• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.102-106
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• 2010

Objective : To evaluate the clinical results of gross total resection in the surgical approach to spinal ependymoma. Methods : Between June 1995 and May 2009,13 males and 8 females (mean age 34) diagnosed with intramedullary or extramedullary spinal ependymoma were surgically treated at our centre. The neurological and functional state of each patient were evaluated according to the modified McCormick scale. Results : The average follow-up duration was 54 months (ranging from 12 to 168 months). The locations of the lesions were : thoracic region (4, 19%), lumbar region (7, 34%), cervical region (4, 19%), cervicothoracic region (3, 14%) and conus medullaris (3, 14%). Four patients (19%) had deterioration of neurological function in the early postoperative period. The neurological function of three patients was completely recovered at the 6th postoperative month, while that of another patient was recovered at the 14th month. In the last assessment of neurological function, 20 patients (95%) were assessed as McCormick grade 1. No perioperative complications developed in any of our patients. In one patient's 24-month assessment, tumour recurrence was observed. Re-operation was not performed and the patient was taken under observation. Conclusion : Two determinants of good clinical results after spinal ependymoma surgery are a gross total resection of the tumour and a good neurological condition before the operation. Although neurological deficits in the early postoperative period can develop as a result of gross total tumour resection, significant improvement is observed six months after the operation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.233-242
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• 2018

Objective : A spinal cord subependymoma is an uncommon, indolent, benign spinal cord tumor. It is radiologically similar to a spinal cord ependymoma, but surgical findings and outcomes differ. Gross total resection of the tumor is not always feasible. The present study was done to determine the clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics of spinal cord subependymomas. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of ten spinal cord subependymoma patients (M : F=4 : 6; median 38 years; range, 21-77) from four institutions. Results : The most common symptoms were sensory changes and/or pain in eight patients, followed by motor weakness in six. The median duration of symptoms was 9.5 months. Preoperative radiological diagnosis was ependymoma in seven and astrocytoma in three. The tumors were located eccentrically in six and were not enhanced in six. Gross total resection of the tumor was achieved in five patients, whereas subtotal or partial resection was inevitable in the other five patients due to a poor dissection plane. Adjuvant radiotherapy was performed in two patients. Neurological deterioration occurred in two patients; transient weakness in one after subtotal resection and permanent weakness after gross total resection in the other. Recurrence or regrowth of the tumor was not observed during the median 31.5 months follow-up period (range, 8-89). Conclusion : Spinal cord subependymoma should be considered when the tumor is located eccentrically and is not dissected easily from the spinal cord. Considering the rather indolent nature of spinal cord subependymomas, subtotal removal without the risk of neurological deficit is another option.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.193-196
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• 2005

Objective: Strategies for managing supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors(PNETs) in children include surgical resection, craniospinal irradiation and chemotherapy. This study is performed in order to compare the efficacy of various methods of treatment and to describe its optimal management. Methods: We have reviewed all medical records and pathology slides of six children(four males and two females) with supratentorial PNET from November, 1987 to May, 2003. The extent of resection was confirmed by computed tomography and magnetic resonance studies. Results: The patients were aged 1 to 13 years and treated postoperatively with/without adjuvant therapy. Tumor location included was four cortical, one gangliobasal, and one pineal region. The presenting symptoms and signs consisted of increased intracranial pressure and focal neurological deficits such as seizure and hemiparesis. The treatment consisted of surgical resection alone in one patient, postoperative radiotherapy in one patient, postoperative chemotherapy in one, and postoperative radiotherapy with chemotherapy in three. Five patients lived more than 12 months after diagnosis and one patient among them has been living more than 5 years after diagnosis. Conclusion: We can improve the survival and prognosis of supratentorial PNET patients by radical gross total resection of tumor followed by craniospinal irradiation and aggressive chemotherapy. First of all, gross total resection of tumor is the most important among many factors.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1445-1450
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• 2000

Objectives : The Objective of this study was to analyze the prognostic factors affecting survival in the patients with glioblastomas. Methods : We retrospectively studied 55 consecutive patients with glioblastomas who were admitted to neurosurgery department from January 1988 to March 1998. Fifteen pateients were excluded from the analysis because of follow-up loss and surgical motality. There were 24 male and 16 female patients, with a mean age of 51 years. Surgery consisted of biopsy in 4(10.0%) patients, subtotal resection in 9(22.5%) patients and gross total resection in 27(67.5%) patients. Nine(22.5%) patients received second operation. Twenty-eight(70%) received postoperative radiation therapy. Various levels of radiation dose were used, 6,000 rad over 7 weeks in most cases. The variable factors were examined for their relationship with survival ; age at the time of diagnosis, gender, duration of neurological symptoms, preoperative neurological state(Karnofsky performance score), extent of surgical resection, location of tumor, reoperation, and postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Result : The mean survival time was 55 weeks, three(7.5%) of the 40 patients survived more than two years. Survival time with biopsy only cases was 24 weeks, for those with subtotal resection 43 weeks, and for those with gross total resection 67 weeks. A mean survival time from the time of reoperation was 42 weeks. Statistically significant survival factors in glioblastoma were extent of surgical resection, postoperative radiotherapy and reoperation. Summary : Results of our series support the views that the extent of surgery, reoperation and postoperative radiation are important prognostic factors. We also recommend radical tumor removal, postoperative radiotherapy and reoperation, if possible.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2013

Objective : Intracranial hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are rare tumors with aggressive behavior, including local recurrence and distant metastasis. We conducted this retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy of grossly total resection and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for these tumors. Methods : A total of 13 patients treated for intracranial HPC from January 1995 through May 2013 were included in this retrospective study. We analyzed the clinical presentations, radiologic appearances, treatment results, and follow-up outcomes, as well as reviewed other studies. Results : The ages of the patients at the time of diagnosis ranged from 26 to 73 years (mean : 48 years). The majority of the patients were male (92.3%), and the majority of the tumors were located in the parasagittal and falx. The ratio of intracranial HPCs to meningiomas was 13 : 598 in same period, or 2.2%. Seven patients (53.8%) had anaplastic HPCs. Nine patients (69.2%) underwent gross total tumor resection in the first operation without mortality. Eleven patients (84.6%) underwent postoperative adjuvant RT. Follow-up period ranged from 13 to 185 months (mean : 54.3 months). The local recurrence rate was 46.2% (6/13), and there were no distant metastases. The 10-year survival rate after initial surgery was 83.9%. The initial mean Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) was 70.8 and the final mean KPS was 64.6. Conclusion : Gross total tumor resection upon initial surgery is very important. We believe that adjuvant RT is helpful even with maximal tumor resection. Molecular biologic analyses and chemotherapy studies are required to achieve better outcomes in recurrent intracranial HPCs.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.300-304
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• 2007

Objective : We report experiences and clinical outcomes of 61 cases with spinal canal meningiomas from January 1970 through January 2005. Methods : Thirty-eight patients were enrolled with follow-up duration of more than one year after surgery. There were 7 male and 31 female patients. The mean age was 52 years (range, 19 to 80 years). All patients underwent microsurgical resection using a posterior approach. Results : Twenty-nine (79.4%) cases experienced clinical improvement after surgery. The extent of tumor resection at the first operation was Simpson Grade I in 10 patients, Grade II in 17, Grade III in 4, Grade IV in 6, and unknown in one. We did not experience recurrent cases with Simpson grade I, II, or III resection. There were 6 recurrent cases, consisting of 5 cases with an extent of Simpson grade IV and one with an unknown extent. The mean duration of recurrence was 100 months after surgery. Radiation therapy was administered as a surgical adjunct in four patients (10.5%). Two cases were recurrent lesions that could not be completely resected. The other two cases were malignant meningiomas. No immediate postoperative death occurred in the patient group. Conclusion : We experienced no recurrent cases of intraspinal meningiomas once gross total resection has been achieved, regardless of the control of the dural origin. Surgeons do not have to take the risk of causing complication to the control dural origin after achieving gross total resectioning of spinal canal meningioma.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.276-280
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• 2007

Objective : The purpose of this study was to review the characteristics of falcine meningioma retrospectively and to identify the parameters associated with tumor recurrence. Methods : The analysis included; age, sex, extent of resection, and radiologic and pathologic findings. Falcine meningiomas were classified by location as anterior, middle, or posterior as described for parasagittal meningiomas. Results : Of the 795 meningioma patients treated between 1990 and 2004 at the authors' institution, 68 patients with meningiomas arising from the falx underwent craniotomies. There were 22 male and 46 female patients (1:2.1). Mean age was 55 years and ranged from 14 to 77 years. Locations of falcine meningioma were; the anterior third in 33 cases, middle in 20, and posterior in 15. Mean tumor volume was 42 cc and ranged from 4 to 140 cc. In 58 of the 68 patients tumors were totally removed. Additional surgery for recurrence was performed in 6 patients over 15 years. Of these 6 patients, only two patients underwent gross total tumor resection at first operation; the other four underwent subtotal tumor resection. Based on pathologic reports, the largest tumor subtype was transitional. There were four patients with a high grade tumor-three atypical and one anaplastic meningioma. Of the 68 patients, 59 achieved a good outcome (no neurological deficit or recurrence), six had temporary complications, two suffered new permanent postoperative deficits, and the remaining one died due to severe brain swelling despite postoperative intensive care. Extent of surgical resection was found to be significantly related to tumor recurrence. Conclusion : Falcine meningioma accounted for 8.5% of intracranial meningiomas and the transitional meningioma was the most common subtype of falcine meningioma. Gross total resection of tumor was the single most important predictor of an improved surgical outcome.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.261-264
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• 2013

We report a long-term survival case of a primary malignant intracerebral nerve sheath tumor (MINST) occurring in the right frontal lobe of a 13-year old boy. After the gross total resection (GTR), we have performed radiation therapy but it recurred 50 months after the surgery, so the second GTR was performed. Later, second tumor recurrence was found 4 months after the second surgery. Subsequently the third GTR, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were carried out. At present, the patient has been remaining alive for 77 months without evidence of tumor recurrence. According to the previous reports, the primary MINST is very rare : there are only 8 cases reported. It is also a fast-growing, invasive tumor with poor outcome. This is the first case that had no recurrence for 50 months after the surgery among the reported cases that had been followed up for more than 5 years. It is supposed that a period of recurrence free survival after GTR and low mitotic activity are associated with the patient's prognosis. A GTR followed by adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy will be recommended to patients of MINST.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.451-458
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• 1997

The desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma is very rare cerebral tumor. It has been known to be characterized by its voluminious size, intense desmoplasia and the frequent presence of astrocytic and ganglioglionic differentiation. Also, It is usually presented in infantile period and predilected in the frontal and parietal lobes. We treated a huge desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma($8{\times}7{\times}6cm$) on the right frontotemporo-parietal areas of with only gross total resection. It includes solid mass & several cysts and shows the areas of the proliferation of spindle cells exhibiting storiform pattern in dense desmoplastic stroma and the areas composed of spindle shaped glial component.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2001

Purpose: Despite knowledge of the adverse effects of resection-line disease, surgeons continue to perform inadequate resections. This demonstrates the need for a more aggressive approach to assessment of resection margins at operation. Materials and Methods: Seven hundred fifteen gastric cancer patients who were operated on at our hospital from 1992 to 1998 were included in this analysis. Various clinicopathological factors, including resection-line involvement, were ascertained from the surgical and histopathological records. Results: Of the 715 evaluable patients, 27 patients ($3.8\%$) had involvement of one or both resection lines; in 10 patients the proximal resection line only, in 16 the distal resection line only, and 1 both resection lines were involved. Presence of resection-line involvement was significantly associated with T3 and T4 stage, N (+) stage, M (+) stage, type of operation (total gastrectomy), tumor location (entire stomach), size$\geq$11 cm), and gross type of tumor (Borrmann 4 type). When performing a distal subtotal gastrectomy, no involvement was found when the cranial and caudal distances between the lesion and the line of transection was equal to or greater than 2 cm and 3 cm, respectively, for early cancer and 7 cm and 3 cm, respectively, for advanced cancer. When performing a total gastrectomy for upper 1/3 or middle 1/3 gastric cancer, no involvement was found when the cranial distances between the lesion and the line of transection were equal to or greater than 3 cm and 4 cm, respectively, without distinction of the presence of serosal invasion. Conclusions: The difference in survival between positive and negative margin patients is limited to the group of patients with curative surgery. An important principle of treatment is that the entire tumor must be removed with a 3 cm distal margin and a 2- to 7 cm margin depending on the location and the depth of wall invasion of the tumor, to provide histologically negative margins.