1/2071. endodermal sinus tumor of the pineal region: case report.This is a case report of an endodermal sinus tumor occurring in the pineal region of a 12-year-old Caucasian boy. Germ cell tumors of this type demonstrate a selective overgrowth of yolk sac endoderm associated with extraembryonic mesoblast and arise perferentially in the gonads of young children. This is the ninth known report of this tumor in the world literature. Its occurrence in the posterior third ventricle again confirms that pineal region germ cell tumors are histologically analogous to germ cell tumors originating in the gonads. A disturbance in the region of the primitive streak is thought to account for the exclusive midline location of this tumor in extragonadal sites. This patient was treated with a combination of vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide, and concomitant cobalt irradiation. For endodermal sinus tumors in the pineal region, this combination appears more effective than previously reported treatment by irradiation alone.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/2071. Transient paralytic attacks of obscure nature: the question of non-convulsive seizure paralysis.Eleven patients with transient paralytic attacks of obscure nature are described. paralysis could involve face or leg alone, face and hand, or face, arm and leg. The duration varied from two minutes to one day. Four patients had brain tumors, six probably had brain infarcts, and one a degenerative process. The differential diagnosis included TIAs, migraine accompaniments, and seizures. In the absence of good evidence for the first two, the cases are discussed from the standpoint of possibly representing nonconvulsive seizure paralysis (ictal paralysis, inhibitory seizure paralysis or somatic inhibitory seizure). Because of the difficulty in defining seizures as well as TIAs and migraine in their atypical variations, a firm conclusion concerning the mechanisms of the spells was not attained. Two cases of the hypertensive amaurosis-seizure syndrome have been added as further examples of ictal deficits.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/2071. Complete remission of a diffuse pontine glioma.A patient is described in whom a large diffuse glioma of the pons extending into the midbrain was diagnosed at the age of 2 years. biopsy showed a fibrillary astrocytoma. After shunting of a hydrocephalus, the clinical symptoms abated without conventional therapy. Repeated MRI studies showed a continuous decrease of the tumour which was no longer visible when the patient was 6.6 years old. In reviews on spontaneous remissions of oncologic disorders we were unable to find a case of a biologically benign brain stem tumour. There is one isolated report on a similar case, though without histologic documentation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/2071. Long-term remission of malignant brain tumors after intracranial infection: a report of four cases.OBJECTIVE: This report describes four patients with malignant brain tumors in whom regression or cure seems to be related to infection with bacteria. methods: An analysis of the four clinical cases reported and a review of the literature produced a comprehensive body of both experimental and clinical data concerning the antineoplastic properties of bacteria. RESULTS: Although direct oncolytic effects from bacteria have been suggested, immune adjuvant responses to tumor suppression are emphasized. In one of our patients, infiltration of numerous granulocytes and lymphocytes into the tumor at the time of initial surgery was observed, suggesting that a spontaneous immune reaction had begun. Also, in two other patients, tumor aggression occurred in association with a bacterial process that was not in direct contact with the tumor. In three of the cases described, enterobacter aerogenes was recovered from the microbial cultures. Whether the presence of this organism was coincidental or whether this organism plays an important role in tumor defense is not known; however, a specific cross-reactive immunological attack to the tumor is suggested. CONCLUSION: The case histories presented in conjunction with the relevant literature reviewed support the concept that microbial infections may influence immune responses in brain tumor defense.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/2071. The role of ventral medial wall motor areas in bimanual co-ordination. A combined lesion and activation study.Two patients with midline tumours and disturbances of bimanual co-ordination as the presenting symptoms were examined. Both reported difficulties whenever the two hands had to act together simultaneously, whereas they had no problems with unimanual dexterity or the use of both hands sequentially. In the first patient the lesion was confined to the cingulate gyrus; in the second it also invaded the corpus callosum and the supplementary motor area. Kinematic analysis of bimanual in-phase and anti-phase movements revealed an impairment of both the temporal adjustment between the hands and the independence of movements between the two hands. A functional imaging study in six volunteers, who performed the same bimanual in-phase and anti-phase tasks, showed strong activations of midline areas including the cingulate and ventral supplementary motor area. The prominent activation of the ventral medial wall motor areas in the volunteers in conjunction with the bimanual co-ordination disorder in the two patients with lesions compromising their function is evidence for their pivotal role in bimanual co-ordination.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/2071. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and cerebral toxoplasmosis in an adult patient, with no symptoms of underlying immunosuppressing illness.We present a case of the coincidence of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and central nervous system (CNS) toxoplasmosis in an adult patient, without a detectable cause of cell-mediated immunity impairment. The proper diagnosis was made postmortem on the basis of histological changes typical of both pathological processes. PML was characterized by the presence of subcortical focal demyelination, containing enlarged, densely basophilic oligodendrocyte nuclei, often with intranuclear inclusion, and bizarre astrocytes, mimicking neoplastic cells. PML was confirmed by detecting numerous papova virus particles in oligo- and astroglial nuclei by thin-section electron microscopy. Cerebral toxoplasmosis was characterized by the presence of multiple well-circumscribed necrotizing abscesses. Numerous toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) cysts and free, non-encysted protozoan parasites were found among the inflammatory infiltrates. The diagnosis of cerebral toxoplasmosis was further confirmed by immunocytochemistry. In order to detect putative immunosuppressive background underlying both pathological processes, hiv infection was taken into consideration, however, no histopathological changes indicative of AIDS either in the CNS or in the peripheral organs were eventually found. Moreover no hiv provirus genome was identified in the formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded brain tissue by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Current view on the selected aspects of the pathogenesis of both disorders were discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/2071. Graphic analysis of microscopic tumor cell infiltration, proliferative potential, and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in an autopsy brain with glioblastoma.BACKGROUND: growth of brain tumors requires tumor-cell attachment to adjacent structures, degradation of surrounding matrixes, migration of tumor cells, proliferation of vasculature, and tumor cell proliferation. Comparison of the findings on neuroimaging, degrees and patterns of tumor invasion, regional tumor cell viability detected by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry, and regional vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in whole-brain specimen of glioblastoma therefore is of great interest, and will facilitate study of the host reaction against the glioblastoma. methods: We graphically analyzed microscopic tumor-cell infiltration, regional differences in Ki-67 labeling indices (LI), and immunohistochemical expression of VEGF in an autopsy brain with glioblastoma. RESULTS: glioblastoma cells infiltrated the brain far beyond the gross limits of the tumor and the areas with high signal intensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. A wide range of histologic malignancy was apparent from hematoxylin-eosin staining and the Ki-67 labeling indices. VEGF was highly expressed in normal astrocytes located outside the tumor. CONCLUSION: Graphic analysis of histologic and immunohistochemical patterns is a useful method of investigating the mechanisms of glioma growth, tumor cell infiltration in the brain, and the host reaction of the brain against neoplasms.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/2071. Composite ganglioglioma and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor.Both ganglioglioma and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors are well-recognized glial-neuronal neoplasms associated with chronic epilepsy and cortical dysplasia (neuronal migration abnormalities). The exact relationship between these 2 glial-neuronal tumors continues to be debated. This article reports a case of a composite ganglioglioma and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor occurring in a 36-year-old woman in the left temporal lobe region. The resection histologically demonstrated distinct areas of ganglioglioma and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor. A focal area of cortical dysplasia is also identified. The MIB-1 labeling indexes in both components were low (<1% of tumor cell nuclei). The coexistence of these 2 lesions and cortical dysplasia suggest a possible etiologic relationship between these 2 tumors.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/2071. Downbeat nystagmus caused by thiamine deficiency: an unusual presentation of CNS localization of large cell anaplastic CD 30-positive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.A 24-year-old woman with a large cell anaplastic CD 30-positive T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) developed downbeat nystagmus, anisocoria, and oscillopsia. Prior to overt cerebral invasion by NHL, she had a thiamine deficiency with very low thiamine concentrations in the CSF, probably caused by protracted vomiting and increased vitamin B1 consumption by intrathecal tumor cells. We believe that her neurologic symptoms were caused -- at least partly -- by thiamine deficiency, as she reacted well to thiamine supplementation at the beginning of treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/2071. Intracranial meningioma with hemorrhage.Intracranial meningioma with hemorrhage is not frequently reported. The available articles in the literature regarding intracranial meningioma with hemorrhage are reviewed to the best of our knowledge, and the sixty-one cases have so far been reported. The authors report three cases. In about half of the 64 cases including ours, the tumor was located at the convexity, and histologically classified as meningotheliomatous meningioma. The site of hemorrhage was mainly in the subarachnoid space. In most cases the onset of presenting signs and symptoms was acute. The mean age at the time of tumor hemorrhage was 51 years. There was no sex difference statistically. The importance of the diagnosis of associated hemorrhage and subsequent surgical intervention is emphasized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ms (Clic here for more details about this article) |
| | Next -> |