Surgical or Endovascular Treatment of MCA Aneurysms: An Agreement Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MCA aneurysms are still commonly clipped surgically despite the recent development of a number of endovascular tools and techniques. We measured clinical uncertainty by studying the reliability of decisions made for patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A portfolio of 60 MCA aneurysms was presented to surgical and endovascular specialists who were asked whether they considered surgery or endovascular treatment to be an option, whether they would consider recruitment of the patient in a randomized trial, and whether they would provide their final management recommendation. Agreement was studied using κ statistics. Intrarater reliability was assessed with the same, permuted portfolio of cases of MCA aneurysm sent to the same specialists 1 month later. RESULTS: Surgical management was the preferred option for neurosurgeons (n = 844/1320; [64%] responses/22 raters), while endovascular treatment was more commonly chosen by interventional neuroradiologists (1149/1500 [76.6%] responses/25 raters). Interrater agreement was only "slight" for all cases and all judges (κ = 0.094; 95% CI, 0.068-0.130). Agreement was no better within specialties or with more experience. On delayed requestioning, 11 of 35 raters (31%) disagreed with themselves on at least 20% of cases. Surgical management and endovascular treatment were always judged to be a treatment option, for all patients. Trial participation was offered to patients 65% of the time. CONCLUSIONS: Individual clinicians did not agree regarding the best management of patients with MCA aneurysms. A randomized trial comparing endovascular with surgical management of patients with MCA aneurysms is in order.

Meningiomas in patients with long-term exposition to progestins: Characteristics and outcome.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe progestin-associated meningiomas' characteristics, outcome and management. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 53 patients operated on and/or followed in the department for meningioma with progestin intake longer than one year and with recent drug discontinuation. RESULTS: Cyproterone acetate (CPA), nomegestrol acetate (NomA), and chlormadinone acetate (ChlA) were involved in most cases. Mean duration of progestin drugs intake was 17.5 years. Tumors were multiple in 66% of cases and were located in the anterior and the medial skull base in 71% of cases. Transitional subtype represented 16/25 tumors; 19 meningiomas were WHO grade I and 6 were grade II. The rate of transitional subtype and skull base location was significantly higher compared to matched operated meningioma general population. No difference was observed given WHO classification. But Ki67 proliferation index tends to be lower and 5/6 of the WHO grade II meningiomas were classified as WHO grade II because of brain invasion. Strong progesterone receptors expression was observed in most cases. After progestin discontinuation, a spontaneous visual recovery was observed in 6/10 patients. Under CPA (n=24) and ChlA/NomA (n=11), tumor volume decreased in 71% and 18% of patients, was stabilized in 25% and 64% of patients, and increased in 4% and 18% of patients, respectively. Volume outcome was related to meningioma location. CONCLUSIONS: Outcome at progestins discontinuation is favorable but different comparing CPA versus ChlA-NomA and comparing tumor location. Long-term follow-up is required. In most cases, simple observation is recommended and surgery should be avoided.

Management of patients suffering from hemorrhagic intracranial metastases: Propositions to help the neurosurgeon in emergency situations based on a literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Brain metastases are the most common intracranial neoplasm in adult patients, and one of the fearsome complications proves to be intratumoral hemorrhage. The neurosurgical management of patients harboring a bleeding brain metastasis is not fully established and there is still today an ongoing debate on the optimal management of these patients. The aim of this article is to provide the neurosurgeons with practical tools to assist in their decision-making process in the management of BMs. METHODS: We conducted a literature review of the relevant Pubmed, Cochrane, and Google scholar-indexed articles published between 2000 and 2019. The following key words were entered in the Pubmed search engine: [metastasis], [metastases], [brain metastases], [brain metastasis], [hemorrhage], [hematoma], [blood clot], [intracerebral hemorrhage], [intracranial hemorrhage]. The review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA recommendations. RESULTS: Based on PubMed, Cochrane, and Google scholar, 459 articles were retained, 392 were then removed because of their non-adequacy with the topic and, 9 articles were removed because they were not written in English language. So, 58 articles were analyzed. Radiological evaluation is crucial, but few traps exist. The frequency of overall brain tumor-related with intracranial hematoma is 7.2%, with a higher frequency for secondary tumors. The local recurrence rate after resection of a hemorrhagic metastasis seems to be better probably because of an easier "en bloc" resection thanks to the hematoma. An atypical presentation is reported in up to 4% in patients with chronic or acute subdural hematoma. Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and epidural hematoma are rare. A clear-cut correlation between the incidence of bleeding event in brain mets and prior stereotactic radiosurgery was not established. CONCLUSION: The current literature pertaining to the neurosurgical management of acute bleeding in brain metastasis is scant and the level of evidence remains low (experts 'opinions; class C). Herein we suggest a flowchart to assist in dealing with those difficult patients.

Cerebellopontine angle gangliogliomas: Report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Gangliogliomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system. We report two unusual cases of gangliogliomas located in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). POPULATION AND METHODS: The first patient was a 57-year-old woman, who presented with dizziness and harbored a non-enhanced heterogeneous mass located in the cisternal space of the CPA. A partial microsurgical removal was performed, and the pathological examination concluded a grade I ganglioglioma according to the WHO Classification. The postoperative course was uneventful without any adjuvant treatment and the 5-year imaging follow-up indicated a stable remnant tumor. The second patient was a 35-year-old male who presented with acute vertigo and imbalance associated with recent prominent headaches; MR imaging showed a large heterogeneous and post-contrast enhanced tumor mass located in the CPA cistern with a mass effect on the brain. An optimal subtotal surgical resection was performed. The pathologists concluded a WHO grade III ganglioglioma. In spite of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the evolution proved unfavorable and patient died from cancer complications within a 2-year period. In both cases, the precise origin of the tumor could not be clearly identified even if the major component was present in the cisternal space. CONCLUSION: Gangliogliomas growing into the cisternal spaces are exceedingly rare particularly in the CPA. Due to its infiltrating behavior and major difficulties to identify the tumor margins, total resection is not routinely feasible. The histological grading is the most important predictor for oncological prognosis.

[Immunohistochemical hormonal mismatch and human epidermal growth factor type 2 [HER2] phenotype of brain metastases in breast cancer carcinoma compared to primary tumors]. / Discordance du phénotype immunohistochimique hormonal et du récepteur du facteur de croissance épidermique de type 2 [HER2] des métastases cérébrales de cancer du sein comparativement à leurs primitifs.

INTRODUCTION: Phenotype changes between primary tumor and the corresponding brain metastases are recent reported data. Breast cancer, with biological markers predicting prognosis and guiding therapeutic strategy remains an interesting model to observe and evaluate theses changes. The objective of our study was to compare molecular features (estrogen receptor [ER], progesterone receptor [PR], and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2, [HER2]) between brain metastases and its primary tumor in patients presenting with pathologically confirmed breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study was based on the immunohistochemical analysis of the brain metastases paraffin embedded samples stored in our institutional tumor bank, after surgical resection. The level of expression of hormonal receptors and HER2 on brain metastases were centrally reviewed and compared to the expression status in primary breast cancer from medical records. RESULTS: Forty-four samples of brain metastases were available for analysis. Hormonal receptor modification status was observed in 11/44 brain metastases (25%) for ER and 6/44 (13.6%) for PR. A modification of HER2 overexpression was observed in brain metastases in 6/44 (13.6%). Molecular subtype modification was shown in 17 cases (38.6%). A significant difference was demonstrated between time to develop brain metastases in cases without status modification (HER2, ER and PR) (med=49.5months [7.8-236.4]) and in cases in which brain metastases status differs from primary tumor (med=27.5months [0-197.3]), (P=0.0244, IC95=3.09-51.62, Mann and Whitney test). CONCLUSION: the main interest of this study was to focus on the molecular feature changes between primary tumor and their brain metastases. Time to develop brain metastases was correlated to phenotypic changes in brain metastases.

[Interest of biological documentation on brain metastatic disease in breast cancer: A case report]. / Intérêt de la documentation biologique de la maladie métastatique cérébrale dans le cancer du sein: à propos d'un cas.

Breast cancer, after lung cancer, is the second major cause of brain metastases. In breast cancer, the prognosis is closely linked to the molecular subtype of the primary tumor. Targeted therapies, with or without cytotoxic treatment, have significantly modified overall survival in these patients. We report, the case of a patient suffering from breast cancer with brain metastasis in whom the biological documentation of the metastatic disease permitted to tailor the systemic treatment. Analysis of the surgical specimen revealed an immunohistochemical HER2 positive staining, which was not found in the primary tumor and therefore warranted trastuzumab administration. Another interesting insight based on this case report was to underline the phenotypic heterogeneity of the metastatic disease and its potential dynamic course as illustrated by the dissociated response to trastuzumab on body TEP-TDM in this particular patient. This case report also highlights the new place of the neurosurgeon in brain metastases management, not only as a participant in local treatment but also as a physician who is in fact involved in the delineation of the global oncological strategy in these patients as well as medical oncologists and radiation oncologists.