Jalali, Ali

Abstract Objective Sellar repair techniques with varying complexity and effectiveness have been employed to reduce the incidence of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks following endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. This study describes our institutional experience with a minimalistic, highly effective approach to sellar repair. Methods The authors performed a retrospective review of consecutive cases of transsphenoidal pituitary surgery performed at our institution. All included subjects underwent sellar repair with an epidural interlay graft. Relationships between patient and tumor characteristics, incidence of CSF leak, adjunct repair techniques, and endocrine outcomes were examined. Results Three hundred and thirty-four (334) cases were included. Intraoperative CSF leak was encountered in 116 cases (34.7%), and postoperative CSF leak occurred only once (0.3%) early in the series. Seventy intraoperative CSF leaks were successfully repaired with an epidural interlay alone, including 13 high-flow leaks. Our rate of fat graft use (1.2%), nasoseptal flap (3.0%), and lumbar drain placement (6.6%) in the second half of the series showed a significant decline compared with the first half, indicating increased reliance on the interlay graft over time. Our 65% functional macroadenoma remission rate compares favorably with large historical series. Conclusion Simple sellar repair using an epidural interlay graft is highly effective in preventing postoperative CSF leaks, including cases of high-flow intraoperative leaks. More complex repair techniques are reserved for select high-risk cases or those with inadequate sellar bony ledges. With this technique, there has been no postoperative CSF leak at our institution in over 300 consecutive transsphenoidal pituitary surgeries.

Abstract Background: There have been few studies of sufficient size to address the relationship between glioma risk and the use of aspirin or NSAIDs, and results have been conflicting. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between glioma and aspirin/NSAID use, and to aggregate these findings with prior published studies using meta-analysis. Methods: The Glioma International Case-Control Study (GICC) consists of 4,533 glioma cases and 4,171 controls recruited from 2010 to 2013. Interviews were conducted using a standardized questionnaire to obtain information on aspirin/NSAID use. We examined history of regular use for ≥6 months and duration-response. Restricted maximum likelihood meta-regression models were used to aggregate site-specific estimates, and to combine GICC estimates with previously published studies. Results: A history of daily aspirin use for ≥6 months was associated with a 38% lower glioma risk, compared with not having a history of daily use [adjusted meta-OR = 0.62; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.54–0.70]. There was a significant duration-response trend (P = 1.67 × 10−17), with lower ORs for increasing duration of aspirin use. Duration-response trends were not observed for NSAID use. In the meta-analysis aggregating GICC data with five previous studies, there was a marginally significant association between use of aspirin and glioma (mOR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.70–1.02), but no association for NSAID use. Conclusions: Our study suggests that aspirin may be associated with a reduced risk of glioma. Impact: These results imply that aspirin use may be associated with decreased glioma risk. Further research examining the association between aspirin use and glioma risk is warranted.