1/6. Solitary olfactory groove schwannoma: case report with review of the literature.A 45-year-old man presented with headaches of 6 months' duration and generalized seizures in a cluster 2 days prior to admission. Examination revealed bilateral papilloedema and no focal deficits. CT scan showed an isodense enhancing mass lesion in the right frontobasal region with perilesional edema. Bifrontal craniotomy (with total excision of the tumor) revealed a tumor in the region of the right olfactory groove attached to the cribriform plate. Histopathological examination disclosed it to be a hyalinised schwannoma. Solitary schwannomas arising from the olfactory groove are extremely rare. Only six other cases have been reported so far. The presentation. CT scan findings and histogenesis of the tumor are discussed along with a review of the literature.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = headache (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/6. Magnetic resonance appearance of multiple intracranial epidermoid cysts: intrathecal seeding of the cysts? Case report.A 44-year-old man presented to the hospital with multiple intracranial epidermoid cysts. The clinical manifestations of his disease included chronic headaches and one seizurelike episode. Findings determined by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, surgery, and histological analysis indicated intrathecal and intraventricular seeding of the cysts. Spontaneous (nontraumatic) seeding of multiple daughter cysts from intracranial epidermoid cysts is still very rare and their multiple appearances on MR imaging should be distinguished from the simple scattering of oily contents due to cyst rupture.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = headache (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/6. Cyclosporin A-induced encephalopathy after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation with prevention of graft-versus-host disease by tacrolimus.A 21-year-old woman with severe aplastic anemia received an allogeneic bone marrow transplant (allo-BMT) from an HLA-matched and ABO-matched sibling donor after conditioning with cyclophosphamide, rabbit ATG (Lymphoglobuline; Aventis-Pharma), and total lymphoid irradiation. She had a long history of cyclosporin A (CsA) therapy before conditioning. She complained of severe headache and convulsions on day 0, and findings on magnetic resonance images suggested CsA-induced encephalopathy. CsA was immediately stopped, and tacrolimus for prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was started on day 2. Hematological engraftment was observed on day 14 without serious GVHD. Prompt diagnosis, replacement of immunosuppressive agents, and careful monitoring of serum drug concentrations are thought to have contributed to the patient's good clinical course, since CsA-induced encephalopathy tends to be recurrent but to improve completely without any sequelae.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = headache (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/6. Reversible brain lesions in childhood hypertension.posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome is characterized by an acute, usually reversible, encephalopathy with transient occipital lobe abnormalities detected on MRI that occur mostly in association with acute hypertension. The clinical presentation includes seizures, headache, altered mental status and blindness. Disturbed autoregulation of cerebral blood flow and endothelial injury are central to the pathogenesis of this disorder. Prompt control of hypertension results in rapid and complete neurological recovery. In this report we discuss the cases of two children with acute onset hypertension of different aetiologies that presented with the characteristic features of posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome. CONCLUSION: Early recognition of this readily treatable condition may obviate the need for extensive and invasive investigations. Despite the alarming lesions on the MRI, prompt control of hypertension carries a uniformly favourable prognosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = headache (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/6. Efficacy and safety of radiosurgical callosotomy: a retrospective analysis.PURPOSE: Anterior callosotomy is a surgical option for the treatment of generalized tonic or atonic seizures associated with drop attacks. Besides open surgery, a radiosurgical callosal disconnection using the gamma knife (GK) also can be performed, but reliable data about tolerability and efficacy are sparse. methods: Eight patients (three female, five male age range, 5 to 69 years) with severe generalized epilepsy associated with disabling drop attacks underwent GK callosotomy between 1993 and 2004. In six patients, the anterior third of the corpus callosum was radiosurgically disconnected. In one patient a second procedure with GK treatment of the middle third of the corpus callosum was added 17 months later. In two patients posterior GK callosotomy had followed partial hemispherotomy. RESULTS: Drop attacks (DAs) were completely abolished in three patients, and two patients had a marked DA seizure reduction of 60%. Two of four patients with additional generalized tonic-clonic seizures showed a reduction of 100%, and the remaining, a 50% and 60% decrease, respectively. Other seizure types responded less well to the radiosurgical treatment. In both patients with posterior GK callosotomy after hemispherotomy, partial seizures decreased. Beside transient headache in two patients, no immediate or long-term postradiosurgical side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Palliative radiosurgical callosotomy is an efficient and safe noninvasive alternative to the open procedure with comparable results. No signs of postradiosurgical side effects were noted within an up to 12-year posttreatment period.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = headache (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/6. occipital lobe seizures as the major clinical manifestation of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome: magnetic resonance imaging findings.PURPOSE: Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) is an increasingly recognized brain disorder most commonly associated with malignant hypertension, toxemia of pregnancy, or the use of immunosuppressive agents. When associated with acute hypertension, RPLS typically occurs concurrently with the fulminant clinical syndrome of hypertensive encephalopathy. We describe occipital lobe seizures, in the setting of only moderate elevations of blood pressure, as the major clinical manifestation of RPLS. methods: Two patients from the Dent Neurologic Institute are presented with clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlation. RESULTS: New onset secondarily generalized occipital seizures were noted, with MRI findings consistent with RPLS. Both of the patients had chronic renal failure and a moderate acute exacerbation of chronic hypertension. Other features of hypertensive encephalopathy were lacking, such as headache, nausea, papilledema, and an altered sensorium. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed edematous lesions primarily involving the posterior supratentorial white matter and corticomedullary junction, consistent with RPLS. With lowered blood pressure, the MRI lesions resolved and the patients became seizure-free without requiring chronic anticonvulsant therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Occipital seizures may represent the only major neurologic manifestation of RPLS due to acute hypertension, especially in patients with renal failure. Other evidence of hypertensive encephalopathy, such as cerebral signs and symptoms, need not be present. blood pressure elevations may be only moderate. Early recognition of this readily treatable cause of occipital seizures may obviate the need for extensive, invasive investigations. Despite the impressive lesions on MRI, prompt treatment of this disorder carries a favorable prognosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = headache (Clic here for more details about this article) |