Biomedical subjects

Vicente Cuccia

Publications and source records attributed to Vicente Cuccia.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Pinealoblastomas in children.

INTRODUCTION: Series of pinealoblastomas (PB) usually comprise small number of cases as this tumor type is extremely rare and occurs mainly in childhood (especially under 9 years of age). Frequently, PB are reported together with others pineal parenchymal tumors (PPT) or pineal tumors, making characterization far from adequate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our series of CNS pediatric tumors comprises 1,350 cases of whom 16 are PPT, 12 PB, two pineocytomas (PC), and two mixed or transitional tumors (PC/PB). We have only analyzed the PB considering clinical features, treatment strategy, prognosis, recurrences, and mortality. RESULTS: PB represented 0.89%. Mean age was 7 years. Male-female ratio was 8/4. All patients complained of increased intracranial pressure, eight presented ocular symptoms, two cerebellar, and one endocrine disturbances. Patients underwent CT scans and/or MRI. All children had negative serum and CSF markers and only one case had positive tumor cells in the CSF on admission. Hydrocephalus (12/12) was treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt in 11/12 and endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) in 1/12. We performed 11 surgical procedures (seven by occipital transtentorial approach) and one endoscopic biopsy. Total removal was achieved in two, partial removal (50-90%) in seven, and biopsy in three patients or <50%. Adjuvant therapy included radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Recurrences appeared in 8/12 cases (mean time of recurrence=27.28 months). Six patients died (mean survival=29.55 months). Mean follow up for the six patients alive was 54 months and mean follow up for all 12 children was 38.7 months. CONCLUSION: In our opinion, PB have a poor prognosis and are very aggressive, especially in small children. Survival rate at 1 and 5 years in the present series is 66.6% (8/12) and 50% (6/12), respectively. We propose an algorithm for the treatment of pediatric patients with PB.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma in children with tuberous sclerosis.

METHODS: Out of 105 patients with tuberous sclerosis (TS) admitted to the Hospital Nacional de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan" (Buenos Aires, Argentina), we surgically treated 17 children between January 1988 and December 2000. Two patients were operated on because of epilepsy and 15 patients because of an intraventricular tumor (subependymal giant cell astrocytoma [SGCA]). In this report we focus on tumors. Twelve of the 15 patients presented with hydrocephalus but none of them had a preoperative shunt. All tumors were surgically resected using frontal transventricular or transcallosal routes. Total removal was achieved in 12 out of 15 and subtotal removal in 3 out of 15 patients (resection of 70-95%). RESULTS: Exeresis of the tumor was not accompanied by significant morbidity and there was no perioperative mortality. Seizures and mental retardation did not improve after tumor resection. It was necessary to insert a postoperative shunt a long time after surgery in only one patient. There were no recurrences of SGCA that were totally removed after a mean follow-up of 51.7 months. CONCLUSIONS: We encourage surgery as soon as a lesion is diagnosed as a tumor. The "transformation" of subependymal nodules (SEN) into tumors (SGCA) may be considered controversial.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Pediatric granulomatous cerebral amebiasis: a delayed diagnosis.

We present four cases of cerebral amebae infection treated at our neurosurgical department. Patient 1 was a 12-year-old male with skin lesions of 2 years' progression involving the midface. He received a corticosteroid course, and, after that, he presented a right body hemiparesis. Patient 2 was a 5-year-old male, with a past surgical history of fibula fracture and osteomyelitis of 1-year evolution, associated with lesions of the surrounding skin that presented with partial seizures. Patient 3 was a 3-year-old female who presented with a stroke-like episode and with partial seizures. Patient 4 was a 6-year-old male who had ulcerative lesions in the face of 1-year evolution. After a corticosteroid course, he presented with right-body hemiparesis. All patients were human immunodeficiency virus-negative and died 1 month or less after surgery because of progressive evolution of the disease. Histopathology revealed granulomatous amebic encephalitis. All patients revealed infection from Balamuthia mandrillaris (Leptomyxiidae). Treatment consisting of pentamidine, clarithromycin, fluconazole, and 5-fluorocytosine was ineffective. Although extremely uncommon, granulomatous amebic encephalitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cerebral lesions while nonspecific, associated granulomatous skin lesions support the diagnosis of amebiasis.

Amebiasis↗