peritoneal seeding from VPS.

RESULTS

Search of the literature revealed a final total of 22 articles and a total of 28 patients.

CASE REPORT

A 7-year-old boy presented with intermittent vomiting, headaches, photophobia; a 4.4 cm left thalamic mass (glioblastoma multiforme) was found. Occipital VPS catheters were placed for increasing hydrocephalus and the patient developed increased abdominal distention and pain. Computed tomography revealed diffuse ascites with carcinomatosis and the patient was diagnosed clinically with peritoneal metastases.

DISCUSSION

Our case report and literature review revealed 28 cases of central nervous system tumors demonstrating evidence of extraneural spread associated with VPS in children in a wide variety of tumors. Larger studies are required to evaluate VPS as potential risk factors for peritoneal seeding and familiarity with potential VPS-related peritoneal seeding is important for diagnostic consideration.

Role of ventriculoperitoneal shunting in patients with neoplasms of the central nervous system: An analysis of 59 cases

Approximately 1-5% of patients with cerebral metastasis and ~40% of patients with primary brain tumors suffer from hydrocephalus. These patients often exhibit a poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to reassess the validity of ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS) with the assistance of the general surgeon in oncological patients. A total of 59 patients underwent first-time VPS at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, USA) between 2004 and 2012; 40 patients had hydrocephalus from brain metastasis and 19 from primary tumors. The analyzed independent variables included demographics, body mass index, past medical history, clinical presentation, indication for surgery, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score and surgical technique; the dependent variables were postoperative symptoms and occurrence, cause and time of shunt failure. The outcomes were analyzed with the t-test and Kaplan-Meier estimates for shunt survival. The mean age of the patients was 57.2 years and the mean operative time was 50.4 min. Symptomatic palliation was achieved in 93% of the cases; patients with severe symptoms, such as debilitating headaches, nausea and vomiting, benefited significantly from VPS. The mean follow-up time was 6.3 months; complications occurred in only 7 patients (11.8%) during follow-up: 2 in the proximal shunt (1 infection and 1 obstruction), both requiring revision, 1 infection in the distal catheter requiring shunt removal, 2 cases of intracerebral bleeding that were monitored with computed tomography scans, 1 wound infection treated with antibiotics and 1 valve complication that required temporary revision. The initial and 3-month KPS scores were 65±16.4 and 75±16.0, respectively. The mean overall shunt survival was 6.4 months (range, 1.0 day-76.0 months) from the placement of the VP shunt. At 3 months after VPS, 93.5% of the patients remained alive with functioning shunts and at 1 year 87% of the shunts were still functioning. In conclusion, VPS remains a valid option for cancer patients with low KPS, as it improves the quality of life in such patients, even in the setting of previous infection, hemorrhage, or leptomeningeal disease, since shunt patency outlasts the overall survival of nearly all patients.

Complete Intestinal Obstruction and Necrosis as a Complication of a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in Children: A Report of 2 Cases and Systematic Literature Review

Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt complications are common, but abdominal complications are rare. The objective of this report is to present 2 cases of intestinal obstruction due to a VP shunt and review the literature for data on this rare occurrence.A 4-month-old boy received surgical resection of a medulloblastoma and a VP shunt was inserted to manage progressive hydrocephalus. Two months later, he was admitted with intermittent vomiting, and plain abdominal radiography showed complete intestinal obstruction. Emergency laparotomy revealed an adhesive intestinal obstruction around the catheter, and approximately 5 cm of necrotic ileum was resected. His recovery was uneventful. In the second case, a 6-year-old boy was diagnosed with a primary nongerminomatous malignant germ cell tumor and a VP shunt was place to treat hydrocephalus. Two weeks after the first course of chemotherapy, he went into a coma; computed tomography demonstrated enlargement of the tumor and gross total resection was performed. Two weeks later, he developed abdominal distention; plain radiography showed intestinal obstruction and laparotomy revealed adhesive intestinal obstruction around the catheter with 15 cm of necrotic ileum. The necrotic bowel was resected. Unfortunately, the patient developed sepsis and despite treatment remained in a vegetative state.Medline, Central, Embase, and Google Scholar databases were searched up to May 9, 2014, using the terms VP shunt, shunting, and/or intestinal obstruction. Only cases involving children or adolescents were included. Eleven reports involving patients with abdominal complications resulting from a VP shunt for hydrocephalus were identified. The dates of the reports spanned from 1971 to 2014. Volvulus was the most common cause of VP shunt-related obstruction, and mechanical obstruction due to twisting of the catheter the second most common. Only 1 case in the literature review was related to intestinal adhesions. Treatment in most cases was laparotomy.Although intestinal obstruction is a rare complication of a VP shunt, it should be considered in the presence of abdominal symptoms and prompt treatment provided to have a good outcome.

Epidemiology of brain tumors in children aged two and under: A 10-year single-institute study

The aim of present study was to evaluate the incidence, clinical symptoms, pathological characteristics, surgical treatment strategies and prognosis of brain tumors in children aged two and under. The current study obtained data regarding 32 consecutive infants and young children aged two years and under, who were treated for brain tumors in the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University (Shanghai, China) between 2003 and 2013. The types of tumor, clinical manifestations, location, histological features, applied treatment strategies and outcomes were retrospectively evaluated. The male to female ratio was 1.13:1, and among a total of 32 tumors, 14 (43.8%) were suptratentorial and 18 (56.3%) were infratentorial. Intracranial hypertension was the most common onset symptom, and astrocytoma was the most common tumor type (10 cases; 31.3%), followed by ependymoma (nine cases; 28.1%) and medulloblastoma (six cases; 18.8%). Surgical tumor resection was performed in 20 patients (62.5%), who experienced a mean post-operative survival time of 67.6 months. By contrast, conservative treatment with medications was administered in 12 patients (37.5%), with a mean survival time of 25.3 months. Furthermore, four patients underwent conservative therapy combined with ventriculoperitoneal shunting to relieve intracranial pressure arising from cerebrospinal fluid accumulation, resulting in a mean survival time of 10.5 months. In conclusion, the present study indicates that surgical tumor resection may improve the overall prognosis of infants and young children aged two years and under who presented with brain tumors. In addition, ventriculoperitoneal shunts may facilitate pre- and post-operative improvement in clinical symptoms by relieving intracranial pressure; however, the shunts do not appear to increase long-term survival. Furthermore, high surgical risk is an important prognostic factor in this pediatric patient population.

Intradural tumor recurrence after resection of extradural metastasis: a rare but potential complication of intraoperative durotomy

Spinal metastases are the most common of spinal neoplasms and occur predominantly in an extradural location. Their appearance in an intradural location is uncommon and is associated with a poor prognosis. Cerebrospinal fluid dissemination accounts for a significant number of intradural spinal metastases mostly manifesting as leptomeningeal carcinomatoses or drop metastases from intracranial tumors. The occurrence of local tumor dissemination intradurally following surgery for an extradural spinal metastasis has not been reported previously. The authors describe 2 cases in which local intradural and intramedullary tumor recurrences occurred following resection of extradural metastases that were complicated by unintended durotomy. To heighten clinical awareness of this unusual form of local tumor recurrence, the authors discuss the possible etiology and clinical consequences of this entity.