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Journal of Neurological Surgery. Part... Apr 2018Dermoid cysts are benign, congenital malformations that account for ∼0.5% of intracranial neoplasms. The authors describe a 42-year-old female with a prepontine...
Dermoid cysts are benign, congenital malformations that account for ∼0.5% of intracranial neoplasms. The authors describe a 42-year-old female with a prepontine dermoid cyst who underwent apparent gross total resection (GTR) but experienced cyst recurrence. To date, very few cases of prepontine dermoid cysts have been reported. The prevalent region where these cysts are located can be difficult to determine. In addition, the authors systematically review the literature to characterize the clinical presentation, anatomical distribution, and surgical outcomes of intracranial dermoid cysts. Systematic review. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Extent of resection, symptom improvement, and recurrence rates. A total of 69 patients with intracranial dermoid cysts were identified. Three (4.3%) intracranial dermoid cysts were located in the prepontine cistern. The average age of patients was 33.3 years. The most common presenting symptoms were headache (52.2%) and visual disturbances (33.3%). Intracranial dermoid cysts were distributed similarly throughout the anterior, middle, and posterior cranial fossae (29.0%, 36.2%, and 29.0%, respectively). GTR was achieved in 42.0% of cases. Thirty-four (49.3%) patients experienced symptom resolution. Recurrence rate was 5.8% at a mean follow-up of 2.1 years. Intracranial dermoid cysts most often present as headaches and visual disturbances. Intracranial dermoid cysts were found in the anterior, middle, and posterior cranial fossae at similar frequencies but with clear predilections for the Sylvian fissure, sellar region, and cerebellar vermis. Outcomes following surgical excision of intracranial dermoid cysts are generally favorable despite moderate rates of GTR.
PubMed: 29868318
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1604332 -
Cureus Dec 2019The role of preoperative CA 19-9 levels in patients with ovarian mature cystic teratoma (MCT) and the association of elevated levels of the biomarker with patients' and... (Review)
Review
The role of preoperative CA 19-9 levels in patients with ovarian mature cystic teratoma (MCT) and the association of elevated levels of the biomarker with patients' and tumor characteristics were evaluated. Four electronic databases were searched for articles published up to September 2019. Trials that evaluated the significance of elevated CA 19-9 in patients with ovarian MCTs and publications with > 20 patients were considered eligible for inclusion. Seven studies that included 995 patients with an ovarian MCT who were evaluated with elevated (n = 364) or normal (n = 631) CA 19-9 levels were included. Mean tumor size was significantly increased in patients with elevated CA 19-9 levels (p = 0.038). The rate of ovarian torsion was significantly increased in the elevated CA 19-9 group (p = 0.04). The present study highlights the importance of CA 19-9 as a marker in the diagnosis of MCT, and a meta-analysis supports that it could raise a high degree of clinical suspicion of early recognition of torsion and early surgical management due to complications related to increased size. Nonetheless, the diagnostic value of CA 19-9 is still limited and CA 19-9 can still serve only as a supplementary diagnostic tool in patients with MCTs.
PubMed: 31938630
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.6342