ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the therapeutic alternatives and evaluate the related clinical results of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) treated with gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 1995 to December 2001, 44 patients suffering from PCNSL, who had undergone stereotactic biopsy or craniotomy, and who had received a confirmed diagnosis through pathological examination, were treated with GKS. All cases were followed up for 1 - 46 months with an average postoperative period of 27 months. The clinical materials, image features, treatment methods and results of follow-up, were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The symptoms and signs of the patients were markedly improved within 1 - 3 weeks after GKS. The Kanofsky performance status was also improved from a preoperative average of 40% to a postoperative one of 90%. Thirty-eight patients (86.36%) were in complete remission (CR), the other six (13.63%) were in partial remission (PR). The local control rate reached 100%, and the median survival time was 26.5 months. The main side effect was brain edema, which can be treated with dexamethasone and mannitol.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GKS is a safe and effective method in multimodality treatment of PCNSL. A stereotactic biopsy coupled with GKS is the first choice for diagnosis and treatment. Adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy should then be given according to the patient's condition.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Brain Neoplasms , General Surgery , Combined Modality Therapy , Lymphoma , General Surgery , Radiosurgery , Retrospective Studies , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate 1*"H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) in the differentiating recurrent brain gliomas after radiation therapy from delayed cerebral necrosis. Methods Fifteen patients who had clinical and CT, MRI changes that suggested a diagnosis of delayed cerebral necrosis or recurrent brain tumor after radiation therapy and 5 patients who had a definite clinical diagnosis of delayed cerebral necrosis underwent single voxel MR spectroscopy simultaneously both in the lesion′s region and the contralateral side. Results Of the former 15 cases who proved by surgicopathology, 14 cases were gliomas,1case was delayed cerebral necrosis, and their etiologic diagnoses of 1*"H MRS were correct. (1)1H MRS in 14 cases with gliomas exhibited specific spectral peaks including prominent choline-containing compounds (Cho), decreased or absent acetylaspartate(NAA) and total creatine (Cr),and the metabolic ratios showed significantly increased Cho/Cr, decreased NAA/Cr. Twelve cases showed abnormal lactate (Lac). (2)Among 6 cases with delayed cerebral necrosis, 5 cases exhibited decreased or absent Cho, NAA, Cr, and abnormal Lipid, 1 case showed absent Cho, NAA, and Cr with a flat curve without Lac. Conclusion 1H MRS was positively claimed for differentiating recurrent brain gliomas after radiation therapy from delayed cerebral necrosis.