Mohamed Elshafei

Diagnostic Value of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Compared with Stereotactic Biopsy of Intra-axial Brain Lesions

Background Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is usually added to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to refine the diagnosis of different brain lesions. Stereotactic brain biopsy is a well-established method to obtain tissues for histopathologic examination. The purpose of the study is to compare the diagnostic yields of MRS and stereotactic biopsy in the characterization of brain lesions. Material and Methods A prospective study conducted on 27 consecutive patients presenting with multifocal, diffuse, as well as deeply seated intra-axial brain lesions. All patients had both brain MRI and MRS prior to stereotactic biopsy. Histopathologic examinations of the obtained tissue specimens, using appropriate stains including immunostains, were performed. Results MRS diagnosed neoplastic brain lesions in 15 cases (56%) and nonneoplastic brain lesions in 12 (44%). Correlation between the preoperative diagnosis by MRS and the histopathologic diagnosis following stereotactic biopsy of either a neoplastic or nonneoplastic lesion revealed matching in 25 of 27 cases (sensitivity 88%; specificity 100%). Within the group of cases (n = 15) diagnosed preoperatively by MRS as neoplastic, 12 patients were diagnosed with brain gliomas of different grades. The MRS grading of gliomas exactly matched the histopathologic grading following stereotactic biopsy in 10 of the 12 cases (sensitivity 89%; specificity 67%). Conclusions MRS is a useful addition to the management armamentarium, providing molecular information that assists in the characterization of various brain lesions. Multivoxel MRS may increase the diagnostic yield of stereotactic biopsy by guidance to target the higher choline and lower N-acetylaspartate areas, expected to have greater tumor activity.

Combined liver resection and transarterial chemoembolization versus liver resection alone for the management of solitary large exophytic hepatocellular carcinoma with extrahepatic arterial supply: is two always better than one?

Purpose Does the control of extrahepatic arterial feeders with preoperative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in large exophytic hepatocellular carcinoma improve surgical and oncological outcomes compared with surgery alone? Patients and methods A total of 545 patients were assessed for eligibility, and 108 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were assigned to either upfront surgery (group I) or surgery after TACE (group II). Results Patients in both groups had no significant difference with respect to age (P=0.573), sex (P=0.464), α-fetoprotein (P=0.313), American Society of Anesthesiologists score (P=0.820), and Child–Pugh score (P=0.577). The mean tumor size was comparable (9.8±2.2 cm in group I vs. 10.3±2.3 cm in group II, P=0.265). In group I, four patients underwent major hepatectomy, whereas 48 patients underwent minor hepatectomy. In group II, 54 patients underwent 121 TACE sessions with a mean of number of 2±0.8 session (range: 1–4 sessions). The mean interval between first TACE and surgery was 45±10.7 days (range: 12–72 days). Surgery after TACE had significantly higher rate of perihepatic adhesions (P=0.006), longer operative time (P<0.0001), increased blood loss (P=0.035), and longer hospital stay (P=0.020) compared with upfront surgery but with comparable outcomes regarding in-hospital and 30-day morbidity (P=0.819). After a mean follow-up of 14.3±5.9 months, both groups had similar disease-free survival, with none of the tumors in both groups showed local recurrence. There was no significant difference in the type, time of recurrence following resection, or the mean numbers of new (de-novo) tumors detected in both groups (2.22±1.60 and 2.54±1.69 in groups I and II, respectively). Conclusion In patients with solitary large exophytic hepatocellular carcinoma, combined hepatic resection plus TACE is associated with increased perihepatic adhesions, increased operative time, blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay compared with liver resection alone. Preoperative TACE has no additional oncological benefit, with no reduction in recurrence rate or improvement in disease-free survival.

Avoiding liver transplantation in post-treatment extent of disease III and IV hepatoblastoma

Primary liver transplantation is recommended for central post‐treatment extent of disease (POST‐TEXT) III and IV hepatoblastoma. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the safety and oncological efficacy of aggressive non‐transplant extended hepatic resection in these patients.

Extensive uterine arteriovenous malformation with hemodynamic instability: Embolization for whole myometrium affection

Uterine arteriovenous malformation is abnormal and nonfunctional connections between the uterine arteries and veins. Patients typically present with vaginal bleeding which may be life-threatening. Treatment depends on the symptoms, age, desire for future fertility, localization and size of the lesion. Embolization of the uterine artery is the first choice in symptomatic AVM in patients in the reproductive age. We report a case of acquired AVM with an extensive lesion on ultrasound and MRI, which was successfully treated with uterine artery embolization for severe bleeding (UAE).

Carney Complex: A Rare Case of Multicentric Cardiac Myxoma Associated with Endocrinopathy

Carney complex is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by multiple tumors, including cardiac and extracardiac myxomas, skin lesions, and various endocrine disorders. We are reporting a 21-year-old female patient with past surgical history significant for excision of a cutaneous myxoma who presented with multicentric cardiac myxomas involving the four cardiac chambers. She also presented with endocrinal disorders in the form of an enlarged right lobe of the thyroid, hyperthyroid state, and an incidentally noted adrenal cyst; hence, she was diagnosed with carney complex syndrome.