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CDC reports rising fungal brain abscess detections; study finds rural residence not tied to tumor surgery outcomes; Medicare adds graft payment
THE SHORT READ
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Oct. 2 that detections of Cladophialophora bantiana, a mold that causes brain abscesses, rose to 14 in 2025 at a clinical reference laboratory.
A Journal of Neurosurgery study found rural residence was not independently associated with outcomes after brain tumor surgery in New York, a Medicare add-on payment for a lumbar fusion bone graft took effect Oct. 1, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared a neurovascular access system.
THE DETAILS
- Public health Oct 2, 2026A clinical reference laboratory identified 48 confirmed cases and one probable case of Cladophialophora bantiana, a neurotropic mold associated with a 60% to 70% case-fatality rate, from 2009 to July 1, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Oct. 2. Of the 49, 43 (88%) came from intracranial central nervous system (CNS) tissue; counts rose to eight in 2024 and 14 in 2025. Detections per 1,000 CNS specimens rose 210% by 2025, to 26, from a 2017 to 2023 average of 8.4. Surgical excision or drainage of brain abscesses was associated with more favorable outcomes, the report said.Source: CDC MMWR
- Research Oct 2, 2026A retrospective study of 2010 to 2020 New York State discharge data, published online Oct. 2 in the Journal of Neurosurgery, included 25,887 adults treated neurosurgically for brain tumors, excluding New York City residents; 3,745 (14%) lived in rural areas. Rural brain tumor admissions increased despite a declining rural population, and rural patients were more often from lower income quartiles (66% versus 39%). After adjustment, rural residence was not independently associated with any outcome, including length of stay, nonhome discharge, emergency department presentation and 30-day mortality.
- Payment Oct 1, 2026Cerapedics received Medicare new technology add-on payment status for its PearlMatrix P-15 Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft, effective Oct. 1, Becker's Spine Review reported, citing an Oct. 1 company release. For qualifying inpatient cases at hospitals paid under the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System, the designation allows reimbursement of up to 65% of the additional cost of the technology. PearlMatrix is a Class III drug-device combination product for skeletally mature patients with degenerative disc disease, for use at one lumbar level from L2 to S1 with up to Grade I spondylolisthesis.Source: Becker's Spine Review
- FDA Sept 28, 2026Route 92 Medical announced Sept. 28 that the Food and Drug Administration granted 510(k) clearance to its FreeClimb 46 catheter with Tenzing 4, two components engineered as an integrated system to provide neurovascular access, NeuroNews International reported. According to the company, the navigational capabilities of its Tenzing delivery catheters enable controlled access through neurovascular anatomy, establishing stable access for the treatment of complex neurovascular diseases.Source: NeuroNews International