Synchronous bilateral adrenalectomy in ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism: predictors, biomarkers and outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Hypercortisolism requires a prompt therapeutic management to reduce the risk of development of a potential fatal emergency. A synchronous bilateral adrenalectomy (SBA) is effective in recovering hypercortisolism. However, specific indications for an SBA are not available. We aimed to evaluate the outcome of patients who underwent an SBA and to identify biomarkers able to predict the requirements of an SBA.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A mono-centric and longitudinal study was conducted on 19 consecutive patients who underwent SBA for ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism between December 2003 and December 2017. This study population was compared to two control groups composed of patients cured after the resection of the ACTH secreting pituitary adenoma (Group A: 44 patients) and of the ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine tumours (Group B: 8 patients).

RESULTS

Short- or long-term SBA complications or the recurrence of hypercortisolism did not occur. A single patient experienced Nelson syndrome. Clinical features after SBA showed improvement in the glico-metabolic assessment, hypertension, bone metabolism and the occurrence of hypokalaemia and infections. The younger the age at the time of Cushing's disease diagnosis, the longer the duration of active hypercortisolism, higher values of plasmatic ACTH and Cortisol (1 month after pituitary neurosurgery) and higher values of Ki67 in pituitary adenomas were detected in this study population as compared to Group A.

CONCLUSIONS

SBA is an effective and safe treatment for patients with unmanageable ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism. A multidisciplinary team in a referral centre with a high volume of patients is strongly recommended for the management of these patients and the identification of patients, for better surgical timing.

Preliminary experience with 4K ultra-high definition endoscope: analysis of pros and cons in skull base surgery

During the last two decades endoscopic skull base surgery observed a continuous technical and technological development 3D endoscopy and ultra High Definition (HD) endoscopy have provided great advances in terms of visualisation and spatial resolution. Ultra-high definition (UHD) 4K systems, recently introduced in the clinical practice, will shape next steps forward especially in skull base surgery field. Patients were operated on through transnasal transsphenoidal endoscopic approaches performed using Olympus NBI 4K UHD endoscope with a 4 mm 0° Ultra Telescope, 300 W xenon lamp (CLV-S400) predisposed for narrow band imaging (NBI) technology connected through a camera head to a high-quality control unit (OTV-S400 – VISERA 4K UHD) (Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Two screens are used, one 31" Monitor – (LMD-X310S) and one main ultra-HD 55" screen optimised for UHD image reproduction (LMD-X550S). In selected cases, we used a navigation system (Stealthstation S7, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, US). We evaluated 22 pituitary adenomas (86.3% macroadenomas; 13.7% microadenomas). 50% were not functional (NF), 22.8% GH, 18.2% ACTH, 9% PRL-secreting. Three of 22 were recurrences. In 91% of cases we achieved total removal, while in 9% near total resection. A mean follow-up of 187 days and average length of hospitalisation was 3.09 ± 0.61 days. Surgical duration was 128.18± 30.74 minutes. We experienced only 1 case of intraoperative low flow fistula with no further complications. None of the cases required any post- or intraoperative blood transfusion. The visualisation and high resolution of the operative field provided a very detailed view of all anatomical structures and pathologies allowing an improvement in safety and efficacy of the surgical procedure. The operative time was similar to the standard 2D HD and 3D procedures and the physical strain was also comparable to others in terms of ergonomics and weight.

DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Primary empty sella: a comprehensive review

Primary empty sella (PES) is characterized by the herniation of the subarachnoid space within the sella, which is often associated with variable degrees of flattening of the pituitary gland in patients without previous pituitary pathologies. PES pathogenetic mechanisms are not well known but seem to be due to a sellar diaphragm incompetence, associated to the occurrence of upper sellar or pituitary factors, as intracranial hypertension and change of pituitary volume. As PES represents in a majority of cases, a neuroradiological findings without any clinical implication, the occurrence of endocrine, neurological and opthalmological symptoms, due to the above describes anatomical alteration, which delineates from the so called PES syndrome. Headache, irregular menses, overweight/obesity and visual disturbances compose the typical picture of PES syndrome and can be the manifestation of an intracranial hypertension, often associated with PES. Although hyperprolactinemia and growth hormone deficit represent the most common endocrine abnormalities, PES syndrome is characterized by heterogeneity both in clinical manifestation and hormonal alterations and can sometime reach severe extremes, as occurrence of papilledema, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and worsening of visual acuity. Consequently, a multidisciplinary approach, with the integration of endocrine, neurologic and ophthalmologic expertise, is strongly advocated and recommended for a properly diagnosis, management, treatment and follow-up of PES syndrome and all of the related abnormalities.

Intraventricular versus intravenous colistin for the treatment of extensively drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Reports on the safety and efficacy of intraventricularly administered (IVT) colistin for the treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculomeningitis in adults are limited and no comparative studies of IVT colistin versus intravenous (IV) therapy alone have been published. This study compared outcomes of patients with postneurosurgical ventriculomeningitis caused by extensively drug-resistant A. baumannii treated with IV colistin or IV plus IVT colistin.

METHODS

In an 11-year period, information on 18 consecutive patients with extensively drug-resistant A. baumannii ventriculomeningitis was collected. Infection was defined on the basis of (i) isolation of A. baumannii from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); (ii) laboratory evidence of CSF infection; (iii) signs/symptoms of central nervous system (CNS) infection. Patients were divided into group 1 (nine patients, IV colistin alone) and group 2 (nine patients, IV plus IVT colistin).

RESULTS

Cerebrospinal fluid sterilization was documented for 12 of 18 patients (66.6%). The CSF sterilization rate was 33.3% in group 1 and 100% in group 2 (P = 0.009). The mean time to CSF sterilization was 21 days (range 8-48). Five patients died due to A. baumannii CNS infection (all in group 1), and five deaths were unrelated to A. baumannii ventriculomeningitis. Intensive care unit mean length of stay was shorter in group 2 (20.7 vs. 41.6 days, P = 0.046). Crude relative risk ratio of cumulative incidence of persistent CNS infection in group 1 versus group 2 was 13. No cases of chemical meningitis due to intrathecal colistin administration were encountered.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraventricular colistin administration is much more effective than IV therapy alone and does not seem to add further toxicity.

The role of radiotherapy in adult medulloblastoma: long-term single-institution experience and a review of the literature

Medulloblastoma (MB) occurs infrequently in adult patients and standard treatment is still controversial. We report our long-term, single-institution experience of adult MB and a review of the literature. We analysed adult patients with histologically proved MB treated by postoperative radiotherapy. Primary endpoints were local control (LC), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). Acute toxicity was reported according to CTC-NCI score vers. 3.0 and specific neuropsychological assessment analysis was performed to define late brain toxicity. From 1990-2008, 13 patients were treated by craniospinal (CSI, 12/13) or cranial irradiation (1/13, because of bad clinical conditions). Median follow up was 101 months (64-218). Complete radiological response was observed in 12/13 patients and a partial response in 1/13. Ten-year LC, OS, and DFS were 91, 76, and 84%, respectively. Two patients died because of local and spinal progression after 13 and 62 months. Acute G3 haematological toxicity (RTOG score) was observed for one patient only. The neuropsychological analysis did not reveal late toxicity related to brain radiotherapy. This experience confirms the efficacy and safety of radiotherapy in adult MB patients, resulting in very interesting 10-year LC and OS.

Frataxin participates to the hypoxia-induced response in tumors

Defective expression of frataxin is responsible for the degenerative disease Friedreich's ataxia. Frataxin is a protein required for cell survival since complete knockout is lethal. Frataxin protects tumor cells against oxidative stress and apoptosis but also acts as a tumor suppressor. The molecular bases of this apparent paradox are missing. We therefore sought to investigate the pathways through which frataxin enhances stress resistance in tumor cells. We found that frataxin expression is upregulated in several tumor cell lines in response to hypoxic stress, a condition often associated with tumor progression. Moreover, frataxin upregulation in response to hypoxia is dependent on hypoxia-inducible factors expression and modulates the activation of the tumor-suppressor p53. Importantly, we show for the first time that frataxin is in fact increased in human tumors in vivo. These results show that frataxin participates to the hypoxia-induced stress response in tumors, thus implying that modulation of its expression could have a critical role in tumor cell survival and/or progression.

Cerebral blood flow autoregulation during intracranial hypertension: a simple, purely hydraulic mechanism?

OBJECTIVE

In this paper, we re-propose the role of a hydraulic mechanism, acting where the bridging veins enter the dural sinuses in cerebral blood flow (CBF) autoregulation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We carried out an intraventricular infusion in ten albino rabbits and increased intracranial pressure (ICP) up to arterial blood pressure (ABP) levels. We measured CBF velocity by an ultrasound probe applied to a by-pass inserted in a carotid artery and recorded ICP by an intraventricular needle. Diastolic and pulsatile ICP and ABP values were analyzed from basal conditions up to brain tamponade and vice versa.

CONCLUSIONS

A biphasic pattern of pulsatile intracranial pressure (pICP) was observed in all trials. Initially, until the CBF velocity remained constant, pICP increased (from 1.2 to 5.4 mmHg) following a rise in diastolic intracranial pressure (dICP); thereafter, in spite of a further rise in dICP, pICP decreased (2.87 mmHg) following CBF velocity reduction until intracranial circulation arrest (pICP=1.2 mmHg). A specular pattern was observed when the intraventricular infusion was stopped and CBF velocity returned to basal levels. These findings can be interpreted as indicating a hydraulic mechanism. Initially, when CBF is still constant, pICP rise is due to an increase in venous outflow resistance; subsequently, when CBF decreases following a further increase in venous outflow resistance, the vascular engorgement produces an arteriolar vasodilation. This vasodilation determines an increase in vascular wall stiffness, thus reducing pulse transmission to surrounding subarachnoid spaces.

Intratumoral vs systemic administration of meta-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin for photodynamic therapy of malignant gliomas: assessment of uptake and spatial distribution in C6 rat glioma model

Malignant gliomas, with an incidence of 5 cases per 100,000 population per year, represent the most common primary brain tumour. They have an overall survival length of less than 2 years. Many different adjuvant therapies have been developed. Among them, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), that is based on photochemical reactions between light and tumoral tissue selectively labelled with exogenous photosensitizing agents. Among photosensitizers, m-THPC (Temoporfin), seems to be the most promising one for the treatment of brain tumors, but, unfortunately, it causes problems of high skin photosensitivity. To by-pass this problem, we devised an intratumoral route of administration of this photosensitizer. The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the uptake of m-THPC in brain tumor and normal tissue after systemic and intratumoral administration of the drug. 30 female Wistar rats received m-THPC 12 days after C6 tumor implantation. Temoporfin was administered intratumorally in 24 rats at two different concentrations. 6 rats constituted the control group and received m-THPC by means of an intraperitoneal injection. The brains were extracted at 4 h, 24 h and 96 h after Temoporfin injection. The samples were examined with a confocal laser scanning microscope. All samples showed high fluorescence emission exclusively in the tumour area, without appreciable differences between the samples taken at the different times of sacrifice and the two routes of administration. No fluorescence whatsoever was detected among normal brain tissue surrounding the tumour. The intratumoral route appears to give comparable results to the systemic one, regarding intracellular uptake efficiency and tumour--normal tissue ratio, with the advantage of a much shorter time needed to reach optimal intratumoural concentration--that is just four hours from m-THPC injection.

Regulation of the p27(Kip1) tumor suppressor by miR-221 and miR-222 promotes cancer cell proliferation

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are potent post-transcriptional regulators of protein coding genes. Patterns of misexpression of miRNAs in cancer suggest key functions of miRNAs in tumorigenesis. However, current bioinformatics tools do not entirely support the identification and characterization of the mode of action of such miRNAs. Here, we used a novel functional genetic approach and identified miR-221 and miR-222 (miR-221&222) as potent regulators of p27(Kip1), a cell cycle inhibitor and tumor suppressor. Using miRNA inhibitors, we demonstrate that certain cancer cell lines require high activity of miR-221&222 to maintain low p27(Kip1) levels and continuous proliferation. Interestingly, high levels of miR-221&222 appear in glioblastomas and correlate with low levels of p27(Kip1) protein. Thus, deregulated expression of miR-221&222 promotes cancerous growth by inhibiting the expression of p27(Kip1).

An analysis of two different schedules of radiochemotherapy with concomitant temozolomide in high grade gliomas

2035

Background: We compared two different schedules of temozolomide (TMZ) concomitant therapy in terms of toxicity and outcome. Methods: 70 patients (median age 61 years, range 27–80) affected by high grade gliomas were treated with concomitant chemoradiation. Conformal radiotherapy (5,940 cGy, 180 cGy/day; CTV2: tumor bed + residual tumor if present + oedema, 3,960 cGy; CTV1: tumor bed + residual tumor if present + margins, 1,980 cGy) was associated with one of the following TMZ schedules: TMZ1: (75 mg/m2 × 5 days, first and last week of radiotherapy); TMZ2 (75 mg/m2, 7 days/week, from the first to the last day of radiotherapy); Toxicities were graded according to RTOG criteria. Survival analysis based on the Kaplan-Meier model. Results: From October, 2000 to March, 2006, 54 patients high grade gliomas were evaluated. 41 patients (29 GBL, 70.7%; 12 AA, 29.3%) were treated between October 2003 and March 2006 with TMZ2, and compared to an historical series of 29 patients (25 GBL, 86.2%; 4 AA, 13.%) treated in our Institution before 2003 with TMZ1. All patients received adjuvant chemotherapy with TMZ for 6 cycles or until disease progression. Hematological toxicity was mild in both group, whereas neurological toxicity (seizures) was higher in TMZ2 group, with a grade > 2 toxicity registered in 11/41 pts (26.8%) compared to 1/29 of the TMZ1 group (3.5%), even if this difference failed to achieve statistical significance (p=0.06). The overall survival did not significantly differ among the 2 schedules (p=0.60). In fact, at a median follow-up of 21 months (range 3- 68), median survival time was 21 months and 19 months, for TMZ1 and TMZ2 groups, respectively, with a 1-year and 2-year overall survival of 73.1% in the TMZ1 group and 75.3% in the TMZ2 group, respectively. Conclusions: In our experience, the concomitant administration of TMZ at the daily dose of 75 mg/m2 given continuously or only in the first and the last week of radiotherapy obtained comparable results in terms of outcome, with a heavier neurological toxicity when given 7 days per week, from the first to the last day of radiotherapy. These data suggest that, in selected cases, the TMZ1 schedule can be considered as a safe, alternative strategy, which does not impact significantly on patient outcome, compared to the standard TMZ2.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Can a conventional schedule of radiation therapy be administered to elderly patients with glioblastoma multiforme?

12516

Background: We retrospectively evaluate the tolerance and the efficacy of a conventional schedule of radiotherapy in elderly patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Methods: Eighty-three consecutive patients affected by glioblastomas were treated between 2001 and 2006. We divided our series in two groups: patients under 65 years (n=52) and patients ≥ 65 years old (n=31). In the elderly group, median age was 68 years (range, 65–80). 17 patients (54,8%) were female, 14 male (45,2%); 20 patients (64,5%) <70 years, 11 patients (35,5%) ≥70 years. Among the younger patients, median age was 51 years (range 25–64), male/female ratio 32/20 (61.5%/38.5%).Twenty-seven out of 31 elderly patients (87,1%) were treated with conformal radiotherapy (CRT, 5940 cGy, 180 cGy/day; CTV2: tumor bed + residual tumor if present + oedema, 3960 cGy; CTV1: tumor bed + residual tumor if present + margins, 1980 cGy). Four out of 31 patients received an intensification dose of xxxx cGy by stereotactic conformal radiotherapy (SRT, 12,9%); among the younger patients, 25/52 were treated with CRT (48,1%) and 27/52 with SRT (51,9%). Concomitant and adjuvant chemotherapy was administered by temozolomide (TMZ).Toxicity was evaluated according to RTOG score. Survival analysis were performed using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank testing was used for comparison of groups. Results: In the elderly group, neurological acute toxicity was observed in 6/31 patients (19,4%), with grade 3 in two patients. In the under 65 group, 5/52 patients (9,6%) had neurotoxicity (Grade 3 in two patients).This difference was not statistically different.At a median follow-up period of 28 months (range, 3–61), median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11 months in the ≥65 group and 10 months in the under 65 group; median overall survival (OS) was respectively 17 months and 22 months. 1- year survival was respectively 77.6% and 74.5%. Conclusions: In our analysis age did not seem to be a limiting factor in the choice of the therapeutic strategy for patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

The role of stereotactic conformal radiation boost in the temozolomide-based chemoradiation for glioblastoma multiforme: Preliminary analysis

12513

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. Aim of this analysis was to evaluate tolerance and outcome of the dose intensification by stereotactic conformal radiotherapy (SCRT) and concomitant chemotherapy with temozolomide Methods: From October 2003 to April 2006, 58 patients (34 males, 58.6%, 24 females, 41.4%) with histological diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme received postoperative radiochemotherapy with SCRT boost. Median age was 58 yrs. ( range 25–80 yrs.). Twenty-nine out of 58 patients (50%) received a total dose of 70 Gy by conformal radiotherapy and SCRT boost delivered as concomitant and sequential, or sequential alone. The remainig 29 patients (50%) received a standard of 5940 cGy (180 cGy/day; CTV3: tumor bed + residual tumor if present + oedema; CTV2: tumor bed + residual tumor if present + 1.5 cm margins. CTV1: tumor bed + residual tumor if present + 0.5 cm margins only for the SCRT group). All patients received concomitant Temozolomide, 75 mg/m2 for a median duration of 28 days (range 14–45, depending on the chemoradiation schedule), and adjuvant chemotherapy with temozolomide for 6 cycles or until disease progression. Toxicity was recorded according to RTOG criteria; Survival analysis was calculated by the Kaplan-Mayer method and log-rank testing was used for groups comparison. Results: A 100% compliance was observed in both the groups of patients. A grade 3–4 acute neurological toxicity was registered in two patients treated with SCRT compared to one patient in the group which did not receive SCRT. One case of radionecrosis was observed in the SCRT group; in no case of either group neurological worsening nor corticosteroidal dependence were registered. At a median follow-up of 19 months (range 4–39), a trend towards a better outcome was observed in patients treated with SCRT, since the 1-year OS was 85.9% for SCRT patients (median not achieved) compared to 68.7% for the remaining patients (p=0.07). Conclusion: Our preliminary analysis suggests that a higher dose of RT delivered by conformal stereotactic boost did not increase acute or late toxicity and could achieve a better outcome in patients affected by GBM

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Multimodality treatment of non small cells lung cancer (NSCLC) brain metastases: Long term outcome

17046

Background: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths and has the highest incidence for brain metastases of all malignancies. The prognosis of these patients (pts) remain poor with a median survival of 4–5 months. Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) in inoperable brain metastases prolongs survival to 3–5 months. In pts with 1 or ≤ 3 brain metastases neurosurgical resection improves median survival to 3.5–8 months. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcome of patients with brain metastases from NSCLC treated with multimodal strategy, including systemic chemotherapy, neurosurgery and radiotherapy. Methods: From 1997 to 2005, 56 pts were considered. Inclusion criteria were: single or multiple NSCLC brain metastases suitable of surgery; Karnofsky performance status ≥ 70%; controlled extracranial disease with Cisplatin-based chemotherapy; life expectancy > 4 months. Surgery was followed by 40 Gy WBRT. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox-regression analysis. Results: The median age was 58.4 years. The histological types were adenocarcinoma in 35 pts (62.5%), squamous cell carcinoma in 11 pts (19.7%) and large cell carcinoma in 10 pts (17.8%). The lesions were single in 39/56 pts (69.6%) and multiple in the other pts (30.4%). Radical surgery was performed in 37 pts (66%), while surgical citoreduction was possible in 19 pts (34%). The median follow-up period was 22.12 months (range 2–90 months). Overall survival (OS) of the whole group was 12.8 months; OS of pts radically resected was 16.5 months while OS of pts partially resected was 7.2 months. Based on Cox-regression analysis, age < 65 years and radical resection were independent predictors of survival (respectively p = 0.004–95% CI 1.46–7.6 and p = 0.04–95% CI 1.03–4.97), while the number of lesions was not relevant in terms of OS. Conclusions: Analysis of long-term outcome seems to confirm that the combined treatment of NSCLC brain metastases is a primary therapeutic option. In our series of 56 patients, radical surgery, not the number of metastases, was related with prolonged survival. Further randomized studies comparing surgery+WBRT vs gamma-knife-radiosurgery could define the best therapeutic option in the different subsets of pts.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Spontaneous haematoma of ligamentum flavum. Case report and literature review

Spontaneous infarction of the ligamentum flavum is a very rare cause of mielo-radicular compression. In the literature only four cases are reported, all characterized by a clinical history of slowly progressive mielo-radiculopathy and good outcome after surgical treatment. A 70 year-old female patient presented with a four months clinical history of spontaneous, sub-continuous, progressive lumbar pain with bilateral irradiation to the L4-L5 dermatomers, right leg monoparesis and hypoaesthesia affecting tactile, thermal and pain sensivity, urinary incontinence and constipation. CT scan and MRI evidenced an extradural ovalar lesion in correspondence of the L1-L2 levels, that exerted compression over the dural sac, dislocating it anteriorly. The patient underwent a L1-L2 laminectomy and the lesion was totally resected. Rapid improvement of the patient's symptomatology has been noticed in the postoperative period, with complete recovery during the following month. Histologic examinations demonstrated that the mass was a haematoma of the ligamentum flavum. It's our opinion, that a picture of ligamentum flavum haematoma should be taken into account in differential diagnosis of posterior mielo-radicular compression. The progressive growth of the haematoma may explain the long clinical history of these patients and surgical treatment, even if delayed, permits an excel-lent clinical outcome.

Glioblastoma multiforme in the elderly: a therapeutic challenge

INTRODUCTION

Elderly patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are frequently excluded from cancer therapy trials, treated suboptimally or not treated at all. The average survival in elderly patients is 4-8 months. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of different treatment options in terms of survival in an elderly population affected with GBM.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

About 34 Patients with primary supratentorial GBM aged 65 or higher were included in this study. All patients underwent craniotomy and tumor mass resection. After surgery they received radiation therapy, chemotherapy and radioimmunotherapy in different combinations.

RESULTS

Overall median survival was 10.5 months with one patient still alive at 35 months. Survival was longer for patients who underwent total resection instead of partial (13 months vs 4 months, P=0.006). If total en-bloc resection was used a further survival advantage was obtained (16 months for en-bloc resection, 9 months for inside-out resection, P=0.008). Where a second surgical intervention was performed median survival was 21 months (P=0.05). Survival according to adjuvant therapy has been 21 months (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, radioimmunotheraphy), 18 months (radiotherapy, chemotherapy) and 7 months (radiotherapy) (P=0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

We think that single prognostic factor such as age should be not a reason for undertreatment.

Gliomatosis Cerebri and Pituitary Adenoma: Case Report and Literature Review

The diagnosis of Gliomatosis cerebri (GC) is known to be difficult and is still a matter of debate. We describe an in vivo case of GC associated with a pituitary tumor. A 47-year-old woman presented with short-term memory loss. A MRI revealed the presence of a pituitary enhancing tumor and a diffuse lesion involving the brain. A left pterional craniotomy with partial temporal lobectomy and removal of the pituitary lesion were performed in order to obtain diagnosis. The histological analyses showed a pituitary non-functioning tumor and a GC consisting of neoplastic oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. Both lesions showed nuclear immunoreactivity for progesterone receptors (PGr) and estrogen receptors (EGr). This result could suggest there is a common receptor substrate in these tumors. In this case hormones could constitute a common step in tumorigenesis of both lesions.

Pure surgical treatment of 109 aneurysms

AIM

Target of this study was to investigate outcomes after pure surgical treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

METHODS

Patients with intracranial supratentorial circle aneurysms were retrospectively reviewed between July 1994 and October 1998. Studied cases were admitted at the Department of Neurosurgery of S. Maria-Hospital, Terni, a Government supported General Hospital. One hundred and nine Hunt and Hess Grade 0 to III patients with supratentorial circle aneurysms was studied in order to determine whether advances in the surgical management of intracranial aneurysms have improved surgical outcomes and which factors may predict outcome. All patients were managed only with standard neurosurgical aneurysms clipping procedures. Outcomes evaluation was made at patients' discharge and classified on the base of the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Surgical timing, SAH grading, pre and post surgical symptomatic vasospasm, temporary clipping, and intraoperative aneurysm rupture were correlated with outcomes.

RESULTS

Surgical results showed a 75% excellent outcome. Mortality rate was 3%. Hunt and Hess grade 0 highly influenced outcome. Differences in outcomes among grades I to III were not significant. No differences in outcomes related to temporary clipping were noted. A low rate of intraoperative aneurysm rupture is reported: 5 out of 109 cases. In all these cases outcome was good, with neither mortality or morbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicate a progressive improvement in surgical outcomes, suggesting that there still exist margins for improvements in pure surgical management of intracranial aneurysms.

Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumour of the fourth ventricle: report of a case with clinical and surgical implications

A 32-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of episodic headache, cervical pain and neck rigidity. Neurological examination showed a moderate dysmetria. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a mass occupying the fourth ventricle. The patient underwent median sub-occipital craniotomy with total excision of the lesion well demarcated except for a portion infiltrating the right side of the IV ventricle wall. In the post-operative course the patient developed VI and VII right cranial nerves palsy and worsening of dysmetria. MRI confirmed the complete removal of the tumour without signs of recurrence. The pathological diagnosis was rosette forming glio-neuronal tumour (RGNT). At present this is the 13th RGNT reported in literature. These lesions are considered low-grade tumours (WHO I). Nevertheless, the case here reported, like in 6 of the 12 cases in literature, developed disabling post-operative deficits. To establish the therapeutic choice long-term follow-up studies are needed.

Preoperative growth hormone response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone and oral glucose tolerance test in acromegaly: a retrospective evaluation of 50 patients

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between growth hormone (GH) dynamic tests (thyrotropin-releasing hormone [TRH] test and oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT]), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) plasma values, tumor size, and clinical outcome in patients with GH-secreting pituitary adenomas. Furthermore, we investigated the potential prognostic utility of the above biochemical parameters in the follow-up of patients with acromegaly. We studied 50 acromegalic patients (18 males and 32 females; mean age, 40 years; range, 16 to 69) who underwent trans-sphenoidal removal of a GH-secreting pituitary adenoma from 1990 to 1994. Preoperatively, we evaluated (1) GH plasmatic levels after an oral glucose load (OGTT) (blood samples were drawn at -15, 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes after oral administration of 0.75 g/kg body weight [BW] of glucose), (2) GH plasma levels after a TRH test (200 microg as an intravenous [IV] bolus), and (3) basal IGF-I plasma levels after an overnight fast. From 3 to 12 months after surgery we evaluated (1) GH plasma values after an OGTT, and (2) basal plasma IGF-I, free triiodothyronine (FT(3)), free thyroxine (FT(4)), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and urinary free cortisol. The same tests were performed every year for 5 years. All of the patients were classified into 4 subgroups according to the system of Hardy and Vezina. Preoperatively, "controlled" patients (n = 29) had a GH paradoxical response to TRH (n = 28) and an unresponsiveness to OGTT (n = 29); 23 of them belonged to the I and II classes. Only 5 poorly controlled patients (n = 21) showed a preoperative paradoxical response to TRH and 9 had a preoperative GH partial inhibition after OGTT; 19 of them belonged to the III and IV classes. Our data suggest that in the preoperative period in acromegalic patients the simultaneous presence of a GH paradoxical response to TRH and lack of GH inhibition after OGTT is inversely related to the tumor size and therefore more likely to be restored to normal by surgical treatment.

A retrospective hormonal and immunohistochemical evaluation of 47 acromegalic patients: prognostic value of preoperative plasma prolactin

This study was performed to investigate the correlations between preoperative prolactin (PRL) plasma values, immunohistochemical picture and the clinical course in growth hormone (GH) secreting pituitary adenomas. In 47 patients (19 males and 28 females; mean age 40 years; range 13 - 70 years), we measured GH, IGF-1 and prolactin plasma values both before and after transsphenoidal surgery, and basal IGF-1 and GH after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) during four years of follow-up. We considered those patients as "controlled" who presented an undetectable growth hormone after OGTT (GH < 1 microg/l), IGF-I plasma values in the normal range, matched for age and sex, and no clinical activity or neuroradiological recurrence after a four-year follow-up. We considered patients as "poorly controlled" who still showed elevated GH and IGF-I plasma levels, uninhibited GH after OGTT (GH > 1 microg/l), presence of clinical activity and/or radiological signs of adenoma recurrence, even if a reduction of tumor size had been demonstrated.

RESULTS

Controlled patients (n = 22) exhibited mean preoperative PRL levels (+/- SEM) lower than the group of poorly controlled (n = 25) ones (21.40 +/- 5.51 vs. 38.44 +/- 5.16 microg/l; p < 0.03). From 3 to 12 months after surgery, postoperative PRL levels were also lower in the controlled patients compared to the poorly controlled ones (8.31 +/- 1.20 vs. 25.32 +/- 3.20 microg/l; p < 0.0001). Eighty percent (20/25) of poorly controlled patients showed both PRL and GH positivity after immunostaining. Only 3/22 (13.6 %) of controlled patients showed the same double positivity. In conclusion, preoperative hyperprolactinemia identifies a group of acromegalic patients at elevated risk of disease persistence after surgery. We hypothesize that most of these high-risk patients may have more aggressive mixed GH-PRL secreting adenomas.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus and basilar artery aneurysm. Case report and pathogenetic consideration

The authors describe the case of a 60-year-old patient with basilar artery aneurysm who in time developed normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Clinical examinations and laboratory tests did not reveal other data from which the pathology could be attributed to causes other than the vascular malformation already considered. The mechanical obstruction exerted by the aneurysm lodged on the floor of the third ventricle represents, according to the authors, the physiopathogenetic mechanism by which a temporal delay is developed between the endoventricular pulsation and that of the cerebral veins so as to produce a precise pulsatile gradient in a centrifugal direction to allow the formation of an active hydrocephalus proportional to the entity of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pulse.

Craniopharyngiomas of the third ventricle: trans-lamina terminalis approach

OBJECTIVE

Craniopharyngiomas usually grow on the cisternal surface of the hypothalamic region; these tumors can also grow from the infundibulum or tuber cinereum on the floor of the third ventricle, developing exclusively into the third ventricle. The aim of the present work was to establish the usefulness of the pterional trans-lamina terminalis approach for the removal of these tumors.

METHODS

Eight patients who were surgically treated for craniopharyngiomas located exclusively within the third ventricle were considered. The initial symptoms were acute hydrocephalus in two cases, psychological disturbances in two, amenorrhea in two, headaches in one, and hypopituitarism in one. The diagnoses were established, in all cases except one, with magnetic resonance imaging. In all cases, the tumor completely filled the third ventricle.

RESULTS

Total removal of the lesion was achieved in seven cases. One patient underwent partial removal. In the immediate postoperative period, no major complications were observed. Five patients required replacement hormonal therapy. All patients returned to a normal life. Many months after surgery, two patients exhibited psychological disturbances and died, the first because of voluntary withdrawal of replacement therapy (12 mo after surgery) and the second because of a severe imbalance in body fluids and electrolytes, with a subsequent hyperosmolar coma (27 mo after surgery). Only one patient who underwent initial total removal experienced a small recurrence of the lesion (30 mo after surgery); after 3 years, the lesion exhibited unchanged size.

CONCLUSION

In our experience, the trans-lamina terminalis approach is a valid choice for the removal of purely intraventricular craniopharyngiomas. These tumors can be removed without significant sequelae related to the surgical approach. The proximity to the hypothalamus requires accurate neuroendocrine and electrolyte control in the postoperative period, in some cases even years after surgery.