Andrew F. Alalade

Suprasellar and recurrent pediatric craniopharyngiomas: expanding indications for the extended endoscopic transsphenoidal approach

OBJECTIVE The expanded endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal approach has become increasingly used for craniopharyngioma surgery in the pediatric population, but questions still persist regarding its utility in younger children, in recurrent and irradiated tumors, and in masses primarily located in the suprasellar region. The narrow corridor, incomplete pneumatization, and fear of hypothalamic injury have traditionally relegated this approach to application in older children with mostly cystic craniopharyngiomas centered in the sella. The authors present a series of consecutive pediatric patients in whom the endonasal endoscopic approach was used to remove craniopharyngiomas from patients of varied ages, regardless of the location of the tumor and previous treatments or surgeries, to ascertain if the traditional concerns about limitations of this approach are worth reevaluating METHODS Eleven consecutive pediatric patients (age ≤ 18 years) underwent surgery via an endoscopic transsphenoidal approach at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center from 2007 to 2016. The authors recorded the location, consistency, and size of the lesion, assessed for hypothalamic invasion radiographically, calculated skull base measurements, and assessed parameters such as extent of resection, visual function, endocrinological function, weight gain, and return-to-school status. RESULTS The average age at the time of surgery was 7.9 years (range 4-17 years) and the tumor sizes ranged from 1.3 to 41.7 cm3. Five cases were purely suprasellar, 5 had solid components, 4 were reoperations, and 5 had a conchal sphenoid aeration. Nevertheless, gross-total resection was achieved in 45% of the patients and 50% of those in whom it was the goal of surgery, without any correlation with the location, tumor consistency, or the age of the patient. Near-total resection, subtotal resection, or biopsy was performed intentionally in the remaining patients to avoid hypothalamic injury. Anterior pituitary dysfunction occurred in 81.8% of the patients, and 63.3% developed diabetes insipidus . Two patients (18%) had a greater than 9% increase in body mass index. Visual function was stable or improved in 73%. All children returned to an academic environment, with 10 of them in the grade appropriate for their age. There was a single case of each of the following: CSF leak, loss of vision unilaterally, and abscess. CONCLUSIONS The endoscopic transsphenoidal approach is suitable for removing pediatric craniopharyngiomas even in young children with suprasellar tumors, conchal sphenoid sinus, recurrent tumors, and tumors with solid components. The extent of resection is dictated by intrinsic hypothalamic tumor invasiveness rather than the approach. The endoscopic transsphenoidal approach affords the ability to directly inspect the hypothalamus to determine invasion, which may help spare the patient from hypothalamic injury. Irrespective of approach, the rates of postoperative endocrinopathy remain high and the learning curve for the approach to a relatively rare tumor is steep.

Convexity and Parasagittal Versus Skull Base Meningiomas

Abstract Meningiomas are the most common primary brain tumor, and the knowledge of these tumors and their management has understandably evolved over the years. With better and more affordable radiologic investigations and changes to the WHO classification grading, there has been a stark increase in diagnosed cases. As common as meningiomas are, there is still a paucity of related clinical trials to serve as a basis for evidence-based algorithms to guide management. The treatment of choice for meningiomas is total resection, but in about 50% of cases this is not achievable due to their locations (commonly, the meningiomas associated with the skull base) or the patients comorbidities. With improving technologies, it is hoped that there will be easier and better ways of dealing with this surgical dilemma.

Frontal skull osteoblastoma with aneurysmal bone cyst-like changes associated with trauma during pregnancy: a case report.

We report the case of a large osteoblastoma arising in the frontal bone of a 20-year-old female. The lesion was first noted after a fall, and grew steadily in size following further head injury during pregnancy. Initial plain radiography demonstrated an area of radiolucency, with subsequent cross-sectional imaging revealing the extent of the lesion. Following successful surgical resection, histological features were suggestive of an aggressive osteoblastoma with aneurysmal bone cyst-like changes. We consider the influence of pregnancy and trauma on osteoblastoma behavior.