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Costanzo R, Rosetti V, Tomassini A, Fuschillo D, Lofrese G, Iacopino DG, Tosatto L, D’Andrea M. Hypothalamic Hemangioma-like Pilocytic Astrocytoma in an Adult Patient: A Systematic Review with a Focus on Differential Diagnosis and Neurological Presentation. J Clin Med 2024; 13:3536. [PMID: 38930064 PMCID: PMC11204496 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Pilocytic astrocytoma (PCA) are commonly observed as slow-growing noncancerous brain tumors in pediatric populations, but they can also occur in adults, albeit rarely. When located in diencephalic regions, particularly in the hypothalamus, they present unique diagnostic and management challenges due to their rarity and overlapping clinical and radiological features with other intracranial pathologies. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of hypothalamic PCA in adults, focusing on their differential diagnosis, neurological presentation, diagnostic modalities, treatment strategies. A case illustration is also described in order to better underline all the difficulties related to the diagnostic process. Material and methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus databases up to November 2023 to identify studies. Results: The systematic literature search identified a total of 214 articles. Following screening by title and abstract and full-text review, 12 studies were deemed eligible and are included here. Conclusions: Adult-onset PCA in diencephalic regions pose diagnostic challenges due to their rarity and overlapping features with other intracranial lesions. Advanced imaging techniques play a crucial role in diagnosis, while surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment. Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential for the optimal management and long-term follow-up of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Costanzo
- Neurosurgical Clinic, AOUP “Paolo Giaccone”, Post Graduate Residency Program in Neurology Surgery, Department of Biomedicine Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Vittoria Rosetti
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, 40124 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Alessia Tomassini
- Department of Neurosurgery, M. Bufalini Hospital, 47521 Cesena, Italy; (A.T.); (D.F.); (G.L.); (L.T.); (M.D.)
| | - Dalila Fuschillo
- Department of Neurosurgery, M. Bufalini Hospital, 47521 Cesena, Italy; (A.T.); (D.F.); (G.L.); (L.T.); (M.D.)
| | - Giorgio Lofrese
- Department of Neurosurgery, M. Bufalini Hospital, 47521 Cesena, Italy; (A.T.); (D.F.); (G.L.); (L.T.); (M.D.)
| | - Domenico Gerardo Iacopino
- Neurosurgical Clinic, AOUP “Paolo Giaccone”, Post Graduate Residency Program in Neurology Surgery, Department of Biomedicine Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Luigino Tosatto
- Department of Neurosurgery, M. Bufalini Hospital, 47521 Cesena, Italy; (A.T.); (D.F.); (G.L.); (L.T.); (M.D.)
| | - Marcello D’Andrea
- Department of Neurosurgery, M. Bufalini Hospital, 47521 Cesena, Italy; (A.T.); (D.F.); (G.L.); (L.T.); (M.D.)
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Pizzimenti C, Fiorentino V, Germanò A, Martini M, Ieni A, Tuccari G. Pilocytic astrocytoma: The paradigmatic entity in low‑grade gliomas (Review). Oncol Lett 2024; 27:146. [PMID: 38385109 PMCID: PMC10879958 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Among low-grade gliomas, representing 10-20% of all primary brain tumours, the paradigmatic entity is constituted by pilocytic astrocytoma (PA), considered a grade 1 tumour by the World Health Organization. Generally, this tumour requires surgical treatment with an infrequent progression towards malignant gliomas. The present review focuses on clinicopathological characteristics, and reports imaging, neurosurgical and molecular features using a multidisciplinary approach. Macroscopically, PA is a slow-growing soft grey tissue, characteristically presenting in association with a cyst and forming a small mural nodule, typically located in the cerebellum, but sometimes occurring in the spinal cord, basal ganglia or cerebral hemisphere. Microscopically, it may appear as densely fibrillated areas composed of elongated pilocytic cells with bipolar 'hairlike' processes or densely fibrillated areas composed of elongated pilocytic cells with Rosenthal fibres alternating with loosely fibrillated areas with a varied degree of myxoid component. A wide range of molecular alterations have been encountered in PA, mostly affecting the MAPK signalling pathway. In detail, the most frequent alteration is a rearrangement of the BRAF gene, although other alterations include neurofibromatosis type-1 mutations, BRAFV600E mutations, KRAS mutations, fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 mutations of fusions, neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase family receptor tyrosine kinase fusions and RAF1 gene fusions. The gold standard of PA treatment is surgical excision with complete margin resection, achieving minimal neurological damage. Conventional radiotherapy is not required; the more appropriate treatment appears to be serial follow-up. Chemotherapy should only be applied in younger children to avoid the risk of long-term growth and developmental issues associated with radiation. Finally, if PA recurs, a new surgical approach should be performed. At present, novel therapy involving agents targeting MAPK signalling pathway dysregulation is in development, defining BRAF and MEK inhibitors as target therapeutical agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Pizzimenti
- Department of Biomedical, Dental, Morphological and Functional Imaging Sciences, Sections of Pathology and Neurosurgery, University of Messina, I-98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Fiorentino
- Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age ‘Gaetano Barresi’, Section of Pathology, University of Messina, I-98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Antonino Germanò
- Department of Biomedical, Dental, Morphological and Functional Imaging Sciences, Sections of Pathology and Neurosurgery, University of Messina, I-98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Maurizio Martini
- Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age ‘Gaetano Barresi’, Section of Pathology, University of Messina, I-98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Antonio Ieni
- Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age ‘Gaetano Barresi’, Section of Pathology, University of Messina, I-98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Giovanni Tuccari
- Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age ‘Gaetano Barresi’, Section of Pathology, University of Messina, I-98125 Messina, Italy
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Stoddard-Bennett T, Yu F, Spiegel SJ, Perez C, Coleman A, Repka MX, Pineles SL. Pediatric Optic Pathway Gliomas Resource Utilization and Prevalence in the OptumLabs Data Warehouse. J Neuroophthalmol 2024; 44:10-15. [PMID: 37505911 PMCID: PMC10822016 DOI: 10.1097/wno.0000000000001960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although significant progress has been made in improving the rate of survival for pediatric optic pathway gliomas (OPGs), data describing the methods of diagnosis and treatment for OPGs are limited in the modern era. This retrospective study aims to provide an epidemiological overview in the pediatric population and an update on eye care resource utilization in OPG patients using big data analysis. METHODS Using the OptumLabs Data Warehouse, 9-11 million children from 2016 to 2021 assessed the presence of an OPG claim. This data set was analyzed for demographic distribution data and clinical data including average ages for computed tomography (CT), MRI, strabismus, and related treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation), as well as yearly rates for optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual field (VF) examinations. RESULTS Five hundred fifty-one unique patients ranging in age from 0 to 17 years had an OPG claim, with an estimated prevalence of 4.6-6.1 per 100k. Among the 476 OPG patients with at least 6 months of follow-up, 88.9% had at least one MRI and 15.3% had at least one CT. Annual rates for OCT and VF testing were similar (1.26 vs 1.35 per year), although OCT was ordered for younger patients (mean age = 9.2 vs 11.7 years, respectively). During the study period, 14.1% of OPG patients had chemotherapy, 6.1% had either surgery or radiation, and 81.7% had no treatment. CONCLUSIONS This study updates OPG demographics for the modern era and characterizes the burden of the treatment course for pediatric OPG patients using big data analysis of a commercial claims database. OPGs had a prevalence of about 0.005% occurring equally in boys and girls. Most did not receive treatment, and the average child had at least one claim for OCT or VF per year for clinical monitoring. This study is limited to only commercially insured children, who represent approximately half of the general child population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo Stoddard-Bennett
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fei Yu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samuel J Spiegel
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Claudia Perez
- Department of Medicine Statistics Core, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anne Coleman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael X Repka
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stacy L Pineles
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Xu S, Yang W, Luo Y, Wang X, Li Y, Meng X, Zhang Y, Zeng H, Huang B. A novel MRI feature, the cut green pepper sign, can help differentiate a suprasellar pilocytic astrocytoma from an adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma. BMC Med Imaging 2023; 23:191. [PMID: 37985972 PMCID: PMC10662486 DOI: 10.1186/s12880-023-01132-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There are no specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features that distinguish pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) from adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP). In this study we compared the frequency of a novel enhancement characteristic on MRI (called the cut green pepper sign) in PA and ACP. METHODS Consecutive patients with PA (n = 24) and ACP (n = 36) in the suprasellar region were included in the analysis. The cut green pepper sign was evaluated on post-contrast T1WI images independently by 2 neuroradiologists who were unaware of the pathologic diagnosis. The frequency of cut green pepper sign in PA and ACP was compared with Fisher's exact test. RESULTS The cut green pepper sign was identified in 50% (12/24) of patients with PA, and 5.6% (2/36) with ACP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the cut green pepper sign for diagnosing PA were 50%, 94.4%, 85.7% and 73.9%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the age of patients with PA with and without the cut green pepper sign (12.3 ± 9.2 years vs. 5.5 ± 4.4 years, p = 0.035). CONCLUSION The novel cut green pepper sign can help distinguish suprasellar PA from ACP on MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shumin Xu
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Wanqun Yang
- Department of Radiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Image Analysis and Application, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 514000, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Yaowen Li
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Xianlei Meng
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Yuze Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Image Analysis and Application, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 514000, China
| | - Hongwu Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China.
| | - Biao Huang
- Department of Radiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Image Analysis and Application, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 514000, China.
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Modrzejewska M, Olejnik-Wojciechowska J, Roszyk A, Szychot E, Konczak TD, Szemitko M, Peregud-Pogorzelski JW. Optic Pathway Gliomas in Pediatric Population-Current Approach in Diagnosis and Management: Literature Review. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6709. [PMID: 37959175 PMCID: PMC10649937 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12216709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper, the authors present a clinical picture of the diagnosis and current treatment regimens of optic pathway glioma in the pediatric population, with an emphasis on the role of an ophthalmic diagnosis in the differentiation and monitoring of lesions. Glioma is the most common optic nerve tumor in children. MATERIAL Articles in PubMed, Scholar and Website were reviewed, taking into account current standards of management related to sporadic or NF1-related optic glioma, epidemiology, location, course of the disease, clinical manifestations, histological types of the tumor, genetic predisposition, diagnostic ophthalmic tests currently applicable in therapeutic monitoring of the tumor, neurological diagnosis, therapeutic management and prognosis. The importance of current screening recommendations, in line with standards, was emphasized. RESULTS Glioma occurs in children most often in the first decade of life. Initially, they may be asymptomatic, and clinically ophthalmic changes are associated with the organ of vision or with systemic changes. Gliomas associated with the NF1 mutation have a better prognosis for sporadic gliomas. Diagnosis includes radiological imaging methods/MRI/ophthalmology/OCT and visual acuity log MAR assessment. The basis of treatment is clinical observation. In the case of disease progression, surgical treatment, chemotherapy and targeted therapy are used. CONCLUSION Further research into novel techniques for detecting gliomas would allow for early monitoring of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Modrzejewska
- II Department of Ophthalmology, Pomeranian Medical University, Al. Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Joanna Olejnik-Wojciechowska
- Scientific Students Association of Ophtalmology, II Department of Ophthalmology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin Unia Lubelska 1 Street, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Roszyk
- Scientific Students Association of Ophtalmology, II Department of Ophthalmology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin Unia Lubelska 1 Street, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Elwira Szychot
- Department of Paediatrics, Oncology and Paediatric Immunology, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
- Department of Paediatric Onclogy, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 1LE, UK
| | - Tomasz Dariusz Konczak
- Department of Paediatrics, Oncology and Paediatric Immunology, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Marcin Szemitko
- Department of Intervantional Radiology, Pomerian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
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Chen Z, Guo Z, Wang J, Cao D, Xu Y, Dong F, Wan F. Clinical features and outcomes of pediatric intracranial gliomas: results from single center's 226 cases and corroborated with SEER database. Childs Nerv Syst 2023; 39:593-601. [PMID: 36662273 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-023-05841-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric gliomas are the most common central nervous system (CNS) tumors in children and adolescents and show different clinical and histopathological characteristics from the adult. The prognostic factors were poorly defined in pediatric intracranial gliomas. METHODS We collected pediatric intracranial glioma cases in our institution between February 2011 and June 2022. The patient clinical data, tumor growth characteristics, treatments, and follow-up data were analyzed by Cox regression analysis to identify impact factors on the prognosis of pediatric intracranial glioma patients. To corroborate our data, an independent cohort of pediatric intracranial glioma from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database was analyzed. RESULTS A total of 181 cases of pediatric low-grade glioma (PLGG) and 45 cases of pediatric high-grade glioma (PHGG) were included. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, tumor size > 59.5 mm (p = 0.006) and non-gross total resection (non-GTR; subtotal resection, STR, p = 0.042; biopsy, p = 0.012) were associated with decreased overall survival (OS) in PLGG patients. In PHGG patients, only chemotherapy (p = 0.023) was associated with OS while tumor size was marginally prognostic for OS (p = 0.051). Additional independent analysis of 2734 PLGG and 741 PHGG from the SEER database corroborated that larger tumor size was associated with decreased OS in LGG (p = 0.001) and HGG (p < 0.001) patients, separately. CONCLUSION In this study, we found that tumor size was a significant prognostic factor for the OS of PLGG patients in our series. Besides the tumor size, the extent of resection also independently impacted the prognosis of PLGG patients. While in PHGG patients, only chemotherapy was associated with improved OS and tumor size was marginally prognostic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zirong Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Zhongyin Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Junhong Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Dan Cao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yu Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Fangyong Dong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Feng Wan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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Giotta Lucifero A, Elbabaa SK, Baldoncini M, Bruno N, Savasta S, Marseglia GL, Luzzi S. Novel "T-Dimension" Therapies for Pediatric Optic Pathway Glioma: A Timely, Targeted, and Tailored Treatment Trend. Pediatr Neurosurg 2022; 57:161-174. [PMID: 35588700 DOI: 10.1159/000524873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Novel targeted and tailored therapies can substantially improve the prognosis for optic pathway glioma (OPG), especially when implemented in a timely manner. However, their tremendous potential remains underestimated. Therefore, in this study, we provide an updated overview of the clinical trials, current trends, and future perspectives for OPG's novel therapeutic strategies. METHODS We completed an extensive literature review using the PubMed, MEDLINE, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. We analyzed and reported the data following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. RESULTS Thioguanine, procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine/vinblastine, as well as cisplatin-etoposide, provided excellent results in advanced-phase trials. Selumetinib and trametinib, two oral MEK inhibitors, have been approved for recurrent or refractory OPGs in association with the angiogenetic inhibitor bevacizumab. Among the mTOR inhibitors, everolimus and sirolimus showed the best results. Stereotactic radiosurgery and proton beam radiation therapy have advantages over conventional radiotherapy regimens. Timely treatment is imperative for acute visual symptoms with evidence of tumor progression. This latest evidence can help define a novel "T-Dimension" for pediatric OPG therapies. CONCLUSION The novel "T-Dimension" for pediatric OPGs is based on recent evidence-based treatments, including combination chemotherapy regimens, molecular targeted therapies, stereotactic radiosurgery, and proton beam radiation therapy. Additional clinical trials are essential for validating each of these new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Giotta Lucifero
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Samer K Elbabaa
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Leon Pediatric Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Matias Baldoncini
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomic Microsurgical-LaNeMic-II Division of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nunzio Bruno
- Division of Neurosurgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Savasta
- Pediatric Clinic, Department of Pediatrics, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Marseglia
- Pediatric Clinic, Department of Pediatrics, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sabino Luzzi
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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