Objective To explore the application value of near infrared spectrum (NIRS) in the detection of epidural and subdural hematoma in clinic.Methods Thirty-four patients with subdural and epidural hematomas (study group) confirmed by CT or MRI and 14 healthy volunteers (contrast group) were selected.The NIRS equipment which was produced by Institute of Automation of Chinese Academy of Sciences were used to assess the intracranial hematomas.Taking CT or MRI results as the golden standard,the diagnostic efficiency of NIRS for subdural and epidural hematomas were evaluated.Results For the diagnosis of subdural and epidural hematomas,the sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 91.18％(31/34),71.43％ (10/14),85.42％(41/48),88.57％(31/35) and 76.92％ (10/13),respectively.Conclusion NIRS is a good device to predict intracranial subdural and epidural hematomas with high sensitivity and positive predictive value,which is helpful for early diagnosis and therapy in clinic.

Objective To investigate the imaging features of giant cell tumors (GCTs) of the skull and review of the literatures.Methods CT and MR features of 16 histologically proven GCTs of the skull were analyzed retrospectively.The imaging features of GCTs of the skull were summarized based on literature.Results 16 patients (male=9,female=7) with GCTs of the skull were enrolled in the study.Most of the lesions were originated from sphenoid and temporal bone.On CT scan,the lesions showed slightly hyperdense with cystic formation.Those of the sphenoid bone in sellar region usually showed osteolytic bone destruction;those of the temporal bone usually showed expansive bone destruction,foci calcification in the lesion and discontinuous "bony shell" sign could be seen at the edge.On MR images,the lesion showed isointense on T1 WI and iso-or hypointense on T2 WI with cystic formation.After contrast medium injection,the lesions demonstrated heterogeneous and apparent enhancement,and the enhancement of the adjacent meninges could be detected in some cases.Conclusion GCTs of the skull mainly originate from sphenoid and temporal bone,and the bone changes are different between the two sites on CT scan.The imaging features of GCTs are various on MR images and mainly show isointense or hypointense on T2 WI.

Purpose: Whether craniospinal irradiation (CSI) could be replaced by limited-field radiation in non-metastatic bifocal germinoma remains controversial. We addressed the issue based on the data from our series and the literature. Methods: Data from 49 patients diagnosed with non-metastatic bifocal germinoma at our hospital during the last 10 years were collected. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 was used to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Additionally, 81 patients identified from the literature were also analyzed independently. Results: In our cohort, 34 patients had tumors in the sellar/suprasellar (S/SS) plus pineal gland (PG) regions and 15 in the S/SS plus basal ganglia/thalamus (BG/T) regions. The median follow-up period was 52 months (range, 10 to 134 months). Our survival analysis showed that patients treated with CSI (n=12) or whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT; n=34) had comparable disease-free survival (DFS; p=0.540), but better DFS than those treated with focal radiotherapy (FR; n=3, p=0.016). All 81 patients from the literature had tumors in the S/SS+PG regions. Relapses were documented in 4/45 patients treated with FR, 2/17 treated with whole-ventricle irradiation, 0/4 treated with WBRT, and 1/15 treated with CSI. Survival analysis did not reveal DFS differences between the types of radiation field (p=0.785). HRQOL analysis (n=44) in our cohort found that, compared with S/SS+PG germinoma, patients with BG/T involvement had significantly lower scores in social and school domains. However, HRQOL difference between patients treated with CSI and those not treated with CSI was not significant. Conclusion In patients with non-metastatic bifocal germinoma, it is rational that CSI could be replaced by limited-field radiation. HRQOL in patients with BG/T involvement was poorer.