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Although frozen section pathology (FSP) is commonly performed during surgery for glioma-suspicious lesions, confounders of accuracy are largely unknown. FSP and final diagnosis were compared in 398 surgeries for glioma-suspicious lesions. Diagnostic accuracy, risk factors for diagnostic shift from neoplastic to non-neoplastic tissue and vice versa according to the final diagnosis, and the impact on intraoperative and postoperative decision-making were analyzed. Diagnostic shift occurred in 70 cases (18%), and sensitivity, specificity, and the positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive value of FSP were 82.5%, 77.8%, 99.4%, and 9.3%, respectively. No correlations between shift and patients' age and sex, sample fluorescence or volume, tumor location, correct information on the pathology form, final high- or low-grade histology, or molecular alterations were found (p >.05, each). Shift was more common after irradiation (25% vs 15%; p =.025) or chemotherapy (26% vs 15%; p =.022) than in treatment naïve cases and correlated with the type of surgery (p =.002). FSP altered intraoperative decision-making in 25 cases (6%). Postoperative shift led to repeated surgery in 12 patients (3%). In 45 cases, in which FSP and final diagnosis based on the same tissue, shift occurred in only 5 patients (11%), and sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for FSP were 77.4%, 78.6%, 88.9%, and 61.1%, respectively. No correlations between diagnostic shift and any of the analyzed variables were found (p >.05, each). Although accuracy of FSP during glioma surgery is sufficient, moderate NPV should be considered during intraoperative decision-making. While confounders are sparse, accuracy might be increased by repeated sampling. Diagnostic shift rarely alters postoperative treatment strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is a pressing demand for more accurate, disease-specific quality measures in the field of neurosurgery. Aiming at most adequately measuring and reflecting the quality of glioma therapy, we developed a novel quality indicator bundle in form of a checklist for all patients that are treated operatively for glioma. Methods On the basis of possible glioma-specific quality indicators retrieved from the literature and quality guidelines, a multidisciplinary team developed a checklist containing 13 patient-need-specific outcome measures. Subsequently, the checklist was prospectively applied to a total of 78 patients compared with a control group consisting of 322 patients. A score was generated based on the maximum of quality measures achieved. Results Significant improvements in quality after prospectively introducing the checklist were achieved for supplemental physical and occupational therapy during inpatient stay (89.4% vs 100%, P =.002), consultation of a social worker during inpatient stay (64% vs 92.3%, P <.001), psycho-oncological screening (14.3% vs 70.5%, P <.001), psycho-oncological consultation (31.1% vs 82.1%, P <.001), and consultation of the palliative care team (20% vs 40%, P =.031). Overall, after introduction of the checklist one-third (n = 23) of patients reached best-practice measures in all categories, and over half of the patients (n = 44) achieved above 90% with respect to the outcome measures. Conclusions Aiming at ensuring comprehensive, consistent, and timely care of glioma patients, the implementation of the checklist for routine use in glioma surgery represents an efficient, easily reproducible, and powerful tool for significant improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Ultrasonic aspiration is widely used in the resection of brain tumors. Nevertheless, tumor tissue fragments obtained by ultrasonic aspiration are usually discarded. In this study, we demonstrate that these fragments are possible sources of material for histopathological study and tissue culture and compare their microscopic features and viability in tissue culture of cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator tissue fragments. Methods: Brain tumor tissue collected by ultrasonic aspiration (CUSA EXcel®; Integra Radionics Inc.) in a simple sterile suction trap during resection was processed for primary cell culture. Cell viability and immunohistological markers were measured by the WST-1 test, microscopy and immunofluorescent evaluation. Results: Six gliomas are presented to demonstrate that these tissue fragments show good preservation of histological detail and tissue viability in culture. Conclusion: Utilization of this material may facilitate pathological interpretation by providing a more representative sample of tumor histology as well as an adequate and sterile biosource of material for tissue culture studies. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Low-grade gliomas (e.g., pilocytic astrocytomas) are frequently found in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Whereas most of those lesions are located supratentorially, cerebellar manifestations are described in < 1%. Malignant variants like glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) are only rarely observed in NF1 patients. Thus, cerebellar AA is very infrequent and has not yet been described in an adult NF1 patient. Clinical Presentation We present the case of a 54-year-old male patient with von Recklinghausen disease who had a diffuse contrast-enhancing cerebellar mass that was resected guided by aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-fluorescence. Histopathological analyses revealed an AA with lack of pilocytic features or O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter hypermethylation. Due to the proximity of the tumor to the brainstem, adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy was administered rather than firstline radiotherapy. Although the patient recovered quickly after the operation and tumor progression was ruled out in follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the patient strongly deteriorated during a 16-month follow-up, and MRI revealed severe leukoencephalopathy. Extensive electrophysiological and radiological examination revealed a neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology. Finally, the patient's condition improved receiving levodopa. Conclusions A literature search yielded only one previously published case of an AA in a 9-year-old girl with NF1. Tumor control after resection was achieved in both patients; however, the patient in the mentioned report received radiation instead of temozolomide. In spite of different adjuvant therapies, tumor control for at least 16 months was achieved in both published cases. Thus, even though the role of adjuvant treatment options remains to be further elucidated, surgery is the appropriate therapy in these uncommon tumors providing mass reduction and histological diagnosis as well as tumor control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromosomal 7q34 duplication and BRAF-KIAA1549 fusion is a characteristic genetic alteration in pilocytic astrocytomas. 7q34 gain appears to be common in diffuse astrocytomas, but its significance is unclear. We assessed BRAF gain and BRAF mutations in 123 low-grade diffuse gliomas, including 55 diffuse astrocytomas, 18 oligoastrocytomas and 50 oligodendrogliomas. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed BRAF gain in 17/50 (34%) oligodendrogliomas, a significantly higher frequency than in diffuse astrocytomas (7/55; 13%; P = 0.0112). BRAF gain was common in low-grade diffuse gliomas with 1p/19q loss (39%) and those lacking any of the genetic alterations analyzed (31%), but was rare in those with TP53 mutations (2%). Logistic regression analysis showed a significant positive association between 1p/19q loss and BRAF gain ( P = 0.0032) and a significant negative association between TP53 mutations and BRAF gain ( P = 0.0042). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of 26 low-grade diffuse gliomas with BRAF gain additionally revealed BRAF-KIAA1549 fusion in one oligodendroglioma. Sequencing of cDNA in 17 low-grade diffuse gliomas showed BRAF-KIAA1549 fusion in another oligodendroglioma. A BRAFV600E mutation was also detected in one oligodendroglioma, and a BRAFA598V in one diffuse astrocytoma. These results suggest that low-grade diffuse gliomas with 1p/19q loss have frequent BRAF gains, and a small fraction of oligodendrogliomas may show BRAF-KIAA1549 fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gliosarcoma is a rare variant of glioblastoma characterized by a biphasic pattern of glial and mesenchymal differentiation. It is unclear whether mesenchymal differentiation in gliosarcomas is because of extensive genomic instability and/or to a mechanism similar to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In the present study, we assessed 40 gliosarcomas for immunoreactivity of Slug, Twist, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which are involved in EMT in epithelial tumors. Nuclear Slug expression was observed in >50% of neoplastic cells in mesenchymal tumor areas of 33 (83%) gliosarcomas, but not in glial areas ( P < 0.0001). Nuclear Twist expression was observed in >50% of neoplastic cells in mesenchymal tumor areas of 35 (88%) gliosarcomas, but glial tumor areas were largely negative except in four cases ( P < 0.0001). Expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was also significantly more extensive in mesenchymal than in glial tumor areas. None of 20 ordinary glioblastomas showed Slug or Twist expression in >10% neoplastic cells. Thus, expression of Slug, Twist, MMP-2 and MMP-9 was characteristic of mesenchymal tumor areas of gliosarcomas, suggesting that mechanisms involved in the EMT in epithelial neoplasms may play roles in mesenchymal differentiation in gliosarcomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]