Secondary outcomes will include Barthel index score, Glasgow outcome scale score, MRI appearance

and need for ICP lowering therapy. Total doses of ICP lowering therapeutic agents or number of episodes of increased ICP will be tracked. Secondary analyses should take into account the age of the patient at the time of injury as treatment with HBO2T, an anti-apoptotic regimen, may have some deleterious effects on very young patients who are still undergoing planned apoptosis as part of normal brain development [53]. For similar reasons, there may also be some benefit, particularly in patients under age 25, to prolonged monitoring past one year for optimal outcome measures. Determine whether HBO2T treatment of radiation necrosis of brain results in improvement of neurological function and reduction of necrosis. Radiation induced cerebral necrosis BYL719 solubility dmso (RICN) is a dreaded complication associated with the treatment of various brain pathologies (metastases, arteriovenous malformations) with radiotherapy or radiosurgery. The neurologic signs and symptoms that result are often progressive and can be difficult to distinguish from tumor recurrence [54]. The most common presentations involve headache and other

signs of elevated intracranial pressure, but can also include cognitive changes such as short term memory loss, poor concentration, personality changes, and focal neurologic abnormalities such as hemi-paresis PARP inhibitor and aphasia [55]. Radiation necrosis tends to be a delayed toxicity

from radiation and is often detected as a result of abnormal contrast enhanced imaging within the radiated field [56]. This is presumed to be due to radiation damage to the vasculature such that capillaries leak contrast dye. This effect also results in increased edema in the brain that can lead to signs and symptoms of elevated intracranial pressure. Although steroids may also have a stabilizing effect on the necrotic tissue, they tend not to reverse the radiation necrosis itself [57]. Various imaging studies have been performed to distinguish necrosis from tumor recurrence, as tumor recurrence would need further treatment and necrosis may be treated symptomatically PIK3C2G with non-surgical interventions. MR spectroscopy, PET scanning, SPECT scanning and MR perfusion studies have been largely unsuccessful with insufficient sensitivity such that the gold standard of diagnosis is still surgical excision [58], [59] and [60]. Treatment of radiation necrosis of the brain is difficult. Steroids tend to provide symptomatic relief and at the expense of significant side effects such as myopathy, hyperglycemia, osteoporosis and psychological manifestations. Surgical resection may stop progression, however, at the expense of a major operation. Often patients with metastatic disease are too sick to undergo such procedures and treated with prolonged steroids as the alternative [61].