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Surgical Neurology International 2020Pineal cysts are common entities, with a reported prevalence between 10 and 54%. Management of pineal cysts has historically been expectant, with surgical treatment of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Pineal cysts are common entities, with a reported prevalence between 10 and 54%. Management of pineal cysts has historically been expectant, with surgical treatment of these lesions usually reserved for patients with a symptomatic presentation secondary to mass effect. The appropriate management of pineal cysts in patients presenting with headache in the absence of hydrocephalus - often the most common clinical scenario - has been more ambiguous. Here, we report the results of a comprehensive systematic review of headache outcomes for surgically treated, non-hydrocephalic pineal cyst patients without signs of increased intracranial pressure (ICP).
METHODS
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed to construct a systematic review. A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases was conducted from through June 2020. Relevant English-language articles were identified using the search terms "pineal cyst" and "headache." The following eligibility criteria were applied: the inclusion of at least one surgically-treated, non-hydrocephalic pineal cyst patient presenting with headache in the absence of hemorrhage or signs and symptoms of increased ICP. Patient demographics and post-operative headache outcomes for the included studies were extracted and summarized.
RESULTS
A total of 24 pineal cyst cases meeting our selection criteria were identified across 11 included studies. Postoperative improvement or resolution of headaches was reported for 23/24 patients. Our systematic review of the literature demonstrates that non-hydrocephalic patients with pineal cysts have a high rate of headache improvement following surgical intervention.
CONCLUSION
The results indicate a need for further investigation of the link between headache and pineal cysts in the non-hydrocephalic patient.
PubMed: 33408918
DOI: 10.25259/SNI_541_2020 -
Acta Neurochirurgica Jan 2022To examine published data and assess evidence relating to safety and efficacy of surgical management of symptomatic pineal cysts without hydrocephalus (nhSPC), we... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
To examine published data and assess evidence relating to safety and efficacy of surgical management of symptomatic pineal cysts without hydrocephalus (nhSPC), we performed a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis.
METHODS
Following the PRISMA guidelines, we searched Pubmed and SCOPUS for all reports with the query 'Pineal Cyst' AND 'Surgery' as of March 2021, without constraints on study design, publication year or status (PROSPERO_CRD:42,021,242,517). Assessment of 1537 hits identified 26 reports that met inclusion and exclusion criteria.
RESULTS
All 26 input studies were either case reports or single-centre retrospective cohorts. The majority of outcome data were derived from routine physician-recorded notes. A total of 294 patients with surgically managed nhSPC were identified. Demographics: Mean age was 29 (range: 4-63) with 77% females. Mean cyst size was 15 mm (5-35). Supracerebellar-infratentorial approach was adopted in 90% of cases, occipital-transtentorial in 9%, and was not reported in 1%. Most patients were managed by cyst resection (96%), and the remainder by fenestration. Mean post-operative follow-up was 35 months (0-228).
PRESENTATION
Headache was the commonest symptom (87%), followed by visual (54%), nausea/vomit (34%) and vertigo/dizziness (31%). Other symptoms included focal neurology (25%), sleep disturbance (17%), cognitive impairment (16%), loss of consciousness (11%), gait disturbance (11%), fatigue (10%), 'psychiatric' (2%) and seizures (1%). Mean number of symptoms reported at presentation was 3 (0-9).
OUTCOMES
Improvement rate was 93% (to minimise reporting bias only consecutive cases from cohort studies were considered, N = 280) and was independent of presentation. Predictors of better outcomes were large cyst size (OR = 5.76; 95% CI: 1.74-19.02) and resection over fenestration (OR = 12.64; 3.07-52.01). Age predicted worse outcomes (OR = 0.95; 0.91-0.99). Overall complication rate was 17% and this was independent of any patient characteristics. Complications with long-term consequences occurred in 10 cases (3.6%): visual disturbance (3), chronic incisional pain (2), sensory disturbance (1), fatigue (1), cervicalgia (1), cerebellar stroke (1) and mortality due to myocardial infarction (1).
CONCLUSIONS
Although the results support the role of surgery in the management of nhSPCs, they have to be interpreted with a great deal of caution as the current evidence is limited, consisting only of case reports and retrospective surgical series. Inherent to such studies are inhomogeneity and incompleteness of data, selection bias and bias related to assessment of outcome carried out by the treating surgeon in the majority of cases. Prospective studies with patient-reported and objective outcome assessment are needed to provide higher level of evidence.
Topics: Adult; Cysts; Female; Humans; Hydrocephalus; Male; Pineal Gland; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34854993
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-021-05054-0 -
Child's Nervous System : ChNS :... Dec 2020We present a consecutive case series and a systematic review of surgically treated pediatric PCs. We hypothesized that the symptomatic PC is a progressive disease with... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
We present a consecutive case series and a systematic review of surgically treated pediatric PCs. We hypothesized that the symptomatic PC is a progressive disease with hydrocephalus at its last stage. We also propose that PC microsurgery is associated with better postoperative outcomes compared to other treatments.
METHODS
The systematic review was conducted in PubMed and Scopus. No clinical study on pediatric PC patients was available. We performed a comprehensive evaluation of the available individual patient data of 43 (22 case reports and 21 observational series) articles.
RESULTS
The review included 109 patients (72% females). Ten-year-old or younger patients harbored smaller PC sizes compared to older patients (p < 0.01). The pediatric PCs operated on appeared to represent a progressive disease, which started with unspecific symptoms with a mean cyst diameter of 14.5 mm, and progressed to visual impairment with a mean cyst diameter of 17.8 mm, and hydrocephalus with a mean cyst diameter of 23.5 mm in the final stages of disease (p < 0.001). Additionally, 96% of patients saw an improvement in their symptoms or became asymptomatic after surgery. PC microsurgery linked with superior gross total resection compared to endoscopic and stereotactic procedures (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Surgically treated pediatric PCs appear to behave as a progressive disease, which starts with cyst diameters of approximately 15 mm and develops with acute or progressive hydrocephalus at the final stage. PC microneurosurgery appears to be associated with a more complete surgical resection compared to other procedures.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Central Nervous System Cysts; Child; Cysts; Female; Humans; Male; Microsurgery; Pineal Gland
PubMed: 32691194
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-020-04792-3 -
Metabolites May 2022Melatonin is known as a regulator of circadian sleep and waking rhythm. This hormone secreted by the pineal gland also has protective, oncostatic, and antioxidant... (Review)
Review
Melatonin is known as a regulator of circadian sleep and waking rhythm. This hormone secreted by the pineal gland also has protective, oncostatic, and antioxidant properties. This systematic review was designed to answer the question "Is there a relationship between salivary melatonin changes and oncological diseases?". Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, ten studies were included, according to PRISMA statement guidelines. In all included studies, the diagnostic material was unstimulated whole saliva, in which the melatonin changes were determined by different laboratory methods. Most studies concerned changes in melatonin levels in patients with brain tumours due to a direct effect on the circadian rhythm centres. Other studies focused on disorders of melatonin secretion and its inclusion as a diagnostic marker in patients with prostate cancer and oral squamous cell carcinoma. The association between melatonin changes and sleep quality and chronotype in patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer and lymphoma survivors was also investigated. In conclusion, our systematic review may suggest trends for melatonin secretion alterations in oncological patients. However, due to the significant heterogeneity of the included reports, it is not possible to clearly determine a link between changes in salivary melatonin levels and the oncological diagnosis.
PubMed: 35629943
DOI: 10.3390/metabo12050439 -
World Neurosurgery Mar 2022Pineal region metastases are rare but often cause severe neurologic deficits. Surgical resection and chemoradiotherapy can provide therapeutic benefit. We investigated... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Pineal region metastases are rare but often cause severe neurologic deficits. Surgical resection and chemoradiotherapy can provide therapeutic benefit. We investigated the literature to analyze clinical characteristics, management strategies, and survival of adult patients with pineal region metastases.
METHODS
PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched following the PRISMA guidelines, including studies reporting clinical outcomes of patients with pineal region metastases. Clinical presentation, management, and survival were reviewed.
RESULTS
We included 31 studies comprising 47 patients. Lung cancer (29.8%) and carcinomas of unknown origin (14.9%) were the most frequent primary tumors. In 48.9% of patients, symptomatic pineal metastases preceded primary tumor diagnosis. Headache (67.4%) and confusion (46.5%) were the most common symptoms. Parinaud syndrome (46.5%) and hydrocephalus (87.2%) were noted. Biopsy (65.9%) was preferred over resection (34.1%), and shunting strategies used were endoscopic third ventriculostomy (43.9%) and ventriculoperitoneal (26.8%). Eleven patients (32.3%) received adjuvant chemotherapy and 32 (68%) received radiotherapy. Posttreatment improvement in symptoms (56.6%) and hydrocephalus (80.5%) were noted. In patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy/radiotherapy, significant improvement in posttreatment performance status occurred with both biopsy (P < 0.001) and resection (P = 0.007). No survival differences were reported between surgery and biopsy (P = 0.912) or between complete and partial resection (P = 0.220). Overall survival was neither influenced by surgical approach (P = 0.157) nor by shunting strategy (P = 0.822). Mean follow-up was 8 months and median overall survival 3 months. Only 2 cases (4.8%) of pineal metastasis showed recurrence.
CONCLUSIONS
Pineal region metastases carry significant morbidity. Biopsy or surgical resection, combined with adjuvant chemotherapy/radiotherapy and/or shunting, may significantly improve performance status.
Topics: Adult; Brain Neoplasms; Humans; Hydrocephalus; Pineal Gland; Pinealoma; Ventriculostomy
PubMed: 34999267
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.01.005 -
Anticancer Research Mar 2022To review the current literature on pineal region gliomas, summarizing the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes. (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND/AIM
To review the current literature on pineal region gliomas, summarizing the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were used to identify relevant articles. Comprehensive clinical characteristic review and survival analysis were conducted.
RESULTS
Twelve studies describing 81 patients were included. The median age was 39 years (male=54.3%). Fifty patients (61.7%) had obstructive hydrocephalus requiring cerebrospinal fluid diversion with either ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) (40.0%) or endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) (24.0%). Patients who underwent VPS had significant survival benefits compared to ETV (p<0.05). All patients in our review underwent surgery, and gross-total resection (≥98%) was achieved in 34.6%. The supracerebellar infratentorial approach was the most employed surgical approach (62.3%). Chemotherapy was administered in 32.1% of cases, and radiotherapy in 40.7%. The median overall survival (OS) was 12 months, and the overall one-year survival rate was 60%.
CONCLUSION
This study could not establish a correlation between the extent of tumor resection and positive treatment outcomes. However, among cases with hydrocephalus, patients who underwent VPS placement had better survival as compared to ETV.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Brain Neoplasms; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Female; Glioma; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Pineal Gland; Progression-Free Survival; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; Risk Factors; Time Factors; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt; Ventriculostomy; Young Adult
PubMed: 35220208
DOI: 10.21873/anticanres.15585 -
Acta Neurochirurgica Oct 2022As the volume and fidelity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain increase, observation of incidental findings may also increase. We performed a systematic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
As the volume and fidelity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain increase, observation of incidental findings may also increase. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of various incidental findings.
METHODS
PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and SCOPUS were searched from inception to May 24, 2021. We identified 6536 citations and included 35 reports of 34 studies, comprising 40,777 participants. A meta-analysis of proportions was performed, and age-stratified estimates for each finding were derived from age-adjusted non-linear models.
RESULTS
Vascular abnormalities were observed in 423/35,706 participants (9.1/1000 scans, 95%CI 5.2-14.2), ranging from 2/1000 scans (95%CI 0-7) in 1-year-olds to 16/1000 scans (95%CI 1-43) in 80-year-olds. Of these, 204/34,306 were aneurysms (3.1/1000 scans, 95%CI 1-6.3), which ranged from 0/1000 scans (95%CI 0-5) at 1 year of age to 6/1000 scans (95%CI 3-9) at 60 years. Neoplastic abnormalities were observed in 456/39,040 participants (11.9/1000 scans, 95%CI 7.5-17.2), ranging from 0.2/1000 scans (95%CI 0-10) in 1-year-olds to 34/1000 scans (95%CI 12-66) in 80-year-olds. Meningiomas were the most common, in 246/38,076 participants (5.3/1000 scans, 95%CI 2.3-9.5), ranging from 0/1000 scans (95%CI 0-2) in 1-year-olds to 17/1000 scans (95%CI 4-37) in 80-year-olds. Chiari malformations were observed in 109/27,408 participants (3.7/1000 scans, 95%CI 1.8-6.3), pineal cysts in 1176/32,170 (9/1000 scans, 95%CI 1.8-21.4) and arachnoid cysts in 414/36,367 (8.5/1000 scans, 95%CI 5.8-11.8).
CONCLUSION
Incidental findings are common on brain MRI and may result in substantial resource expenditure and patient anxiety but are often of little clinical significance.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Child; Humans; Incidental Findings; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Prevalence
PubMed: 35525892
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-022-05225-7 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2023To evaluate the effectiveness of combined resection and radiotherapy (CRAR) for the treatment of primary pineal malignant melanoma (PPMM).
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of combined resection and radiotherapy (CRAR) for the treatment of primary pineal malignant melanoma (PPMM).
METHODS
Relevant studies were identified through a literature search in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from 1899 to September 1, 2023. Then we further screened the literature according to the updated PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The article information, patient information, treatment, and survival rate were analyzed. The primary outcome measures the survival rate of CRAR compared with the overall patients and the patients without treatment. Secondary outcome measures operation methods, radiotherapy methods, and dose.
RESULTS
In total, 28 published articles were recorded. Among them, 35.71% (10/28) articles were on CRAR. The median overall survival, CRAR, and no treatment survival were 65, 88, and 12 weeks, respectively. The median overall survival of CRAR was demonstrably better than that of no treatment ( < 0.0001) and overall survival, even with = 0.1177. Most of the operations adopted a supracerebellar infratentorial approach, and stereotactic radiation to tumor bed usually ranged between 50 and 60 Gy. Small dose and multiple fractions was the most popular radiotherapy method.
CONCLUSION
Currently, CRAR, compared with other treatments, is more beneficial to prolonging the survival of PPMM patients. However, many more clinical cases are needed to verify it as the best treatment approach.
PubMed: 38375353
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1344672 -
Dento Maxillo Facial Radiology Oct 2019Cone beam CT's use (CBCT) in dentistry is increasing. Incidental findings (IFs: discoveries unrelated to the original purpose of the scan), are frequently found as a...
OBJECTIVES
Cone beam CT's use (CBCT) in dentistry is increasing. Incidental findings (IFs: discoveries unrelated to the original purpose of the scan), are frequently found as a result of a large field of view. The aim of the systematic review is to analyze present literature on IFs using CBCT.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
The authors searched online databases of studies and assessed the prevalence of IFs among patients undergoing head and neck CBCT scans. STROBE criteria was used to evaluate the quality of the studies.
RESULTS
The original search retrieved 509 abstracts of which only 10 articles met the inclusion criteria. The sample size varied between 90 and 1000 participants. The frequency of IFs of the selected articles were 24.6-94.3%. The most common non-threatening IFs were found in the airway, such as mucous retention cyst (55.1%) and sinusitis (41.7%). Other non-threatening IFs were soft tissue calcifications such as calcified stylohyloid ligament (26.7%), calcified pineal gland (19.2%), and tonsillolith (14.3%). Threatening IFs were rare findings (1.4%). Three articles reported incidental carotid artery calcifications with a prevalence of 5.7-11.6%. Pathological findings were not common between the articles, but still relevant (2.6%). The studies had a risk of bias varying from moderate to low.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a high frequency of IFs, yet not all of them require immediate medical attention. The low prevalence of threatening IFs emphasizes that CBCT should not be considered a substitution for conventional radiographs, but when used, the scans should be evaluated by a maxillofacial radiologist.
Topics: Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; Head; Humans; Incidental Findings; Neck; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 31216179
DOI: 10.1259/dmfr.20180396