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Frontiers in Surgery 2022Hemorrhage into optic pathway-hypothalamic glioma (OPHG) is rare. Variable clinical presentations and outcomes are associated with such pathology. We aim to present two... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Hemorrhage into optic pathway-hypothalamic glioma (OPHG) is rare. Variable clinical presentations and outcomes are associated with such pathology. We aim to present two infants presented with OPHG and a systematic review of the literature.
METHODS
We describe two cases of infants presenting with sudden decreased vision, poor feeding, and irritability due to OPHG. Both patients underwent urgent craniotomy and subtotal resection followed by chemotherapy. We systematically reviewed the literature using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase. In addition, we included all English published reports for all ages discussing the optic pathway (optic nerve and optic chiasm) or hypothalamic glioma associated with hemorrhage from the year of the first reported case (1970) to January 2022.
RESULTS
Of 17,949, 44 articles met the inclusion criteria of this review. A total of 56 cases were described with a mean of 21.35 years (0.5-70), with the male gender 52% and the female gender 45%. The hemorrhage location was sellar/suprasellar in 43% cases. Histopathology of included cases was pilocytic astrocytoma in 41%, followed by pilomyxoid astrocytoma in 16% cases. The outcome was unfavorable; 37.5% cases showed improvement, whereas 18% cases resulted in death.
CONCLUSION
Apoplexy of the OPHG can be fatal and associated with poor outcomes. A systematic review of the literature has shown that younger age, pilocytic or pilomexyoid astrocytoma histopathology, and chiasmal/hypothalamic locations are associated with a higher risk of intertumoral hemorrhage and poor prognosis. Further genetic studies for OPHG may provide information for high-risk patients.
PubMed: 35733436
DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.891556 -
Biomedical Engineering Online Nov 2023The contouring of organs at risk (OARs) in head and neck cancer radiation treatment planning is a crucial, yet repetitive and time-consuming process. Recent studies have... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
The contouring of organs at risk (OARs) in head and neck cancer radiation treatment planning is a crucial, yet repetitive and time-consuming process. Recent studies have applied deep learning (DL) algorithms to automatically contour head and neck OARs. This study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize and analyze the performance of DL algorithms in contouring head and neck OARs. The objective is to assess the advantages and limitations of DL algorithms in contour planning of head and neck OARs.
METHODS
This study conducted a literature search of Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases, to include studies related to DL contouring head and neck OARs, and the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of four categories of OARs from the results of each study are selected as effect sizes for meta-analysis. Furthermore, this study conducted a subgroup analysis of OARs characterized by image modality and image type.
RESULTS
149 articles were retrieved, and 22 studies were included in the meta-analysis after excluding duplicate literature, primary screening, and re-screening. The combined effect sizes of DSC for brainstem, spinal cord, mandible, left eye, right eye, left optic nerve, right optic nerve, optic chiasm, left parotid, right parotid, left submandibular, and right submandibular are 0.87, 0.83, 0.92, 0.90, 0.90, 0.71, 0.74, 0.62, 0.85, 0.85, 0.82, and 0.82, respectively. For subgroup analysis, the combined effect sizes for segmentation of the brainstem, mandible, left optic nerve, and left parotid gland using CT and MRI images are 0.86/0.92, 0.92/0.90, 0.71/0.73, and 0.84/0.87, respectively. Pooled effect sizes using 2D and 3D images of the brainstem, mandible, left optic nerve, and left parotid gland for contouring are 0.88/0.87, 0.92/0.92, 0.75/0.71 and 0.87/0.85.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of automated contouring technology based on DL algorithms is an essential tool for contouring head and neck OARs, achieving high accuracy, reducing the workload of clinical radiation oncologists, and providing individualized, standardized, and refined treatment plans for implementing "precision radiotherapy". Improving DL performance requires the construction of high-quality data sets and enhancing algorithm optimization and innovation.
Topics: Humans; Deep Learning; Organs at Risk; Head; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Algorithms; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
PubMed: 37915046
DOI: 10.1186/s12938-023-01159-y -
Advances in Ophthalmology Practice and... Dec 2021Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a significant role in assessing optic neuropathy and providing more detailed information about the lesion of the visual pathway to... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a significant role in assessing optic neuropathy and providing more detailed information about the lesion of the visual pathway to help differentiate optic neuritis from other visual disorders. This study aims to systematically review the literature and verify if there is a real difference in lesion location among different demyelinating optic neuritis (DON) subtypes.
METHODS
A systematic search was conducted including 8 electronic databases and related resources from the establishment of the database to August 25th, 2020. We classified DON into 5 subtypes and divided the visual pathways into five segments mainly comparing the differences in the involved visual pathway sites of different subtypes.
RESULTS
Fifty-five studies were included in the analysis, and the abnormal rate was as high as 92% during the acute phase (within 4 weeks of symptom onset). With respect to lesion location, the orbital segment of the optic nerve was the most frequently involved (87%), whereas optic tract involvement was very rare. Involvement of the orbital segment was more common in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-related optic neuritis (MOG-ON) (78%) and chronic relapsing inflammatory optic neuropathy (CRION) (81%), while the lesion was found to be located more posteriorly in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder-related optic neuritis (NMOSD-ON). With respect to lesion length, approximately 77% of MOG-ON patients had lesions involving more than half of the optic nerve length.
CONCLUSIONS
MRI examination is recommended for DON patients in the acute phase. In MOG-ON, anterior involvement is more common and the involved length is mostly more than 1/2 of the optic nerve length, whereas posterior involvement, intracranial segment, optic chiasm, or optic tract, is more common in NMOSD-ON.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42020222430 (25-11-2020).
PubMed: 37846325
DOI: 10.1016/j.aopr.2021.100019 -
Neuro-oncology Practice Feb 2021The aim of our study is to determine the incidence, timing, and risk factors for cerebral vasculopathy after cranial proton and photon radiation for pediatric brain... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The aim of our study is to determine the incidence, timing, and risk factors for cerebral vasculopathy after cranial proton and photon radiation for pediatric brain tumors.
METHODS
We performed a single-institution retrospective review of a cohort of children treated with proton radiation for brain tumors. MRA and/or MRI were reviewed for evidence of cerebral vascular stenosis and infarcts. Twenty-one similar studies (17 photon, 4 proton) were identified by systematic literature review.
RESULTS
For 81 patients with median follow-up of 3 years, the rates of overall and severe vasculopathy were 9.9% and 6.2% respectively, occurring a median of 2 years post radiation. Dose to optic chiasm greater than 45 Gy and suprasellar location were significant risk factors. Results were consistent with 4 prior proton studies (752 patients) that reported incidence of 5% to 6.7%, 1.5 to 3 years post radiation. With significantly longer follow-up (3.7-19 years), 9 studies (1108 patients) with traditional photon radiation reported a higher rate (6.3%-20%) and longer time to vasculopathy (2-28 years). Significant risk factors were neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1; rate 7.6%-60%) and suprasellar tumors (9%-20%). In 10 studies with photon radiation (1708 patients), the stroke rate was 2% to 18.8% (2.3-24 years post radiation).
CONCLUSIONS
Childhood brain tumor survivors need screening for vasculopathy after cranial radiation, especially with higher dose to optic chiasm, NF-1, and suprasellar tumors. Prospective studies are needed to identify risk groups, and ideal modality and timing, for screening of this toxicity.
PubMed: 33664967
DOI: 10.1093/nop/npaa061 -
NeuroImage. Clinical 2023The anterior optic pathway (AOP) is a system of three structures (optic nerves, optic chiasma, and optic tracts) that convey visual stimuli from the retina to the... (Review)
Review
The anterior optic pathway (AOP) is a system of three structures (optic nerves, optic chiasma, and optic tracts) that convey visual stimuli from the retina to the lateral geniculate nuclei. A successful reconstruction of the AOP using tractography could be helpful in several clinical scenarios, from presurgical planning and neuronavigation of sellar and parasellar surgery to monitoring the stage of fiber degeneration both in acute (e.g., traumatic optic neuropathy) or chronic conditions that affect AOP structures (e.g., amblyopia, glaucoma, demyelinating disorders or genetic optic nerve atrophies). However, its peculiar anatomy and course, as well as its surroundings, pose a serious challenge to obtaining successful tractographic reconstructions. Several AOP tractography strategies have been adopted but no standard procedure has been agreed upon. We performed a systematic review of the literature according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines in order to find the combinations of acquisition and reconstruction parameters that have been performed previously and have provided the highest rate of successful reconstruction of the AOP, in order to promote their routine implementation in clinical practice. For this purpose, we reviewed data regarding how the process of anatomical validation of the tractographies was performed. The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions was used to assess the risk of bias and thus the study quality We identified thirty-nine studies that met our inclusion criteria, and only five were considered at low risk of bias and achieved over 80% of successful reconstructions. We found a high degree of heterogeneity in the acquisition and analysis parameters used to perform AOP tractography and different combinations of them can achieve satisfactory levels of anterior optic tractographic reconstruction both in real-life research and clinical scenarios. One thousand s/mm was the most frequently used b value, while both deterministic and probabilistic tractography algorithms performed morphological reconstruction of the tract satisfactorily, although probabilistic algorithms estimated a more realistic percentage of crossing fibers (45.6%) in healthy subjects. A wide heterogeneity was also found regarding the method used to assess the anatomical fidelity of the AOP reconstructions. Three main strategies can be found: direct visual direct visual assessment of the tractography superimposed to a conventional MR image, surgical evaluation, and computational methods. Because the latter is less dependent on a priori knowledge of the anatomy by the operator, computational methods of validation of the anatomy should be considered whenever possible.
Topics: Humans; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Retina; Amblyopia
PubMed: 37651845
DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103494 -
Clinical Case Reports Mar 2024Primary GBM of the optic nerve and chiasma should be included in the differential diagnosis of progressive lesions despite initial treatment; clinicians should avoid...
KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE
Primary GBM of the optic nerve and chiasma should be included in the differential diagnosis of progressive lesions despite initial treatment; clinicians should avoid delay in confirming the histology to initiate proper treatment and improve prognosis.
ABSTRACT
Primary GBM of the optic nerve or chiasma is very rare. The characteristics of this condition have not been well-described, which poses difficulties in establishing the correct diagnosis, affecting the treatment and the prognosis. We present a case of GBM of the optic chiasma diagnosed through an open biopsy at our centre. Following the PRISMA statement, we also conducted a systematic review after protocol registration in PROSPERO (CRD42021285855). We searched Medline and Embase through Ovid from inception until December 31, 2021. Two reviewers independently screened the studies. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported cases of primary GBM confined to the optic nerve or chiasma as the initial radiological diagnosis. A 77-year-old female was referred for progressive visual loss lasting 8 weeks. MRI revealed a suspected lesion in the left chiasma. The patient's vision deteriorated further despite initially diagnosing an inflammatory process and empirical treatment with corticosteroids. Subsequently, the patient underwent an open biopsy and surgical debulking. Histology, including epigenetic analysis, confirmed GBM grade IV. Radiochemotherapy was administered. The patient died 19 months after surgery. We identified 45 similar cases (22 female) reported in 35 studies between 1949 and 2020. The mean age of the cases was 61 (SD = 14.6). Most cases were misdiagnosed and mistreated accordingly, so there was a median delay of 8 weeks (IQR: 5-14 weeks) in obtaining histological confirmation of the diagnosis, delaying the initiation of appropriate treatment. Five cases became no treatment since the patients died shortly after the delayed histologic diagnosis. The Kaplan-Meier estimate indicated that most patients died within 20 months of presentation, with a 1-year survival rate of 50%, and untreated cases had very low survival rates compared to treated cases. Primary GBM of the optic nerve and chiasma is a rare condition primarily affecting adults. The rarity of this condition contributes to initial misdiagnosis, mistreatment, and delays in confirming the histology and initiating appropriate treatment. The prognosis remains poor, but treatment, including surgery and radiochemotherapy, improves survival.
PubMed: 38515994
DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.8636 -
BMC Ophthalmology Sep 2018Visual field loss occurs frequently in neurological conditions and perimetry is commonly requested for patients with suspected or known conditions. There are currently... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Visual field loss occurs frequently in neurological conditions and perimetry is commonly requested for patients with suspected or known conditions. There are currently no guidelines for how visual fields in neurological conditions should be assessed. There is a wide range of visual field programs available and the wrong choice of program can potentially fail to detect visual field loss. We report the results of a systematic review of the existing evidence base for the patterns of visual field loss in four common neurological conditions and the perimetry programs used, to aid the design of future research and clinical practice guidelines.
METHODS
A systematic search of the literature was performed. The inclusion criteria required studies testing and/or reporting visual field loss in one or more of the target conditions; idiopathic intracranial hypertension, optic neuropathy, chiasmal compression and stroke. Scholarly online databases and registers were searched. In addition articles were hand searched. MESH terms and alternatives in relation to the four target conditions and visual fields were used. Study selection was performed by two authors independently. Data was extracted by one author and verified by a second.
RESULTS
This review included 330 studies; 51 in relation to idiopathic intracranial hypertension, 144 in relation to optic neuropathy, 105 in relation to chiasmal compression, 21 in relation to stroke and 10 in relation to a mixed neuro-ophthalmology population.
CONCLUSIONS
Both the 30-2 and 24-2 program using the Humphrey perimeter were most commonly reported followed by manual kinetic perimetry using the Goldmann perimeter across all four conditions included in this review. A wide variety of other perimeters and programs were reported. The patterns of visual field defects differ much more greatly across the four conditions. Central perimetry is used extensively in neurological conditions but with little supporting evidence for its diagnostic accuracy in these, especially considering the peripheral visual field may be affected first whilst the central visual field may not be impacted until later in the progression. Further research is required to reach a consensus on how best to standardise perimetry for neurological conditions.
Topics: Humans; Optic Chiasm; Optic Nerve Diseases; Vision Disorders; Visual Fields
PubMed: 30200926
DOI: 10.1186/s12886-018-0912-1 -
Thyroid Research Feb 2024Coexistence of TSH-secreting pituitary adenoma (TSHoma) and Graves' disease (GD) is rare and complicates the management decision.
BACKGROUND
Coexistence of TSH-secreting pituitary adenoma (TSHoma) and Graves' disease (GD) is rare and complicates the management decision.
METHODS
We present a case of the co-existence of TSHoma and GD. In addition, we systematically searched articles describing TSHoma and GD in the same patient published until 20th March 2023, using Pubmed, Scopus and Embase.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 46-year-old man presented with symptoms of thyrotoxicosis. His thyroid function tests showed serum TSH 3.35 (reference range 0.3-4.2) mIU/L, FT3 19.7 (3.7-6.4) pmol/L, and FT4 68.9 (11-23.3) pmol/L. The serum TSH receptor antibody was 11.5 mIU/L (positive at ≥ 1.75 mIU/L). Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging showed macroadenoma compressing the optic chiasm. The patient underwent trans-sphenoidal resection of pituitary adenoma. Postoperatively, he remained on maintenance carbimazole and octreotide.
RESULTS
Fourteen articles comprising 15 patients were identified from the systemic search. A total of 16 patients (including the current case) were included in the systematic review. The mean (± SD) age at diagnosis was 41 ± 13.6 years. The majority were females (75%). The median (IQR) TSH was 1.95 (0.12-5.5) mIU/L, the median (IQR) free T3 was 11.7 (7.6-19.7) pmol/L and the median (IQR) free T4 level was 47.6 (33.3-64.4) pmol/L. Ten (76.9%) patients had positive TSH receptor antibody levels. 84.6% had pituitary macroadenoma. Pituitary surgery was performed in 12 (75%) patients. At the last follow-up, 4 (25%) patients had complete resolution of symptoms after pituitary surgery, 3 (18.7%) were on maintenance treatment with thionamides for GD, 1 (6.25%) on beta-blockers and 1 (6.25%) on somatostatin analog.
CONCLUSION
TSHoma and GD can co-exist, and it is essential to identify this rare association as it can significantly impact treatment strategies.
PubMed: 38311752
DOI: 10.1186/s13044-023-00184-2 -
Pituitary Aug 2020Surgery in patients with non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFMA) is effective in ameliorating visual function. The urgency for decompression, and preferred timing...
Quality of care evaluation in non-functioning pituitary adenoma with chiasm compression: visual outcomes and timing of intervention clinical recommendations based on a systematic literature review and cohort study.
PURPOSE
Surgery in patients with non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFMA) is effective in ameliorating visual function. The urgency for decompression, and preferred timing of surgery related to the preoperative severity of dysfunction is unknown.
METHODS
Systematic review for evidence to provide clinical guidance for timing of surgical decompression of the optic chiasm, and a cohort study of 30 NFMA patients, in whom mean deviation (MD), and severity of visual dysfunction was assessed.
RESULTS
Systematic review 44 studies were included with a total of 4789 patients. Postoperatively, visual field defects improved in 87.0% of patients, stabilized in 12.8% and worsened in 1.0%. Specific protocols regarding timing of surgery were not reported. Only seven studies (16.7%) reported on either the duration of visual symptoms, or diagnostic, or treatment delay. Cohort study 30 NFMA patients (50% female, 60 eyes, mean age 58.5 ± 14.8 years), had a median MD of - 5.3 decibel (IQR - 3.1 to - 10.1). MD was strongly correlated with clinical severity (r = - 0.94, P < 0.0001), and were used for severity of defects cut-off values: (1) normal > - 2 dB, (2) mild - 2 dB to - 4 dB, (3) moderate - 4 to - 8 dB, (4) severe - 8 to - 17 dB, (5) very severe < - 17 dB.
CONCLUSION
Surgical decompression is highly effective in improving visual function. Uniform, quantitative grading of visual dysfunction was lacking. MD is a promising quantitative outcome measure. We provide recommendations for the evaluation of timing of surgery, considering severity of visual impairment, which will need further validation based on expert clinical practice.
Topics: Adenoma; Cohort Studies; Decompression, Surgical; Female; Hemianopsia; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Optic Chiasm; Pituitary Neoplasms; Quality of Health Care; Recovery of Function; Severity of Illness Index; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Burden; Vision Disorders; Visual Acuity; Visual Field Tests
PubMed: 32419072
DOI: 10.1007/s11102-020-01044-0 -
Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice May 2023The most effective treatment method for meningiomas is surgical treatment. However, complete resection of cavernous sinus meningiomas is quite difficult. The biggest...
BACKGROUND
The most effective treatment method for meningiomas is surgical treatment. However, complete resection of cavernous sinus meningiomas is quite difficult. The biggest reasons for this are; narrow surgical corridor, the optic chiasm is the close relationship between the cranial nerves and anterior cerebral and internal carotid arteries. Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) may be a good option in these lesions with high mortality and morbidity.
AIM
This study aimed to evaluate and compare the early effects at a mean of 6 months and 3 years and outcomes between surgery followed by gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) and GKRS alone for cavernous sinus meningiomas.
METHODS
We included 20 patients with cavernous sinus meningioma treated via single fraction Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion (Elekta Instruments; Stockholm, Sweden) between 2015 and 2018. The mean age of the patients was 54.95 (range: 32-77) years. Nine patients underwent primary surgery (for the resection of extracavernous components of the tumor) followed by GKRS (for the resection of intracavernous components of the tumor) (group A). Meanwhile, 11 patients were managed with GKRS alone (group B). The tumor volume ranged from 2.8 to 32.8 (mean: 14.76) cm3 and the isodose to the tumor margin from 10 to 13.5 (mean: 11.65) Gy.
RESULTS
In total, 20 patients were followed up at a mean time of 18.95 (range: 6-36) months. The mean Karnofsky Performance Score of the patients was 95.2%. The mean follow up times of groups A and B were 23.6 and 15 months, respectively. Meanwhile, only patients with a follow up time of at least 6 months were included in the study. The mean follow up time after GKRS in group A was 17.6 months. There was no change in the tumor volume in 15% of patients. In the remaining cases, the tumor volume decreased. The mean tumor regression rates were 82.2% in Group A and 17.7% in Group B. The tumor volume did not decrease in three patients (n = 1, group A and n = 2, group B). Cranial nerve deficits improved, worsened, and remained stable in 46.6%, 26.6%, and 26.6% of cases, respectively. The temporary morbidity rate was 10%. In group A, transient postoperative diabetes insipidus was observed in one patient and atelectasis in another. None of these complications affected the final status of patients. The mortality rate after treatment was 0%.
CONCLUSION
Volume staged GKRS is safe and effective for cavernous sinus meningioma. GKRS is effective for long term tumor growth control and has a low complication rate. Hence, it is the preferred management strategy for tumors with a suitable volume (average tumor diameter: 3 cm or volume: 10 cm3 ). In tumors with a volume of more than 10 mL and/or without a 3 mm safety margin with the optical system, it is recommended to prepare for radiosurgery by cytoreducing the tumor volume surgically. Based on our opinion, the best results were obtained by GKRS to the intracavernous.
Topics: Humans; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Meningioma; Meningeal Neoplasms; Radiosurgery; Cavernous Sinus; Treatment Outcome; Follow-Up Studies; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37357468
DOI: 10.4103/njcp.njcp_2033_21