Meta‐analysis of the impact of laser interstitial hyperthermia on wound healing complications in brain tumors

Abstract

High‐grade gliomas (HGGs) may be amenable to the neurosurgical technique known as laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), which delivers thermal energy to interstitial brain injuries and wounds with pinpoint accuracy. The purpose of this extensive meta‐analysis was to evaluate the effects of LITT on wound complications among patients who have brain tumours. Diverse conclusions emerge from a systematic review of pertinent studies, necessitating a comprehensive examination. The meta‐analysis, performed utilizing the meta library provided by the R package meta, reveals an initial significant overall effect (RR: −2.1262, 95% CI [−2.7466, −1.5059], p < 0.0001) accompanied by considerable heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 61.13%). Following analyses that specifically examined the incidence of wounds, a complex correlation was found (RR: 0.0471, 95% CI [0.0264, 0.0842], p < 0.0001), indicating that LITT has a discernible but insignificant effect on the occurrence of wounds. Although the meta‐analysis emphasizes a notable decrease in wound complications subsequent to LITT treatment, additional research is warranted due to constraints in standardized reporting, data accessibility, and small sample sizes. The results of this study underscore the need for exhaustive protocols to analyse wound complications in patients with brain tumours undergoing LITT.

Safety and Efficacy of Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy as Upfront Therapy in Primary Glioblastoma and IDH-Mutant Astrocytoma: A Meta-Analysis

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis since the 2021 WHO CNS5 guidelines to evaluate the outcomes of LITT as initial therapy in both primary IDH-wildtype GBM and IDH-mutant astrocytoma. Currently, LITT is often used in cases of deep-seated lesions, when there are contraindications to radiotherapy or resection, proximity to eloquent regions, or in cases where patients are particularly vulnerable to wound complications [ 70 , 71 , 72 ]. In the past, LITT has been shown to reduce postoperative complications while maintaining high ablation rates [ 69 , 73 ].…”