ABSTRACT
Craniopharyngiomas are tumors that arise from the remnants of Rathke's pouch along the nasopharynx to the diencephalon. Current standard of care includes maximal surgical resection versus adjuvant radiation if a maximal resection is unfeasible. Pharmacological therapy with MAPK targeted agents is an emerging therapeutic option for tumors with BRAF V600E mutations. We report a 45-year-old male with a strictly third ventricle papillary craniopharyngioma with a BRAF V600E mutation. After initial surgery with subtotal resection, the patient demonstrated durable response to targeted BRAF and MEK inhibitor therapy with vemurafenib and cobimetinib. Our report suggests that targeted therapy may reduce the need for radiation and impact surgical interventions in select cases.
Subject(s)
Azetidines , Craniopharyngioma , Piperidines , Pituitary Neoplasms , Male , Humans , Middle Aged , Vemurafenib/therapeutic use , Craniopharyngioma/drug therapy , Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf/genetics , Pituitary Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Pituitary Neoplasms/drug therapy , Pituitary Neoplasms/genetics , Mutation/geneticsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Uterine compression suturing is considered a successful, safe, inexpensive and simple method for the conservative treatment of atonic postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). However, insufficient data are available about the potential risk of subsequent intrauterine synechiae (IUS). AIM: To determine the risk of postpartum uterine synechiae in women who received isolated uterine compression suturing for the management of major uncontrolled PPH. MATERIALS & METHODS: All women with major PPH from May 2005 to June 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Diagnostic hysteroscopy was performed to assess the uterine cavity in the 27 women who successfully underwent isolated uterine compression suturing for major atonic PPH and fulfilled the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: Among the 27 women who underwent isolated uterine compression suturing, 5 (18.5%) were found to have IUS on hysteroscopic examination. The mode of delivery for all women who developed IUS was caesarean section. Among these five women, three had mild IUS, one had moderate IUS and one had severe IUS. All adhesions were later successfully resected by hysteroscopy, except for one case with dense IUS. CONCLUSIONS: Uterine compression suturing was found to be associated with a risk of postpartum uterine synechiae formation, which may subsequently affect future fertility.
