Tumores primarios del sistema nervioso central ­ Avances y desafíos

Presentamos el reciente informe de una paciente de 22 años con germinoma primario del sistema nervioso central (SNC), curado con quimioterapia y radioterapia. Los autores comentaron la raridad de esta neoplasia que usualmente se sitúa en la línea media cercano a la glándula pineal, los marcadores alfafetoproteína y gonadotropina coriónica, la indicación de quimioterapia neoadyuvante y dosis reducida de radioterapia, y el pronóstico favorable, con una supervivencia general hasta de 70%. Enfatizaron las actuales limitaciones en cuanto a dosis y extensión de la radiación al SNC, además sobre la utilización de quimioterapia sola o de quimioterapia neoadyuvante. Los comentarios adicionales que vamos a presentar buscan resaltar la importancia del informe inicial, aumentando el interés acerca de los tumores primarios del SNC. (provisto por Infomedic International)

We present the recent report of a 22-year-old patient with primary central nervous system (CNS) germinoma, cured with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The authors commented on the rarity of this neoplasm which is usually located in the midline near the pineal gland, the alpha-fetoprotein and chorionic gonadotropin markers, the indication for neoadjuvant chemotherapy and reduced dose radiotherapy, and the favorable prognosis, with an overall survival of up to 70%. They emphasized the current limitations in terms of dose and extent of radiation to the CNS, as well as the use of chemotherapy alone or neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The additional comments that we are about to present seek to highlight the importance of the initial report, increasing interest in primary CNS tumors (provided by Infomedic International)

Re: Epidemiology of giant cell arteritis in Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand.

The interest in epidemiological data on giant cell arteritis (GCA) increased both in New Zealand and in Latin America, resulting in updated articles like those here commented. Of more relevance are two very recent contributions by van Dantzig et al. with novel conclusive findings from their evaluations on GCA performed in the region of Waikato. The authors emphasised that the diagnosis of GCA remained stable in this region from 2014 to 2022, being uncommon among Maori, Pacific peoples and Asian ethnic groups. Short comments on some literature data from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Mexico about the systemic arteritis are here addressed to show the Latin American view. The authors strongly believe that this kind of report may enhance the general interest on diagnostic and management issues related to this very important systemic vasculitis.

A 64-year-old woman with primary synovial sarcoma of the abdominal wall.

Synovial sarcoma (SS) usually affects joints, bursae, and tendons of extremities and is very infrequent in the head and neck, abdomen, thorax, prostate and kidney, skin, blood vessels, and nerves. Primary intra-abdominal SS is exceeding uncommon and has non-specific symptoms or compress surrounding structures. The diagnosis is a challenge, and histopathological and immunohistochemical studies must confirm the hypothesis. We report the case of SS that has origin in peritoneal structures and a longstanding unsuspected course. The patient was a 64-year-old woman who claimed chronic pain in the left iliac fossa, without additional symptoms. She related laparoscopic oophorectomy, cholecystectomy, and abdominal hysterectomy in the previous three decades. There was neither local invasion nor lymph nodal, vascular or neural invasion, and her surgical treatment by open abdominal procedure was uneventful. The herein reported case aims to enhance the index of suspicion.