Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Cancers (Basel) 2022 Jun 8;14(12). Epub 2022 Jun 8.

Neurosurgery Department, Bicêtre Hospital, 94270 Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.

All solitary fibrous tumors (SFT), now histologically diagnosed by a positive nuclear STAT6 immunostaining, represent less than 2% of soft tissue sarcomas, with spinal SFT constituting a maximum of 2% of them, making these tumors extremely rare. We provide an up-to-date overview of their diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. We included 10 primary STAT6-positive SFT from our retrospective cohort and 31 from a systematic review. Read More

J Neurosurg Case Lessons 2022 May 30;3(22):CASE22141. Epub 2022 May 30.

Norton Neuroscience Institute.

Background: Ependymomas are the most frequent tumors of the adult spinal cord, representing 1.9% of all central nervous system tumors and 60% of spinal cord tumors. Spinal ependymomas are usually solitary, intramedullary lesions. Read More

Sci Rep 2022 Jun 16;12(1):10151. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

MRI is the primary diagnostic modality for spinal cord tumors. However, its validity has never been vigorously scrutinized in daily routine clinical practice, where MRI tissue diagnosis is usually not a single one but multiple ones with several differential diagnoses. Here, we aimed to assess the validity of MRI in terms of predicting the pathology and location of the tumor in routine clinical settings. Read More

Neurodiagn J 2022 Jun;62(2):87-98

Department of Neurosurgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra, New York, New York.

Direct wave (D-wave) intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is used during intramedullary spinal cord tumor (IMSCT) resection to assess corticospinal tract (CST) integrity. There are several obstacles to obtaining consistent and reliable D-wave monitoring and modifications to standard IONM procedures may improve surgical resection. We present the case of a subependymoma IMSCT resection at the T2-T6 spinal levels where subdural D-wave monitoring was implemented. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2022 May 13;101(19):e29237. Epub 2022 May 13.

Department of Pathology, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.

Rationale: Glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands (GTNI) is a distinctive neoplasm located in the cerebrum. Moreover, spinal GTNI is extremely rare. Herein, we present a case of spinal GTNI and review the related literature. Read More

Neurospine 2022 May 16. Epub 2022 May 16.

Department of Neurosurgery, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.

The study of genetic alterations and molecular biology in central nervous system (CNS) tumors has improved the accuracy of estimations of patient prognosis and tumor categorization. Therefore, the updated 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) classification includes various diagnostic genes, molecules, and pathways for diagnosis, as well as histological findings. These findings are expected both to have diagnostic applications and to facilitate new targeted therapies that target tumor-specific genetic changes and molecular biology. Read More

Front Surg 2022 25;9:892470. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Department of General Chemistry, Bashkir State Medical University, Ufa, Russia.

Objectives: Spinal tumors remain a challenging problem in modern neurosurgery. The high rate of postoperative morbidity associated with intramedullary tumors makes the need for safer surgical techniques invaluable. This study analyses our experience with the treatment of spinal cord tumors and compares traditional management and a new different surgical approach to intramedullary tumors with an associated hydrosyringomyelia. Read More

J Neurooncol 2022 May 11;158(1):117-127. Epub 2022 May 11.

Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.

Purpose: Surgical resection is considered standard of care for primary intramedullary astrocytomas, but the infiltrative nature of these lesions often precludes complete resection without causing new post-operative neurologic deficits. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy serve as potential adjuvants, but high-quality data evaluating their efficacy are limited. Here we analyze the experience at a single comprehensive cancer center to identify independent predictors of postoperative overall and progression-free survival. Read More

J Radiol Case Rep 2022 Mar 1;16(3):15-22. Epub 2022 Mar 1.

Anatomical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia.

Intramedullary cavernous angioma is a rare vascular malformation compared to cerebral cavernous malformation. The incidence of cavernous angioma is about 3 - 5% of all central nervous system lesions, 5 - 12% of all spinal vascular lesions, and 1% of all intramedullary lesions in pediatric patients. Although intramedullary cavernous angioma has the same histological picture as cerebral cavernous angioma, the natural history, and surgical approach are different from cerebral cavernous angioma. Read More

Surg Neurol Int 2022 22;13:160. Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard - Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Primary spinal glioblastomas are extremely rare neoplasms and account for only 0.2% of glioblastoma cases. Due to the rare incidence of spinal cord glioblastoma in the literature, its natural history/ outcome remains undetermined. Read More

Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022 04 28;10(1):64. Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 1130 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY, 10032, USA.

We present the case of a 41-year-old man who developed worsening mid-thoracic back pain and imaging revealed a well-circumscribed intramedullary tumor in the thoracic spinal cord. Subtotal resection was performed, and histopathological analysis showed a cytologically bland, minimally proliferative glial neoplasm. Sequencing revealed H3 K27M and an activating PTPN11 mutation. Read More

Cureus 2022 Mar 22;14(3):e23408. Epub 2022 Mar 22.

Neurological Surgery, Biocor Instituto, Belo Horizonte, BRA.

Background: Primary spinal cord tumors are rare and heterogeneous, and their prevalence varies among the studies. Few articles have evaluated the prevalence, characteristics, and histological types of spinal cord tumors in Latin American populations. This study aimed to analyze the histological types and clinical aspects of a series of consecutive patients diagnosed with primary spinal cord tumors who underwent surgical treatment in a single Brazilian institution and to compare them with the literature. Read More

Br J Neurosurg 2022 Apr 20:1-7. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

Department of Neurosurgery and Neuropathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.

Introduction: Primary spinal glioblastoma (GBM) are very rare tumors of the spinal cord, with dismal prognosis and their exact management is controversial. We attempt to formulate treatment guidelines for these extremely rare tumors based on our institutional experience and a comprehensive review of the literature.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study from 2008 to 2020, all the patients diagnosed with primary spinal GBM who underwent surgery at our institution were included. Read More

Neurosurg Rev 2022 Apr 13. Epub 2022 Apr 13.

Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of motor evoked potentials (MEP), somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), and D-wave monitoring as predictors of postoperative neurological deficits in pediatric patients undergoing resection of intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs). Additionally, we aimed to determine whether alerts in the intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) influenced the extent of resection (EOR). A retrospective analysis of the pediatric patients who underwent resection of IMSCT between March 2010 and April 2021 with an IONM guidance was performed. Read More

Rep Pract Oncol Radiother 2022 22;27(1):134-141. Epub 2022 Mar 22.

Department of Oncology, General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.

Background: This retrospective analysis evaluated the long-term outcome of spinal stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) treatment for hemangioblastomas.

Materials And Methods: Between 2010 and 2018, 5 patients with 18 Von-Hippel Lindau-related pial-based spinal hemangioblastomas were treated with fractionated SBRT. After precisely registering images of all relevant datasets, we delineated the gross tumor volume, spinal cord (including intramedullary cysts and/or syrinxes), and past radiotherapy regions. Read More

Surg Neurol Int 2022 25;13:98. Epub 2022 Mar 25.

Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, State University of NY at Stony Brook, and c/o Dr. Marc Agulnick, 1122 Franklin Avenue Suite 106, Garden City, NY, 11530, USA.

Background: Spinal arachnoid cysts (SAC) are typically congenital, spontaneous, traumatic (i.e., including iatrogenic/surgical), or inflammatory in origin. Read More

Neurophysiol Clin 2022 Jun 5;52(3):242-251. Epub 2022 Apr 5.

Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hôpital neurologique Pierre Wertheimer, Service de Neurologie Fonctionnelle et Epileptologie, Lyon, France; Université Lyon I, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, France; Centre de Recherche de Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM UMRS 1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, F-69000 Lyon, France.

Objectives: To assess the accuracy of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) in predicting immediate and 3-month postoperative neurological new deficit (or deterioration) in patients benefiting from spinal cord (SC) surgery; and to identify factors associated with a higher risk of postoperative clinical worsening.

Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent SC surgery with IONM were included. Pre and postoperative clinical (modified McCormick scale), radiological (lesion-occupying area ratio), and electrophysiological features were collected. Read More

Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 2022 Jun 7;62(6):300-305. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University.

Spinal intramedullary tumors such as ependymoma or vascular lesions such as cavernous malformation are often at risk of intramedullary hemorrhage. Surgical procedures involving the high cervical spinal cord are often challenging. This technical note included four patients who presented with acute, subacute, or gradual onset of spinal cord dysfunction associated with intramedullary hemorrhage at the C1 or C1/2 level of the high cervical spine. Read More

Front Oncol 2022 21;12:837570. Epub 2022 Mar 21.

Burdenko Neurosurgical Center, Moscow, Russia.

In this study, we report 31 spinal intramedullary astrocytoma (SIA) RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) profiles for 25 adult patients with documented clinical annotations. To our knowledge, this is the first clinically annotated RNA-seq dataset of spinal astrocytomas derived from the intradural intramedullary compartment. We compared these tumor profiles with the previous healthy central nervous system (CNS) RNA-seq data for spinal cord and brain and identified SIA-specific gene sets and molecular pathways. Read More

J Cancer Res Ther 2022 Jan-Mar;18(1):270-272

Department of Radiotherapy, Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Gliosarcoma is a biphasic central nervous system malignancy composed of glial and mesenchymal components. It is recognized as a rare variant of glioblastoma with unique histology, immunostaining properties, and natural history. Although usually described to primarily involve the brain, a search of the published literature revealed four reported cases of gliosarcoma arising in the spinal cord. Read More

Neurospine 2022 Mar 31;19(1):108-117. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.

Objective: Spinal cord tumors constitute a small part of spinal surgery owing to their rarity. This retrospective study describes their current management.

Methods: Forty-eight patients were treated for an intramedullary tumor between 2014 and 2020 at a single institution. Read More

Surg Neurol Int 2021 30;12:630. Epub 2021 Dec 30.

Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are uncommon but aggressive neoplasms associated with radiation exposure and neurofibromatosis Type I (NF1). Their incidence is low compared to other nervous system cancers, and intramedullary spinal lesions are exceedingly rare. Only a few case reports have described intramedullary spinal cord MPNST. Read More

Spinal Cord Ser Cases 2022 03 28;8(1):35. Epub 2022 Mar 28.

Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital Dammam (KFSHD), Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Non-dysraphic intradural spinal cord lipomas are rare, and true intramedullary cervical-thoracic lipomas are extremely rare. Spinal lipomas usually present with chronic, progressive myelopathic features. Unlike dysraphic lipomas, which are usually located in the lumbo-sacral region, non-dysraphic lipomas are usually located in the cervical or thoracic spine. Read More

World Neurosurg 2022 Jul 25;163. Epub 2022 Mar 25.

Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Electronic address:

Although rare, intramedullary spinal cavernous malformations have a 1.4%-6.8% annual hemorrhage risk and can cause significant morbidity. Read More

Spine J 2022 Mar 24. Epub 2022 Mar 24.

Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA, 21287; Department of Neurosurgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra, Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, USA, 11030.

Background Context: Intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs) are rare tumors associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Surgical resection is often indicated for symptomatic lesions but may result in new neurological deficits and decrease quality of life. Identifying predictors of these adverse outcomes may help target interventions designed to reduce their occurrence. Read More

J Int Med Res 2022 Mar;50(3):3000605221082889

Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102218, P.R. China.

Background: Spinal ependymoma is the most common intramedullary tumor in adults. This study was performed to evaluate whether intraoperative yellow fluorescence use enhances our ability to identify the tumor margin and residual tumor tissue in intramedullary spinal cord ependymoma resection. We also evaluated patients' clinical conditions at a 3-month follow-up. Read More

J Comp Pathol 2022 Apr 19;192:18-22. Epub 2022 Feb 19.

Department of Veterinary Clinic and Pathology, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A 7-year-old female goat developed progressive ataxia, which progressed to sternal recumbency. Clinical examination revealed a slight elevation in the sacral spine (S1-S2), tetraparesis, perineal hypoaesthesia and absent tail and anal reflexes. Due to unresponsiveness to treatment with corticosteroids, the goat was euthanized. Read More

World Neurosurg 2022 Jun 16;162. Epub 2022 Mar 16.

Department of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA. Electronic address:

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases (ISCMs) are rare, representing 8.5% of central nervous system metastases and 5% of intramedullary lesions. With the advent of immunotherapy leading to longer-term survival for cancer patients, intramedullary metastases are on the rise. Read More

Anticancer Drugs 2022 04;33(4):394-399

Department of Neurosurgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital.

Intramedullary spinal glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tends to recur within 11 months of surgical resection, even after adjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Treatment options for recurrent spinal GBM are often limited. (Z)-n-butylidenephthalide [(Z)-BP] is a natural compound that induces apoptosis, antiproliferation, anti-invasion and antistemness effects in GBM cells. Read More

Ann Palliat Med 2022 Feb;11(2):506-512

Department of Oncology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Background: Metastatic spinal dissemination (MSD) is a rare phenomenon in glioblastoma (GBM). The study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of GBM patients with MSD.

Methods: Fifteen GBM patients with MSD, who were treated and followed up with at the Department of Oncology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from September 2012 to February 2021, were selected for this study. Read More