Purpose: Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) with H3K27M mutations have been identified as a rare distinctive entity with unique genetic features, varied molecular alterations, and poor prognosis. The current study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and profile of molecular markers on patients with a DMG harboring H3K27M mutations, and explore the impact of this genetic makeup on overall survival.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 43 consecutive patients diagnosed with a DMG harboring H3K27M mutations (age range 3 to 75 years) and treated in a tertiary institution within China between January 2017 to December 2019. Various clinical and molecular factors were evaluated to assess their prognostic value in this unique patient cohort.Results: The median overall survival (OS) was 12.83 months. Preoperative Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) and adjuvant radiotherapy were found to be independent clinical parameters influencing the OS by multivariate analysis (p = 0.027 and p < 0.001 respectively). Whereas extent of tumor resection failed to demonstrate statistical significance. For molecular markers, P53 overexpression was identified as a negative prognostic factor for overall survival by multivariate analysis (p = 0.030).Conclusion: Low preoperative KPS, absence of radiotherapy and P53 overexpression were identified as predictors of a dismal overall survival in patients with DMG and H3K27M mutations.

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii nosocomial ventriculitis/meningitis, especially those due to drug-resistant strains, has substantially increased over recent years. However, limited therapeutic options exist for the Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculitis/meningitis because of the poor penetration rate of most antibiotics through the blood-brain barrier. Case presentation: A 57-year-old male patient developed ventriculitis from an extensively drug-resistant strain of Acinetobacter baumannii after the decompressive craniectomy for severe traumatic brain injury. The patient was successfully treated with intraventricular and intravenous polymyxin B together with intravenous tigecycline. Conclusions: The case illustrates intraventricular polymyxin B can be a therapeutic option against extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculitis.