system

Central nervous system tumor guidelines

Central nervous system tumor guidelines

NCCN Guidelines

The NCCN Guidelines for Central nervous system tumor focus on the management of the following adult CNS cancers: glioma (WHO grade 1, WHO grade 2-3 Oligodendroglioma IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted, WHO grade 2-4 Astrocytoma IDH-mutants, WHO grade 4 glioblastoma), intracranial and spinal ependymomas, medulloblastoma, limited and extensive brain metastases, leptomeningeal metastases, non-AIDS-related Primary central nervous system lymphomas, metastatic spine tumors, meningiomas, and primary spinal cord tumors. The information contained in the algorithms and principles of management sections in the NCCN Guidelines for CNS Cancers is designed to help clinicians navigate through the complex management of patients with CNS tumors. Several important principles guide surgical management and treatment with radiotherapy and systemic therapy for adults with brain tumors. The NCCN CNS Cancers Panel meets at least annually to review comments from reviewers within their institutions, examine relevant new data from publications and abstracts, and reevaluate and update their recommendations. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the panel’s most recent recommendations regarding molecular profiling of gliomas 1)

AANS/CNS SECTION ON TUMORS

Evidence-based, clinical practice guidelines in the management of central nervous system tumors (CNS) continue to be developed and updated through the work of the Joint Section on Tumors of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).

The guidelines are created using the most current and clinically relevant evidence using systematic methodologies, which classify available data and provide recommendations for clinical practice.

This update summarizes the Tumor Section Guidelines developed over the last five years for non-functioning pituitary adenomas, low-grade gliomas, vestibular schwannomas, and metastatic brain tumors 2).

National Cancer Institute

https://www.cancer.gov/types/brain/hp/adult-brain-treatment-pdq

European Society for Medical Oncology

https://www.esmo.org/guidelines/guidelines-by-topic/neuro-oncology

1)

Horbinski C, Nabors LB, Portnow J, Baehring J, Bhatia A, Bloch O, Brem S, Butowski N, Cannon DM, Chao S, Chheda MG, Fabiano AJ, Forsyth P, Gigilio P, Hattangadi-Gluth J, Holdhoff M, Junck L, Kaley T, Merrell R, Mrugala MM, Nagpal S, Nedzi LA, Nevel K, Nghiemphu PL, Parney I, Patel TR, Peters K, Puduvalli VK, Rockhill J, Rusthoven C, Shonka N, Swinnen LJ, Weiss S, Wen PY, Willmarth NE, Bergman MA, Darlow S. NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Central Nervous System Cancers, Version 2.2022. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2023 Jan;21(1):12-20. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2023.0002. PMID: 36634606.
2)

Redjal N, Venteicher AS, Dang D, Sloan A, Kessler RA, Baron RR, Hadjipanayis CG, Chen CC, Ziu M, Olson JJ, Nahed BV. Guidelines in the management of CNS tumors. J Neurooncol. 2021 Feb;151(3):345-359. doi: 10.1007/s11060-020-03530-8. Epub 2021 Feb 21. PMID: 33611702.

Primary central nervous system ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma

Primary central nervous system ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma

see also Primary central nervous system ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma

Primary central nervous system anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is an extremely rare type of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

Outcome

There are only nine cases reported in the literature to date, most of which have an overall survival time of no more than 8 months. Yuan et al. reported such a rare case that has a good outcome with the longest survival time and performed a literature review 1).

George et al. reported four new cases of primary central nervous system ALCL from the Mayo Clinic and incorporated additional data from five previously published cases. ALK-1 expression was determined in all nine tumors. Patient age was 4-66 years (mean 29 years) with a bimodal distribution: 6 < or = 22 years, 3 > or = 50 years. Six were female. Tumors were mostly supratentorial, five were multifocal, and seven had involvement of dura or leptomeninges. Seven tumors were T cells, two were null cells, and five of nine were ALK-1 immunopositive. Total mortality was six of nine. Three patients, 4-18 years of age (mean 13 years), were alive at 4.8-6.1 years postdiagnosis; these tumors were all ALK-positive. Five patients, 13-66 years of age (mean 43 years), died of tumor 4 days to 11 weeks postdiagnosis; four of five of these tumors were ALK-negative. One 10-year-old child with an ALK-positive tumor died of sepsis, but in remission. The central nervous system ALCL is aggressive. The study suggests that a better outcome may be associated with young age and ALK-1 positivity, prognostic parameters similar to systemic ALCL 2).

A review demonstrated that ALK-negative ALCL exhibits a poor prognosis and is very often fatal. The majority of ALK-negative patients were treated with radiotherapy or supportive care, due to their older age or poor PS. As ALK-negative ALCL tends to occur in older individuals, similar to PCNSL and DLBCL, chemoradiotherapy including HD-MTX should be initiated earlier.

In conclusion, findings indicate that the prognosis of ALCL of the CNS is correlated with ALK positivity and patient age of <40 years. Chemoradiotherapy with MTX is recommended as the standard treatment for ALCL. However, additional multicenter studies including large numbers of cases are required 3).

Case reports

A 19-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital complaining of dizziness. CT and MRI imaging showed a heterogeneous enhanced lesion in the left parieto-occipital lobe and the leptomeninges of the occipital lobe and the cerebellum. The lesion was resected and confirmed to be ALK-negative ALCL by pathological examination. Then, the patient received 10 cycles of chemotherapy with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) and whole brain radiotherapy. The patient recovered well and was regularly followed up. He was free of symptoms without recurrence on imaging examination 3 years later. ALCL is a rare type of PCNSL. HD-MTX combined with radiation is an effective therapeutic approach. However, further prospective studies with a large number of patients are needed to identify the biological characteristics of this rare type of PCNSL 4).

1) , 4)

Yuan C, Duan H, Wang Y, Zhang J, Ou J, Wang W, Zhang M. Primary central nervous system ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a case report and literature review. Ann Palliat Med. 2021 Jul 1:apm-21-557. doi: 10.21037/apm-21-557. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34263607.
2)

George DH, Scheithauer BW, Aker FV, Kurtin PJ, Burger PC, Cameselle-Teijeiro J, McLendon RE, Parisi JE, Paulus W, Roggendorf W, Sotelo C. Primary anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the central nervous system: prognostic effect of ALK-1 expression. Am J Surg Pathol. 2003 Apr;27(4):487-93. doi: 10.1097/00000478-200304000-00008. PMID: 12657933.
3)

Nomura M, Narita Y, Miyakita Y, Ohno M, Fukushima S, Maruyama T, Muragaki Y, Shibui S. Clinical presentation of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma in the central nervous system. Mol Clin Oncol. 2013 Jul;1(4):655-660. doi: 10.3892/mco.2013.110. Epub 2013 Apr 30. PMID: 24649224; PMCID: PMC3915681.

Subdural Evacuating Port System (SEPS)

Subdural Evacuating Port System (SEPS)

http://www.medtronic.com/us-en/healthcare-professionals/products/neurological/critical-care/seps-subdural-evacuation-port-system.html

see Integra™ Subdural Evacuation System.

Twist drill craniostomy (TDC) with closed system drainage and Subdural Evacuating Port System is an effective treatment option for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH).

In a radiological study, all the branches of the middle meningeal artery ran posterior to the coronal suture and the vascular grooves were also located posterior to the coronal suture at the level of the superior temporal line (STL). The average distance of the vascular grooves was 8.0 +/-5.8 mm. Thirty-five procedures were performed. The coronal suture and the STL could be identified clearly on brain CT scans. The mean thickness of the skull and the CSDH at the proposed point was 8 mm (range 5-13 mm) and 20 mm (range 10-28 mm), respectively. All the TDCs except 1 were congruent with the preoperative brain CT scans. One CSDH recurred 1 month after the first operation and was revised using the same procedure. No other complications occurred.

One centimeter anterior to the coronal suture at the level of the STL is suitable as the normal entry point of the TDC for symptomatic CSDH. The thickness of the CSDH can be measured at this point on a preoperative brain CT scan. Furthermore, the entry point on the scalp can be accurately estimated using surface landmarks 1).

The insertion of a subdural drain was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of symptomatic recurrence and the requirement for further surgical intervention of chronic subdural hematoma after surgical evacuation. Furthermore, it was associated with statistically significant improvements in both short-term and long-term functional outcome 2).

The Subdural Evacuating Port System (SEPS) is a subdural drain that permits the neurosurgeon to drain subacute or chronic subdural hematoma by a method which is minimally invasive, simple and safe to the standard procedure of burr-hole evacuation 3) 4) 5) 6).

The appearance of the winged canula positioned with its tip in the diploic space overlying the subdural space should allow the radiologist to identify it correctly 7).

Because chronic SDH frequently occurs in elderly patients with multiple comorbidities, the bedside approach afforded by the subdural evacuating port system (SEPS) is an attractive alternative method that is performed under local anesthesia and conscious sedation.

A prospectively maintained database of 23 chronic SDHs treated by bur hole or craniotomy and of 23 chronic SDHs treated by SEPS drainage at Tufts Medical Center was compiled, and a retrospective chart review was performed. Information regarding demographics, comorbidities, presenting symptoms, and outcome was collected. The volume of SDH before and after treatment was semiautomatically measured using imaging software.

There was no significant difference in initial SDH volume (94.5 cm(3) vs 112.6 cm(3), respectively; p = 0.25) or final SDH volume (31.9 cm(3) vs 28.2 cm(3), respectively; p = 0.65) between SEPS drainage and traditional methods. In addition, there was no difference in mortality (4.3% vs 9.1%, respectively; p = 0.61), length of stay (11 days vs 9.1 days, respectively; p = 0.48), or stability of subdural evacuation (94.1% vs 83.3%, respectively; p = 0.60) for the SEPS and traditional groups at an average follow-up of 12 and 15 weeks, respectively. Only 2 of 23 SDHs treated by SEPS required further treatment by bur hole or craniotomy due to inadequate evacuation of subdural blood.

This results means thats a safe and effective alternative to traditional methods of evacuation of chronic SDHs and should be considered in patients presenting with a symptomatic chronic SDH 8).

The SEPS is relatively simple to use and may be especially useful to emergency department staff in outlying areas where there is a shortage of neurosurgical coverage 9).

This technique should be added to the armament of treatment options for a neurosurgeon to treat or temporize a hyperacute SDH with increased intracranial pressure in specific patients 10).

Despite decreasing length of stay LOSs as treatment for cSDH evolved from burr holes BHs to SEPS, the LOS for a cSDH is still longer than that of a patient undergoing craniotomy for brain tumor 11).

The efficacy and safety of SEPS is similar to that of other twist-drill methods reported in the literature. The efficacy of this treatment as measured by radiographic worsening or the need for a subsequent procedure is statistically similar to that of bur hole treatment. There was no difference in mortality or other adverse outcomes associated with SEPS 12).

Specifically, hypodense subdural collections drain more effectively through an SEPS than do mixed density collections. Although significant bleeding after SEPS insertion was uncommon, 1 patient required urgent surgical hematoma evacuation due to iatrogenic injury 13).

The SEPS a first-line treatment for the majority of patients with cSDH, management of cSDH must be tailored to each patient. In mixed density collections with large proportions of acute hemorrhage and in collections with numerous intrahematomal septations, alternative surgical techniques should be considered as first-line therapies 14).

Case series

Carpenter et al. evaluated the experience with middle meningeal artery embolization (MMA) combined with Subdural Evacuating Port System (SEPS) placement as a first-line treatment for patients with chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH). A single-institution retrospective review was performed of all patients undergoing intervention. Patients were stratified by treatment with MMA embolization and SEPS placement, MMA embolization, and surgery, SEPS placement only, and surgery only for cSDH from 2017 to 2020, and cohorts were compared against each other. Patients treated with MMA/SEPS were more likely to be older, be on anticoagulation, have significant comorbidities, have a shorter length of stay, and less likely to have symptomatic recurrence compared to SEPS only cohort. Thus, MMA/SEPS appears to be a safe and equally effective minimally invasive treatment for chronic subdural hematoma patients with significant comorbidities who are poor surgical candidates 15).

1)

Hwang SC, Im SB, Kim BT, Shin WH. Safe entry point for twist-drill craniostomy of a chronic subdural hematoma. J Neurosurg. 2009 Jun;110(6):1265-70. doi: 10.3171/2008.9.JNS08359. PubMed PMID: 19099378.
2)

Alcalá-Cerra G, Young AM, Moscote-Salazar LR, Paternina-Caicedo A. Efficacy and safety of subdural drains after burr-hole evacuation of chronic subdural hematomas: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. World Neurosurg. 2014 Dec;82(6):1148-57. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2014.08.012. Epub 2014 Aug 10. Review. PubMed PMID: 25118059.
3)

Asfora WT, Schwebach L, Louw D. A modified technique to treat subdural hematomas: the subdural evacuating port system. S D J Med. 2001 Dec;54(12):495-8. PubMed PMID: 11775490.
4)

Asfora WT, Schwebach L. A modified technique to treat chronic and subacute subdural hematoma: technical note. Surg Neurol. 2003 Apr;59(4):329-32; discussion 332. PubMed PMID: 12748020.
5)

Scotton WJ, Kolias AG, Ban VS, Crick SJ, Sinha R, Gardner A, Massey K, Minett T, Santarius T, Hutchinson PJ. Community consultation in emergency neurosurgical research: lessons from a proposed trial for patients with chronic subdural haematomas. Br J Neurosurg. 2013 Oct;27(5):590-4. doi:10.3109/02688697.2013.793291. Epub 2013 Jun 14. PubMed PMID: 23767683.
6)

Singla A, Jacobsen WP, Yusupov IR, Carter DA. Subdural evacuating port system (SEPS)–minimally invasive approach to the management of chronic/subacute subdural hematomas. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2013 Apr;115(4):425-31. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2012.06.005. Epub 2012 Jul 3. PubMed PMID: 22763191.
7)

Lollis SS, Wolak ML, Mamourian AC. Imaging characteristics of the subdural evacuating port system, a new bedside therapy for subacute/chronic subdural hematoma. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2006 Jan;27(1):74-5. PubMed PMID: 16418360.
8)

Safain M, Roguski M, Antoniou A, Schirmer CM, Malek AM, Riesenburger R. A single center’s experience with the bedside subdural evacuating port system: a useful alternative to traditional methods for chronic subdural hematoma evacuation. J Neurosurg. 2013 Mar;118(3):694-700. doi: 10.3171/2012.11.JNS12689. Epub 2012 Dec 21. Erratum in: J Neurosurg. 2013 Jul;119(1):256. Schirmer, Clemens S [corrected to Schirmer, Clemens M]. PubMed PMID: 23259822.
9)

Asfora WT, Klapper HB. Case report: treatment of subdural hematoma in the emergency department utilizing the subdural evacuating port system. S D Med. 2013 Aug;66(8):319-21. PubMed PMID: 24175497.
10)

Ivan ME, Nathan JK, Manley GT, Huang MC. Placement of a subdural evacuating port system for management of iatrogenic hyperacute subdural hemorrhage following intracranial monitor placement. J Clin Neurosci. 2013 Dec;20(12):1767-70. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2013.03.009. Epub 2013 Oct 3. PubMed PMID: 24090520.
11)

Balser D, Rodgers SD, Johnson B, Shi C, Tabak E, Samadani U. Evolving management of symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma: experience of a single institution and review of the literature. Neurol Res. 2013 Apr;35(3):233-42. doi: 10.1179/1743132813Y.0000000166. Review. PubMed PMID: 23485050.
12)

Rughani AI, Lin C, Dumont TM, Penar PL, Horgan MA, Tranmer BI. A case-comparison study of the subdural evacuating port system in treating chronic subdural hematomas. J Neurosurg. 2010 Sep;113(3):609-14. doi: 10.3171/2009.11.JNS091244. PubMed PMID: 20001585.
13)

Kenning TJ, Dalfino JC, German JW, Drazin D, Adamo MA. Analysis of the subdural evacuating port system for the treatment of subacute and chronic subdural hematomas. J Neurosurg. 2010 Nov;113(5):1004-10. doi: 10.3171/2010.5.JNS1083. Epub 2010 May 28. PubMed PMID: 20509728.
14)

Neal MT, Hsu W, Urban JE, Angelo NM, Sweasey TA, Branch CL Jr. The subdural evacuation port system: outcomes from a single institution experience and predictors of success. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2013 Jun;115(6):658-64. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2012.07.017. Epub 2012 Aug 3. PubMed PMID: 22863544.
15)

Carpenter A, Rock M, Dowlati E, Miller C, Mai JC, Liu AH, Armonda RA, Felbaum DR. Middle meningeal artery embolization with subdural evacuating port system for primary management of chronic subdural hematomas. Neurosurg Rev. 2021 Apr 24. doi: 10.1007/s10143-021-01553-x. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33893872.

Primary Central Nervous System Angiosarcoma

Primary Central Nervous System Angiosarcoma

Angiosarcoma is an infrequent tumor among sarcomas, especially presenting as a primary tumor within the central nervous system, which can lead to rapid neurological deterioration and death in few months.

Literature review

Mena et al. reported in 1991 eight patients with primary angiosarcoma of the central nervous system these included five males and three females ranging in age from 2 weeks to 72 years (mean 38 years). Of the eight neoplasms, six were located in the cerebral hemispheres and one was in the meninges; the site was unknown in the other. All patients underwent surgical resection. Five of the eight patients died, four within 4 months after surgery and one after 30 months. Two of the remaining three patients were 17 and 27 years old at the time of diagnosis and were alive at follow-up review 39 and 102 months after surgery, respectively. One patient was lost to follow-up monitoring. Microscopically, all eight tumors demonstrated a well-differentiated pattern with irregular vascular channels and intraluminal papillae; in addition, four showed poorly differentiated solid areas. Immunohistochemical staining of neoplastic cells to factor VIII-related antigen and Ulex europaeus agglutinin I was performed in five tumors and was focally positive in four. No correlation could be shown between the histological features and the growth and biological behavior of the tumors 1)

Case reports

Valera-Melé et al. presented a 41-year old man with a right frontal enhancing hemorrhagic lesion. Surgery was performed with histopathological findings suggesting a primary central nervous system angiosarcoma. He was discharged uneventfully and received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. At 5 months, the follow-up MRI showed two lesions with an acute subdural hematoma, suggesting a relapse. Surgery was again conducted finding tumoral membranes attached to the internal layer of the dura mater around the right hemisphere. The patient died a few days later due to the recurrence of the subdural hematoma. This case report illustrates a rare and lethal complication of an unusual tumor. The literature reviewed shows that gross-total resection with adjuvant radiotherapy seems to be the best treatment of choice 2).

Gao M, Li P, Tan C, Liu J, Tie X, Pang C, Guo Z, Lin Y. Primary Central Nervous System Angiosarcoma. World Neurosurg. 2019 Dec;132:41-46. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.08.128. Epub 2019 Aug 27. PubMed PMID: 31470162 3).

report a case of intracranial angiosarcoma in a Caucasian male and present a review of the imaging features in the recent literature. The tumor mostly presents as a well-demarcated, heterogeneous, moderately to strongly enhancing lesion with signs of intratumoral bleeding and surrounding vasogenic edema. The differential imaging features of common hemorrhagic intracranial tumors are discussed 4).

Two cases of primary angiosarcoma of the brain are well characterized by imaging, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry. Case 1: The first patient was a 35-year-old woman who developed exophthalmos. Subtotal resection of a left extra-axial retro-orbital mass was performed.

Case 2: our second patient was a 47-year-old man who presented with acute visual loss, word-finding difficulty, and subtle memory loss. A heterogeneously-enhancing left sphenoid wing mass was removed. We also review the literature aiming at developing a rational approach to diagnosis and treatment, given the rarity of this entity.

Gross total resection is the standard of care for primary angiosarcoma of the brain. Adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy are playing increasingly recognized roles in the therapy of these rare tumors 5).

References

1)

Mena H, Ribas JL, Enzinger FM, Parisi JE. Primary angiosarcoma of the central nervous system. Study of eight cases and review of the literature. J Neurosurg. 1991 Jul;75(1):73-6. doi: 10.3171/jns.1991.75.1.0073. PMID: 2045922.
2)

Valera-Melé M, Darriba Allés JV, Ruiz Juretschke F, Sola Vendrell E, Hernández Poveda JM, Montalvo Afonso A, Casitas Hernando V, García Leal R. Primary central nervous system angiosarcoma with recurrent acute subdural hematoma. Neurocirugia (Astur). 2021 Mar 22:S1130-1473(21)00027-0. English, Spanish. doi: 10.1016/j.neucir.2021.02.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33766476.
3)

Gao M, Li P, Tan C, Liu J, Tie X, Pang C, Guo Z, Lin Y. Primary Central Nervous System Angiosarcoma. World Neurosurg. 2019 Dec;132:41-46. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.08.128. Epub 2019 Aug 27. PubMed PMID: 31470162.
4)

Jerjir N, Lambert J, Vanwalleghem L, Casselman J. Primary Angiosarcoma of the Central Nervous System: Case Report and Review of the Imaging Features. J Belg Soc Radiol. 2016 Oct 10;100(1):82. doi: 10.5334/jbr-btr.1087. PMID: 30151480; PMCID: PMC6100495.
5)

Hackney JR, Palmer CA, Riley KO, Cure JK, Fathallah-Shaykh HM, Nabors LB. Primary central nervous system angiosarcoma: two case reports. J Med Case Rep. 2012 Aug 21;6:251. doi: 10.1186/1752-1947-6-251. PMID: 22909122; PMCID: PMC3459733.

Methotrexate for Primary central nervous system lymphoma

In neurooncology and onco-hematology, intraventricular injection of chemotherapeutic agents (most typically, methotrexate) is an inevitable part of many protocols for treating patients with malignant tumors of the CNS, neuroleukemia, CNS lymphomas and some other disorders.

High-dose MTX is associated with a high proportion of radiographic responses and a low proportion of grade III/IV toxicity in patients 70 or more years of age. High-dose MTX should be considered as a feasible treatment option in elderly patients with PCNSL 1).

MTX-monotherapy is tolerable in terms of adverse effects and still considered as a treatment option in patients with PCNSL. However, an additional therapeutic option should be prepared for non-CR responders to induction chemotherapy 2).

The addition of intraventricular MTX (rather than just intrathecal via LP) delivered through a Ommaya reservoir (6 doses of 12 mg twice a week, with IV leucovorin rescue) may result in even better survival 3)

In the event of an intrathecal MTX overdose (OD), interventions recommended 4) :

ODs of up to 85 mg can be well tolerated with little sequelae; immediate LP with drainage of CSF can remove a substantial portion of the drug (removing 15 ml of CSF can eliminate ≈ 20–30% of the MTX within 2 hrs of OD). This can be followed by ventriculolumbar perfusion over several hours using 240 ml of warmed isotonic preservative-free saline entering through the ventricular reservoir and exiting through a External lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage. For major OD of > 500 mg, add intrathecal administration of 2,000 U of carboxypeptidase G2 (an enzyme that inactivates MTX). In cases of MTX OD, systemic toxicity should be prevented by treating with IV dexamethasone and IV (not IT) leucovorin.

Therapeutic Outcomes and Toxicity of High-Dose Methotrexate-Based Chemotherapy for Elderly Patients with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Report on Six Cases. 5).

A study provides Class III evidence that in immunocompetent patients with primary CNS lymphomas (PCNSLs), high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) plus rituximab compared with HD-MTX alone improves complete response (CR) and overall survival rates 6).

Case series

Yoon et al. presented the experiences with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) monotherapy for immunocompetent patients with PCNSL at three institutions and investigate factors related to survival.

PCNSL patients, who were histologically confirmed with diffuse large B cells and treated with HD-MTX monotherapy from 2001 to 2016, were retrospectively reviewed. Patients underwent induction chemotherapy with 8 g/m2 of MTX every 10 days (maximum three cycles). Maintenance chemotherapy of 3.5 g/m2 of MTX (maximum six cycles) was selectively performed depending on the response to induction chemotherapy.

A total of 67 patients were included. Although seven patients discontinued induction chemotherapy because of MTX toxicity, 40 (59.7%) patients showed a complete response (CR) to induction chemotherapy. Twenty-six (38.8%) and three (4.5%) patients showed a CR and partial response, respectively, after maintenance chemotherapy. Forty-one patients with recurrence or progression following HD-MTX underwent second-line treatment. Progression-free survival rates were 43% and 24% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. The median overall survival was 40.3 months. In a multivariate analysis, a radiological CR to induction chemotherapy was a significant factor related to prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival (P < 0.05).

MTX-monotherapy is tolerable in terms of adverse effects and still considered as a treatment option in patients with PCNSL. However, an additional therapeutic option should be prepared for non-CR responders to induction chemotherapy 7).

A single-institution retrospective analysis was performed for 12 patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL treated with combined high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) and RTX. MTX was administered biweekly at 8 g/m2/dose until a complete response (CR) was achieved or for a maximum of eight doses. RTX was provided for a total of eight weekly doses at 375 mg/m2/dose. Following a median of 11 cycles of MTX, the radiographic overall response rate was 91% and the CR rate was 58%. A CR was achieved after a median 6 cycles of MTX. The median progression-free survival time was 22 months and the median overall survival time has not yet been attained. These results compare favorably to single-agent HD-MTX and suggest a role for immunochemotherapy in the treatment of PCNSL 8).

Zhu et al. studied the response and adverse effects of intravenous high-dose MTX in patients who were 70 or more years of age at the time of diagnosis. They identified 31 patients diagnosed with PCNSL at age > or =70 years (median, 74 years) who were treated with high-dose MTX (3.5-8 g/m(2)) as initial therapy from 1992 through 2006. The best response to MTX was determined by contrast-enhanced MRI. Toxicity was analyzed by chart review. These 31 patients received a total of 303 cycles of MTX (median, eight cycles per patient). Overall, 87.9% of the cycles required dose reduction because of impaired creatinine clearance. In 30 evaluable patients, the overall radiographic response rate was 96.7%, with 18 complete responses (60%) and 11 partial responses (36.7%). Progression-free survival and overall survivals were 7.1 months and 37 months, respectively. Grade I-IV toxicities were observed in 27 of 31 patients and included gastrointestinal disturbances in 58% (3.2% grade III), hematological complications in 80.6% (6.5% grade III), and renal toxicity in 29% (0% grade III/IV). High-dose MTX is associated with a high proportion of radiographic responses and a low proportion of grade III/IV toxicity in patients 70 or more years of age. High-dose MTX should be considered as a feasible treatment option in elderly patients with PCNSL 9).

References

1) , 9)

Zhu JJ, Gerstner ER, Engler DA, Mrugala MM, Nugent W, Nierenberg K, Hochberg FH, Betensky RA, Batchelor TT. High-dose methotrexate for elderly patients with primary CNS lymphoma. Neuro Oncol. 2009 Apr;11(2):211-5. doi: 10.1215/15228517-2008-067. Epub 2008 Aug 29. PMID: 18757775; PMCID: PMC2718993.
2) , 7)

Yoon WS, Park JS, Kim YI, Chung DS, Jeun SS, Hong YK, Yang SH. High-dose methotrexate monotherapy for newly diagnosed primary central nervous system lymphoma: 15-year multicenter experience. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol. 2020 Sep 25. doi: 10.1111/ajco.13427. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32978898.
3)

DeAngelis LM, Yahalom J, Thaler HT, Kher U. Com- bined Modality Therapy for Primary CNS Lympho- mas.JClinOncol.1992;10:635–643
4)

O’Marcaigh AS, Johnson CM, Smithson WA, et al. Successful Treatment of Intrathecal Methotrexate Overdose by Using Ventriculolumbar Perfusion and Intrathecal Instillation of Carboxypeptidase G2. Mayo Clin Proc. 1996; 71:161–165
5)

Tempaku A, Takahashi Y, Kamada H. Therapeutic Outcomes and Toxicity of High-Dose Methotrexate-Based Chemotherapy for Elderly Patients with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Report on Six Cases. Acta Haematol. 2019 May 21:1-2. doi: 10.1159/000499100. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31112947.
6)

Holdhoff M, Ambady P, Abdelaziz A, Sarai G, Bonekamp D, Blakeley J, Grossman SA, Ye X. High-dose methotrexate with or without Rituximab in newly diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma. Neurology. 2014 Jul 15;83(3):235-9. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000593. Epub 2014 Jun 13. PubMed PMID: 24928128; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4117362.
8)

Ly KI, Crew LL, Graham CA, Mrugala MM. Primary central nervous system lymphoma treated with high-dose methotrexate and rituximab: A single-institution experience. Oncol Lett. 2016 May;11(5):3471-3476. doi: 10.3892/ol.2016.4393. Epub 2016 Mar 30. PMID: 27123138; PMCID: PMC4840907.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma MRI

Primary central nervous system lymphoma MRI

Reported signal characteristics include:

T1

Typically hypointense to grey matter

T1 C+ (Gd)

typical high-grade tumours show intense homogeneous enhancement while low-grade tumours have absent to moderate enhancement

Peripheral ring enhancement may be seen in immunocompromised patients (HIV/AIDS)

T2

Variable

Majority are iso to hypointense to grey matter

Isointense: 33%

Hypointense: 20% 9 – when present this is a helpful distinguishing feature

Hyperintense: 15-47%, more common in tumours with necrosis

DWI/ADC

Restricted diffusion with ADC values lower than normal brain, typically between 400 and 600 x 10-6 mm2/s (lower than high-grade gliomas and metastases)

A number of studies have suggested that the lower the ADC values of the tumour the poorer the response to tumour and higher likelihood of recurrence

AADC is particularly useful in assessing response to chemotherapy, with increases in ADC values to above those of normal brain predictive of complete response

MR spectroscopy

Large choline peak

Reversed choline/creatinine ratio

Markedly decreased NAA

Lactate peak may also be seen

MR perfusion

Only modest if any increase in rCBV (much less marked than in high-grade gliomas, where angiogenesis is a prominent feature).

Volume

Precise volumetric assessment of brain tumors is relevant for treatment planning and monitoring. However, manual segmentations are time-consuming and impeded by intra- and inter rater variabilities.

To investigate the performance of a deep learning model (DLM) to automatically detect and segment primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) on clinical MRI.

Study type: Retrospective.

Population: Sixty-nine scans (at initial and/or follow-up imaging) from 43 patients with PCNSL referred for clinical MRI tumor assessment.

Field strength/sequence: T1 weighted image -/T2 weighted image, T1 -weighted contrast-enhanced (T1 CE), and FLAIR at 1.0, 1.5, and 3.0T from different vendors and study centers.

Fully automated voxelwise segmentation of tumor components was performed using a 3D convolutional neural network (DeepMedic) trained on gliomas (n = 220). DLM segmentations were compared to manual segmentations performed in a 3D voxelwise manner by two readers (radiologist and neurosurgeon; consensus reading) from T1 CE and FLAIR, which served as the reference standard.

Statistical tests: Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) for comparison of spatial overlap with the reference standard, Pearson’s correlation coefficient ® to assess the relationship between volumetric measurements of segmentations, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test for comparison of DSCs obtained in initial and follow-up imaging.

The DLM detected 66 of 69 PCNSL, representing a sensitivity of 95.7%. Compared to the reference standard, DLM achieved good spatial overlap for total tumor volume (TTV, union of tumor volume in T1 CE and FLAIR; average size 77.16 ± 62.4 cm3 , median DSC: 0.76) and tumor core (contrast enhancing tumor in T1 CE; average size: 11.67 ± 13.88 cm3 , median DSC: 0.73). High volumetric correlation between automated and manual segmentations was observed (TTV: r = 0.88, P < 0.0001; core: r = 0.86, P < 0.0001). Performance of automated segmentations was comparable between pretreatment and follow-up scans without significant differences (TTV: P = 0.242, core: P = 0.177).

Data conclusion: In clinical MRI scans, a DLM initially trained on gliomas provides segmentation of PCNSL comparable to manual segmentation, despite its complex and multifaceted appearance. Segmentation performance was high in both initial and follow-up scans, suggesting its potential for application in longitudinal tumor imaging.

Level of evidence: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2 1).

1)

Pennig L, Hoyer UCI, Goertz L, et al. Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: Clinical Evaluation of Automated Segmentation on Multiparametric MRI Using Deep Learning [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 13]. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2020;e27288. doi:10.1002/jmri.27288

Responsive Neurostimulation System

Responsive Neurostimulation System

Patients with medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) are candidates for neuromodulation procedures. While vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) was historically the procedure of choice for this condition, the responsive neurostimulation system (RNS) has come into favor for its more targeted approach.

This treatment was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013.

Neuromodulation such as vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS) are safe and effective strategies for medically intractable epilepsy secondary to complex partial seizures, but researchers have yet to compare their efficacies.

Wang et al. retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients with TLE who underwent VNS or RNS placement at our institution from 2003 to 2018. The primary outcome was change in seizure frequency. Other outcomes included Engel score, change in anti-epileptic medications, and complications.

Twenty-three patients met inclusion criteria; 11 underwent VNS and 12 underwent RNS. At baseline, the 2 groups were statistically similar regarding age at surgery, epilepsy duration, and preoperative seizure frequency. At last follow-up, both groups displayed reduced seizure frequency (mean reduction of 46.3% for the VNS group and 58.1% for the RNS group, p = 0.49). Responder rate, Engel score, and change in medications were statistically similar between groups. Compared to 0.0% of the VNS group, 13.3% of the RNS group experienced infection requiring re-operation.

Despite their different mechanisms, VNS and RNS resulted in similar response rates for patients with TLE. We suggest that VNS should not be excluded as a treatment for patients with medically refractory TLE who are not candidates for resective or ablative procedures 1).

The goal of a study of Ellens et al. was to compare VNS and RNS efficacy at reducing seizure frequency and complication rates in subjects with medically intractable epilepsy secondary to complex partial seizures.

This is a retrospective chart review of 30 patients with medically intractable complex partial epilepsy, who underwent either VNS or RNS placement at a single institution between June 2012 and January 2016. There was a mean follow-up of 19 months. Seizure frequency reduction and complications were identified.

The median seizure frequency reduction was similar for VNS (66%) and RNS (58%). There was no major morbidity or mortality, and the frequency of minor complications was similar between VNS (15%) and RNS (18%).

They found that VNS and RNS reduced the median seizure frequency similarly with no difference in morbidity or mortality. Further prospective studies are warranted as VNS and RNS therapy improves over time 2).

Systematic reviews

Boon et al., conducted a systematic review on the currently available neurostimulation modalities primarily with regard to effectiveness and safety.

For vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), there is moderate-quality evidence for its effectiveness in adults with drug-resistant partial epilepsies. Moderate-to-low-quality evidence supports the efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS) in patients with DRE. There is moderate-to-very low-quality evidence that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is effective or well tolerated. For transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS), there are insufficient data to support the efficacy of any of these modalities for DRE. These treatment modalities, nevertheless, appear well tolerated, with no severe adverse events reported.

Head-to-head comparison of treatment modalities such as VNS, DBS and RNS across different epileptic syndromes are required to decide which treatment modality is the most effective for a given patient scenario. Such studies are challenging and it is unlikely that data will be available in the near future. Additional data collection on potentially promising noninvasive neurostimulation modalities like tVNS, TMS, TNS and tDCS is warranted to get a more precise estimate of their therapeutic benefit and long-term safety 3).

Jobst BC, Kapur R, Barkley GL, Bazil CW, Berg MJ, Bergey GK, Boggs JG, Cash SS, Cole AJ, Duchowny MS, Duckrow RB, Edwards JC, Eisenschenk S, Fessler AJ, Fountain NB, Geller EB, Goldman AM, Goodman RR, Gross RE, Gwinn RP, Heck C, Herekar AA, Hirsch LJ, King-Stephens D, Labar DR, Marsh WR, Meador KJ, Miller I, Mizrahi EM, Murro AM, Nair DR, Noe KH, Olejniczak PW, Park YD, Rutecki P, Salanova V, Sheth RD, Skidmore C, Smith MC, Spencer DC, Srinivasan S, Tatum W, Van Ness P, Vossler DG, Wharen RE Jr, Worrell GA, Yoshor D, Zimmerman RS, Skarpaas TL, Morrell MJ. Brain-responsive neurostimulation in patients with medically intractable seizures arising from eloquent and other neocortical areas. Epilepsia. 2017 Jun;58(6):1005-1014. doi: 10.1111/epi.13739. Epub 2017 Apr 7. PubMed PMID: 28387951.

References

1)

Wang AJ, Bick SK, Williams ZM. Vagus Nerve Stimulation versus Responsive Neurostimulator System in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 2020 Feb 19:1-9. doi: 10.1159/000504859. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32074618.
2)

Ellens NR, Elisevich K, Burdette DE, Patra SE. A Comparison of Vagal Nerve Stimulation and Responsive Neurostimulation for the Treatment of Medically Refractory Complex Partial Epilepsy. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 2018 Aug 27:1-5. doi: 10.1159/000492232. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30149389.
3)

Boon P, De Cock E, Mertens A, Trinka E. Neurostimulation for drug-resistant epilepsy: a systematic review of clinical evidence for efficacy, safety, contraindications and predictors for response. Curr Opin Neurol. 2018 Apr;31(2):198-210. doi: 10.1097/WCO.0000000000000534. PubMed PMID: 29493559.

Fungal Infections of the Central Nervous System Pathogens, Diagnosis, and Management

Fungal Infections of the Central Nervous System Pathogens, Diagnosis, and Management

by Mehmet Turgut (Editor), Sundaram Challa (Editor), Ali Akhaddar (Editor)

List Price:$199.99

Buy

This book provides comprehensive information on fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS). Fungal infections are still a major public health challenge for most of the developing world and even for developed countries due to the rising numbers of immune compromised patients, refugee movements, and international travel. Although fungal infections involving the CNS are not particularly common, when they do occur, the results can be devastating in spite of recent advances and currently available therapies. Further, over the past several years, the incidence of these infections has seen a steep rise among immunodeficient patients. In this context, aggressive surgery remains the mainstay of management, but conservative antifungal drug treatment complemented by aggressive surgical debridement may be necessary. Yet the optimal management approach to fungal infections of the CNS remains controversial, owing to the limited individual experience and the variable clinical course of the conditions. Addressing that problem, this comprehensive book offers the ideal resource for neurosurgeons, neurologists and other specialists working with infectious diseases.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma diagnosis

Diagnosing central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma remains a challenge. Most patients have to undergo brain biopsy to obtain tissue for diagnosis, with associated risks of serious complications. Diagnostic markers in blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) could facilitate early diagnosis with low complication rates.

In a retrospective study of patients with Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) treated between January 2001 and December 2011 at the Navy General Hospital (Beijing). All included patients were pathologically diagnosed with PCNSL. Specimens were obtained by stereotactic biopsy and diagnosed by pathological examination. Serological panel had to be negative for HIV.

Out of the 118 patients, 73 (61.9%) were male and 45 (38.1%) were female. Median age was 54 (range 11-83) years. All patients had B cell lymphoma. The lesions showed slightly hyperdense shadows on computed tomography (CT) images, and mostly hyperintense T1 and iso- or hyperintense T2 signals on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Most lesions showed patchy enhancement after enhanced scanning, and some had the characteristic “butterfly sign” on enhanced MRI. The magnetic resonance spectroscopy of PCNSL manifested as increased Cho peak, moderately decreased NAA peak, and slightly decreased Cr peak. Positron emission tomography indicated high metabolism of 18F-FDG in PCNSL lesions.

MRI is important in the diagnosis of PCNSL. Understanding the imaging features of PCNSL will help improve its diagnosis in clinics 1).

van Westrhenen et al., performed a systematic review literature search for studies on markers in blood or cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis CNS lymphoma and assessed the methodological quality of studies with the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool (QUADAS-2).

They evaluated diagnostic value of the markers at a given threshold, as well as differences between mean or median levels in patients versus control groups. Twenty-five studies were included, reporting diagnostic value for 18 markers in CSF (microRNAs -21, -19b, and -92a, RNU2-1f, CXCL13, interleukins -6, -8, and -10, soluble interleukin-2-receptor, soluble CD19, soluble CD27, tumour necrosis factor-alfa, beta-2-microglobulin, antithrombin III, soluble transmembrane activator and calcium modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor, soluble B cell maturation antigen, neopterin and osteopontin) and three markers in blood (microRNA-21 soluble CD27, and beta-2-microglobulin). All studies were at considerable risk of bias and there were concerns regarding the applicability of 15 studies. CXCL13, beta 2 microglobulin and neopterin have the highest potential in diagnosing CNS lymphoma, but further study is still needed before they can be used in clinical practice 2).

Radiographic features

The most helpful imaging pattern presents mainly in untreated non-immunocompromised patients is of a CT hyperdense avidly enhancing mass, with MRI T1 hypointense, T2 iso- to hypointense, vivid homogeneous gadolinium-enhancing lesion/s with restricted diffusion, subependymal extension, and crossing of the corpus callosum. Unfortunately, this pattern is not always present.

Typically PCNSL are supratentorial (75-85%) and appear as a mass or multiple masses (11-50%) that are usually in contact with the subarachnoid/ependymal surfaces. Crossing the corpus callosum is not infrequently seen. Enhancement on both CT and MRI is pronounced and usually homogeneous. Even with larger lesions, there is little mass effect for size and limited surrounding vasogenic oedema.

Low-grade tumours differ from the more common high-grade PCNSL in several ways:

Deep locations and spinal involvement is more common

Contrast enhancement is absent, irregular or only mild

Disseminated meningeal/intraventricular disease is uncommon, it is seen in ~5% (range 1-7%) of cases at presentation and usually in high-grade cases.

It should be noted that in patients who are immunocompromised (typically HIV/AIDS or post-transplant) appearances are more heterogeneous, including central non-enhancement/necrosis and haemorrhage, although the latter is still uncommon

CT

Most lesions are hyperattenuating (70%) 3

Shows enhancement

Haemorrhage is distinctly uncommon

There are often multiple lesions in patients with HIV/AIDS

MRI

see Primary central nervous system lymphoma MRI.

Scintigraphy

Thallium 201

Shows increased uptake

C11 Methionine PET

Shows increased uptake 3).

Flow cytometry

Flow cytometry has a high specificity and can confirm the diagnosis of a lymphoma significantly faster than immunohistochemistry. This allows for rapid initiation of treatment in this highly aggressive tumor. However, since its sensitivity is less than 100%, van der Meulen et al., recommend to perform histology plus immunohistochemistry in parallel to flow cytometry 4).

References

1)

Cheng G, Zhang J. Imaging features (CT, MRI, MRS, and PET/CT) of primary central nervous system lymphoma in immunocompetent patients. Neurol Sci. 2018 Dec 22. doi: 10.1007/s10072-018-3669-7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30580380.
2)

van Westrhenen A, Smidt LCA, Seute T, Nierkens S, Stork ACJ, Minnema MC, Snijders TJ. Diagnostic markers for CNS lymphoma in blood and cerebrospinal fluid: a systematic review. Br J Haematol. 2018 May 29. doi: 10.1111/bjh.15410. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29808930.
3)

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/primary-cns-lymphoma
4)

van der Meulen M, Bromberg JEC, Lam KH, Dammers R, Langerak AW, Doorduijn JK, Kros JM, van den Bent MJ, van der Velden VHJ. Flow cytometry shows added value in diagnosing lymphoma in brain biopsies. Cytometry B Clin Cytom. 2018 May 10. doi: 10.1002/cyto.b.21641. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29747221.

Update: Central nervous system high grade neuroepithelial tumor with BCOR alteration

Central nervous system high grade neuroepithelial tumor with BCOR alteration

Central nervous system high grade neuroepithelial tumor with BCOR alteration (CNS HGNET-BCOR) is a rare entity, identified as a small fraction of tumors previously institutionally diagnosed as so-called CNS primitive neuroectodermal tumors. Their genetic characteristic is a somatic internal tandem duplication in the 3′ end of BCOR (BCOR ITD), which has also been found in clear cell sarcomas of the kidney (CCSK) and soft tissue undifferentiated round cell sarcomas/primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumors of infancy (URCS/PMMTI), and these BCOR ITD-positive tumors have been reported to share similar pathological features.

CNS HGNET-BCOR display pathological overlap with CNS-PNET and other histological entities 1).

The high expression of IGF-2 may be a common feature of HGNET-BCOR and ependymoma and may represent a target for new approaches. Several monoclonal antibodies and TKIs for IGF1R are being tested in preclinical and early phase clinical studies and may become relevant in the management of this new and aggressive tumor entity 2).

High expression of altered BCOR transcripts in CNS HGNET-BCOR tumors suggests a different mechanism from BCOR loss-of-function mutations reported in other malignancies, such as medulloblastoma 3) 4).

Yoshida et al., performed a clinicopathological and molecular analysis of six cases of CNS HGNET-BCOR, and compared them with their counterparts in the kidney and soft tissue. Although these tumors had histologically similar structural patterns and characteristic monotonous nuclei with fine chromatin, CNS HGNET-BCOR exhibited glial cell morphology, ependymoma-like perivascular pseudorosettes and palisading necrosis, whereas these features were not evident in CCSK or URCS/PMMTI. Immunohistochemically, diffuse staining of Olig2 with a mixture of varying degrees of intensity, and only focal staining of GFAP, S-100 protein and synaptophysin were observed in CNS HGNET-BCOR, whereas these common neuroepithelial markers were negative in CCSK and URCS/PMMTI. Therefore, although CNS HGNET-BCOR, CCSK and URCS/PMMTI may constitute a group of BCOR ITD-positive tumors, only CNS HGNET-BCOR has histological features suggestive of glial differentiation. In conclusion, we think CNS HGNET-BCOR are a certain type of neuroepithelial tumor relatively close to glioma, not CCSK or URCS/PMMTI occurring in the CNS 5).

Kirkman et al., describe a pediatric male patient with CNS HGNET-BCOR who developed seeding of the tumor into the site of the surgical wound within months of surgery for resection of a residual posterior fossa tumor.

This case emphasises three important points. First, CNS HGNET-BCOR can be aggressive tumors that necessitate close clinical and radiological surveillance. Second, surveillance imaging in such cases should incorporate the surgical incision site into the field of view, and this should be closely scrutinised to ensure the timely detection of wound site seeding. Third, wound site seeding may still occur despite the use of meticulous surgical techniques 6).

Appay et al., reported in 2017, 3 new CNS HGNET-BCOR cases sharing common clinical presentation and pathologic features. The 3 cases concerned children aged 3 to 7 years who presented with a voluminous mass of the cerebellum. Pathologic features included proliferation of uniform spindle to ovoid cells with fine chromatin associated with a rich arborizing capillary network. Methylation profiling classified these cases as CNS HGNET-BCOR tumors. Polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed the presence of internal tandem duplications in the C-terminus of BCOR (BCOR-ITD), a characteristic of these tumors, in all 3 cases. Immunohistochemistry showed a strong nuclear BCOR expression. In 2 cases, local recurrence occurred within 6 months. The third case, a patient who received a craniospinal irradiation after total surgical removal followed by a metronomics maintenance with irinotecan, temozolomide, and itraconazole, is still free of disease 14 months after diagnosis. In summary, CNS HGNET-BCOR represents a rare tumor occurring in young patients with dismal prognosis. BCOR nuclear immunoreactivity is highly suggestive of a BCOR-ITD. Whether CNS HGNET-BCOR should be classified among the category of “embryonal tumors” or within the category of “mesenchymal, nonmeningothelial tumors” remains to be clarified. Because CNS HGNET-BCOR share pathologic features and characteristic BCOR-ITD with clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, these tumors may represent local variants of the same entity 7).

1)

Sturm D, Orr BA, Toprak UH, Hovestadt V, Jones DTW, Capper D, Sill M, Buchhalter I, Northcott PA, Leis I, Ryzhova M, Koelsche C, Pfaff E, Allen SJ, Balasubramanian G, Worst BC, Pajtler KW, Brabetz S, Johann PD, Sahm F, Reimand J, Mackay A, Carvalho DM, Remke M, Phillips JJ, Perry A, Cowdrey C, Drissi R, Fouladi M, Giangaspero F, Łastowska M, Grajkowska W, Scheurlen W, Pietsch T, Hagel C, Gojo J, Lötsch D, Berger W, Slavc I, Haberler C, Jouvet A, Holm S, Hofer S, Prinz M, Keohane C, Fried I, Mawrin C, Scheie D, Mobley BC, Schniederjan MJ, Santi M, Buccoliero AM, Dahiya S, Kramm CM, von Bueren AO, von Hoff K, Rutkowski S, Herold-Mende C, Frühwald MC, Milde T, Hasselblatt M, Wesseling P, Rößler J, Schüller U, Ebinger M, Schittenhelm J, Frank S, Grobholz R, Vajtai I, Hans V, Schneppenheim R, Zitterbart K, Collins VP, Aronica E, Varlet P, Puget S, Dufour C, Grill J, Figarella-Branger D, Wolter M, Schuhmann MU, Shalaby T, Grotzer M, van Meter T, Monoranu CM, Felsberg J, Reifenberger G, Snuderl M, Forrester LA, Koster J, Versteeg R, Volckmann R, van Sluis P, Wolf S, Mikkelsen T, Gajjar A, Aldape K, Moore AS, Taylor MD, Jones C, Jabado N, Karajannis MA, Eils R, Schlesner M, Lichter P, von Deimling A, Pfister SM, Ellison DW, Korshunov A, Kool M. New Brain Tumor Entities Emerge from Molecular Classification of CNS-PNETs. Cell. 2016 Feb 25;164(5):1060-1072. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.01.015. PubMed PMID: 26919435; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5139621.
2)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5475193/
3)

Jones DT, Jäger N, Kool M, Zichner T, Hutter B, Sultan M, Cho YJ, Pugh TJ, Hovestadt V, Stütz AM, Rausch T, Warnatz HJ, Ryzhova M, Bender S, Sturm D, Pleier S, Cin H, Pfaff E, Sieber L, Wittmann A, Remke M, Witt H, Hutter S, Tzaridis T, Weischenfeldt J, Raeder B, Avci M, Amstislavskiy V, Zapatka M, Weber UD, Wang Q, Lasitschka B, Bartholomae CC, Schmidt M, von Kalle C, Ast V, Lawerenz C, Eils J, Kabbe R, Benes V, van Sluis P, Koster J, Volckmann R, Shih D, Betts MJ, Russell RB, Coco S, Tonini GP, Schüller U, Hans V, Graf N, Kim YJ, Monoranu C, Roggendorf W, Unterberg A, Herold-Mende C, Milde T, Kulozik AE, von Deimling A, Witt O, Maass E, Rössler J, Ebinger M, Schuhmann MU, Frühwald MC, Hasselblatt M, Jabado N, Rutkowski S, von Bueren AO, Williamson D, Clifford SC, McCabe MG, Collins VP, Wolf S, Wiemann S, Lehrach H, Brors B, Scheurlen W, Felsberg J, Reifenberger G, Northcott PA, Taylor MD, Meyerson M, Pomeroy SL, Yaspo ML, Korbel JO, Korshunov A, Eils R, Pfister SM, Lichter P. Dissecting the genomic complexity underlying medulloblastoma. Nature. 2012 Aug 2;488(7409):100-5. doi: 10.1038/nature11284. PubMed PMID: 22832583; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3662966.
4)

Pugh TJ, Weeraratne SD, Archer TC, Pomeranz Krummel DA, Auclair D, Bochicchio J, Carneiro MO, Carter SL, Cibulskis K, Erlich RL, Greulich H, Lawrence MS, Lennon NJ, McKenna A, Meldrim J, Ramos AH, Ross MG, Russ C, Shefler E, Sivachenko A, Sogoloff B, Stojanov P, Tamayo P, Mesirov JP, Amani V, Teider N, Sengupta S, Francois JP, Northcott PA, Taylor MD, Yu F, Crabtree GR, Kautzman AG, Gabriel SB, Getz G, Jäger N, Jones DT, Lichter P, Pfister SM, Roberts TM, Meyerson M, Pomeroy SL, Cho YJ. Medulloblastoma exome sequencing uncovers subtype-specific somatic mutations. Nature. 2012 Aug 2;488(7409):106-10. doi: 10.1038/nature11329. PubMed PMID: 22820256; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3413789.
5)

Yoshida Y, Nobusawa S, Nakata S, Nakada M, Arakawa Y, Mineharu Y, Sugita Y, Yoshioka T, Araki A, Sato Y, Takeshima H, Okada M, Nishi A, Yamazaki T, Kohashi K, Oda Y, Hirato J, Yokoo H. CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumor with BCOR internal tandem duplication: a comparison with its counterparts in the kidney and soft tissue. Brain Pathol. 2017 Dec 11. doi: 10.1111/bpa.12585. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29226988.
6)

Kirkman MA, Pickles JC, Fairchild AR, Avery A, Pietsch T, Jacques TS, Aquilina K. Early wound site seeding in a patient with CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumor with BCOR alteration: A case report. World Neurosurg. 2018 May 30. pii: S1878-8750(18)31112-4. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2018.05.158. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29859355.
7)

Appay R, Macagno N, Padovani L, Korshunov A, Kool M, André N, Scavarda D, Pietsch T, Figarella-Branger D. HGNET-BCOR Tumors of the Cerebellum: Clinicopathologic and Molecular Characterization of 3 Cases. Am J Surg Pathol. 2017 Sep;41(9):1254-1260. doi: 10.1097/PAS.0000000000000866. PubMed PMID: 28704208.