Primary 3-Month Outcomes of a Double-Blind Randomized Prospective Study (The QUEST Study) Assessing Effectiveness and Safety of Novel High-Frequency Electric Nerve Block System for Treatment of Post-Amputation Pain.

Purpose: This multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, active sham-controlled pivotal study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of high-frequency nerve block treatment for chronic post-amputation and phantom limb pain. Patients and Methods: QUEST enrolled 180 unilateral lower-limb amputees with severe post-amputation pain, 170 of whom were implanted with the Altius device, were randomized 1:1 to active-sham or treatment groups and reached the primary endpoint. Responders were those subjects who received ≥50% pain relief 30 min after treatment in ≥50% of their self-initiated treatment sessions within the 3-month randomized period. Differences between the active treatment and sham control groups as well as numerous secondary outcomes were determined. Results: At 30-min, (primary outcome), 24.7% of the treatment group were responders compared to 7.1% of the control group (p=0.002). At 120-minutes following treatment, responder rates were 46.8% in the Treatment group and 22.2% in the Control group (p=0.001). Improvement in Brief Pain Inventory interference score of 2.3 ± 0.29 was significantly greater in treatment group than the 1.3 ± 0.26-point change in the Control group (p = 0.01). Opioid usage, although not significantly different, trended towards a greater reduction in the treatment group than in the control group. The incidence of adverse events did not differ significantly between the treatment and control groups. Conclusion: The primary outcomes of the study were met, and the majority of Treatment patients experienced a substantial improvement in PAP (regardless of meeting the study definition of a responder). The significant in PAP was associated with significantly improved QOL metrics, and a trend towards reduced opioid utilization compared to Control. These data indicate that Altius treatment represents a significant therapeutic advancement for lower-limb amputees suffering from chronic PAP.

Lipomatous medulloblastoma: a rare adult tumor variant with a uniquely favorable prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Lipomatous medulloblastoma is a rare but apparently distinct variant of medulloblastoma. There have been only 14 prior published cases. We report an additional case of an adult who presented with a multicentric form of this unique lesion. METHODS: A 45-year-old woman underwent magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of progressive headaches, nausea/vomiting, vertigo, and ataxia. Multiple bilateral mass lesions in the posterior fossa were noted, along with obstructive hydrocephalus and significant mass effect. RESULTS: Via a right suboccipital and retrosigmoid craniotomy the largest cerebellar lesion was resected and a second lesion biopsied. The third mass on the contralateral side was not disturbed. Postoperatively the patient received fractionated radiotherapy to a dose of 54 Gy and chemotherapy with cisplatin, PCNU, and vincristine for 1 year. She is alive without deficit, with a Karnofsky Performance Status of 100, and with no evidence of disease on neuroimaging 3 years after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: This distinct variant of medulloblastoma appears to occur in adults only and has a uniquely favorable prognosis, even with incomplete resection with institution of appropriate adjuvant therapies. Multicentricity does not imply a less favorable prognosis.

Anemia and hepatosplenomegaly as presenting features in a child with rickets and secondary myelofibrosis.

Anemia and hepatosplenomegaly are common reasons for referring a child to a pediatric hematologist or oncologist. Among the many causes for these findings is severe rickets, which has been shown to be associated with secondary myelofibrosis and myeloid metaplasia. The authors present the case of an infant with severe rickets and secondary myelofibrosis and review the differential diagnosis of hepatosplenomegaly from the viewpoint of the pediatric hematologist/oncologist.