Grade III meningioma with gastro-intestinal tract and brain metastases: case report and review of the literature

Abstract Background Meningioma is the most common adult primary intracranial tumor. Malignant meningioma is a rare variant of meningioma. The prognosis for the patients with these tumors is poor, due to the tumor’s capacity for relapse and to develop distant metastases. These tumors can present the same evolutionary course as aggressive carcinoma. Case description We report the case of distant brain and gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) metastases. A 78-year-old patient developed malignant meningioma with a Ki-67 proliferative index of 40%. According to guidelines, surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy (RT) was performed. Three months after the end of RT, he presented histologically proven meningioma distant brain and GIT metastases. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first case of meningioma GIT metastases. Also, we report the difficulty to confirm the diagnosis of meningioma metastases. Indeed, malignant meningioma has the same histopathological features as melanoma or carcinoma. The standard of care for the management of malignant meningioma is gross total surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy. Metastatic meningioma is uncommon and no guidelines for the management of recurrent or metastatic meningioma have yet been published. However, several studies reported systemic therapeutic options such as antibody against VEGF, somatostatin analogs, PDGF-R, and VEGF-R tyrosine kinase inhibitors, in the case of recurrent or metastatic meningioma. We also made a review of the actual literature of systemic treatment options for metastatic meningioma

Resting-state functional MRI demonstrates brain network reorganization in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

BACKGROUND:The relation between brain functional connectivity of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and the degree of disability remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:Compare brain functional connectivity of patients with NMOSD to healthy subjects in resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). METHODS:We compared the rs-fMRI connectivity in 12 NMOSD patients with 20 healthy subjects matched for age and sex. Graph theory analysis was used to quantify the role of each node using a set of metrics: degree, global efficiency, clustering and modularity. To summarize the abnormal connectivity profile of brain regions in patients compared to healthy subjects, we defined a hub disruption index κ. RESULTS:Concerning the global organization of networks in NMOSD, a small-world topology was preserved without significant modification concerning all average metrics. However, visual networks and the sensorimotor network showed decreased connectivity with high interindividual variability. The hub disruption index κ was correlated to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). CONCLUSION:These results demonstrate a correlation between disability according to the EDSS and neuronal reorganization using the rs-fMRI graph methodology. The conservation of a normal global topological structure despite local modifications in functional connectivity seems to show brain plasticity in response to the disability

Guillain-Barré syndrome related to SARS-CoV-2 infection

No abstract availabl

Cytokine release syndrome-associated encephalopathy in patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neurological manifestations in coronavirus disease (COVID)-2019 may adversely affect clinical outcomes. Severe COVID-19 and uremia are risk factors for neurological complications. However, the lack of insight into their pathogenesis, particularly with respect to the role of the cytokine release syndrome (CRS), is currently hampering effective therapeutic interventions. The aims of this study were to describe the neurological manifestations of patients with COVID-19 and to gain pathophysiological insights with respect to CRS. METHODS: In this longitudinal study, we performed extensive clinical, laboratory and imaging phenotyping in five patients admitted to our renal unit. RESULTS: Neurological presentation included confusion, tremor, cerebellar ataxia, behavioral alterations, aphasia, pyramidal syndrome, coma, cranial nerve palsy, dysautonomia, and central hypothyroidism. Notably, neurological disturbances were accompanied by laboratory evidence of CRS. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was undetectable in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Hyperalbuminorrachia and increased levels of the astroglial protein S100B were suggestive of blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction. Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings comprised evidence of acute leukoencephalitis (n = 3, one of whom had a hemorrhagic form), cytotoxic edema mimicking ischaemic stroke (n = 1), or normal results (n = 2). Treatment with corticosteroids and/or intravenous immunoglobulins was attempted, resulting in rapid recovery from neurological disturbances in two cases. SARS-CoV2 was undetectable in 88 of the 90 patients with COVID-19 who underwent Reverse Transcription-PCR testing of CSF. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COVID-19 can develop neurological manifestations that share clinical, laboratory and imaging similarities with those of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell-related encephalopathy. The pathophysiological underpinnings appear to involve CRS, endothelial activation, BBB dysfunction, and immune-mediated mechanisms

Coronavirus Disease 2019: Associated Multiple Organ Damage

A 56-year-old man presented a particularly severe and multisystemic case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In addition to the common lung and quite common pulmonary embolism and kidney injuries, he presented ocular and intestinal injuries that, to our knowledge, have not been described in COVID-19 patients. Although it is difficult to make pathophysiological hypotheses about a single case, the multiplicity of injured organs argues for a systemic response to pulmonary infection. A better understanding of physiopathology should feed the discussion about therapeutic options in this type of multifocal damage related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

Endoscopic Transorbital Approaches to Anterior and Middle Cranial Fossa: Exploring the Potentialities of a Modified Lateral Retrocanthal Approach

Background: Among the new perspectives to revolutionize skull base surgery, there are the transorbital neuroendoscopic (TONES) approaches to reach the anterior and middle cranial fossa (ACF and MCF). We conceived to explore the potentialities of a modified superiorly and medially extended lateral retrocanthal (LRC) approach. Methods: Six head specimens were dissected. Applying the established conic model and the key surgical landmark of sphenofrontal suture, we tested the feasibility of a modified LRC to reach ACF and MCF; computed tomography (CT) scans were performed before and after dissection to obtain a morphometric analysis of the surgical corridors using a polygonal surfaces model. Results: Through our anatomical study, we were able to identify and explore 3 different surgical corridors to reach the ACF and MCF: the superomedial, the superolateral, and the inferolateral. The superomedial corridor appeared most suitable to reach the medial part of the ACF and the optic-carotid region, whereas through the superolateral and inferolateral corridors it was possible to reach and explore the lateral part of ACF and MCF. The mean volumes of the 3 surgical corridors calculated on post-dissection CT scans were: 12.72 ± 1.99, 5.69 ± 0.34, and 6.24 ± 0.47 cm3, respectively. Conclusions: The development of TONES approaches has not replaced the traditional open or endoscopic approach; nonetheless, identification of surgical corridors and the possibility to combine them represent a major breakthrough. Clinical studies are necessary to demonstrate their validity and test the effectiveness, safety, and reproducibility of TONES approaches in managing lesions harboring in the ACF and MCF. Keywords: Anterior cranial fossa; Middle cranial fossa; Orbit conic model; Skull base; Spheno-frontal suture; Transorbital neuro-endoscopic approaches (TONES)

Primary Endoscopic Endonasal Management of Giant Pituitary Adenomas: Outcome and Pitfalls from a Large Prospective Multicenter Experience

Purpose: To evaluate factors influencing clinical and radiological outcome of extended endoscopic endonasal transtuberculum/transplanum approach (EEA-TTP) for giant pituitary adenomas (GPAs). Methods: We recruited prospectively all consecutive GPAs patients undergoing EEA-TTP between 2015 and 2019 in 5 neurosurgical centers. Preoperative clinical and radiologic features, visual and hormonal outcomes, extent of resection (EoR), complications and recurrence rates were recorded and analyzed. Results: Of 1169 patients treated for pituitary adenoma, 96 (8.2%) had GPAs. Seventy-eight (81.2%) patients had visual impairment, 12 (12.5%) had headaches, 3 (3.1%) had drowsiness due to hydrocephalus, and 53 (55.2%) had anterior pituitary insufficiency. EoR was gross or near-total in 46 (47.9%) and subtotal in 50 (52.1%) patients. Incomplete resection was associated with lateral suprasellar, intraventricular and/or cavernous sinus extension and with firm/fibrous consistence. At the last follow-up, all but one patient (77, 98.7%) with visual deficits improved. Headache improved in 8 (88.9%) and anterior pituitary function recovered in 27 (50.9%) patients. Recurrence rate was 16.7%, with 32 months mean recurrence-free survival. Conclusions: EEA-TTP is a valid option for GPAs and seems to provide better outcomes, lower rate of complications and higher EoR compared to one- or multi-stage microscopic, non-extended endoscopic transsphenoidal, and transcranial resections