Sphenoid wing meningiomas are the third most common group of intracranial meningiomas. Their management is a challenge because of their bone invasion potential and their proximity to neurovascular ...structures and the cavernous sinus.
A cohort of 141 patients with sphenoid wing meningioma who were operated on and followed up between 1986 and 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic data, clinical and radiologic features, surgical results, and follow-up data are presented. The effects of adjuvant treatments (radiosurgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy) are reviewed. The invasion pattern of tumors and other factors were noted to analyze the extent of resection. Recurrence/regrowth rates were also analyzed.
There were 96 female and 45 male patients with a median age of 51 years (range, 17–87 years). The median follow-up was 62 months (range, 1–303 months). Tumors were grouped as spheno-orbital (31 patients), lateral (34 patients), middle (35 patients), and medial (41 patients). Gross total resection was achieved in 98 patients, and 43 tumors were resected subtotally. One hundred and twenty of these cases had World Health Organization grade I pathology, whereas the remainder had grade II. In the follow-up, there were 14 recurrences of totally resected tumors, and 24 regrowths were observed in the subtotally resected group. No invasion pattern was strongly predictive of extent of resection alone, and a scoring system was built up and proposed.
Sphenoid wing meningioma is a large group with characteristics associated with skull base meningiomas and convexity meningiomas. The results of surgery and other adjuvant treatments are heterogeneous.
Abstract
Background
We and others have identified mutually exclusive molecular subgroups of meningiomas; however, the implications of this classification for clinical prognostication remain unclear. ...Integrated genomic and epigenomic analyses implicate unique oncogenic processes associated with each subgroup, suggesting the potential for divergent clinical courses. The aim of this study was to understand the associated clinical outcomes of each subgroup, as this could optimize treatment for patients.
Methods
We analyzed outcome data for 469 meningiomas of known molecular subgroup, including extent of resection, postoperative radiation, surveillance imaging, and time to recurrence, when applicable. Statistical relationships between outcome variables and subgroup were assessed. Features previously associated with recurrence were further investigated after stratification by subgroup. We used Kaplan–Meier analyses to compare progression-free survival, and identified factors significantly associated with recurrence using Cox proportional hazards modeling.
Results
Meningioma molecular subgroups exhibited divergent clinical courses at 2 years of follow-up, with several aggressive subgroups (NF2, PI3K, HH, tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated factor 7 TRAF7) recurring at an average rate of 22 times higher than others (KLF4, POLR2A, SMARCB1). PI3K-activated tumors recurred earlier than other subgroups but had intermediate long-term outcome. Among low-grade tumors, HH and TRAF7 meningiomas exhibited elevated recurrence compared with other subgroups. Recurrence of NF2 tumors was associated with male sex, high grade, and elevated Ki-67. Multivariate analysis identified molecular subgroup as an independent predictor of recurrence, along with grade and previous recurrence.
Conclusion
We describe distinct clinical outcomes and recurrence rates associated with meningioma molecular subgroups. Our findings emphasize the importance of genomic characterization to guide postoperative management decisions for meningiomas.
The primary aim of Gamma Knife (GK) radiosurgery is to deliver high-dose radiation precisely to a target while conforming to the target shape. In this study, the effects of tumor shape irregularity ...(TSI) on GK dose-plan quality and treatment outcomes were analyzed in 234 vestibular schwannomas. TSI was quantified using seven different metrics including volumetric index of sphericity (VioS). GK treatment plans were created on a single GK-Perfexion/ICON platform. The plan quality was measured using selectivity index (SI), gradient index (GI), Paddick's conformity index (PCI), and efficiency index (EI). Correlation and linear regression analyses were conducted between shape irregularity features and dose plan indices. Machine learning was employed to identify the shape feature that predicted dose plan quality most effectively. The treatment outcome analysis including tumor growth control and serviceable hearing preservation at 2 years, were conducted using Cox regression analyses. All TSI features correlated significantly with the dose plan indices (P < 0.0012). With increasing tumor volume, vestibular schwannomas became more spherical (P < 0.05) and the dose plan indices varied significantly between tumor volume subgroups (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01). VioS was the most effective predictor of GK indices (P < 0.001) and we obtained 89.36% accuracy (79.17% sensitivity and 100% specificity) for predicting PCI. Our results indicated that TSI had significant effects on the plan quality however did not adversely affect treatment outcomes.
Cingulate gyrus gliomas are rare among adult, hemispheric diffuse gliomas. Surgical reports are scarce. We performed a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis, with the aim of focusing ...on the extent of resection (EOR), WHO grade, and morbidity and mortality, after microsurgical resection of gliomas of the cingulate gyrus. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we reviewed articles published between January 1996 and December 2022 and referenced in PubMed or Embase. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed clinical studies of microsurgical series reporting resection of gliomas of the cingulate gyrus. Primary outcome was EOR, classified as gross total (GTR) versus subtotal (STR) resection. Five studies reporting 295 patients were included. Overall GTR was 79.4% (range 64.1–94.7;
I
2
= 88.13;
p
heterogeneity and
p
< 0.001), while STR was done in 20.6% (range 5.3–35.9;
I
2
= 88.13;
p
heterogeneity < 0.001 and
p
= 0.008). The most common WHO grade was II, with an overall rate of 42.7% (24–61.5;
I
2
= 90.9;
p
heterogeneity,
p
< 0.001). Postoperative SMA syndrome was seen in 18.6% of patients (10.4–26.8;
I
2= 70.8;
p
heterogeneity= 0.008,
p
< 0.001), postoperative motor deficit in 11% (3.9–18;
I
2
= 18;
p
heterogeneity= 0.003,
p
= 0.002). This review found that while a GTR was achieved in a high number of patients with a cingulate glioma, nearly half of such patients have a postoperative deficit. This finding calls for a cautious approach in recommending and doing surgery for patients with cingulate gliomas and for consideration of new surgical and management approaches.
Gliomas represent approximately 30% of all central nervous system tumors and 80% of malignant brain tumors. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the malignant progression of low-grade ...gliomas with mutations in IDH1 (encoding isocitrate dehydrogenase 1), we studied paired tumor samples from 41 patients, comparing higher-grade, progressed samples to their lower-grade counterparts. Integrated genomic analyses, including whole-exome sequencing and copy number, gene expression and DNA methylation profiling, demonstrated nonlinear clonal expansion of the original tumors and identified oncogenic pathways driving progression. These include activation of the MYC and RTK-RAS-PI3K pathways and upregulation of the FOXM1- and E2F2-mediated cell cycle transitions, as well as epigenetic silencing of developmental transcription factor genes bound by Polycomb repressive complex 2 in human embryonic stem cells. Our results not only provide mechanistic insight into the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms driving glioma progression but also identify inhibition of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family as a potential therapeutic approach.
The 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) Central Nervous System (CNS) Tumor Classification has suggested that isocitrate dehydrogenase wildtype (IDH-wt) WHO grade-2/3 astrocytomas with molecular ...features of glioblastoma should be designated as "Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype, WHO grade-4." This study analyzed the metabolic correlates of progression free and overall survival in "Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype, WHO grade-4" patients using short echo time single voxel
H-MRS.
Fifty-seven adult patients with hemispheric glioma fulfilling the 2021 WHO CNS Tumor Classification criteria for "Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype, WHO grade-4" at presurgery time point were included. All patients were
-wt and
p-mut.
H-MRS was performed on a 3 T MR scanner and post-processed using LCModel. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess the metabolic differences between gliomas with or without contrast enhancement and necrosis. Cox regression analysis was used to assess the effects of age, extent of resection, presence of contrast enhancement and necrosis, and metabolic intensities on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Machine learning algorithms were employed to discern possible metabolic patterns attributable to higher PFS or OS.
Contrast enhancement (
= 0.015), necrosis (
= 0.012); and higher levels of Glu/tCr (
= 0.007), GSH/tCr (
= 0.019), tCho/tCr (
= 0.032), and Glx/tCr (
= 0.010) were significantly associated with shorter PFS. Additionally, necrosis (
= 0.049), higher Glu/tCr (
= 0.039), and Glx/tCr (
= 0.047) were significantly associated with worse OS. Machine learning models differentiated the patients having longer than 12 months OS with 81.71% accuracy and the patients having longer than 6 months PFS with 77.41% accuracy.
Glx and GSH have been identified as important metabolic correlates of patient survival among "IDH-wt, TERT-mut diffuse gliomas" using single-voxel
H-MRS on a clinical 3 T MRI scanner.
•rCBV can offer noninvasive information into the tumor biology of various glioma subtypes.•Deep learning methods have been utilized for the classification of glioma subgroups.•Explainable AI can ...provide insights into the deep learning model's decision-making progress.•Incorporating more advanced MRI modalities could improve the classification performance.
Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and telomerase reverse transcriptase gene promoter (TERTp) mutations play crucial roles in glioma biology. Such genetic information is typically obtained invasively from excised tumor tissue; however, these mutations need to be identified preoperatively for better treatment planning. The relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) information derived from dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI) has been demonstrated to correlate with tumor vascularity, functionality, and biology, and might provide some information about the genetic alterations in gliomas before surgery. Therefore, this study aims to predict IDH and TERTp mutational subgroups in gliomas using deep learning applied to rCBV images.
After the generation of rCBV images from DSC-MRI data, classical machine learning algorithms were applied to the features obtained from the segmented tumor volumes to classify IDH and TERTp mutation subgroups. Furthermore, pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and CNNs enhanced with attention gates were trained using rCBV images or a combination of rCBV and anatomical images to classify the mutational subgroups.
The best accuracies obtained with classical machine learning algorithms were 83 %, 68 %, and 76 % for the identification of IDH mutational, TERTp mutational, and TERTp-only subgroups, respectively. On the other hand, the best-performing CNN model achieved 88 % accuracy (86 % sensitivity, 91 % specificity) for the IDH-mutational subgroups, 70 % accuracy (73 % sensitivity and 67 % specificity) for the TERTp-mutational subgroups, and 84 % accuracy (86 % sensitivity, 81 % specificity) for the TERTp-only subgroup using attention gates.
DSC-MRI can be utilized to noninvasively classify IDH- and TERTp-based molecular subgroups of gliomas, facilitating preoperative identification of these genetic alterations.
Gliomas frequently involve the insula both primarily and secondarily by invasion. Despite the high connectivity of the human insula, gliomas do not spread randomly to or from the insula but follow ...stereotypical anatomical involvement patterns. In the majority of cases, these patterns correspond to the intrinsic connectivity of the limbic system, except for tumors with aggressive biology. On the basis of these observations, the authors hypothesized that these different involvement patterns may be correlated with distinct outcomes and analyzed these correlations in an institutional cohort.
Fifty-nine patients who had undergone surgery for insular diffuse gliomas and had complete demographic, pre- and postoperative imaging, pathology, molecular genetics, and clinical follow-up data were included in the analysis (median age 37 years, range 21-71 years, M/F ratio 1.68). Patients with gliomatosis and those with only minor involvement of the insula were excluded. The presence of T2-hyperintense tumor infiltration was evaluated in 12 anatomical structures. Hierarchical biclustering was used to identify co-involved structures, and the findings were correlated with established functional anatomy knowledge. Overall survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis (17 parameters).
The tumors involved the anterior insula (98.3%), posterior insula (67.8%), temporal operculum (47.5%), amygdala (42.4%), frontal operculum (40.7%), temporal pole (39%), parolfactory area (35.6%), hypothalamus (23.7%), hippocampus (16.9%), thalamus (6.8%), striatum (5.1%), and cingulate gyrus (3.4%). A mean 4.2 ± 2.6 structures were involved. On the basis of hierarchical biclustering, 7 involvement patterns were identified and correlated with cortical functional anatomy (pure insular 11.9%, olfactocentric 15.3%, olfactoopercular 33.9%, operculoinsular 15.3%, striatoinsular 3.4%, translimbic 11.9%, and multifocal 8.5% patterns). Cox regression identified hippocampal involvement (p = 0.006) and postoperative tumor volume (p = 0.027) as significant negative independent prognosticators of overall survival and extent of resection (p = 0.015) as a significant positive independent prognosticator.
The study findings indicate that insular gliomas primarily involve the olfactocentric limbic girdle and that involvement in the hippocampocentric limbic girdle is associated with a worse prognosis.
The goal of surgery in high-grade gliomas is to maximize the resection of contrast-enhancing tumor without causing additional neurological deficits. Intraoperative MRI improves surgical results. ...However, when using contrast material intraoperatively, it may be difficult to differentiate between surgically induced enhancement and residual tumor. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of intraoperative dynamic contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MRI to guide this differential diagnosis and test it against tissue histopathology.
Preoperative and intraoperative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI was performed in 21 patients with histopathologically confirmed WHO Grade IV gliomas using intraoperative 3-T MRI. Standardized regions of interest (ROIs) were placed manually at 2 separate contrast-enhancing areas at the resection border for each patient. Time-intensity curves (TICs) were generated for each ROI. All ROIs were biopsied and the TIC types were compared with histopathological results. Pharmacokinetic modeling was performed in the last 10 patients to confirm nonparametric TIC analysis findings.
Of the 42 manually selected ROIs in 21 patients, 25 (59.5%) contained solid tumor tissue and 17 (40.5%) retained the brain parenchymal architecture but contained infiltrating tumor cells. Time-intensity curves generated from residual contrast-enhancing tumor and their preoperative counterparts were comparable and showed a quick and persistently increasing slope ("climbing type"). All 17 TICs obtained from regions that did not contain solid tumor tissue were undulating and low in amplitude, compared with those obtained from residual tumors ("low-amplitude type"). Pharmacokinetic findings using the transfer constant, extravascular extracellular volume fraction, rate constant, and initial area under the curve parameters were significantly different for the tumor mass, nontumoral regions, and surgically induced contrast-enhancing areas.
Intraoperative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI provides quick, reproducible, high-quality, and simply interpreted dynamic MR images in the intraoperative setting and can aid in differentiating surgically induced enhancement from residual tumor.