Background: Glomus jugulare tumors (GJTs) are challenging to treat due to their vascularization and location. This analysis evaluates the effectiveness and safety of image-guided robotic radiosurgery (RRS) for GJTs in a multicenter study and reviews the existing radiosurgical literature. Methods: We analyzed outcome data from 101 patients to evaluate local control (LC), changes in pretreatment deficits, and toxicity. Moreover, radiosurgical studies for GJTs have been reviewed. Results: After a median follow-up of 35 months, the overall LC was 99%. Eighty-eight patients were treated with a single dose, 13 received up to 5 fractions. The median tumor volume was 5.6 cc; the median treatment dose for single-session treatments is 16 Gy, and for multisession treatments is 21 Gy. Fifty-six percentage of patients experienced symptom improvement or recovered entirely. Conclusions: RRS is an effective primary and secondary treatment option for GJTs. The available literature suggests that radiosurgery is a treatment option for most GJTs.
Background: Foramen magnum meningiomas (FMMs) represent a considerable neurosurgical challenge given their location and potential morbidity. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an established non-invasive treatment modality for various benign and malignant brain tumors. However, reports on single-session or multisession SRS for the management and treatment of FMMs are exceedingly rare. We report the largest FMM SRS series to date and describe our multicenter treatment experience utilizing robotic radiosurgery. Methods: Patients who underwent SRS between 2005 and 2020 as a treatment for a FMM at six different centers were eligible for analysis. Results: Sixty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. The median follow-up was 28.9 months. The median prescription dose and isodose line were 14 Gy and 70%, respectively. Single-session SRS accounted for 81% of treatments. The remaining patients received three to five fractions, with doses ranging from 19.5 to 25 Gy. Ten (16%) patients were treated for a tumor recurrence after surgery, and thirteen (21%) underwent adjuvant treatment. The remaining 39 FMMs (63%) received SRS as their primary treatment. For patients with an upfront surgical resection, histopathological examination revealed 22 World Health Organization grade I tumors and one grade II FMM. The median tumor volume was 2.6 cubic centimeters. No local failures were observed throughout the available follow-up, including patients with a follow-up ≥ five years (16 patients), leading to an overall local control of 100%. Tumor volume significantly decreased after treatment, with a median volume reduction of 21% at the last available follow-up (p < 0.01). The one-, three-, and five-year progression-free survival were 100%, 96.6%, and 93.0%, respectively. Most patients showed stable (47%) or improved (21%) neurological deficits at the last follow-up. No high-grade adverse events were observed. Conclusions: SRS is an effective and safe treatment modality for FMMs. Despite the paucity of available data and previous reports, SRS should be considered for selected patients, especially those with subtotal tumor resections, recurrences, and patients not suitable for surgery.
Thoracic actinomycosis with spinal involvement is a rare disease. Therefore, diagnosis may be difficult. Surgical intervention, correct diagnosis, and specific long-term antibiotic treatment resulted in favorable outcome.
Background: The rates of incomplete surgical resection for pituitary macroadenomas with cavernous sinus invasion are high. In growth hormone-producing adenomas, there is a considerable risk for persistent acromegaly. Thus, effective treatment options are needed to limit patient morbidity and mortality. This multicenter study assesses the efficacy and safety of robotic radiosurgery (RRS) for patients with cavernous sinus-invading adenomas with persistent acromegaly. Methods: Patients who underwent RRS with CyberKnife for postoperative acromegaly were eligible. Results: Fifty patients were included. At a median follow-up of 57 months, the local control was 100%. The pretreatment insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and indexes were 381 ng/mL and 1.49, respectively. The median dose and prescription isodose were 18 Gy and 70%, respectively. Six months after RRS, and at the last follow-up, the IGF-1 levels and indexes were 277 ng/mL and 1.14, as well as 196 ng/mL and 0.83, respectively (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0002). The IGF-1 index was a predictor for biochemical remission (p = 0.04). Nine patients achieved biochemical remission and 24 patients showed biochemical disease control. Three patients developed a new hypopituitarism. Conclusions: RRS is an effective treatment for this challenging patient population. IGF-1 levels are decreasing after treatment and most patients experience biochemical disease control or remission.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.