Neurosurgery
-
Central nervous system (CNS) germ cell tumors (GCT) are rare and complex pediatric neoplasms, the optimal management of which remains an area of active investigation. ⋯ CNS GCTs are clinically heterogeneous lesions, resulting in numerous opportunities for improved understanding and clinical management via novel diagnostic and therapeutic protocols. Samples from second-look surgeries for recurrent germinomas frequently demonstrate teratomatous tissue, suggesting possible underdiagnosis of mixed GCTs-particularly among pineal lesions. GCT subtypes demonstrate differential cell fraction distributions on CSF analysis, a novel and perhaps diagnostically helpful finding that requires validation in external cohorts.
-
Treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms can reduce the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage and its associated morbidity and mortality. However, current methods to predict the risk of rupture and optimize treatment strategies for intracranial aneurysms are limited. Assessment of intra-aneurysmal flow using 4-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (4D MRI) is a novel tool that could be used to guide therapy. ⋯ In comparison to computational fluid dynamics (CFD), 4D MRI has a lower spatial resolution and reports lower WSS and velocity magnitudes, but these parameters equalize when spatial resolution is matched. 4D MRI demonstrates the intra-aneurysmal hemodynamic changes associated with flow diversion, including significantly decreased flow velocity. Thus, 4D MRI is a novel, noninvasive imaging tool used for the evaluation of hemodynamics within intracranial aneurysms. Hemodynamic indices derived from 4D MRI appear to correlate well with the simulated (CFD) values and may be used to measure the success of endovascular therapies and risk factors for aneurysm growth and rupture.
-
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an effective option in the management of brain metastases, offering improved overall survival to whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT). However, given the need for active surveillance and the possibility of repeated interventions for local/distant brain recurrences, the balance between clinical benefit and economic impact must be evaluated. ⋯ Based on our findings, SRS is cost-effective in the management of brain metastases, particularly in high-functioning patients with longer expected survival. However, before an optimal care pathway can be proposed, emerging factors such as tumor molecular subtype, diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment, neuroprognostic score, tailored surveillance imaging, and patient utilities need to be studied in greater detail.