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Biomedical subjects

C Mottolese

Publications and source records attributed to C Mottolese.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Delayed rupture of traumatic aneurysm after civilian craniocerebral gunshot injury in children.

BACKGROUND: There are few published large series on civilian craniocerebral gunshot injuries in children. Traumatic intracranial aneurysms (TICAs) are rare and highly unstable lesions. They represent less than 1% of all aneurysms and can either rupture within minutes after formation or remain quiescent for several weeks or years, manifesting with delayed hemorrhage and neurologic deterioration. CASE HISTORY: We report the case of a 10-year-old girl who was referred for coma after high-velocity craniocerebral gunshot wound and neurological deterioration 7 days after the initial injury. A massive right posterior occipital hematoma caused by the rupture of an unsuspected right posterior cerebral artery TICA was discovered. TICA was treated by coil embolization, with a good neurological recovery at 6-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: We discuss the pathogenesis and the management of TICA in a child after civilian craniocerebral gunshot injuries. CONCLUSIONS: TICAs should be suspected in patients with civilian craniocerebral gunshot injuries, presenting with secondary neurological deterioration, to carry out emergent CT scan and angiographic exploration before contemplating definitive endovascular treatment. Endovascular management may be a prompt safe-to-use technique and a valuable option, especially when surgery is highly risky.

Aneurysm, False↗
PubMed2005

Craniopharyngiomas: our experience in Lyon.

OBJECTIVE: We reviewed our experience in surgical treatment of craniopharyngiomas. Surgical treatment of craniopharyngiomas in children represents a challenge for neurosurgeons because it presents a different set of surgical problems. Results are controversial and debates concerning strategies to ameliorate the rate of success and to decrease the rate of morbidity and mortality are ongoing. Post-surgical quality of life is related to the anatomical relationship between the hypothalamic region, vascular structures and optic pathways. DISCUSSION: From 1985 to 2004, 60 children (age range, 4 months to 18 years) were treated in our institution. Since 1987, all patients were studied with pre- and postoperative MRI. Two groups of patients were distinguished: a group of 36 patients treated with surgical direct surgery; a second group of 24 patients treated only with intracystic chemotherapy with bleomycin (18 patients) or associated with surgery (six patients). In the first group, the removal of lesion was total in 74% of cases. Two patients died in the early postoperative period and two more died later (early mortality of 5% and late mortality of 11%). All patients presented ante-pituitary insufficiency and diabetes insipidus, which required substitutive treatment. Twenty-two patients presented with visual problems, including amaurosis in two cases. In the group treated with bleomycin, 18 patients presented a primary cystic or a mixed form of craniopharyngioma and six patients showed a cystic recurrence. Eighteen patients were treated with bleomycin only. The dose used varied from 30 mg to a maximal dose of 150 mg, with a middle dose of 60 mg in the large majority of cases. In this group, the cyst disappeared in 12 patients and reduced to 30% of its initial volume, and stabilization of the lesion was achieved in the other six patients. Only 11 patients presented partial endocrine insufficiency. Of the 18 patients, 16 were of school age, 14 of whom were following a normal educational program and two an assisted program. No mortality was reported. CONCLUSION: Our experience showed that in the group treated with intracystic chemotherapy alone, results were better with a low rate of morbidity and mortality. Endocrinological, visual and neuropsychological evaluations were also correlated with better outcome. In cases of cystic craniopharyngiomas, we considered bleomycin as the treatment of choice. For solid forms or for cases resistant to intracystic chemotherapy with bleomycin, direct surgery has to be proposed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

[Pediatric supratentorial oligodendrogliomas: Marseilles and Lyons experiences].

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to analyze the main aspects of oligodendrogliomas observed in children. METHOD: The records of 35 children aged 15 years or younger (23 from Marseilles and 12 from Lyons) were reviewed. Clinical signs and symptoms, imaging findings (CT scan and pre- and post-operative MRI), extent of surgical resection, histology according to the WHO and Ste-Anne grading and survival were analysed. Considering all these factors, a statistical analyzis was undertaken in order to identify prognostic factors. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Oligodendrogliomas are rare tumors in children. The most important differential diagnosis to discuss is dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor. Our study allowed us to distinguish several subgroups of patients with a different prognosis: thalamic tumors with a dismal prognosis versus hemispheric tumors. A group of cortical tumors we called "DNT-like" (hemispheric cortical tumor, isolated epilepsy, without neurological deficit and reased ICP, without edema and mass effect on MRI) with an excellent prognosis like the group with epilepsy. Histological grading (grade A/grade B and grade II/grade III) is also a prognostic factor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Intraoperative electrical stimulation mapping as an aid for surgery of intracranial lesions involving motor areas in children.

OBJECTIVE: We analysed the usefulness of intraoperative electrical stimulation mapping (ESM) for locating motor pathways in pediatric patients harboring cerebral lesions closely related to motor areas. METHODS: We applied ESM in 17 consecutive pediatric patients operated on under general anesthesia. It was possible to locate motor function in 15 patients and in all children 5 years old and younger, as well as in all patients presenting with severe motor deficits, using relatively high current intensities. Intraoperative seizures occurred in 20% of our patients. A macroscopically complete removal of the lesion was carried out in 12 cases out of 17 with no definitive postoperative aggravation. Motor function improved for all patients presenting preoperatively with a severe paresis. CONCLUSION: In our experience ESM revealed to be an useful tool for allowing us to push the resection of any lesion infringing on eloquent cortex up to the limit of functional areas, even in cases in very young and severely paretic children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Intracystic chemotherapy with bleomycin in the treatment of craniopharyngiomas.

OBJECT: Since bleomycin has not yet been used very frequently in the treatment of patients with craniopharyngioma, it seemed important to document the course of a series of such patients treated with this preparation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Local chemotherapy with bleomycin was performed in 24 patients (20 children and 4 adults), 16 of whom presented with cystic or mixed (solid/cystic) craniopharyngioma and 8, with recurrent cystic craniopharyngioma. The drug was administered through an Ommaya reservoir, which was placed either by using a direct surgical approach (6 patients) or a stereotactic approach (16 patients), or with endoscopic assistance in patients with hydrocephaly (2 patients). Injection of bleomycin was always preceded by a water-tightness test. Each patient received a 3-mg dose of bleomycin every other day. The total dose of bleomycin injected ranged from 28 mg to 150 mg. Most patients (17, or 70%) were treated only with intracystic chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was followed by surgery in 7 patients. Five were operated on at the beginning of our study, and 2 required surgery because chemotherapy yielded poor results. A toxic dose was injected in 1 patient only: a severe complication, i.e. blindness, was observed. The follow-up period ranged from 2 years to 10 years. CONCLUSION: Our results show that bleomycin can be an alternative in the treatment of cystic craniopharyngiomas or cystic recurrences, as it reduces surgical morbidity and improves clinical results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Central nervous system cavernomas in the pediatric age group.

Pediatric CNS cavernomas still are diagnostically and therapeutically challenging lesions. With the help of magnetic resonance imaging, the natural history of cavernomas now guiding therapeutic strategies is well documented in adults but remains poorly known in the pediatric age group, since most previous studies dealt with adult and pediatric patients together. This paper focuses on clinical, imaging, and therapeutic features and differential diagnosis of CNS cavernomas with an emphasis on their specificities in the pediatric age group. It is based upon a critical review of the literature and our single-center experience with 36 children (35 with cerebral cavernomas and one with spinal cord cavernoma) operated on during the period of 1985-1999 as well as with seven additional unoperated pediatric cases. Our experience resembles that of other authors regarding the high hemorrhagic risk in children compared to adults. These angiographically occult vascular malformations are often revealed by the sudden onset of intracerebral hematoma with acute focal neurologic deficits, concomitant manifestations, and/or signs of raised intracranial pressure. True epilepsy is less common and may be related to chronic or recurrent microbleeding. Evocative imaging findings are also somewhat different in the two age groups, and we propose here an imaging classification of cerebral cavernomas based on both morphological and signal characteristics that is applicable to the pediatric age group. A sharply demarcated spherical intracerebral hematoma or heterogeneous lesion should always make one consider the hypothesis of a cavernoma. For symptomatic lesions and most rapidly growing asymptomatic lesions, the treatment of choice is complete microsurgical excision preceded by careful anatomical and functional evaluation. Improvements in surgical techniques and anesthesiology over recent years have brought good results in most operated children. The limited role of radiosurgery in the management of pediatric cerebral cavernomas is discussed. There is still a need for well-conducted specific evaluation of the natural history of these lesions in the pediatric age group to aid in systematic research, follow-up, and therapeutic strategies for asymptomatic cavernomas.

Central Nervous System Neoplasms↗
PubMed2001

Hypothalamic hamartoma: the role of surgery in a series of eight patients.

Hypothalamic hamartoma are rare lesions. We report a new series of eight patients treated for precocious puberty (six cases) or gelastic seizures (two cases). Surgical resection was total in four cases (three pediculated and one sessile). Precocious puberty was controlled by surgical treatment in all cases. Gelastic seizures were controlled by medical treatment, but the patients did not become seizure free. We observed no mortality and no endocrinological or visual morbidity. The fact that a vascular "rete mirabilis" was observed on the surface of the lesion in our surgical material is an argument favoring a vascular mechanism in precocious puberty. Coagulation of this vascular structure can help control precocious puberty. Our series confirms that the hypothalamic hamartoma can be surgically treated when patients fail to respond to medical treatment, when the length of the treatment cannot be tolerated by the chidren and their families, and when there are uncontrolled gelastic seizures

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Metastasis of clear-cell renal carcinoma to cerebellar hemangioblastoma in von Hippel Lindau disease: rare or not investigated?

A new case of metastatic hypernephroma to cerebellar hemangioblastoma is described in a patient affected by von Hippel-Lindau disease. To our knowledge this is the third reported case of metastasis of renal carcinoma to intracranial hemangioblastoma associated with Von Hippel-Lindau disease. The real frequency of this pathological entity and its management are not well defined.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Parenchymal pineal tumors: a clinicopathological study of 76 cases.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify factors that could lead to optimization of the management of pineal parenchymal tumors (PPT) which remains equivocal and controversial. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In order to determine factors that influence PPT prognosis, a series of 76 consecutive patients from 12 European centers with histologically proven tumors was retrospectively reviewed. The clinical records and material for histologic review were available in all cases. Follow-up was achieved in 90% of cases. RESULTS: According to WHO classification, there were 19 pineocytomas, 28 intermediate and mixed PPT, and 29 pineoblastomas. According to a four-grade institutional classification, there were 11 Grade 1, 27 Grade 2, 20 Grade 3, and 18 Grade 4. Surgical resection was attempted in 44 patients, whereas 30 had biopsy only. In one case, diagnosis was made at autopsy and in another on spinal deposits. Forty-four patients were irradiated following surgery, 15 patients received chemotherapy. Forty-one patients were alive (median follow-up: 85 months); 9 patients died perioperatively; 26 patients relapsed. Univariate analysis showed a good outcome correlated with age above 20 years, tumor diameter less than 25 mm, and low-grade histology. Multivariate analysis confirmed histology and tumor volume to be significant independent prognostic factors. The extent of surgery and radiotherapy had no clear influence on survival. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the prognostic features of PPT and may help to determine treatment strategies based on radiologic and pathologic characteristics.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Craniocerebral injury resulting from transorbital stick penetration in children.

OBJECTS: Two children were admitted to hospital for treatment of craniocerebral injury with transorbital penetration. METHODS: One child aged 6 years and 6 months had poked a chopstick in his orbit. There was no report of either a palpebral or an ocular wound. He had subsequently developed a meningeal syndrome with a cerebral abscess managed by needle aspiration biopsy and intravenous antibiotics. The other child, aged 4, had fallen onto a metal rod. He presented with a palpebral wound, motor disorders and coma, all due to a frontal intracerebral hematoma. There was an improvement in outcome without complications of an infectious nature or motor sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: Such head injuries are rare. Clinical, radiological and ophthalmological investigations must be performed, including computed tomography (CT) scan or cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with antibiotic treatment for suspected microorganisms.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed2000

Zero rate of shunt infection in the first postoperative year in children--dream or reality?

The rate of infectious complications following shunt implantations at the Pierre Wertheimer Hospital was 6.4% in 1992-1994. In order to improve this infection rate, new recommendations for surgery were applied and a new type of valve was used. The effects of these measures after a 1-year follow-up were analyzed in 70 patients. The rate of infection was zero, 2.8, and 4.3% at 2, 6, and 12 months, respectively. A case-control study did not reveal any significant risk factor among the patient and surgical factors analyzed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

The first case of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in France: clinical data and neuropathological findings.

Clinical data and autopsy findings in a case of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) are reported. This case, the first histologically confirmed case described outside the United Kingdom, very much resembles the cases described by Will et al. [(1996) Lancet 347:921-925] and Zeidler et al. [(1997) Lancet 350:903-908, 908-910]. Neuropathological studies failed to reveal any conspicuous clues that could be relevant for understanding the pathophysiology of the disease. For epidemiological surveillance, neuropathologists should scrutinize suspected cases keeping in mind the possibility of vCJD.

Adult↗