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OBJECT Cervicomedullary tumors (CMTs) represent a heterogeneous group of intrinsic neoplasms that are typically low grade and generally carry a good prognosis. This single-institution study was undertaken to document the outcomes and current treatment philosophy for these challenging neoplasms. METHODS The charts of all pediatric patients with CMTs who received treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital between January 1988 and May 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic, surgical, clinical, radiological, pathological, and survival data were collected. Treatment-free survival and overall survival were estimated, and predictors of recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS Thirty-one children (16 boys, 15 girls) with at least 12 months of follow-up data were identified. The median age at diagnosis was 6 years (range 7 months-17 years) and the median follow-up was 4.3 years. Low-grade tumors (Grade I or II) were present in 26 (84%) patients. Thirty patients underwent either a biopsy alone or resection, with the majority of patients undergoing biopsy only (n = 12, 39%) or subtotal resection (n = 14, 45%). Only 4 patients were treated solely with resection; 21 patients received radiotherapy alone or in combination with other treatments. Recurrent tumor developed in 14 children (45%) and 4 died as a result of their malignancy. A high-grade pathological type was the only independent variable that predicted recurrence. The 5- and 10-year treatment-free survival estimates are 64.7% and 45.3%, respectively. The 5- and 10-year overall survival estimate is 86.7%. CONCLUSIONS Children with CMTs typically have low-grade neoplasms and consequently long-term survival, but high risk of recurrence. Therapy should be directed at achieving local tumor control while preserving and even restoring neurological function.

Purpose of Review The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the health and well-being of individuals with movement disorders. This manuscript reviews these effects, discusses pandemic-related changes in clinical care and research, and suggests improvements to care and research models. Recent Findings During the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, individuals with movement disorders have experienced worsening of symptoms, likely due to decreased access to care, loss of social connection, and decreased physical activity. Through telemedicine, care has moved out of the clinic and into the home. Clinical research has also been significantly disrupted, and there has been a shift to decentralized approaches. The pandemic has highlighted disparities in access to care and representation in research. Summary We must now translate these experiences into better care and research models with a focus on equitable integration of telemedicine, better support of patients and caregivers, the development of meaningful digital endpoints, and optimization of decentralized research designs.

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A n estimated 36,000 shunt-related operations are performed annually. 5 The well-known early and late complications and malfunctions from shunts result in great burdens for patients, their families, and health care providers. The estimated annual cost of treating pediatric hydrocephalus is 1.4 to 2.0 billion dollars annually. 22 A recent study in a pediatric population showed that 84.5% of patients required at least 1 shunt revision, and 4.7% required 10 or more, resulting in an average of 2.66 revisions at a mean follow-up of 19.9 years.24 Al-Tamimi et al. reported that 12.9% of new shunts fail within 30 days and 28.8% fail within 1 year. Revised shunts fare even worse, with 20.7% failing within 30 days and 40.4% failing within 1 year.2 Though the rates vary from study to study, it is clear that an exceptionally high number of ventricular shunts will require at least 1 revision at some point. Much work has been done to elucidate risk factors for shunt failure, such as age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, presence of comorbidities, years with shunt, and the surgeon performing the operation, though the significance of these factors varies considerably between studies. 17,21,24,26,28,29 abbreviations LBCH = Le Bonheur Children's Hospital; VP = ventriculoperitoneal. School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, New York obJect Surgery for CSF diversion is the most common procedure performed by pediatric neurosurgeons. The failure rates for shunts remain frustratingly high, resulting in a burden to patients, families, providers, and healthcare systems. The goal of this study was to quantify the risk of a shunt malfunction in patients with an existing shunt who undergo an elective intradural operation. methods All elective intradural surgeries (cranial and spinal) at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital from January 2010 through June 2014 were reviewed to identify those patients who had a functional ventricular shunt at the time of surgery. Patient records were reviewed to collect demographic, surgical, clinical, radiological, and pathologic data, including all details related to any subsequent shunt revision surgery. The primary outcome was all-cause shunt revision (i.e., malfunction or infection) within 90 days of elective intradural surgery. results One hundred and fifty elective intradural surgeries were identified in 109 patients during the study period. There were 14 patients (12.8%, 13 male) who experienced 16 shunt malfunctions (10.7%) within 90 days of elective intradural surgery. These 14 patients underwent 13 craniotomies, 2 endoscopic fenestrations for loculated hydrocephalus, and 1 laminectomy for dorsal rhizotomy. Median time to failure was 9 days, with the shunts in half of our patients failing conclusions This is the first study to quantify the risk of a shunt malfunction after elective intradural surgery. The 90-day all-cause shunt failure rate (per procedure) was 10.7%, with half of the failures occurring within the first 5 postoperative days. Possible risk factors for shunt malfunct...