- Browse by Author
Browsing by Author "Bin-Alamer, Othman"
Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC) Infiltrating the Skull Base: A Systematic Review of Clinical Characteristics and Management Strategies(International Institute of Anticancer Research, 2022-09-03) Bin-Alamer, Othman; Haider, Ali S.; Chaudhary, Adhiraj; Balasubramanian, Kishore; Breeding, Tessa; Palmisciano, Paolo; Haider, Maryam; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; El Ahmadieh, Tarek Y.; Yu, Kenny; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBackground/aim: To systematically review the patient characteristics and management approaches of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) infiltrating the skull base. Materials and methods: According to PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched to retrieve studies reporting management protocols and survival outcomes of patients with skull base ACCs. Patient characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes were investigated. Results: The review encompassed 17 studies involving 171 patients, with a female predominance (57.9%) and a mean age of 49±7.12 years. ACCs mostly infiltrated the paranasal sinus (22.2%), cavernous sinus (8.8%), and nasopharynx (7.1%). Perineural invasion was reported in 6.4% of cases. Facial pain, nasal obstruction, and facial paresthesia were the most common symptoms. Surgical resection (45.6%) was favored over biopsy (12.2%). Employing the free flap technique (4.7%), surgical reconstruction of the bony defect after resection was performed using abdominal and anterior thigh muscle grafts in 1.8% of patients each. As adjuvant management, 22.8% of cases had radiotherapy and 14.6% received chemotherapy. Recurrence of skull base ACCs occurred in 26.9% of cases during a mean follow up-time of 30.8±1.8 months. Conclusion: Skull base ACCs pose a surgical challenge mainly due to their proximity to critical neurovascular structures and aggressive behavior. Surgical resection and radiotherapy are shown to be safe and effective treatment modalities. The dismal prognosis and limited data on non-surgical strategies highlight the need for further evaluation of the current management paradigm and upraising innovative therapies to improve patient mortality and quality of life.Item Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC) Infiltrating the Skull Base: A Systematic Review of Clinical Characteristics and Management Strategies(IIAR, 2022-09-03) Bin-Alamer, Othman; Haider, Ali S.; Chaudhary, Adhiraj; Balasubramanian, Kishore; Breeding, Tessa; Palmisciano, Paolo; Haider, Maryam; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; El Ahmadieh, Tarek Y.; Yu, Kenny; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBackground/Aim: To systematically review the patient characteristics and management approaches of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) infiltrating the skull base. Materials and Methods: According to PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched to retrieve studies reporting management protocols and survival outcomes of patients with skull base ACCs. Patient characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes were investigated. Results: The review encompassed 17 studies involving 171 patients, with a female predominance (57.9%) and a mean age of 49±7.12 years. ACCs mostly infiltrated the paranasal sinus (22.2%), cavernous sinus (8.8%), and nasopharynx (7.1%). Perineural invasion was reported in 6.4% of cases. Facial pain, nasal obstruction, and facial paresthesia were the most common symptoms. Surgical resection (45.6%) was favored over biopsy (12.2%). Employing the free flap technique (4.7%), surgical reconstruction of the bony defect after resection was performed using abdominal and anterior thigh muscle grafts in 1.8% of patients each. As adjuvant management, 22.8% of cases had radiotherapy and 14.6% received chemotherapy. Recurrence of skull base ACCs occurred in 26.9% of cases during a mean follow up-time of 30.8±1.8 months. Conclusion: Skull base ACCs pose a surgical challenge mainly due to their proximity to critical neurovascular structures and aggressive behavior. Surgical resection and radiotherapy are shown to be safe and effective treatment modalities. The dismal prognosis and limited data on non-surgical strategies highlight the need for further evaluation of the current management paradigm and upraising innovative therapies to improve patient mortality and quality of life.Item Craniopharyngiomas Invading the Ventricular System: A Systematic Review(International Institute of Anticancer Research, 2022) Palmisciano, Paolo; Young, Kurtis; Ogasawara, Maya; Yousefi, Omid; Ogasawara, Christian; Ferini, Gianluca; Bin-Alamer, Othman; Sharma, Mayur; Umana, Giuseppe E.; Yu, Kenny; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; El Ahmadieh, Tarek Y.; Haider, Ali S.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBackground/aim: Craniopharyngiomas involving the ventricular system are rare but pose significant surgical challenges. We systematically reviewed the literature on craniopharyngiomas invading the ventricles (CP-V). Materials and methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane were searched to include studies reporting clinical data of patients with CP-Vs. Clinico-radiological features, management, and treatment outcomes were analyzed. Results: We included 73 studies encompassing 407 patients. Patients were mostly male (61.5%), presenting with headache (57.9%) and/or endocrine disorders (52.1%). CP-Vs mostly involved the third ventricle (96.3%), followed by the lateral ventricles (2.9%), and the fourth ventricle (1%). Tumors had cystic components in 59% of cases and were mostly adamantinomatous (70.8%). Open resection was performed in 232 cases (57%), mostly with trans-lamina terminalis (36.6%) and trans-callosal (31.9%) approaches. Endoscopic resection was performed in 169 cases (41.5%), mostly with trans-sphenoidal (74.6%) and transventricular (24.9%) approaches. Gross-total tumor resection was obtained in most cases (62.9%). Adjuvant radiotherapy was delivered in 22.8% cases. A total of 178 patients experienced persistent complications, mostly including diabetes insipidus (47.1%) and panhypopituitarism (12.7%), not significantly different after open versus endoscopic resection (p=0.117). Symptom improvement was obtained in 88% of cases. CP-Vs recurrences were reported in 94 patients (23.1%), with median progression-free survival of 13.5 months (range=0.5-252.0 months). Fifty-nine patients died (14.5%), with median overall survival of 32.0 months (range=0.5-252.0 months), significantly longer after endoscopic resection than open resection (p=0.019). Conclusion: CP-Vs are uncommon and challenging entities. Surgical resection is feasible, but patient-tailored selection of open/endoscopic approaches is necessary to achieve optimal outcomes and minimize complication risks.Item Gliomas Infiltrating the Corpus Callosum: A Systematic Review of the Literature(MDPI, 2022-05-19) Palmisciano, Paolo; Ferini, Gianluca; Watanabe, Gina; Ogasawara, Christian; Lesha, Emal; Bin-Alamer, Othman; Umana, Giuseppe E.; Yu, Kenny; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; El Ahmadieh, Tarek Y.; Haider, Ali S.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBackground: Gliomas infiltrating the corpus callosum (G-I-CC) majorly impact patient quality-of-life, but maximally safe tumor resection is challenging. We systematically reviewed the literature on G-I-CC. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane were searched following the PRISMA guidelines to include studies of patients with G-I-CC. Clinicopathological features, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: We included 52 studies comprising 683 patients. Most patients experienced headache (33%), cognitive decline (18.7%), and seizures (17.7%). Tumors mostly infiltrated the corpus callosum genu (44.2%) with bilateral extension (85.4%) into frontal (68.3%) or parietal (8.9%) lobes. Most G-I-CC were glioblastomas (84.5%) with IDH-wildtype (84.9%) and unmethylated MGMT promoter (53.5%). Resection (76.7%) was preferred over biopsy (23.3%), mostly gross-total (33.8%) and subtotal (32.5%). The tumor-infiltrated corpus callosum was resected in 57.8% of cases. Radiation was delivered in 65.8% of patients and temozolomide in 68.3%. Median follow-up was 12 months (range, 0.1−116). In total, 142 patients (31.8%) experienced post-surgical complications, including transient supplementary motor area syndrome (5.1%) and persistent motor deficits (4.3%) or abulia (2.5%). Post-treatment symptom improvement was reported in 42.9% of patients. No differences in rates of complications (p = 0.231) and symptom improvement (p = 0.375) were found in cases with resected versus preserved corpus callosum. Recurrences occurred in 40.9% of cases, with median progression-free survival of 9 months (0.1−72). Median overall survival was 10.7 months (range, 0.1−116), significantly longer in low-grade tumors (p = 0.013) and after resection (p < 0.001), especially gross-total (p = 0.041) in patients with high-grade tumors. Conclusions: G-I-CC show clinicopathological patterns comparable to other more frequent gliomas. Maximally safe resection significantly improves survival with low rates of persistent complications.Item Neoadjuvant Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Brain Metastases: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature and Ongoing Clinical Trials(MDPI, 2022-09-04) Palmisciano, Paolo; Ferini, Gianluca; Khan, Ramlah; Bin-Alamer, Othman; Umana, Giuseppe E.; Yu, Kenny; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; El Ahmadieh, Tarek Y.; Haider, Ali S.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBackground: Brain metastases (BMs) carry a high morbidity and mortality burden. Neoadjuvant stereotactic radiotherapy (NaSRT) has shown promising results. We systematically reviewed the literature on NaSRT for BMs. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web-of-Science, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrial.gov were searched following the PRISMA guidelines to include studies and ongoing trials reporting NaSRT for BMs. Indications, protocols, and outcomes were analyzed using indirect random-effect meta-analyses. Results: We included 7 studies comprising 460 patients with 483 BMs, and 13 ongoing trials. Most BMs originated from non-small lung cell carcinoma (41.4%), breast cancer (18.7%) and melanoma (43.6%). Most patients had single-BM (69.8%) located supratentorial (77.8%). Patients were eligible if they had histologically-proven primary tumors and ≤4 synchronous BMs candidate for non-urgent surgery and radiation. Patients with primary tumors clinically responsive to radiotherapy, prior brain radiation, and leptomeningeal metastases were deemed non-eligible. Median planning target volume was 9.9 cm3 (range, 2.9-57.1), and NaSRT was delivered in 1-fraction (90.9%), 5-fraction (4.8%), or 3-fraction (4.3%), with a median biological effective dose of 39.6 Gy10 (range, 35.7-60). Most patients received piecemeal (76.3%) and gross-total (94%) resection after a median of 1-day (range, 1-10) post-NaSRT. Median follow-up was 19.2-months (range, 1-41.3). Actuarial post-treatment rates were 4% (95%CI: 2-6%) for symptomatic radiation necrosis, 15% (95%CI: 12-18%) and 47% (95%CI: 42-52%) for local and distant recurrences, 6% (95%CI: 3-8%) for leptomeningeal metastases, 81% (95%CI: 75-87%) and 59% (95%CI: 54-63%) for 1-year local tumor control and overall survival. Conclusion: NaSRT is effective and safe for BMs. Ongoing trials will provide high-level evidence on long-term post-treatment outcomes, further compared to adjuvant stereotactic radiotherapy.Item Orbital Exenteration for Craniofacial Lesions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Patient Characteristics and Survival Outcomes(MDPI, 2023-08-27) Qedair, Jumanah; Haider, Ali S.; Balasubramanian, Kishore; Palmisciano, Paolo; Hassan, Taimur; Shahbandi, Ataollah; Sabahi, Mohammadmahdi; Kharbat, Abdurrahman F.; Abou-Al-Shaar, Hussam; Yu, Kenny; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; El Ahmadieh, Tarek Y.; Bin-Alamer, Othman; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBackground: The outcomes of orbital exenteration (OE) in patients with craniofacial lesions (CFLs) remain unclear. The present review summarizes the available literature on the clinical outcomes of OE, including surgical outcomes and overall survival (OS). Methods: Relevant articles were retrieved from Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane according to PRISMA guidelines. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on the clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes. Results: A total of 33 articles containing 957 patients who underwent OE for CFLs were included (weighted mean age: 64.3 years [95% CI: 59.9-68.7]; 58.3% were male). The most common lesion was squamous cell carcinoma (31.8%), and the most common symptom was disturbed vision/reduced visual acuity (22.5%). Of the patients, 302 (31.6%) had total OE, 248 (26.0%) had extended OE, and 87 (9.0%) had subtotal OE. Free flaps (33.3%), endosseous implants (22.8%), and split-thickness skin grafts (17.2%) were the most used reconstructive methods. Sino-orbital or sino-nasal fistula (22.6%), flap or graft failure (16.9%), and hyperostosis (13%) were the most reported complications. Regarding tumor recurrences, 38.6% were local, 32.3% were distant, and 6.7% were regional. The perineural invasion rate was 17.4%, while the lymphovascular invasion rate was 5.0%. Over a weighted mean follow-up period of 23.6 months (95% CI: 13.8-33.4), a weighted overall mortality rate of 39% (95% CI: 28-50%) was observed. The 5-year OS rate was 50% (median: 61 months [95% CI: 46-83]). The OS multivariable analysis did not show any significant findings. Conclusions: Although OE is a disfiguring procedure with devastating outcomes, it is a viable option for carefully selected patients with advanced CFLs. A patient-tailored approach based on tumor pathology, extension, and overall patient condition is warranted.Item Surgical Management of Craniovertebral Junction Schwannomas: A Systematic Review(MDPI, 2022-07-09) Palmisciano, Paolo; Ferini, Gianluca; Watanabe, Gina; Conching, Andie; Ogasawara, Christian; Scalia, Gianluca; Bin-Alamer, Othman; Haider, Ali S.; Passanisi, Maurizio; Maugeri, Rosario; Hoz, Samer S.; Baldoncini, Matias; Campero, Alvaro; Salvati, Maurizio; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; Umana, Giuseppe E.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBackground: Craniovertebral junction (CVJ) schwannomas are rare, with surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) being effective yet challenging options. We systematically reviewed the literature on CVJ schwannomas. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web-of-Science, and Cochrane were searched following the PRISMA statement to include studies reporting CVJ schwannomas. Clinical features, management, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: We collected 353 patients from 101 included articles. Presenting symptoms were mostly neck pain (30.3%) and headache (26.3%), with most cranial neuropathies involving the XII (31.2%) and X (24.4%) nerves. Most tumors originated from C2 (30.9%) and XII (29.4%) nerves, being extracranial (45.1%) and intradural-extradural (44.2%). Erosion of C1–C2 vertebrae (37.1%), the hypoglossal canal (28.3%), and/or jugular foramen (20.1%) were noted. All tumors were operated, preferably with the retrosigmoid approach (36.5%), with the far-lateral approach (29.7%) or with the posterior approach and cervical laminectomy (26.9%), far-lateral approaches (14.2%), or suboccipital craniotomy with concurrent cervical laminectomy (14.2%). Complete tumor resection was obtained most frequently (61.5%). Adjuvant post-surgery stereotactic radiosurgery was delivered in 5.9% patients. Median follow-up was 27 months (range, 12–252). Symptom improvement was noted in 88.1% of cases, and cranial neuropathies showed improvement in 10.2%. Post-surgical complications occurred in 83 patients (23.5%), mostly dysphagia (7.4%), new cranial neuropathies (6.2%), and cerebrospinal fluid leak (5.9%). A total of 16 patients (4.5%) had tumor recurrence and 7 died (2%), with median overall survival of 2.7 months (range, 0.1–252). Conclusions: Microsurgical resection is safe and effective for CVJ schwannomas. Data on SRS efficacy and indications are still lacking, and its role deserves further evaluation.Item Tumors Involving the Infratemporal Fossa: A Systematic Review of Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes(MDPI, 2022-11-03) Bin-Alamer, Othman; Bhenderu, Lokeshwar S.; Palmisciano, Paolo; Balasubramanian, Kishore; Upadhyay, Prashant; Ferini, Gianluca; Viola, Anna; Zagardo, Valentina; Yu, Kenny; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; El Ahmadieh, Tarek Y.; Haider, Ali S.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBackground: Infratemporal fossa (ITF) tumors represent various pathologies and are seldom described in the literature, reflecting their rarity. Here we review the literature on tumors invading ITF and describe patient characteristics, treatment strategies, and clinical outcomes. Methods: Relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on the clinical presentation, treatment protocols, and clinical outcomes. Result: A total of 27 articles containing 106 patients with ITF tumors (median tumor size: 24.3 cm3 [interquartile range, 15.2-42 cm3]) were included (median age: 46 years [interquartile range, 32-55 years]; 59.4% were males]). Of the confirmed tumor pathology data, schwannomas (n = 24; 26.1%) and meningiomas (n = 13; 14.1%) were the most common tumors. Facial hypoesthesia (n = 22; 18.5%), auricular/preauricular pain (n = 20; 16.8%), and headaches (n = 11; 9.2%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Of patients who had surgical resection (n = 97; 95.1%), 70 (73.7%) had transcranial surgery (TCS) and 25 (26.3%) had endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES). Among available details on the extent of resection (n = 84), gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved in 62 (73.8%), and 5 (6.0%) had biopsy only. Thirty-five (33.0%) patients had postoperative complications. Among cases with available data on reconstruction techniques (n = 8), four (50%) had adipofascial antero-lateral thigh flap, three (37.5%) had latissimus dorsi free flap, and one (12.5%) had antero-lateral thigh flap. Fourteen (13.2%) patients had adjuvant chemotherapy, and sixteen (15.1%) had adjuvant radiotherapy. During a median follow-up time of 28 months (IQR, 12.25-45.75 months), 15 (14.2%) patients had recurrences, and 18 (17.0%) patients died. The median overall survival (OS) time was 36 months (95% confidence interval: 29-41 months), and the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 61%. Conclusion: Various tumor types with different biological characteristics invade the ITF. The present study describes patient demographics, clinical presentation, management, and outcomes. Depending on the tumor type and patient condition, patient-tailored management is recommended to optimize treatment outcomes.