Conservative therapy does not adequately improve symptoms in patients with intraspinal juxta facet cysts and radicular signs. Juxta facet cysts can be treated effectively with a minimally invasive microsurgical approach. This may be of particular significance when the cysts are associated with spondylolisthesis, minimizing the risk of instability and the need for fusion. In a selected group of patients with persistent low back pain, fusion may become necessary to improve symptoms.

No abstract

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a radiation technique that uses a high radiation dose focused on a stereotactic defined intracranial target in single fraction with high precision. In the 1980s, linear accelerators were introduced as a tool for radiosurgery beneath the already accepted gamma unit. Technique and mechanical precision of LINACs have become equal to the gamma unit and LINAC radiosurgery became more and more used recently. From January 1996 to August 2003 we have treated 237 patients with LINAC radiosurgery. A combination of the University of Florida system and the X Knife System, developed by Radionics, was used in all patients. A number of 110 patients had 161 brain metastases treated, whereas the local tumor control rate was 89.4%. The 1-year survival rate was 54.9% with a median survival of 54 weeks. In 55 patients we have treated 57 meningiomas, mostly located at the skull base (37 out of 55 patients). Local tumor control rate in our patients with skull base meningiomas at 5-year follow up was 97.2%. In this time period, we have also treated acoustic schwannoma, glioma, pituitary adenoma, arteriovenous malformations and patients with trigeminal neuralgia. LINAC radiosurgery has become a daily tool in neurosurgery and changed treatment strategies especially in the treatment of brain metastases and skull base meningiomas towards a less aggressive and multimodality approach. It is not only an alternative to open surgery, but also a very effective adjuvant treatment modality in many neuro-oncological patients, which helps us to enhance tumor control rate, minimize morbidity and increase postoperative quality of life.

The study data confirm the feasibility and efficacy of chemotherapy with temozolomide in patients with relapsed/progressive HGG.

Spinal leptomeningeal metastases occur at a late stage of systemic disease, and the prognosis is generally poor. In literature, outcomes after surgery are reported as devastating, with mortality and morbidity rates of up to 20 and 60%. The aim of surgery is to relieve pain, preserve or even restore neurological function, and reveal histology if uncertain. This may be achieved by debulking the tumor without placing the patient at an unacceptably high risk. Surgery should be performed in selected cases of spinal leptomeningeal metastases, in patients who are still ambulatory with controlled systemic disease, and should be followed by adjuvant therapy.