Tag: Anterior clinoid

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Anterior clinoid meningiomas: surgical results and proposed scoring system to predict visual outcomes

J Neurosurg 140:1295–1304, 2024

The authors report a single-surgeon experience with anterior clinoid meningiomas (ACMs) and propose a novel scoring system to predict visual outcomes based on preoperative risk factors.

METHODS A cohort study of all ACMs that were surgically treated by a single surgeon between 2003 and 2021 was performed. Visual function was assessed by an ophthalmologist pre- and postoperatively. Based on the combination of visual fields and visual acuity, 4 visual grades were described. Favorable visual outcomes were defined as mild visual deficit or intact vision postoperatively. Unfavorable visual outcomes were defined as a severe or moderate visual deficit. Predictors of unfavorable visual outcomes were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis. A scoring system was then created using the resulting β coefficient. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to identify a cutoff point on the grading score for stratifying patients at risk for unfavorable visual outcomes.

RESULTS Fifty-two patients met all inclusion criteria. Twenty-five (48%) patients presented with intact vision, and 27 (51%) presented with some visual dysfunction. Postoperative favorable visual outcomes were achieved in 39 patients (75%). Among the 27 patients presenting with visual dysfunction, 14 (52%) experienced improvement after surgery. No new visual deficits were observed among the 25 patients with intact vision at baseline. Nine patients (17%) had a reversible complication. Multivariable analysis showed that severe preoperative visual deficit (OR 13.03, 95% CI 2.64–64.39; p = 0.002), radiographic evidence of optic nerve (ON) encasement (OR 4.20, 95% CI 1.06–16.61; p = 0.04), intraoperative evidence of ON invasion (OR 17.31, 95% CI 2.91–102.86; p = 0.002), an average ganglion cell layer thickness of ≤ 70 µm (OR 21.54, 95% CI 2.94–159.04; p = 0.003), and an average retinal nerve fiber layer thickness of ≤ 80 µm (OR 13.68, 95% CI 1.91–98.00; p = 0.009) were associated with unfavorable visual outcome. The predictive score included the following factors: abnormal optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings, radiographic evidence of ON encasement by the tumor, and severe preoperative visual deficit. A score ≥ 4 of 6 points was demonstrated to be the cutoff associated with unfavorable visual outcome, with a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 88%, positive predictive value of 80%, negative predictive value of 88%, and area under the curve of 0.847 (95% CI 0.674–1.0; p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS The authors have designed a practical and novel scoring system to predict visual outcomes in patients with ACMs. This scoring system may guide preoperative discussions with patients and timely surgical intervention to yield optimal visual function outcomes. Although most patients have excellent neurosurgical outcomes, severe baseline visual deficits, ON encasement, and characteristic OCT abnormalities are associated with unfavorable visual function after ACM resection.

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Anatomic Features of Paraclinoid Aneurysms

Neurosurgery 81:949–957, 2017

Paraclinoid aneurysms are among the most challenging aneurysms to treat. Computed tomography (CT) angiography helps in evaluating the radiological characteristics of these aneurysms next to bony structures.

OBJECTIVE: To present the CT angiography characteristics of paraclinoid aneurysms in order to better understand such pathology.

METHODS: The study examined CT angiography-based anatomical characteristics obtained retrospectively from 136 patients with 144 paraclinoid aneurysms selected from single-defined catchment populations in Finland. We examined the diameters of the parent artery (internal carotid artery), the location of the aneurysm, its dimensions (width, height, neck), and aneurysm wall irregularity.

RESULTS:We analyzed 144 paraclinoid aneurysms in 136 patients admitted to the hospital during 2000-2014.Multivariable analysis reveals that rupture aneurysms have the following radiological features: aneurysm larger than 5 mm in diameter (P = .006), irregular wall (P = .046), superior location, larger aspect ratio (P = .039), and neck wider than parent artery (P < .001).

CONCLUSION: Smaller diameter of the internal carotid artery and superior location, as well as a large and irregular aneurysm wall, are radiological characteristics of ruptured paraclinoid aneurysms, which CT angiography can measure easily.

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Prognostic factors of craniopharyngioma with special reference to autocrine/paracrine signaling: underestimated implication of growth hormone receptor

Prognostic factors of craniopharyngioma with special reference to autocrine-paracrine signaling

Acta Neurochir (2015) 157:1731–1740

Craniopharyngioma is a slow-growing tumor classified as benign, but tight adhesion and significant local infiltration to the vital structures are common. In spite of improvement of modern microsurgery techniques and precise anatomical understanding not few cases of this tumor recur, and long-termtumor control and maintenance of quality of life are sometimes difficult. However, very little is known about the effects of the molecular characters of craniopharyngioma on the prognosis.

Methods Ninety eight cases of craniopharyngioma surgically treated at the Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Hospital and Kohnan Hospital from April 1996 to May 2014, 45 males and 53 females aged from 2 to 80 years (mean, 40.84 years) were retrospectively reviewed, and postoperative outcomes and the possible involvement of the autocrine/ paracrine mechanism were investigated. The patients were followed up at intervals of 6 months to assess tumor recurrence, and clinical outcomes were correlated with the findings of immunohistochemical examinations used growth hormone receptor (GHR) and downstream hormones. The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 209 months.

Results Hormone expression was examined in 88 patients, of which 46 specimens (52.3 %) showed high expression of GHR. The GHR high expression group had a significantly shorter duration of postoperative stable disease compared with the low expression group (logrank test, p=0.007). Simultaneous high expression of growth hormone (GH) and GHR was found in 33 specimens (37.5 %), and the high expression group had a significantly shorter duration of postoperative stable disease compared with the low expression group (logrank test, p=0.011). No other hormones showed statistically significant differences in outcomes.

Conclusions High expression of GHR is associated with shorter duration of postoperative stable disease in patients with craniopharyngioma. If the surgical specimens were craniopharyngiomas with high GHR expression, GH supplementation would be introduced quite prudently.

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Can Preoperative Imaging Predict Tumor Involvement of the Anterior Clinoid in Clinoid Region Meningiomas?

Can Preoperative Imaging Predict Tumor Involvement of the Anterior Clinoid in Clinoid Region Meningiomas?

Neurosurgery 77:525–530, 2015

Anterior clinoid region meningiomas may infiltrate the bone over which they arise, therefore requiring an anterior clinoidectomy to achieve a Simpson grade 1 resection. A clinoidectomy, however, is not without risks.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a study of diagnostic accuracy investigating whether preoperative imaging could predict tumor involvement of the clinoid, and thereby tailor the degree of bony removal.

METHODS: Patients having undergone resection of a clinoid region meningioma between 2001 and 2011 were identified. Included in further analysis were those patients in whom a clinoidectomy was performed with subsequent pathologically confirmed presence or absence of tumor in the clinoid process on decalcified specimens. Two neuroradiologists, blinded to pathology results, independently reviewed available preoperative imaging and stated whether or not they anticipated the clinoid to be involved by tumor. Interobserver agreement and the ability to accurately predict tumor involvement of the clinoid were then analyzed.

RESULTS: Sixty-two patients were included in the final analysis. Interobserver agreement was 100%. Sensitivity and specificity of preoperative imaging to predict tumor involvement was 89% and 52%, respectively, with positive and negative likelihood ratios of 1.85 and 0.20. Positive and negative predictive values were 73% and 76%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Preoperative imaging of clinoid region meningiomas can accurately predict the presence or absence of tumor involvement of the clinoid in only approximately 75% of cases. In light of the fact that a quarter of patients with radiographically negative clinoids will have tumor present on pathological analysis, we recommend a clinoidectomy for all clinoid region meningiomas.

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