Stereotactic cyst aspiration directly followed by Gamma Knife radiosurgery for large cystic brain metastases

Background: Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has been proven to be a successful primary treatment for metastatic brain tumors (BM). BM can come in cystic lesions and are often too large for GKRS. An alternative approach to treat cystic BM is stereotactic cyst aspiration (SCA) for volume reduction, making it suitable for GKRS afterwards. Objective: Our objective is evaluation of volumetric reduction after SCA, tumor control, and complications after SCA directly followed by GKRS. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent SCA directly followed by GKRS at the Gamma Knife Center of the Elisabeth-Tweesteden Hospital in Tilburg between 2002 and 2015. In total, 54 patients had undergone this combined approach. Two patients were excluded because of prior intracranial treatment. The other 52 patients were included for analysis. Results: SCA resulted in a mean volumetric reduction of 56.5% (range 5.50–87.00%). In 83.6% of the tumors (46 tumors), SCA led to sufficient volumetric reduction making GKRS possible. The overall local tumor control (OLTC) of the aspirated lesions post-GKRS was 60.9% (28 out of 46 tumors). Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for all patients were 3 (range 5 days–14 months) and 12 months (range 5 days–58 months), respectively. Leptomeningeal disease was reported in 5 (9.6%) cases. Conclusion: SCA directly followed by GKRS is an effective and time-efficient treatment for large cystic BM in selected patients in which surgery is contraindicated and those with deeply located lesions.</p

Gamma Knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannomas: evaluation of tumor control and its predictors in a large patient cohort in The Netherlands

OBJECTIVE The authors of this study sought to assess tumor control and complication rates in a large cohort of patients who underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for vestibular schwannoma (VS) and to identify predictors of tumor control. METHODS The records of 420 patients treated with GKRS for VS with a median marginal dose of 11 Gy were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with neurofibromatosis Type 2 or who had undergone treatment for VS previously were excluded. The authors assessed tumor control and complication rates with chart review and used the Cox proportional hazards model to identify predictors of tumor control. Preservation of serviceable hearing, defined as Gardner-Robertson Class I-II, was evaluated in a subgroup of 71 patients with serviceable hearing at baseline and with available follow-up audiograms. RESULTS The median VS tumor volume was 1.4 cm(3), and the median length of follow-up was 5.1 years. Actuarial 5 and 10-year tumor control rates were 91.3% and 84.8%, respectively. Only tumor volume was a statistically significant predictor of tumor control rate. The tumor control rate decreased from 94.1% for tumors smaller than 0.5 cm(3) to 80.7% for tumors larger than 6 cm(3). Thirteen patients (3.1%) had new or increased permanent trigeminal nerve neuropathy, 4 (1.0%) had new or increased permanent facial weakness, and 5 (1.2%) exhibited new or increased hydrocephalus requiring a shunting procedure. Actuarial 3-year and 5-year hearing preservation rates were 65% and 42%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The 5-year actuarial tumor control rate of 91.3% in this cohort of patients with VS compared slightly unfavorably with the rates reported in other large studies, but the complication and hearing preservation rates in this study were similar to those reported previously. Various factors may contribute to the observed differences in reported outcomes. These factors include variations in treatment indication and in the definition of treatment failure, as well as a lack of standardization of terminology and of evaluation of complications. Last, differences in dosimetric variables may also be an explanatory factor

Unilateral pallidotomy in Parkinson's disease: a randomised, single-blind, multicentre trial

Background The results of several cohort studies suggest that patients with advanced Parkinson's disease would benefit from unilateral pallidotomy. We have assessed the efficacy of unilateral pallidotomy in a randomised, single-blind, multicentre trial. Methods We enrolled 37 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who had, despite optimum pharmacological treatment, at least one of the following symptoms: severe response fluctuations, dyskinesias, painful dystonias, or bradykinesia, Patients were randomly assigned to unilateral pallidotomy within 1 month or to pallidotomy after the primary outcome assessment (6 months later). The primary outcome was the difference between the groups in median changes on the motor examination section of the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS 3) score done in the off phase. Secondary outcome measures included levodopa-induced dyskinesias (dyskinesia rating scale [DRS]) and extent of disability (UPDRS 2). Findings The median UPDRS 3 off score of the pallidotomy patients improved from 47 to 32.5, whereas that of control patients slightly worsened from 52.5 to 56.5 (p <0.001). In the on phase the median DRS score improved 50% in pallidotomy patients compared with no change in controls. The UPDRS 2 off score improved with a median of 7 in the pallidotomy group. Two treated patients had major adverse effects. Interpretation Unilateral pallidotomy is an effective treatment in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, who have an unsatisfactory response to pharmacological treatment

Stereotactic cyst aspiration directly followed by Gamma Knife radiosurgery for large cystic brain metastases

Background: Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has been proven to be a successful primary treatment for metastatic brain tumors (BM). BM can come in cystic lesions and are often too large for GKRS. An alternative approach to treat cystic BM is stereotactic cyst aspiration (SCA) for volume reduction, making it suitable for GKRS afterwards. Objective: Our objective is evaluation of volumetric reduction after SCA, tumor control, and complications after SCA directly followed by GKRS. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent SCA directly followed by GKRS at the Gamma Knife Center of the Elisabeth-Tweesteden Hospital in Tilburg between 2002 and 2015. In total, 54 patients had undergone this combined approach. Two patients were excluded because of prior intracranial treatment. The other 52 patients were included for analysis. Results: SCA resulted in a mean volumetric reduction of 56.5% (range 5.50–87.00%). In 83.6% of the tumors (46 tumors), SCA led to sufficient volumetric reduction making GKRS possible. The overall local tumor control (OLTC) of the aspirated lesions post-GKRS was 60.9% (28 out of 46 tumors). Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for all patients were 3 (range 5 days–14 months) and 12 months (range 5 days–58 months), respectively. Leptomeningeal disease was reported in 5 (9.6%) cases. Conclusion: SCA directly followed by GKRS is an effective and time-efficient treatment for large cystic BM in selected patients in which surgery is contraindicated and those with deeply located lesions