First name
Robert
Middle name
A
Last name
Avery

Title

Risk Factors for Treatment Refractory and Relapsed Optic Pathway Glioma in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

Year of Publication

2022

Date Published

2022 Jan 09

ISSN Number

1523-5866

Abstract

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Nearly one-third of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1-associated optic pathway glioma (NF1-OPG) fail frontline chemotherapy; however, little is known about risk factors for treatment failure.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We performed a retrospective multi-institutional cohort study to identify baseline risk factors for treatment-refractory/relapsed disease and poor visual outcome in children with NF1-OPG. Refractory/relapsed NF1-OPG was defined as requirement of two or more treatment regimens due to progression or relapse.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Of 111 subjects eligible for inclusion, adequate clinical and visual data were available for 103 subjects from 7 institutions. Median follow-up from initiation of first chemotherapy regimen was 95 months (range 13-185). Eighty-four (82%) subjects received carboplatin-based frontline chemotherapy. Forty-five subjects (44%) experienced refractory/relapsed disease, with median time of 21.5 months (range 2-149) from initiation of first treatment to start of second treatment. The proportion of patients without refractory/relapsed disease at 2 and 5 years was 78% and 60%. In multivariable analyses, age less than 24 months at initial treatment, posterior tumor location, and familial inheritance were associated with refractory/relapsed NF1-OPG by 2 years. Both age less than 24 months and posterior tumor location were associated with refractory/relapsed NF1-OPG by 5 years. Subjects with moderate to severe vision loss at last follow-up were more likely to have posterior tumor location, optic disc abnormalities, or abnormal visual acuity at initial treatment.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>Young age, posterior tumor location, and optic disc abnormalities may identify patients with the greatest likelihood of refractory/relapsed NF1-OPG and poor visual outcomes, and who may benefit from newer treatment strategies.</p>

DOI

10.1093/neuonc/noac013

Alternate Title

Neuro Oncol

PMID

35018469

Title

Validation of the Rule of 7's for Identifying Children at Low-risk for Lyme Meningitis.

Year of Publication

2021

Number of Pages

306-309

Date Published

2021 Apr 01

ISSN Number

1532-0987

Abstract

<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>The Rule of 7's classifies children as low-risk for Lyme meningitis with the absence of the following: ≥7 days of headache, any cranial neuritis or ≥70% cerebrospinal fluid mononuclear cells. We sought to broadly validate this clinical prediction rule in children with meningitis undergoing evaluation for Lyme disease.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>We performed a patient-level data meta-analysis of 2 prospective and 2 retrospective cohorts of children ≤21 years of age with cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis who underwent evaluation for Lyme disease. We defined a case of Lyme meningitis with a positive 2-tier serology result (positive or equivocal first-tier enzyme immunoassay followed by a positive supplemental immunoblot). We applied the Rule of 7's and report the accuracy for the identification of Lyme meningitis.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Of 721 included children with meningitis, 178 had Lyme meningitis (24.7%) and 543 had aseptic meningitis (75.3%). The pooled data from the 4 studies showed the Rule of 7's has a sensitivity of 98% [95% confidence interval (CI): 89%-100%, I2 = 71%], specificity 40% (95% CI: 30%-50%, I2 = 75%), and a negative predictive value of 100% (95% CI: 95%-100%, I2 = 55%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>The Rule of 7's accurately identified children with meningitis at low-risk for Lyme meningitis for whom clinicians should consider outpatient management while awaiting Lyme disease test results.</p>

DOI

10.1097/INF.0000000000003003

Alternate Title

Pediatr Infect Dis J

PMID

33710975

WATCH THIS PAGE

Subscription is not available for this page.