Pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas- a prospective observational study from a tertiary care neurosurgical center.

Introduction: Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in children comprises 80% of brainstem gliomas. In 2021, 5th edition of WHO CNS tumor classification defined H3K27M altered diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) which replaced this entity. Lesion location precludes resection and the only current option available is radiotherapy.

Thalamic H3K27M altered diffuse midline gliomas: Clinicopathological and outcome analysis.

Introduction: Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a relatively new entity which was introduced in the fourth edition of the WHO classification of CNS tumours in 2016 and later underwent revision in 2021. It is an infiltrative glioma arising from midline structures, viz., thalamus, spine, and brainstem.

Safety and Efficacy of Biopsy in Patients with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas.

Background: Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas are aggressive tumors that carry a poor prognosis with a 2-year survival rate of <10%. The imaging appearance is often pathognomonic, and surgical biopsy is not mandatory to initiate treatment in children. Studies of biopsy samples provide insight into the disease's molecular pathobiology and open prospects for targeted therapy.

Comparison of dosimetric analysis of organs at risk and target volumes for ovoids and cylinders in endometrial carcinoma.

Purpose: To compare dose volume parameters of target and organs at risk in vaginal vault brachytherapy using ovoids or cylinder in post-operative endometrial carcinoma.

Material And Methods: The study was done among 25 histologically proven post-operative endometrial carcinoma patients requiring vaginal brachytherapy. All patients underwent both cylinder and ovoids application alternatively on weekly basis.

Successful Implementation of Image-Guided Pencil-Beam Scanning Proton Therapy in Medulloblastomas.

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumour in children, while much rarer in adults. Although the prognosis and outcomes have greatly improved in the era of modern multidisciplinary management, long-term treatment-induced toxicities are common. Craniospinal irradiation followed by a boost to the primary and metastatic tumour sites forms the backbone of treatment.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas in adults: A retrospective study.

Background: Brainstem gliomas (BSG) constitutes very small proportion in adults brain tumors with pons as most common location. There is significant paucity in literature for adult diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG).

Objective: In this study, we attempt to review the outcomes of DIPG in single institute.

Combined amino acid PET-MRI for identifying recurrence in post-treatment gliomas: together we grow.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of amino acid PET, MR perfusion and diffusion as stand-alone modalities and in combination in identifying recurrence in post-treatment gliomas and to qualitatively assess spatial concordance between the three modalities using simultaneous PET-MR acquisition.

Methods: A retrospective review of 48 cases of post-treatment gliomas who underwent simultaneous PET-MRI using C11 methionine as radiotracer was performed. MR perfusion and diffusion sequences were acquired during the PET study.

Rhabdoid meningiomas: Clinicopathological analysis of a rare variant of meningioma.

Introduction: Rhabdoid Meningiomas (RM) are rare malignant type of meningiomas, classified as grade III in the WHO classification. Only a few case series have been reported, and factors affecting prognosis are still unclear.

Methods: We did a retrospective chart review of all the RMs diagnosed in our institute between 2007 and 2019.

Low mitochondrial DNA copy number is associated with poor prognosis and treatment resistance in glioblastoma.

Introduction: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content in several solid tumors was found to be lower than in their normal counterparts. However, there is paucity of literature on the clinical significance of mtDNA content in glioblastoma and its effect on treatment response. Hence, we studied the prognostic significance of mtDNA content in glioblastoma tumor tissue and the effect of mtDNA depletion in glioblastoma cells on response to treatment.

Hippocampal radiotherapy dose constraints for predicting long-term neurocognitive outcomes: mature data from a prospective trial in young patients with brain tumors.

Background: Hippocampus is considered to be the seat for neurocognitive functions. Avoidance of hippocampus during radiotherapy to brain may serve to preserve various domains of neurocognition. We aimed to derive radiotherapy dose constraints to hippocampi for preserving neurocognition in young patients with brain tumors by measuring various neurocognitive parameters.

Aggressive Primary Pediatric Intracranial Malignant Melanoma: Sphinx of the Tissue Diagnosis.

It is often intriguing to suspect and confirm the diagnosis of primary malignant melanoma (PMM) in the brain without any evidence of neurocutaneous melanosis. We report a 16-year-old male patient with malignant melanoma which intraoperatively was small sized, soft, fleshy, hemorrhagic in appearance resembling hematoma. Interestingly, the histopathology showed prominent papillary architecture with a differential diagnosis of papillary meningioma and ependymoma and perplexed the tissue diagnosis.

Dose-Constraint Model to Predict Neuroendocrine Dysfunction in Young Patients With Brain Tumors: Data From a Prospective Study.

Purpose: We report on a possible dose-constraint model to predict long-term neuroendocrine dysfunction after cranial irradiation in children and young adults with benign and low-grade brain tumors treated with stereotactic conformal radiation therapy (RT) in a prospective clinical trial.

Methods And Materials: Patients treated with stereotactic conformal RT (54 Gy in 30 fractions) were included for analysis if their co-registered planning computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans were available, along with baseline and post-RT endocrine assessment for at least 2 years. The hypothalamus-pituitary axis (HPA) was contoured on the fused computed tomography-magnetic resonance imaging data set.

Efficacy of Stereotactic Conformal Radiotherapy vs Conventional Radiotherapy on Benign and Low-Grade Brain Tumors: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence for application of stereotactic and other conformal radiotherapy techniques in treating brain tumors is largely based on data derived from dosimetric, retrospective, or small prospective studies. Therefore, we conducted a randomized clinical trial of stereotactic conformal radiotherapy (SCRT) compared with conventional radiotherapy (ConvRT) evaluating clinically meaningful end points.

Objective: To compare neurocognitive and endocrine functional outcomes and survival at 5 years in young patients with residual and/or progressive benign or low-grade brain tumors treated with SCRT and ConvRT techniques.