Differences in intraoperative sampling during meningioma surgery regarding CNS invasion - Results of a survey on behalf of the EANS skull base section

Introduction

and Research Question: Invasive growth of meningiomas into CNS tissue is rare but of prognostic significance. While it has entered the WHO classification as a stand-alone criterion for atypia, its true prognostic impact remains controversial. Retrospective analyses, on which the current evidence is based, show conflicting results. Discordant findings might be explained by different intraoperative sampling methodologies.

Material and methods

To assess the applied sampling methods in the light of the novel prognostic impact of CNS invasion, an anonymous survey was designed and distributed via the EANS website and newsletter. The survey was open from June 5th until July 15th, 2022.

Results

After exclusion of 13 incomplete responses, 142 (91.6%) datasets were used for statistical analysis. Only 47.2% of participants' institutions utilize a standardized sampling method, and 54.9% pursue a complete sampling of the area of contact between the meningioma surface and CNS tissue. Most respondents (77.5%) did not change their sampling practice after introduction of the new grading criteria to the WHO classification of 2016. Intraoperative suspicion of CNS invasion changes the sampling for half of the participants (49.3%). Additional sampling of suspicious areas of interest is reported in 53.5%. Dural attachment and adjacent bone are more readily sampled separately if tumor invasion is suspected (72.5% and 74.6%, respectively), compared to meningioma tissue with signs of CNS invasion (59.9%).

Discussion and conclusions

Intraoperative sampling methods during meningioma resection vary among neurosurgical departments. There is need for a structured sampling to optimize the diagnostic yield of CNS invasion.

Olfactory Groove Meningiomas: Comprehensive assessment between the different microsurgical transcranial approaches and the Endoscopic Endonasal Approaches, systematic review and metanalysis on behalf of the EANS skull base section

•OGM surgery is much more complex than a simple debate of "from above or from below" (transcranial vs endoscopic).•Lateral Sub-frontal and Superior Interhemispheric seem the most effective, superior and versatile approaches for OGM.•Minimally Invasive Transcranial approaches showed no inferiority in OGM sized <4 ​cm.•Endoscopic Endonasal Approaches showed inferior results in surgical and in functional outcomes for OGM.

Management of non-vestibular schwannomas in adult patients: a systematic review and consensus statement on behalf of the EANS skull base section. Part I: oculomotor and other rare non-vestibular schwannomas (I, II, III, IV, VI)

BACKGROUND

Non-vestibular schwannomas are relatively rare, with trigeminal and jugular foramen schwannomas being the most common. This is a heterogeneous group which requires detailed investigation and careful consideration to management strategy. The optimal management for these tumours remains unclear, and there are several controversies. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the main principles defining management and surgical strategy, in order to formulate a series of recommendations.

METHODS

A task force was created by the EANS skull base section along with its members and other renowned experts in the field to generate recommendations for the surgical management of these tumours on a European perspective. To achieve this, the task force performed an extensive systematic review in this field and had discussions within the group. This article is the first of a three-part series describing non-vestibular schwannomas (I, II, III, IV, VI).

RESULTS

A summary of literature evidence was proposed after discussion within the EANS skull base section. The constituted task force dealt with the practice patterns that exist with respect to pre-operative radiological investigations, ophthalmological assessments, optimal surgical and radiotherapy strategies and follow-up management.

CONCLUSION

This article represents the consensually derived opinion of the task force with respect to the treatment of non-vestibular schwannomas. For each of these tumours, the management of these patients is complex, and for those which are symptomatic tumours, the paradigm is shifting towards the compromise between function preservation and progression-free survival.

Management of non-vestibular schwannomas in adult patients: a systematic review and consensus statement on behalf of the EANS skull base section Part III: Lower cranial nerve schwannomas, jugular foramen (CN IX, X, XI) and hypoglossal schwannoma (XII)

BACKGROUND

Non-vestibular schwannomas are relatively rare, with trigeminal and jugular foramen schwannomas being the most common. This is a heterogenous group which requires detailed investigation and careful consideration to management strategy. The optimal management for these tumours remains unclear, and there are several controversies. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the main principles defining management and surgical strategy, in order to formulate a series of recommendations.

METHODS

A task force was created by the EANS skull base section committee along with its members and other renowned experts in the field to generate recommendations for the surgical management of these tumours on a European perspective. To achieve this, the task force performed an extensive systematic review in this field and had discussions within the group. This article is the third of a three-part series describing non-vestibular schwannomas (IX, X, XI, XII).

RESULTS

A summary of literature evidence was proposed after discussion within the EANS skull base section. The constituted task force dealt with the practice patterns that exist with respect to preoperative radiological investigations, ophthalmological assessments, optimal surgical and radiotherapy strategies and follow-up management.

CONCLUSION

This article represents the consensually derived opinion of the task force with respect to the treatment of non-vestibular schwannomas. For each of these tumours, the management paradigm is shifting towards the compromise between function preservation and progression free survival.

Management of non-vestibular schwannomas in adult patients: a systematic review and consensus statement on behalf of the EANS skull base section Part II: Trigeminal and facial nerve schwannomas (CN V, VII)

BACKGROUND

Non-vestibular schwannomas are relatively rare, with trigeminal and jugular foramen schwannomas being the most common. This is a heterogenous group which requires detailed investigation and careful consideration to management strategy. The optimal management for these tumours remains unclear and there are several controversies. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the main principles defining management and surgical strategy, in order to formulate a series of recommendations.

METHODS

A task force was created by the EANS skull base section committee along with its members and other renowned experts in the field to generate recommendations for the surgical management of these tumours on a European perspective. To achieve this, the task force performed an extensive systematic review in this field and had discussions within the group. This article is the second of a three-part series describing non-vestibular schwannomas (V, VII).

RESULTS

A summary of literature evidence was proposed after discussion within the EANS skull base section. The constituted task force dealt with the practice patterns that exist with respect to pre-operative radiological investigations, ophthalmological assessments, optimal surgical and radiotherapy strategies, and follow-up management.

CONCLUSION

This article represents the consensually derived opinion of the task force with respect to the treatment of trigeminal and facial schwannoma. The aim of treatment is maximal safe resection with preservation of function. Careful thought is required to select the appropriate surgical approach. Most middle fossa trigeminal schwannoma tumours can be safely accessed by a subtemporal extradural middle fossa approach. The treatment of facial nerve schwannoma remains controversial.

Surgical management of giant pituitary neuroendocrine tumors: Meta-analysis and consensus statement on behalf of the EANS skull base section

Introduction

The optimal surgical treatment for giant pituitary neuroendocrine tumors(GPitNETs) is debated.

Research question

The aim of this paper is to optimize the surgical management of these patients and to provide a consensus statement on behalf of the EANS Skull Base Section.

Material and methods

We constituted a task force belonging to the EANS skull base committee to define some principles for the management of GPitNETs. A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines to perform a meta-analysis on surgical series of GPitNETs. Weighted summary rates were obtained for the pooled extent of resection and according to the surgical technique. These data were discussed to obtain recommendations after evaluation of the selected articles and discussion among the experts.

Results

20articles were included in our meta-analysis, for a total of 1263 patients. The endoscopic endonasal technique was used in 40.3% of cases, the microscopic endonasal approach in 34% of cases, transcranial approaches in 18.7% and combined approaches in 7% of cases. No difference in terms of gross total resection (GTR) rate was observed among the different techniques. Pooled GTR rate was 36.6%, while a near total resection (NTR) was possible in 45.2% of cases. Cavernous sinus invasion was associated with a lower GTR rate (OR: 0.061). After surgery, 35% of patients had endocrinological improvement and 75.6% had visual improvement. Recurrent tumors were reported in 10% of cases

Discussion and conclusion

After formal discussion in the working group, we recommend the treatment of G-PitNETs tumors with a more complex and multilobular structure in tertiary care centers. The endoscopic endonasal approach is the first option of treatment and extended approaches should be planned according to extension, morphology and consistency of the lesion. Transcranial approaches play a role in selected cases, with a multicompartmental morphology, subarachnoid invasion and extension lateral to the internal carotid artery and in the management of residual tumor apoplexy.

Aggressive pituitary neuroendocrine tumors: current practices, controversies, and perspectives, on behalf of the EANS skull base section

Aggressive pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (APT) account for 10% of pituitary tumors. Their management is a rapidly evolving field of clinical research and has led pituitary teams to shift toward a neuro-oncological-like approach. The new terminology "Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors" (PitNet) that was recently proposed to replace "pituitary adenomas" reflects this change of paradigm. In this narrative review, we aim to provide a state of the art of actual knowledge, controversies, and recommendations in the management of APT. We propose an overview of current prognostic markers, including the recent five-tiered clinicopathological classification. We further establish and discuss the following recommendations from a neurosurgical perspective: (i) surgery and multi-staged surgeries (without or with parasellar resection in symptomatic patients) should be discussed at each stage of the disease, because it may potentialize adjuvant medical therapies; (ii) temozolomide is effective in most patients, although 30% of patients are non-responders and the optimal timeline to initiate and interrupt this treatment remains questionable; (iii) some patients with selected clinicopathological profiles may benefit from an earlier local radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy; (iv) novel therapies such as VEGF-targeted therapies and anti-CTLA-4/anti-PD1 immunotherapies are promising and should be discussed as 2nd or 3rd line of treatment. Finally, whether neurosurgeons have to operate on "pituitary adenomas" or "PitNets," their role and expertise remain crucial at each stage of the disease, prompting our community to deal with evolving concepts and therapeutic resources.

Petroclival meningiomas: update of current treatment and consensus by the EANS skull base section

BACKGROUND

The optimal management of petroclival meningiomas (PCMs) continues to be debated along with several controversies that persist.

METHODS

A task force was created by the EANS skull base section along with its members and other renowned experts in the field to generate recommendations for the management of these tumors. To achieve this, the task force reviewed in detail the literature in this field and had formal discussions within the group.

RESULTS

The constituted task force dealt with the existing definitions and classifications, pre-operative radiological investigations, management of small and asymptomatic PCMs, radiosurgery, optimal surgical strategies, multimodal treatment, decision-making, and patient's counselling.

CONCLUSION

This article represents the consensually derived opinion of the task force with respect to the management of PCMs.

APR-246 combined with 3-deazaneplanocin A, panobinostat or temozolomide reduces clonogenicity and induces apoptosis in glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma is the most malignant brain tumor and presents high resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide are the only treatments against this tumor. New targeted therapies, including epigenetic modulators such as 3‑deazaneplanocin A (DZ‑Nep; an EZH2 inhibitor) and panobinostat (a histone deacetylase inhibitor) are being tested in vitro, together with temozolomide. The present study combined APR‑246 with DZ‑Nep, panobinostat and teomozolomide in order to explore the possibility of restoring p53 function in mutated cases of glioblastoma. Following the Chou‑Talalay method it was demonstrated that APR‑246 acts in an additive manner together with the other compounds, reducing clonogenicity and inducing apoptosis in glioblastoma cells independently of p53 status.

The synergistic effect of DZ‑NEP, panobinostat and temozolomide reduces clonogenicity and induces apoptosis in glioblastoma cells

Current treatment against glioblastoma consists of surgical resection followed by temozolomide, with or without combined radiotherapy. Glioblastoma frequently acquires resistance to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Novel therapeutic approaches are thus required. The inhibition of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2; a histone methylase) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) are possible epigenetic treatments. Temozolomide, 3‑deazaneplanocin A (DZ‑Nep; an EZH2 inhibitor) and panobinostat (an HDAC inhibitor) were tested in regular and temozolomide‑resistant glioblastoma cells to confirm whether the compounds could behave in a synergistic, additive or antagonistic manner. A total of six commercial cell lines, two temozolomide‑induced resistant cell lines and two primary cultures derived from glioblastoma samples were used. Cell lines were exposed to single treatments of the drugs in addition to all possible two‑ and three‑drug combinations. Colony formation assays, synergistic assays and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR analysis of apoptosis‑associated genes were performed. The highest synergistic combination was DZ‑Nep + panobinostat. Triple treatment was also synergistic. Reduced clonogenicity and increased apoptosis were both induced. It was concluded that the therapeutic potential of the combination of these three drugs in glioblastoma was evident and should be further explored.

[Ectopic pituitary adenoma associated with empty sella turcica]

Ectopic pituitary adenoma is a rare entity that is most commonly located in the sphenoid sinus. We report a case of a patient with ectopic pituitary adenoma with no functional expression associated with empty sella turcica, which gives rise to a broad differential diagnosis. Although it is a benign neoplasm, necrosis is encountered in a proportion of cases. Magnetic resonance imaging is the diagnostic method of choice for hypothalamic-pituitary-related endocrine diseases with endoscopic biopsy for histological confirmation. It is important to include pituitary markers in the immunohistochemical diagnostic panel.

Self-perceived level of competitiveness, tension, and dependency and lifestyles in the 'Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra' cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to assess the differences in lifestyles according to levels of self-perceived competitiveness, psychological tension, and dependency in a Mediterranean cohort of university graduates.

STUDY DESIGN

Levels of personality traits, food consumption, nutrient intake, eating attitudes, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and alcohol and tobacco consumption were assessed through a questionnaire administered at baseline. This was a cross-sectional study in the context of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra cohort. Participants are 15,346 Spanish adults.

RESULTS

Participants with a high level of self-perceived competitiveness consumed more vegetables and fish but less refined grains; they had higher protein intake and healthier eating attitudes. They were more physically active and less likely to be smokers. Participants with a high level of tension or dependency were less physically active, and participants more dependent also had poorer adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-perceived personality traits, especially the trait of competitiveness, are likely to be associated with healthier dietary patterns, better nutrient profile, better eating attitudes, physical activity, and less exposure to smoking. The use of short questions about self-perceived levels of competitiveness, psychological tension, and dependency can contribute to add additional information when assessing lifestyles and diet in adults.

Dumbbell malignant dorsal schwannoma embolized and operated by single posterior approach

We report a case of a 41 years old patient complaining of chronic dorsalgia. MRI showed a well defined intradural extramedular dumbbell-shaped lesion, associated to a left paravertebral tumor at D5-D6 level. The tumor was embolizated prior to surgery. Following she underwent a D4-D6 laminotomy, left D5-D6 costotransversectomy and resection of the intracanal extradural part of the lesion with section of the left D5 nerve. Posteriorly, complete resection of the extracanal portion of the tumor was performed by a postero-lateral approach. The anatomopathologic diagnosis was a malignant schwannoma. After the surgery, the patient required adyuvant radiotherapic treatment. Malignant schwannoma is a very uncommon tumor which belongs to the malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). It develops from Schwann cells. It is frequently associated with type 1 neurofibromatosis. MPNST usually present local recurrence and can metastatize.

Fat Quality Index and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in the Sun Project

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between a dietary fat quality index (FQI), and the risk of incident cardiovascular events or deaths in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort.

DESIGN

Longitudinal analysis during 10.1 years of median follow-up. Cox models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of incident cardiovascular diseases (CVD) according to tertiles of FQI and of different fat subtypes.

SETTING

University of Navarra, Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

19,341 middle-aged adults.

MEASUREMENTS

Fat intake was measured with a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The FQI was calculated according to the ratio: (monounsaturated+polyunsaturated) / (saturated+trans fatty acids).

RESULTS

We observed 140 incident cases of CVD. No association was found for FQI (HR=0.94, 95 %CI 0.61-1.47 for the highest vs the lowest tertile, p for trend=0.884). No significant associations were found for different dietary fat subtypes on CVD risk. The results suggest no clear association between a higher FQI and a higher amount of energy from fat and incidence of CVD (p for interaction: 0.259 and p for trend only among participants with a percentage of energy from fat ≥35% of total energy: 0.272).

CONCLUSION

In this Mediterranean cohort, the FQI was not associated with cardiovascular events. A "heart-healthy diet" should focus its attention on dietary fat sources and should use an overall dietary pattern approach, rather than limiting the focus on fat subtypes. More research is needed to validate dietary advice on specific fatty acids intake or saturated fatty acids replacements for reducing CVD risk.

Association between a dietary carbohydrate index and cardiovascular disease in the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) Project

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Beyond the quantity of carbohydrate intake, further research is needed to know the relevance of carbohydrate quality following operational indices. No previous longitudinal study has assessed the association between an index for quality of dietary carbohydrate intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, we examined the association between a carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and the risk of CVD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We used a validated semi-quantitative 136-item food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a prospective follow-up study of 17,424 middle-aged adults from Spain. The CQI was defined by four criteria: dietary fiber intake, glycemic index, whole-grain/total-grain carbohydrate ratio, and solid/total carbohydrate ratio. We observed 129 incident cases of CVD during 10.1 y of median follow-up. An inverse association for CQI was found (hazard ratio = 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25-0.78 for the highest versus the lowest tertile, p for trend = 0.008). Participants in the highest tertile of the whole-grain/total-grain carbohydrate ratio had 47% lower risk of CVD (95% CI: 0.33-0.85, p for trend = 0.008). Participants with higher baseline CQI and higher baseline energy from carbohydrates had the lowest risk of CVD.

CONCLUSION

In this Mediterranean cohort, a better quality of dietary carbohydrates measured by the CQI, showed a significant inverse association with the incidence of CVD. Specially, a higher proportion of carbohydrates from whole grains was strongly inversely associated with CVD. "Heart-healthy" diets should be focused not only on carbohydrate quantity but also on a multidimensional assessment of the type and quality of carbohydrates.

Epigenetic regulation of human hedgehog interacting protein in glioma cell lines and primary tumor samples

Glioma constitutes one of the most common groups of brain tumors, and its prognosis is influenced by different genetic and epigenetic modulations. In this study, we demonstrated low or no expression of hedgehog interacting protein (HHIP) in most of the cell lines and primary glioma tumor samples. We further proceeded to promoter methylation study of this gene in the same cell lines and primary tumor samples and found 87 % (7/8) HHIP methylation in glioblastoma cell lines and 75 % (33/44) in primary tumor samples. These methylation pattern correlates with low or unexpressed HHIP in both cell lines and primary tumor samples. Our results suggest the possibility of epigenetic regulation of this gene in glioma, similarly to medulloblastoma, gastric, hepatic, and pancreatic cancers. Also, HHIP might be a diagnostic or prognostic marker in glioma and help to the detection of these tumors in early stages of disease.

A small noncoding RNA signature found in exosomes of GBM patient serum as a diagnostic tool

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent malignant brain tumor in adults, and its prognosis remains dismal despite intensive research and therapeutic advances. Diagnostic biomarkers would be clinically meaningful to allow for early detection of the tumor and for those cases in which surgery is contraindicated or biopsy results are inconclusive. Recent findings show that GBM cells release microvesicles that contain a select subset of cellular proteins and RNA. The aim of this hypothesis-generating study was to assess the diagnostic potential of miRNAs found in microvesicles isolated from the serum of GBM patients.

METHODS

To control disease heterogeneity, we used patients with newly diagnosed GBM. In the discovery stage, PCR-based TaqMan Low Density Arrays followed by individual quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were used to test the differences in the miRNA expression levels of serum microvesicles among 25 GBM patients and healthy controls paired by age and sex. The detected noncoding RNAs were then validated in another 50 GBM patients.

RESULTS

We found that the expression levels of 1 small noncoding RNA (RNU6-1) and 2 microRNAs (miR-320 and miR-574-3p) were significantly associated with a GBM diagnosis. In addition, RNU6-1 was consistently an independent predictor of a GBM diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Altogether our results uncovered a small noncoding RNA signature in microvesicles isolated from GBM patient serum that could be used as a fast and reliable differential diagnostic biomarker.

Perinatal and parental determinants of childhood overweight in 6-12 years old children

INTRODUCTION & AIMS: The identification of determinants of childhood overweight is crucial to early diagnosis and prevention. The aim of this study was to assess perinatal and parental related risk factors concerning children for having excessive body weight.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study involving 3,101 children participating in the programme "Alimenta su salud" conducted in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). Anthropometric and sociodemographic data were obtained from a general questionnaire. Analysed factors as potential predictors of childhood overweight were sex, age, birth weight, infant feeding, number of siblings, as well as parental marital status, educational level and obesity. Prevalence of overweight stratified by potential determinants was assessed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between variables and the likelihood of being overweight.

RESULTS

The overweight prevalence (including obesity) was 30.3% in boys and 28.3% in girls, according to the IOTF criteria. Higher rates in younger subjects and some gender differences were observed. Parental obesity was the most important predictive variable for childhood overweight in both sexes and birth weight over 3,500 g in girls (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.3). Having one or more siblings (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9) and higher paternal education (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-0.9) in boys, and older age in girls (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-.09), resulted protective factors against childhood overweight. No independent effects of marital status, maternal education and infant feeding patterns on childhood excess weight were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Perinatal and parental factors could contribute to predict the risk of being overweight/obese in children aged 6 to 12 years, which should be considered when formulating obesity prevention and intervention strategies, stressing the importance of targeting obese parents with young children.

Promoter Methylation of RASSF1A Associates to Adult Secondary Glioblastomas and Pediatric Glioblastomas

While allelic losses and mutations of tumor suppressor genes implicated in the etiology of astrocytoma have been widely assessed, the role of epigenetics is still a matter of study. We analyzed the frequency of promoter hypermethylation by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) in five tumor suppressor genes (PTEN, MGMT, RASSF1A, p14^ARF, and p16^INK4A), in astrocytoma samples and cell lines. RASSF1A was the most frequently hypermethylated gene in all grades of astrocytoma samples, in cell lines, and in adult secondary GBM. It was followed by MGMT. PTEN showed a slight methylation signal in only one GBM and one pilocytic astrocytoma, and in two cell lines; while p14^ARF and p16^INK4A did not show any evidence of methylation in primary tumors or cell lines. In pediatric GBM, RASSF1A was again the most frequently altered gene, followed by MGMT; PTEN, p14 and p16 showed no alterations. Lack or reduced expression of RASSF1A in cell lines was correlated with the presence of methylation. RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation might be used as a diagnostic marker for secondary GBM and pediatric GBM. Promoter hypermethylation might not be an important inactivation mechanism in other genes like PTEN, p14^ARF and p16^INK4A, in which other alterations (mutations, homozygous deletions) are prevalent.

[Weight status, dietary habits and physical activity among 6-12 year-old children in Castile-La Mancha]

INTRODUCTION

Childhood obesity is a multifactorial disease, in which unhealthy dietary patterns and sedentary lifestyles play a decisive role. The aim of this study was to assess the weight status, dietary habits and physical activity in Castile-La Mancha children.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 3061 children 6-12 years-old who were participating in the programme, "Alimenta su salud". Anthropometric measurements, food consumption frequency, dietary habits and physical activity were assessed by a questionnaire, including gender, age and geographical influences.

RESULTS

The prevalence of subjects with excess weight-for-height was 24.0% and obesity was 14.3%, with geographical differences. Girls more often have mid-morning snacks, consume more supplements, and reported to be less active than boys. Special diets and sports activities were lower in children aged 6-9 years as compared to the 10-12 years old group. The intake of vegetables and fruit is low, while there is overconsumption of sausages, pastries, salted snacks, sweets and fast food, with some differences by age group.

CONCLUSIONS

One out of four children is overweight or obese in this population. Children do not meet recommendations for fruit and vegetables and there is a high consumption of foods associated with obesity risk. Physical inactivity was more prevalent during the weekends, and among girls.

[Symptomatic xanthogranuloma of the lateral ventricle]

Xanthogranulomas of the choroid plexus is a benign tumour of uncertain etiology, usually asymptomatic. We report a case of symptomatic xanthogranuloma of the left lateral ventricle with edema in adjacent white matter, in a 62-year-old man with seizures.

[Pontine stroke due to vasospasm secondary to perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage]

INTRODUCTION

Spontaneous non-aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages generally have a good short and long term outcome, especially those with a perimesencephalic location. Vasospasm is an uncommon complication of this type of subarachnoid hemorrhage, and ischemic cerebral lesions related to vasospasm are even less frequent.

CASE REPORT

A 46 year-old man was admitted with a perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Angiographic study performed on admission was normal. Two weeks later he developed dysarthria and right faciobrachial paresis. Transcranial doppler showed a diffuse and moderate increase of medium velocity flow at basilar artery level suggestive of moderate vasospasm. An angioresonance confirmed this finding and a paramedian pontine infarction was found on resonance images. The patient was treated with nimodipine and he was discharged from hospital with only mild residual deficit.

CONCLUSION

Cerebral infarction related to vasospasm as complication of subarachnoid perimesencephalic hemorrhage is exceptional. The factors that could have been involved in the development of this complication are discussed.

Solitary thoracic intradural extramedullary plasmacytoma

The bodies of the vertebrae are common locations for plasma cell diseases such as multiple myeloma and solitary plasmacytoma. Secondary invasion of the epidural space is infrequent but can cause neurological symptoms. Spinal cord compression due to pure intradural plasma cell infiltration is very rare. The authors report a 25-year-old woman who developed a progressive difficulty in walking due to a solitary spinal dural plasmacytoma. This is the first reported example in the English language literature of a purely intradural spinal plasmacytoma in a patient without other myelomatous lesions. An entirely intradural solitary plasmacytoma has a relatively better prognosis.

[Multiple penetrating brain injuries caused by a nail gun: a case report]

Multiple and self-inflicted penetrating brain injuries (PBI) rare. PBI are rare. We report the case of multiple self-inflicted PBI in a 45 year old man caused by a nail gun. He was admitted to after shooting four nails into his head and one into his thorax. We review the literature on the topic and describe how this case was successfully managed in our hospital.

Genetic heterogeneity in supratentorial and infratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumours of the central nervous system

AIMS

Medulloblastoma (MB), a kind of infratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET), is the most frequent malignant brain tumour in childhood. In contrast, supratentorial PNET (sPNET) are very infrequent tumours, but they are histologically similar to MB, although they present a worse clinical outcome. We investigated the differences in genetic abnormalities between sPNET and MB.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analysed 20 central PNET (14 MB and six sPNET) by conventional comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) in order to determine whether a different genetic profile for each tumour exists. Isochromosome 17q was detected in four of the 14 MB cases, but not in any sPNET. Gains at 17q and 7 happened more frequently in MB, and those at 1q in sPNET. Losses at chromosome 10 were detected only in MB, while losses at 16p and 19p happened more frequently in sPNET. A new amplification site, on 4q12, was detected in two MB.

CONCLUSIONS

Central PNET are a heterogeneous group of tumours from the genetic point of view. The present and previous data, together with further results from larger series, might contribute to the establishment of specific treatments for supratentorial and infratentorial PNET.

Linfoma cerebral primario: revisión bibliográfica y experiencia en el Hospital de Navarra en los últimos 5 años (2000-2004)

Primary cerebral lymphoma (Primary CNS Lymphoma, PCNSL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma that originates in the central nervous system without evidence of lymphoma in any other localization at the time of diagnosis. Primary cerebral lymphomas are less well-known and are characterized than their homologues the systemic lymphomas, as they are an entity whose frequency was scarce until a few decades ago. However, the great rise in incidence that this pathology has undergone over the last three decades, and which is still unexplained, makes more studies necessary to better understand the etiopathology of this entity. Thanks to the new systems of treatment, the prognosis of this pathology has improved significantly in recent years. Nonetheless, treatment of primary cerebral lymphoma continues to give rise to numerous controversies at present due to its high neurotoxicity in patients over 60 years of age, a group of patients frequently affected by this pathology. To resolve these and other questions it is necessary to deep in the study of primary cerebral lymphoma and to carry out high quality clinical trials.

[Treatment of intracranial hypertension of malign tumour origin]

Brain tumours are a frequent cause of intracraneal hypertension syndrome, clinically manifested by headache, nausea and vomiting, and a decrease in the level of consciousness. The keypoint sign of intracraneal hypertension is papilloedema. Other manifestations depend on the localization of the tumour, appearing as neurological focality and seizures. The causes of intracranial hypertension of tumoural origin are the mass effect of the tumour, brain edema, the possibility of intratumoural haemorrhage and hydrocephalus caused by obstruction in the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. The treatments employed, medical or surgical, act against these causes.

Chromosomal abnormalities in human glioblastomas: gain in chromosome 7p correlating with loss in chromosome 10q

Various genomic alterations have been detected in glioblastoma. Chromosome 7p, with the epidermal growth factor receptor locus, together with chromosome 10q, with the phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted in chromosome 10 and deleted in malignant brain tumors-1 loci, and chromosome 9p, with the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A locus, are among the most frequently damaged chromosomal regions in glioblastoma. In this study, we evaluated the genetic status of 32 glioblastomas by comparative genomic hybridization; the sensitivity of comparative genomic hybridization versus differential polymerase chain reaction to detect deletions at the phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted in chromosome 10, deleted in malignant brain tumors-1, and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A loci and amplifications at the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 locus; the frequency of genetic lesions (gain or loss) at 16 different selected loci (including oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes, and proliferation markers) mapping on 13 different chromosomes; and the possible existence of a statistical association between any pair of molecular markers studied, to subdivide the glioblastoma entity molecularly. Comparative genomic hybridization showed that the most frequent region of gain was chromosome 7p, whereas the most frequent losses occurred on chromosomes 10q and 13q. The only statistically significant association was found for 7p gain and 10q loss.

[Primary low-grade non-Hodgkin's B lymphoma mimicking meningioma]

Primary dural lymphomas are rare. Usually they present themselves as diffuse lesions and are infrequently well-delimited. We present a 44 year old male, who was admitted into our Centre after a generalised seizure. Neuroimage studies (CT scan, MRI and angiography) were performed, demonstrating a right hemispheric well-delimited extra-axial mass, being diagnosed initially as meningioma. The patient underwent surgery with radical scission of the mass and dural margins. Histopathological diagnosis was Non-Hodgkin B-Cell lymphoma (marginal B-Cell lymphoma), which nowadays is considered as MALT lymphoma (Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue). Studies directed to establish tumour extension didn't demonstrate the existence of another lesions in the organism.

[Intracranial hemorrhage from an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in a tuberous sclerosis patient]

We describe a previously diagnosed tuberous sclerosis patient that arrived to the hospital with an intracerebral hemorrhage whose origin was an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). A craniectomy was performed and the hematoma was evacuated with the alleviation of the patient. Although the association between tuberous sclerosis and intracerebral hemorrhage is known in the literature it has never been described associated with an AVM.