BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Meningiomas represent the most prevalent benign intracranial tumors, comprising 13- 26% of primary intracranial neoplasms. These tumors derive their blood supply from both extracranial and intracranial circulation. Over recent decades, pre-operative embolization (POE) has emerged as a potential adjunctive therapy to surgery, aiming to reduce tumor vascularity. Our study seeks to explore the potential correlation between the extent of devascularization following POE of meningiomas and intraoperative blood loss.

This cross-sectional study involved nine meningioma patients at a tertiary hospital, involving chart review of patients across four years. These patients were referred for POE due to angiographic evidence of a hypervascular mass between January 2018 and January 2022. We collected demographic data, tumor characteristics (including location, size, and vascular supply), and intraoperative variables such as total operative time and blood loss. Statistical analyses aimed to uncover correlations between vascularization degree and various factors.

Our population consists predominantly of females (53.68%), with a mean age of 45.85 ± 13.65 years. Only one mortality was recorded (7.7%). Pre-operative embolization achieved devascularization in the majority (69.2%) of cases, with approximately two-thirds (66.7%) experiencing complete devascularization. Mean total operative time stood at 336.11 ± 301.88 minutes, with a mean post-operative blood loss of 985.56 ± 1013.72 milliliters. Additionally, for those with recorded recovery times, the mean recovery time was 14.32 ± 13.51 hours.

Mortality rates showed no association with sex, devascularization status, or number of feeding vessel zones. Furthermore, the extent of devascularization did not correlate with age, sex, number of feeding vessel zones, postoperative blood loss, total operative time, or recovery time (p >0.05).

In summary, this study represents a significant endeavor to elucidate factors influencing meningioma outcomes following pre-operative embolization. Despite limitations regarding patient numbers, our study offers valuable insights into operative parameters and embolization considerations for future analyses in our tertiary center.

Lung cancer is still one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. With the increase of its incidence and the development of medical technology, the overall survival of lung cancer patients has significantly extended compared to before. The incidence of brain and meningeal metastases from lung cancer has also been rising year by year, but patients with brain and meningeal metastases from lung cancer have a poor prognosis and a very high mortality rate, and the diagnosis is mainly based on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other imaging examinations. However, the imaging features are diverse and the specificity is low, which makes it easy to be misdiagnosed and missed. Therefore, accurately identifying brain and meningeal metastases and timely targeted treatment is crucial for improving patient prognosis. This paper analyzed the diagnosis and treatment of a case of lung cancer with no obvious recurrence and metastasis in nearly 7-year long-term follow-up after radical lung cancer surgery, but the patient with abnormal behavior, impaired consciousness and epilepsy in the past 5 months, and multiple punctate calcifications in the brain found by head CT and MRI. This paper consider that the patient's mental and behavioral symptoms were caused by brain and meningeal metastasis of lung cancer after excluding infectious disease and ineffective treatment of autoimmune encephalitis, and further pathological biopsy and genetic detection confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) L858R gene mutation, and the patient's symptoms were significantly improved after targeted therapy by Osimertinib. This paper also searched the relevant literatures of brain calcifications in databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, UpToDate, PubMed, etc., and found that intracerebral calcifications exist in a variety of diseases, including infectious, genetic and neurodegenerative diseases, vascular diseases, metabolic diseases and tumors. However, brain calcification in brain and meningeal metastases are often underestimated, and the consequent risk is misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. Therefore, brain and meningeal metastases manifested as brain calcification should not be ignored in patients with a history of previous tumors.
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Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Brain Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Meningeal Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Calcinosis/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

BACKGROUND: Meningeal metastasis (MM) is a form of malignant metastasis where tumor cells spread from the primary site to the pia mater, dura mater, arachnoid, subarachnoid space, and other cerebrospinal fluid compartments. Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumor types with MM. MM not only signifies that the lung cancer has progressed to an advanced stage but also leads to a range of severe clinical symptoms due to meningeal involvement. Currently, the risk factors associated with the development of MM are not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for MM in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) who underwent non-surgical interventions, in order to identify LUAD patients at high risk for MM. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of patients diagnosed with LUAD at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to July 2024. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation methods, and risk factors were identified through LASSO, univariate, and multivariate Logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 170 patients with LUAD were included in this study and divided into two groups: 87 patients with MM and 83 patients without MM. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses revealed that younger age at diagnosis (P=0.004), presence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) L858R gene mutation (P=0.008), and concurrent liver metastasis at baseline (P=0.004) were independent risk factors for developing MM in LUAD patients who did not undergo surgical intervention. Conversely, higher baseline globulin levels (P=0.039) and the presence of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene mutation (P=0.040) were associated with a reduced risk of MM development. CONCLUSIONS Age at diagnosis, EGFR L858R mutation status, ALK gene mutation status, concurrent liver metastasis, globulin levels at baseline were significantly associated with the risk of developing MM in patients with LUAD patients who did not undergo surgical intervention. For patients diagnosed at a younger age, carrying the EGFR L858R mutation, or presenting with baseline liver metastasis, early implementation of tertiary prevention strategies for MM is crucial. Regular monitoring of MM status should be conducted in these high-risk groups.
Humans ; Male ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung/therapy* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Meningeal Neoplasms/genetics* ; Adult

BACKGROUND: The incidence of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is increasing gradually. However, it poses therapeutic challenges due to limited effective interventions. Intrathecal Pemetrexed (IP) holds broad application prospects in the therapeutic domain of LM. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and optimal combination strategies of IP in NSCLC-LM patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive status, with the aim of providing real-world data support for exploring more precise personalized treatment strategies for these patients. METHODS: 104 EGFR-mutated NSCLC-LM patients who received IP treatment at Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2018 to June 2024 were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical parameters, treatment regimens, and survival outcomes were collected. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), clinical response rate and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. RESULTS: The cohort demonstrated a median PFS of 9.6 months and OS of 13.0 months with 6-month and 1-year OS rates of 80.8% and 56.5%, respectively. Clinical response was observed in 77.9% of patients. The common AEs were myelosuppression (58.7%) and elevation of hepatic aminotransferases (25.0%). Nine (8.7%) patients experienced grade 4 myelosuppression and recovered to normal after receiving symptomatic treatment. Subgroup analyses revealed prolonged OS in patients with Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≥60 versus <60 (14.4 vs 9.0 months, P=0.0022) and those receiving Bevacizumab therapy versus not (19.2 vs 10.5 months, P=0.0011). CONCLUSIONS IP exhibits promising efficacy and manageable toxicity in EGFR-mutated NSCLC-LM patients. When combined with Bevacizumab, it exerts synergistic antitumor effects with the potential to further improve clinical outcomes.
Humans ; Pemetrexed/therapeutic use* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; ErbB Receptors/genetics* ; Aged ; Mutation ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Injections, Spinal ; Meningeal Neoplasms/genetics* ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged, 80 and over

BACKGROUND: Lead is a persistent inorganic environmental pollutant with global implication for human health. Among the diseases associated with lead exposure, the damage to the central nervous system has received considerable attention. It has been reported that long-term lead exposure increases the risk of meningioma; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Clinical studies have indicated that loss-of-function and mutations in the neurofibromin-2 (NF2) gene play a crucial role in promoting meningioma formation. METHODS: The effect of Pb on meningioma were tested in-vitro and in-vivo. Two human meningioma cell lines were used in this study, including NF2-wildtype IOMM-Lee cell and NF2-null CH157-MN cell. Cell viability, cell cycle and cell size were examined after Pb exposure. The expression of Merlin, mammalian sterile 20-like kinases 1 and 2 (MST1/2) and Yes-associated protein (YAP) from these two meningioma cells were analyzed by Western blot. A xenograft mouse model was constructed by subcutaneous injection of IOMM-Lee meningioma cells. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that treatment with lead induce dose-dependent proliferation in IOMM-Lee cell (with an EC₅₀ value of 19.6 µM). Moreover, IOMM-Lee cell exhibited augmented cell size in conjunction with elevated levels of phosphorylated histone H3, indicative of altered cell cycle progression resulting from lead exposure. However, no significant change was observed in the CH157-MN cell. Additionally, the Merlin-Hippo signaling pathway was inactivated with decreased Merlin and phosphorylation levels of MST1/2 and YAP, leading to increased YAP nuclear translocation in IOMM-Lee cells. However, there was no change in the Merlin-Hippo signaling pathway in CH157-MN cells after lead treatment. The administration of Pb resulted in an acceleration of the subcutaneous IOMM-Lee meningioma xenograft growth in mice. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the current study elucidates the potential mechanism by which lead exposure promotes the proliferation of meningioma with NF2 expression for the first time.
Meningioma/genetics* ; Neurofibromin 2/genetics* ; Humans ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Animals ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice ; Hippo Signaling Pathway ; Lead/adverse effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects* ; Female

Humans ; Meningioma/surgery* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Meningeal Neoplasms/surgery*

Background and Objective: Meningiomas represent the most prevalent benign intracranial tumors, comprising 13- 26% of primary intracranial neoplasms. These tumors derive their blood supply from both extracranial and intracranial circulation. Over recent decades, pre-operative embolization (POE) has emerged as a potential adjunctive therapy to surgery, aiming to reduce tumor vascularity. Our study seeks to explore the potential correlation between the extent of devascularization following POE of meningiomas and intraoperative blood loss. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved nine meningioma patients at a tertiary hospital, involving chart review of patients across four years. These patients were referred for POE due to angiographic evidence of a hypervascular mass between January 2018 and January 2022. We collected demographic data, tumor characteristics (including location, size, and vascular supply), and intraoperative variables such as total operative time and blood loss. Statistical analyses aimed to uncover correlations between vascularization degree and various factors. Results: Our population consists predominantly of females (53.68%), with a mean age of 45.85 ± 13.65 years. Only one mortality was recorded (7.7%). Pre-operative embolization achieved devascularization in the majority (69.2%) of cases, with approximately two-thirds (66.7%) experiencing complete devascularization. Mean total operative time stood at 336.11 ± 301.88 minutes, with a mean post-operative blood loss of 985.56 ± 1013.72 milliliters. Additionally, for those with recorded recovery times, the mean recovery time was 14.32 ± 13.51 hours. : Mortality rates showed no association with sex, devascularization status, or number of feeding vessel zones. Furthermore, the extent of devascularization did not correlate with age, sex, number of feeding vessel zones, postoperative blood loss, total operative time, or recovery time (p >0.05). Conclusion In summary, this study represents a significant endeavor to elucidate factors influencing meningioma outcomes following pre-operative embolization. Despite limitations regarding patient numbers, our study offers valuable insights into operative parameters and embolization considerations for future analyses in our tertiary center.
Meningioma ; Radiology, Interventional

Humans ; Meningioma/pathology* ; Prognosis ; Meningeal Neoplasms/pathology*

Spinal metastases (SM) is the commonest form of solid tumors osseous metastasis, for which surgical dissection is often performed when combined with spinal cord compression. Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) results from dissemination of cancer cells to both the leptomeninges (pia and arachnoid) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compartment. The spread of LM may occur via multiple routes, such as hematogenous, direct infiltration from metastatic brain lesions, or via iatrogenic seeding of CSF. Signs and symptoms associated with LM are generalized and various while early diagnosis of LM is challenging. Cytological evaluation of the CSF and gadolinium enhanced MRI brain and spine is the gold standard for diagnosing LM and CSF can help assess treatment response. While a number of other potential CSF biomarkers have been investigated both for the diagnosis as well as monitoring of LM, none have been established as a component of the standard evaluation of all LM or suspected LM patients. Management goals of LM include improving patient's neurologic function, quality of life, preventing further neurologic deterioration and prolonging survival. In many cases, it may be reasonable to pursue a palliative and comfort focused course, even from the initial LM diagnosis. Surgery is not recommended considering the risk of seeding with cerebrospinal fluid. A diagnosis of LM carries a poor prognosis with an estimated median survival of only 2-4 months despite therapy. Spinal metastases combined with leptomeningeal metastasis (SM+LM) is not uncommon and its treatment is similar to LM. LM can appear at the same time as SM or directly invaded by SM, which is thought regarding the pathophysiology of LM remains speculative and not systematically studied. The present article reports a 58-year-old woman who was first diagnosed with SM, but worsened after surgery repeated MRI examinations confirmed coexisting LM. Relevant literature was reviewed to summarize the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of SM+LM, so as to improve the understanding of the disease and promote early diagnosis. It should be vigilant to merge LM for the patient with SM when atypical clinical manifestations, rapid disease progression or inconsistent with imaging occurred. Repeated examinations of cerebrospinal fluid cytology and enhanced MRI should be considered when SM+LM is suspected to achieve timely adjustment of diagnosis and treatment strategy for better prognosis.
Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; Spinal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Quality of Life ; Prognosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Humans ; Meningioma/pathology* ; Central Nervous System/pathology* ; Meningeal Neoplasms/pathology* ; World Health Organization ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms/pathology*