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Introduction The goal of this study was to determine if clinically relevant endpoints were changed by improved MRI resolution during radiosurgical treatment planning. Methods and Materials Between 2003 and 2008, 200 consecutive patients with brain metastases treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) using either 1.5 T or 3.0 T MRI for radiosurgical treatment planning were retrospectively analysed. The number of previously undetected metastases at time of radiosurgery, distant brain failures, time delay to whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), overall survival and likelihood of neurological death were determined. Results Additional metastases were detected in 31.3% and 24.5% of patients at time of radiosurgery with 3.0 T and 1.5 T MRI, respectively (P = 0.27). Patients with multiple metastases at diagnostic scan were more likely to have additional metastases detected by 3.0 T MRI (P

Introduction: Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has been established as a safe and effective treatment option for trigeminal neuralgia. Some patients have contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the standard stereotactic imaging used for GKRS treatment planning. Computerized tomography (CT) imaging may be used as an alternative in this scenario. We sought to evaluate the outcomes of our patients treated using this technique. Methods: Between August 2001 and November 2009, 19 patients with trigeminal neuralgia were treated with GKRS using CT-only planning. The course of the trigeminal nerve was determined based upon anatomical landmarks when the nerve was not directly visualized on the treatment-planning CT. Median dose used was 90 Gy (range 85–90 Gy). Follow-up data based on Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain score and toxicity were obtained using electronic medical records and by telephone interview. Results: With median follow-up time of 18 months (range 4–36 months), improvement in quality of life after GKRS was reported in 17 of 19 patients. Freedom from BNI IV-V pain relapse was 82% at 24 months. By 3 months post-GKRS, 50% of patients were able to discontinue medications completely. Three patients reported numbness after GKRS; none of these patients described bothersome numbness. Use of contrast did not affect treatment outcome (P = 0.31). Conclusions: Stereotactic CT-only treatment planning of GKRS for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia is feasible and safe. Further studies are necessary to determine if the long-term durability of pain relief is comparable to that of MRI-based GKRS planning.

Angiocentric glioma (AG) is a rare central nervous system (CNS) neoplasm that was only recently recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). AG occurs in a broad age range, shows no gender predilection, and arises superficially in the cerebrum, usually resulting in medically intractable seizures. Most cases are cured by surgical excision alone, consistent with a WHO grade I neoplasm. We report a case of an AG in the right frontal lobe of a 57-year-old female, emphasizing the cytologic and immunohistochemical features, including confirmation and comparison with the surgical specimen. To our knowledge, this is the first report detailing the cytology of AG, including demonstration of important diagnostic findings that were only appreciated in the cytologic preparations and not in the smears or the surgical specimen. We also compare and contrast AG to other entities in the differential diagnosis and include a review of the literature. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.