Macrophages in Recurrent Glioblastoma as a Prognostic Factor in the Synergistic System of the Tumor Microenvironment.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a common and highly malignant primary tumor of the central nervous system in adults. Ever more recent papers are focusing on understanding the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in affecting tumorigenesis and the subsequent prognosis. We assessed the impact of macrophages in the TME on the prognosis in patients with recurrent GBM.

Recurrent Atypical Meningiomas: Combining Surgery and Radiosurgery in One Effective Multimodal Treatment.

Objective: Owing to their rarity and proteiform pathologic features, the clinical behavior of atypical meningiomas is not yet well characterized. Though the extent of resection is believed to be a key determinant of prognosis, limited data exist regarding optimal management of patients with recurrent disease.

Methods: In this 20-year retrospective case series, we reviewed the medical records of 46 patients with recurrent atypical meningiomas (185 lesions, 89 of which were local, 78 marginal, and 18 distant recurrences); treatment was radiosurgery (n = 60), surgery (n = 56), or both (n = 8).

Surgical management of ocular symptoms in spheno-orbital meningiomas. Is orbital reconstruction really necessary?

Spheno-orbital meningioma (SOM) is an intriguing tumor because of the many different factors that can influence clinical and oncological outcome after treatment. Reasoning that outcome indicator measurement is key to improving therapy, we retrospectively evaluated the management of proptosis and other ocular symptoms in 47 patients surgically treated for SOM at our department in the last 10 years. This patient series was characterized by a high rate of tumor infiltration of the extradural cranial base.

Dealing with the surgical and medical challenges of penetrating brain injuries.

Peacetime has reduced the overall incidence of penetrating brain injuries (PBI), and those related to missile penetration are not common anymore at least in western countries. Nevertheless, PBI still occur, and car crashes or work accidents are their main causes. The management of such cases is characterized by many challenges, not only from a surgical and medical point of view, but also for the different and sometimes bizarre dynamics by which they present.

Thyroid neoplasm after central nervous system irradiation for medulloblastoma in childhood: report of two cases.

Objective: Surgical excision combined with radio-chemotherapy represents the gold standard of therapy of medulloblastoma. The effectiveness of such a combined treatment has encouraged the use of radiotherapy even in young paediatric patients, in spite of the many adverse effects reported in literature, and, in particular, the increased risk of a second radioinduced malignancy. Irradiation is the well-known risk factor for development of benign and malignant thyroid tumours.