Methylation of the MGMT promoter in gliomas is a useful predictor of the responsiveness of the tumors to alkylating agents.
Surgical treatment of glial tumours arising in the insula is specially challenging due to the proximity of the internal capsule. Although small insular gliomas have been removed safely by a transylvian approach, in large dominant insular tumours only biopsy has been recommended to avoid postoperative deficits. Unfortunately that is a suboptimal form of treatment as low grade supratentorial gliomas should be removed radically to prevent tumour progression, malignization and to increase the recurrence-free-interval. Addition of radiotherapy to partial removal is associated with a much higher incidence of recurrences and early malignizations compared to radical removal and no radiotherapy. Between 1st October 1989 and 1st September 1996 we treated twenty-three patients harbouring insular gliomas. To increase the radicality of the resection the surgical procedure was performed under local anaesthesia whenever possible, as general anaesthesia usually leads to more conservative resections. In 20/23 (86.9%) patients complete resection was accomplished, and subtotal in three (13.1%). The removed tumours were: two oligodendrogliomas, five grade I astrocytomas, nine grade II, four grade III and three grade IV. Postoperative neurological deficits occurred in five patients. Four suffered a hemiparesis (that recovered in an average of 6 months) and one a motor dysphasia which took a week to recover. Two of the seventeen patients operated on for low grade insular gliomas underwent malignant change. We conclude that complete surgical removal of insular gliomas should be considered and at least attempted in all cases.
In patients with SIJ pain unresponsive to CM, SIJF resulted in excellent long-term clinical responses, with low opioid use and better work status compared to other treatments.
During the period from October 1, 1989 to October 1, 1995 a total of 26 cases of Chiari type I malformation not associated with syringomyelia were attended in our Hospital. All patients underwent cranio-cervical decompression, with occipital craniectomy and removal of the posterior arch of C1. In 3/26 (11.5%) cases an additional C2 laminectomy had to be performed and in 1/26 (3.8%) case the C3 laminae were also removed. A first group of 13 patients underwent dural repair with freeze-dried cadaveric dura sutured with continuous 4-0 Vicryl running stitches, reinforced with fibrin sealant (Tissucol). A second group of 13 patients underwent duraplasty with autogenous occipital pericranium also sutured with continuous 4-0 Vycril but no fibrin sealant at all was added. In the first group, in which freeze-dried cadaveric dura plus Tissucol was used, there were 2/13 (15.3%) cases of CSF leak, requiring some additional skin stitches to stop the leak. In 5/13 (38.4%) cases there were notorious subcutaneous CSF accumulations that required repeated punctures plus compressive bandage. In 6/13 (46.1%) pseudomeningoceles appeared that took a year to clear completely. In the 13 patients who underwent dural repair with autogenous occipital pericranium watertight closure was achieved with sutures only, no fibrin sealant was added at all. Neither CSF leaks through the wound nor subcutaneous CSF accumulations were noted. We conclude that, in our hands, autologous pericranium taken from the occipital area, gives better results than freeze-dried cadaveric dura mater in duraplasty for surgical repair of Chiari type I malformation.
Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt malfunction may be caused by shunt infection which may not be clinically apparent as the cause of the malfunction by standard diagnostic criteria. This suggests that the real incidence of infected shunts might be higher than previously suspected. In order to study the relationship between infection and shunt malfunction, we followed a protocol over five years (54 V-P shunts) consisting of (1) removal of the malfunctioning shunt and replacement in the same surgical procedure with a new one or institution of an external ventricular drainage for 8 days (if there were clear signs of infection), (2) culturing of CSF and every part of the removed shunt, and (3) intravenous antibiotic treatment (Vancomycin 1g./12h + Ceftriaxone 1g./12h) for five days after the new V-P shunt had been inserted. In those cases in which an external ventricular drainage had been placed, its tip and a portion of the new V-P shunt were also cultured. The results showed that although CSF cultures were negative in 49/54 cases (90.7%), cultures of the removed shunts were positive in 32/54 (59.2%), most of them (21/32, 65.6%) for Staphylococcus coagulase negative organisms. The CSF samples obtained by puncturing the reservoir on admission to Hospital were positive only in 5 out of 54 cases (9.2%), only in those showing clinical features of infection. In the remaining cases, 27 out of 54 (50%) the CSF cultures were negative but the shunt cultures proved positive and required further treatment. For the newly inserted shunts (173) CSF was collected through the shunt during the surgical procedure, and a small piece of the extra-tube from the ventricular and from the peritoneal catheter were obtained and cultured. All the six shunts (6/173, 3.4%) that showed positive cultures after insertion had to be replaced within a period of three to four weeks due to malfunction (range 26 +/- 7 days), indicating that the systematic culture of CSF and tubing helps to predict which shunts will soon need to be replaced due to infection. We conclude that CSF culture alone does not rule out infection in cases of shunt malfunction. The percutaneous CSF obtained from the shunt reservoir admission is particularly prone to show negative cultures even when the shunt is colonized by bacteria.
Background: Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain conservative treatments show poor outcomes. Hypothesis: surgical treatment will show better results.
When a bone flap is raised in the course of a craniotomy, the ideal is to replace it at the end of the procedure. When it is invaded by tumoural cells, it cannot be replaced due to the risk of tumoural recurrence. In these cases we have autoclaved the bone flap to be able to replace it with no fear of tumoural recurrence. Between October 1989 and October 1995 sixty-two patients required autoclaving of the bone flap in the course of a craniotomy due to tumoural invasion (thirty-five meningiomas, sixteen bone tumours, five metastases, and eight scalp tumours). The infiltrated bone flaps were removed, cleaned, autoclaved for 20 minutes at 134 degrees C and 1 kg/cm2 and re-implanted. Patients were followed-up for 10 to 58 months (average 41 months). At every follow-up visit skull x-ray studies, clinical examination, and photographs were done. When needed a CT scan was performed to assess the thickness of the bone flap. On follow-up roentgenograms partial resorption was observed in twelve cases (19.3%). CT scan studies showed loss of thickness in another thirty-five cases (56.4%). Meanwhile the external aspect remained unchanged. In six cases (3.2%) biopsies of the bone flaps were taken at a second surgical procedure. They showed newly formed bone partly re-populated by osteocytes but retaining areas of sequestered bone. We conclude that autoclaved bone, if replaced with direct contact with living bone, it is gradually repopulated with osteocytes. Cranial vault autoclaved autologous bone flap is a good alternative when the original bone flap is invaded but not destroyed by tumoural cells.
Agreement on the assessment of metastatic spine instability is moderate. The SINS can help improve communication among clinicians in oncology care.
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