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Skull base hemangiopericytomas

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Abstract

Objective

To retrospectively evaluate the clinical outcome of six patients with skull base hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) and that of a cohort of 37 similar patients identified by a systematic review of the literature.

Methods

The series constitutes of three men and three women with newly diagnosed skull base HPC who underwent multimodal treatment including surgery, external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and pre-operative embolization. Furthermore, a systematic review off the literature identified 37 reports of primarily intracranial skull base HPCs.

Results

Four patients had a gross total resection (GTR) and two patients had a near total resection. Five patients were referred for adjuvant EBRT with a survival ranging from 15 to 47 months. All patients had an excellent outcome and resumed their previous activities. Literature review identified 37 additional patients with skull base HPC. Altogether, tumors were unevenly distributed above and below tentorium. GTR was achieved in half the patients, and 72.1% were referred to EBRT. Out of 37 reported patients in the literature, survival longer than 1 year was described in only 24. Within the combined cohort including the present series, survival was 83.6 months.

Conclusions

The present series shows that a radical resection of HPC can be achieved under the difficult anatomical conditions of skull base surgery. Pre-operative arterial embolization may be instrumental to maintain a clear visual field and prevent excessive blood loss. Finally, the results of the present cohort suggest that EBRT may be useful for local growth control, as an effective palliative measure for skull base HPCs.

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Author notes

  1. Shady Jahshan equal contribution.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Galilee Medical Center, Naharia and The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, POB 21, 2210001, Zafed, Naharia, Israel

    Samuel Tobias, Shady Jahshan, Yuval Grober & Jean F. Soustiel

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  1. Samuel Tobias
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Correspondence to Jean F. Soustiel.

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Ethical approval

All procedures performed in the present study were in accordance with the standards of the national and institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Since the study was based on a strictly observational retrospective review of a small number of patients, it was approved by the local ethical committee without the need of informed consent.

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Tobias, S., Jahshan, S., Grober, Y. et al. Skull base hemangiopericytomas. Acta Neurol Belg 122, 1537–1545 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-021-01812-0

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