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CNS Tumors (cns + tumor)
Selected AbstractsCytology of primary central nervous system neoplasms in cerebrospinal fluid specimensDIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2002David C. Chhieng M.D. Abstract Although two-thirds of tumors occurring in the central nervous system (CNS) are primary neoplasms, only 10% of positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens are from primary CNS tumors. In this study, we reviewed the cytologic findings of 21 positive CSF specimens from primary CNS tumors. A computer search identified 21 cases of positive CSF specimens from patients with primary CNS tumors from the archives. Follow-up included review of medical charts and histologic correlation. The specimens were from 20 patients (9 females and 11 males). Their ages ranged from 6,83 yr, old with a mean of 30 yr. The cases included 9 medulloblastomas, 7 gliomas (3 glioblastoma multiformes, 2 anaplastic astrocytomas, and 2 ependymomas), 2 germinomas, 2 non-Hodgkin's large B-cell lymphomas, and 1 ganglioneurocytoma. Two cases were classified as suspicious and the remaining as positive for malignancy. Immunocytochemistry was employed in 3 cases to support the cytologic diagnosis. These cases included one large-cell lymphoma (leukocyte-common antigen-positive), one germinoma (placental alkaline phosphatase-positive), and the ganglioneurocytoma (neuron-specific enolase- and synaptophysin-positive). There were no false-positive cases. Our results suggest that positive CSF cytology in patients with a primary CNS tumor is a reliable indicator of malignancy and reflects leptomeningeal involvement. The use of immunocytochemistry is helpful in confirming the cytologic impression in some cases. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2002;26:209,212. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Liver grafts from donors with central nervous system tumors: A single-center perspectiveLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 10 2009Randeep Kashyap Traditionally, patients who die with a malignancy have been excluded from donation. However, it has become a common practice to accept organs from donors that have low-grade tumors or tumors with low metastatic potential. The aim of this study was to analyze our experience with the use of liver grafts from donors with central nervous system (CNS) tumors. A retrospective review of 1173 liver transplants performed between 1992 and 2006 identified 42 donors diagnosed with a CNS tumor. Thirty-two tumors were malignant, and 10 tumors were benign. Forty-two liver transplant recipients received livers from these donors. All patients were followed until May 2007 with a mean follow-up of 29 ± 17 months. Among 42 donors, there were 28 males and 14 females. The mean donor risk index was 1.78 ± 0.39. Twenty (47.6%) of the CNS tumors were glioblastoma multiforme (astrocytoma grade IV), 11 (26.2%) were other astrocytomas, and 1 (2.4%) was an anaplastic ependymoma. Twenty (62.5%) neoplasms were grade IV tumors, 8 (25%) were grade II tumors, and 4 (12.5%) were grade III tumors. Over 80% of the patients had at least 1 kind of invasive procedure violating the blood-brain barrier. The rate of recurrence for the entire group was 2.4% (all CNS tumors). There were 7 (7.2%) deaths in all. The most common cause of death was sepsis (n = 3, 7.2%). There was no difference in survival between recipients of grafts from donors with CNS tumors and recipients of grafts from donors without CNS tumors (1 year: 82% versus 83.3%, P = not significant; 3 years: 77.4% versus 72%, P = not significant). In conclusion, in our experience, despite violation of the blood-brain barrier and high-grade CNS tumors, recurrence was uncommon. Grafts from these donors are often an overlooked source of high-quality organs from younger donors and can be appropriately used, particularly in patients who, despite low Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores, carry a high risk of mortality. Liver Transpl 15:1204,1208, 2009. © 2009 AASLD. [source] Cytology of primary central nervous system neoplasms in cerebrospinal fluid specimensDIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2002David C. Chhieng M.D. Abstract Although two-thirds of tumors occurring in the central nervous system (CNS) are primary neoplasms, only 10% of positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens are from primary CNS tumors. In this study, we reviewed the cytologic findings of 21 positive CSF specimens from primary CNS tumors. A computer search identified 21 cases of positive CSF specimens from patients with primary CNS tumors from the archives. Follow-up included review of medical charts and histologic correlation. The specimens were from 20 patients (9 females and 11 males). Their ages ranged from 6,83 yr, old with a mean of 30 yr. The cases included 9 medulloblastomas, 7 gliomas (3 glioblastoma multiformes, 2 anaplastic astrocytomas, and 2 ependymomas), 2 germinomas, 2 non-Hodgkin's large B-cell lymphomas, and 1 ganglioneurocytoma. Two cases were classified as suspicious and the remaining as positive for malignancy. Immunocytochemistry was employed in 3 cases to support the cytologic diagnosis. These cases included one large-cell lymphoma (leukocyte-common antigen-positive), one germinoma (placental alkaline phosphatase-positive), and the ganglioneurocytoma (neuron-specific enolase- and synaptophysin-positive). There were no false-positive cases. Our results suggest that positive CSF cytology in patients with a primary CNS tumor is a reliable indicator of malignancy and reflects leptomeningeal involvement. The use of immunocytochemistry is helpful in confirming the cytologic impression in some cases. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2002;26:209,212. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Liver grafts from donors with central nervous system tumors: A single-center perspectiveLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 10 2009Randeep Kashyap Traditionally, patients who die with a malignancy have been excluded from donation. However, it has become a common practice to accept organs from donors that have low-grade tumors or tumors with low metastatic potential. The aim of this study was to analyze our experience with the use of liver grafts from donors with central nervous system (CNS) tumors. A retrospective review of 1173 liver transplants performed between 1992 and 2006 identified 42 donors diagnosed with a CNS tumor. Thirty-two tumors were malignant, and 10 tumors were benign. Forty-two liver transplant recipients received livers from these donors. All patients were followed until May 2007 with a mean follow-up of 29 ± 17 months. Among 42 donors, there were 28 males and 14 females. The mean donor risk index was 1.78 ± 0.39. Twenty (47.6%) of the CNS tumors were glioblastoma multiforme (astrocytoma grade IV), 11 (26.2%) were other astrocytomas, and 1 (2.4%) was an anaplastic ependymoma. Twenty (62.5%) neoplasms were grade IV tumors, 8 (25%) were grade II tumors, and 4 (12.5%) were grade III tumors. Over 80% of the patients had at least 1 kind of invasive procedure violating the blood-brain barrier. The rate of recurrence for the entire group was 2.4% (all CNS tumors). There were 7 (7.2%) deaths in all. The most common cause of death was sepsis (n = 3, 7.2%). There was no difference in survival between recipients of grafts from donors with CNS tumors and recipients of grafts from donors without CNS tumors (1 year: 82% versus 83.3%, P = not significant; 3 years: 77.4% versus 72%, P = not significant). In conclusion, in our experience, despite violation of the blood-brain barrier and high-grade CNS tumors, recurrence was uncommon. Grafts from these donors are often an overlooked source of high-quality organs from younger donors and can be appropriately used, particularly in patients who, despite low Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores, carry a high risk of mortality. Liver Transpl 15:1204,1208, 2009. © 2009 AASLD. [source] A case of melanotic desmoplastic gangliogliomaNEUROPATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Manila Antonelli We describe a case of desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma (DIG) in a 9-month-old boy located in the temporal lobe. Grossly the tumor was brown and superficially located. Histologically the tumor contained pigment in numerous neoplastic cells, shown to be melanosomal melanin by ultrastructural examination. Pigmented neoplasms have been reported at various sites in the central and peripheral nervous system. Previous reports on pigmented neuroepithelial tumors include neoplasms containing melanin, while others have contained neuromelanin and or lipofuscin. This case represents the first description of pigmented neoplastic cells in DIG, enlarging the spectrum of pigmented primary CNS tumors. [source] Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features of three pilomyxoid astrocytomas: Comparative study with 11 pilocytic astrocytomasPATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2009Vishwa J. Amatya Pilomyxoid astrocytoma, first described by Tihan et al., was recently included as an established variant of pilocytic astrocytoma in the World Health Organization classification of CNS tumors. Histologically, it much resembles pilocytic astrocytoma, but monomorphic myxoid tumor of pilocytic cells with prominent angiocentric growth pattern without Rosenthal fibers or eosinophilic granular bodies is characteristic of pilomyxoid astrocytoma. Pilomyxoid astrocytoma is thought to be more aggressive with more frequent local recurrence as well as cerebrospinal spread. The authors recently encountered a case of pilomyxoid astrocytoma, therefore the purpose of the present study was undertake a retrospective review of pilocytic astrocytomas previously diagnosed during the past 10 years. Consequently, two of them were found to have histological features suggestive of pilomyxoid astrocytoma and both involved multiple recurrence, suggesting aggressive behavior in comparison to pilocytic astrocytoma. Therefore, knowledge of this entity is essential to surgical pathologists and clinicians for patient management. [source] Glucocorticoids enhance interleukin-4 production to neo-antigen (hyaluronidase) in children immunocompromised with cytostatic drugsPEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Monika Edelbauer Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions to hyaluronidase have been observed in children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Glucocorticoids, used as therapy for brain edema, are discussed controversially as T helper 2 (Th2) stimulatory factors. In this study we investigated the role of glucocorticoids on a Th2 cytokine-promoting effect in children with CNS tumors. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from: 29 children suffering from malignant brain tumors, of whom 23 received short-term glucocorticoid treatment (for 3,4 days) during the course of chemotherapy; 18 children with nephrotic syndrome or renal transplantation receiving long-term glucocorticoid treatment; and 13 healthy children, were incubated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and/or anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and, in a second approach, with hyaluronidase. The concentrations of Th cell-mediated cytokines , interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and interferon-, (IFN-,) , were measured in supernatants. The IL-4 production of PBMCs incubated with PHA/anti-CD28 mAb from children with repeated co-administration of glucocorticoids, hyaluronidase, and cytostatic drugs (median: 249.9 pg/ml; range: 234.4,261.7) was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) than IL-4 production of PBMC from children of all the other groups (median: 86.18; range: 16.0,212.5). There was no significant difference in the levels of IL-10 and IFN-, within the groups. PBMCs stimulated only with hyaluronidase failed to produce detectable levels of cytokines. The results of this study indicate that repeated co-administration of glucocorticoids and hyaluronidase (a neo-antigen) enhance IL-4 production in vitro and thus may induce the production of specific IgE antibodies in children immunocompromised with cytostatic drugs. Hyaluronidase itself does not stimulate in vitro IL-4 synthesis in PBMCs of children receiving cytostatic drugs. [source] PARP1 expression in pediatric central nervous system tumors,PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 7 2009Valerie N. Barton BA Abstract Background Despite advances in therapy, outcome in many high-grade pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors remains poor. The focus of neuro-oncology research has thus turned towards identifying novel therapeutic targets. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) is a DNA repair protein that has been studied in a variety of malignancies and may interfere with therapy-induced DNA damage, however expression in pediatric CNS tumors is unknown. Procedure We evaluated PARP1 mRNA expression in 81 pediatric CNS tumors using microarray technology. Protein expression was examined by Western blot. Results PARP1 mRNA is highly expressed in high-grade tumors (P,<,0.0001). PARP1 mRNA expression was greater in high-grade glioma than pilocytic astrocytoma (P,=,3.5,×,10,5) and in large cell medulloblastoma over classic medulloblastoma (P,=,0.0053). PARP1 protein was also prominent in high-grade tumors (P,=,0.022). Conclusion These findings indicate that PARP1 is expressed in high-grade pediatric CNS tumors, implicating PARP1 inhibition as a potential therapeutic target. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009; 53:1227,1230. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Non-pineal supratentorial primitive neuro-ectodermal tumors (sPNET) in teenagers and young adults: Time to reconsider cisplatin based chemotherapy after cranio-spinal irradiation?PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 7 2009Swethajit Biswas MRCP Abstract Background Supratentorial PNET (sPNET) are rare CNS tumors of embryonal origin arising in children and adults. The treatment of sPNET for all age groups at our cancer center has been based on the management of medulloblastoma (MB), involving neurosurgical debulking followed by cranio-spinal irradiation (CSI) and systemic chemotherapy. Methods Medical records were reviewed to gather demographic and clinical data about all embryonal CNS tumors in children and adults from 2001 to 2007. Tumor pathology, clinical management and survival data were also assessed, particularly as regards those patients who received the Packer chemotherapy regimen for either sPNET or MB. Results Eleven patients (five children and six adults) were identified with non-pineal sPNET, three children with pineal sPNET, and 19 patients (18 children and 1 adult) with MB. There was no difference in overall survival (OS) rates between pediatric and adult sPNET. When all sPNET were compared to all MB, 5-year OS was 14% versus 73%, respectively, but was only 9% for non-pineal sPNET. When only considering those patients treated with the Packer chemotherapy regimen, the 5-year OS was 12% for sPNET versus 79% for MB. Conclusion This retrospective study demonstrates that non-pineal sPNET are clinically distinct from MB and are resistant to the Packer chemotherapy regimen. We suggest that it is time to reconsider the use of this regimen in teenage and young adult non-pineal sPNET and to investigate the utility of alternative approaches. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:796,803. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Leaving home after cancer in childhood: A measure of social independence in early adulthoodPEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 1 2006Susanne Vinkel Koch MD Abstract Background Previous studies on psychosocial outcomes for childhood and adolescent cancer survivors have found diverse results concerning social independence. As a measure of social independence, we investigated whether cancer survivors displayed the same patterns of leaving home as population-based control group. Procedure We identified 1,597 patients in the Danish Cancer Register, born in 1965,1980, in whom a primary cancer was diagnosed before they reached the age of 20 in the period 1965,1995. The patients were compared with a random sample of the general population (n,=,43,905) frequency matched on sex and date of birth. By linking the two cohorts to registers in Statistics Denmark, we obtained socioeconomic data for the period 1980,1997. The relative risk for leaving home was estimated with discrete-time Cox regression models. Results The risk for leaving home of survivors of hematological malignancies and solid tumors did not differ significantly from that of the control cohort. Adjustments for possible socioeconomic confounders did not change this pattern. In contrast, survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumors had a significantly reduced risk for leaving home, which was most pronounced for men (relative risk, men: 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.55,0.80; women: 0.88, 95% confidence interval, 0.80,0.97). Conclusion Overall, the psychosocial effects of cancer in childhood or adolescence and its treatment on the survivor and family did not appear to impede social independence in early adulthood, except for survivors of CNS tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] |