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Background: The purpose of this randomised, single-centre study was to prospectively investigate the impact of anaesthetic techniques for craniotomy on the release of cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and to determine whether intravenous anaesthesia compared to inhalational anaesthesia attenuates the inflammatory response. Methods: The study enroled 40 patients undergoing craniotomy, allocated into two equal groups to receive either sevoflurane (n = 20) or propofol (n = 20) in conjunction with remifentanil and rocuronium. The lungs were ventilated mechanically to maintain normocapnia. Remifentanil infusion was adjusted according to the degree of surgical manipulation and increased when mean arterial pressure and the heart rate increased by more than 30 % from baseline. The depth of anaesthesia was adjusted to maintain a bispectral index (BIS) of 40-60. Invasive haemodynamic monitoring was used. Serum levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 were measured before surgery and anaesthesia, during tumour removal, at the end of surgery, and at 24 and 48 h after surgery. Postoperative complications (pain, vomiting, changes in blood pressure, infection and pulmonary, cardiovascular and neurological events) were monitored during the first 15 days after surgery. Results: Compared with patients anaesthetised with sevoflurane, patients who received propofol had higher levels of IL-10 (p = 0.0001) and lower IL-6/IL-10 concentration ratio during and at the end of surgery (p = 0.0001). Both groups showed only a minor response of IL- 8 during and at the end of the surgery (p = 0.57). Conclusions: Patients who received propofol had higher levels of IL-10 during surgery. Neither sevoflurane nor propofol had any significant impact on the occurrence of postoperative complications. Our findings should incite future studies to prove a potential medically important anti-inflammatory role of propofol in neuroanaesthesia. Clinical trial registration: Identified as NCT02229201 at www.clinicaltrials.gov [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Low-grade gliomas (LGG) are slow-growing primary brain tumors in adults, with high tropism for eloquent areas. Standard approach in treatment of LGG is awake craniotomy with intraoperative cortical mapping -- a method which is usually used on adult and fully cooperative patients. Case Report We present the case of a patient with learning disabilities (PLD) who was operated for left insular LGG awake craniotomy, and intraoperative cortical mapping were performed and the tumor was gross totally removed. Conclusion Awake surgery for left insular LGG removal is challenging; however, it can be performed safely and successfully on PLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-grade meningiomas are rare extra-axial tumors, frequently causing brain invasion and prominent brain edema. Patients harboring high-grademeningiomas occasionally present with behavior changes. Data about frequency and prognostic importance of preoperative behavior changes in patients with high-grade meningiomas is missing. 86 patients with primary high-grade meningiomas were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed to determine correlation of preoperative behavior changes with tumor location, preoperative brain edema, tumor cleavability, tumor grade, Ki67 proliferation index, and microscopic brain invasion. Survival analysis was performed. 30 (34.9%) patients presented with preoperative behavior changes.These changes were more frequent with male patients (P = 0.066) and patients older than 55 years (P = 0.018).They correlated with frontal location (P = 0.013), tumor size (P = 0.023), microscopic brain invasion (P = 0.015), and brain edema (P = 0.006). Preoperative behavior changes did not correlate with duration of symptoms, tumor cleavability, tumor malignancy grade, and Ki67 proliferation index. They were not significantly related to overall survival or recurrence-free survival of patients with primary high-grademeningiomas. Preoperative behavior changes are frequent in patients harboring primary high-grademeningiomas.They correlatewith tumor size, microscopic brain invasion, and brain edema. Preoperative behavior changes do not predict prognosis in patients with primary high-grade meningiomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical cases of frontal lobe lesions have been significantly associated with acquired aggressive behaviour. Restoring neuronal and cognitive faculties of aggressive individuals through invasive brain intervention raises ethical questions in general. However, more questions have to be addressed in cases where individuals refuse surgical treatment. The ethical desirability and permissibility of using intrusive surgical brain interventions for involuntary or voluntary treatment of acquired aggressiveness is highly questionable. This article engages with the description of acquired aggressiveness in general, and presents a rare clinical case to illustrate the difficulties of treating this population. To expand the debate further, this article explores the ethics related to invasive brain surgery in three parts: a) it examines coercive involuntary invasive brain surgery for the benefit of protecting others on individuals suffering from acquired aggressiveness who lack decision-making capacities to consent; b) it addresses voluntary psychosurgery on individuals suffering from acquired aggressiveness who are competent to consent; and, c) it questions whether acquired aggressive individuals, who are legally competent, have a duty to consent to invasive brain surgery, in order to maintain their autonomy by reducing or even eliminate their aggressive drives. Ensuring the safety and efficacy of surgical brain interventions could increase the ethical permissibility of voluntary treatment, but it would not necessarily entail ethical justification for proceeding with invasive brain surgery for treatment of intractable acquired aggressive behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Malignant gliomas account for a high proportion of brain tumours. With new advances in neurooncology, the recurrence-free survival of patients with malignant gliomas has been substantially prolonged. It, however, remains dependent on the thoroughness of the surgical resection. The maximal tumour resection without additional postoperative deficit is the goal of surgery on patients with malignant gliomas. In order to minimize postoperative deficit, several pre- and intraoperative techniques have been developed. Conclusions. Several techniques used in malignant glioma surgery have been developed, including microsurgery, neuroendoscopy, stereotactic biopsy and brachytherapy. Imaging and functional techniques allowing for safer tumour resection have a special value. Imaging techniques allow for better preoperative visualization and choice of the approach, while functional techniques help us locate eloquent regions of the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Meningiomas are intracranial brain tumours that frequently recur. Recurrence rates up to 20% in 20 years for benign meningiomas, up to 80% for atypical meningiomas and up to 100% for malignant meningiomas, have been reported. The most important prognostic factors for meningioma recurrence are meningioma grade, meningioma invasiveness and radicality of neurosurgical resection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the differences in antigenic expression on the surface of meningioma cells between recurrent and non-recurrent meningiomas. Methods. 19 recurrent meningiomas and 35 non-recurrent meningiomas were compared regarding the expression of MIB-1 antigen, progesterone receptors, cathepsin B and cathepsin L, using immunohistochemistry. Results. MIB-1 antigen expression was higher in the recurrent meningioma group (p=0.001). No difference in progesterone receptor status between recurrent and non-recurrent meningiomas was confirmed. Immunohistochemical intensity scores for cathepsin B (p= 0.007) and cathepsin L (p<0.001) were both higher in the recurrent than in the non-recurrent meningioma group. Conslusions. MIB-1 antigen expression is higher in recurrent compared to non-recurrent meningiomas. There is no difference in expression of progesterone receptors between recurrent and non-recurrent meningiomas. Cathepsins B and L are expressed more in recurrent meningiomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]