1/149. akinetic mutism after fourth ventricle choroid plexus papilloma: treatment with a dopamine agonist.BACKGROUND: akinetic mutism is a behavioral state wherein a patient seems to be awake but does not move or speak. Several patients are reported to have developed mutism after posterior fossa surgery. We present a patient who developed akinetic mutism after total excision of a choroid plexus papilloma of the fourth ventricle, and who was treated with bromocriptine. CASE DESCRIPTION: An 18-year-old woman was admitted with akinetic mutism, which had developed 6 days after posterior fossa surgery. She had had no neurologic deficit in the first 5 days after surgery and could communicate with her family. Despite antioedematous therapy and daily lumbar punctures to drain cerebrospinal fluid, there was no clinical improvement after she entered the akinetic mute state. Brain magnetic resonance revealed ventriculomegaly; brain single photon emission computed tomography revealed bilateral reduction of perfusion in the frontal region. Because daily lumbar drainage did not result in clinical improvement, shunt placement was not considered. bromocriptine therapy was begun at a dose of 2x2.5 mg; 24 hours later, the patient started to speak and move her upper extremities. Further improvement occurred over the following week when the dose was increased to 3x2.5 mg. bromocriptine was replaced with a placebo to determine whether the neurologic improvement was caused by the medicine. The patient's neurologic status deteriorated progressively; therefore, bromocriptine was restarted and she was discharged from the hospital. During the 6 months of follow-up, the patient has remained in good health. CONCLUSIONS: The etiology of akinetic mutism is not clear. Monoaminergic pathways, particularly dopaminergic cell groups, are most probably involved in this syndrome, because bromocriptine has a dramatic effect on these patients, as demonstrated in our case.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/149. pulmonary edema after resection of a fourth ventricle tumor: possible evidence for a medulla-mediated mechanism.A well-recognized fact is that some patients may have development of pulmonary edema in association with disorders of the central nervous system. The origin of this phenomenon, known as neurogenic pulmonary edema, is unclear but may result, in part, from select pulmonary venoconstriction modulated by autonomic outflow from the medulla oblongata. We describe a 21-year-old man who had development of pulmonary edema in association with surgical resection of a brain tumor that was close to the medulla. Other than the possibility of medullary dysfunction, which could have occurred after surgical manipulation, no other risk factor for pulmonary edema was identified. Of note, the patient's blood pressure remained normal throughout the perioperative period, and no fluid overload or primary cardiac dysfunction was evident. This case supports the theory that the medulla is an important anatomic site of origin for neurogenic pulmonary edema and that alterations in medullary function can induce pulmonary edema in humans, independent of systemic hypertension.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3.6962579939376keywords = central nervous system, brain, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/149. Cytologic features of central neurocytomas of the brain. A report of three cases.BACKGROUND: Although cytologic smears are major tools for intraoperative diagnosis of intracranial tumors, cytologic features of central neurocytoma, a tumor that has been recognized for only about 15 years, have not been described. CASES: Typical central neurocytomas were encountered in three patients: 40 years old/M, 44/M and 31/F. Intraoperative cytologic smears were reviewed, and all tumors were subsequently examined by conventional histology, immunohistology and, in one case, electron microscopy. The important cytologic appearances were sheets of round cells with finely stippled nuclear chromatin and perinuclear haloes. Calcospherites, neuropil islands and rosettelike structures were focally encountered. The background neuropil was finely fibrillated, but the tumor cells possessed no appreciable cellular processes. CONCLUSION: Central neurocytomas possess distinct cytologic features that help with the intraoperative distinction from oligodendrogliomas and other intraventricular tumors. A combined radiologic and morphologic approach to the diagnosis of this tumor is advised.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/149. Growing patterns of cavernous angioma in the fourth ventricle. Case report.Cavernous malformations are vascular lesions that occur in all parts of the central nervous system but most commonly in the cerebral hemispheres; unusually they may be found along the midline (basal ganglia, pineal region or brain stem), into the ventricle possibly encroaching upon the fourth and third ventricle. We report a case of midline cavernomas of the IV ventricle, that grew to large size in-time, demonstrating the capacity for rapid expansion.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3.6962579939376keywords = central nervous system, brain, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/149. Pineoblastoma showing unusual ventricular extension in a young adult--case report.A 19-year-old male presented with a 4-week history of headache. Neurological examination showed bilateral papilledema. Computed tomography revealed a pineal region mass with remarkable obstructive hydrocephalus. magnetic resonance imaging showed a pineal region tumor continuously invading through the tectum into the cerebral aqueduct and the fourth ventricle with the preservation of the adjacent structures. The tumor appeared an iso- to hypointense mass on T1-weighted images, a heterogeneous iso- to hyperintense mass on T2-weighted images, and a heterogeneously enhanced mass after administration of contrast medium. Histological examination after endoscopic biopsy confirmed that the tumor was a pineoblastoma. radiotherapy was given to the whole brain and the spinal cord, and magnetic resonance imaging showed complete remission of the tumor. Pineoblastomas are highly malignant tumors with seeding potential through the neighboring ventricle or along the meninges, and this type of tumor becomes larger with local extension. We found no previous reports of the continuous extension into the fourth ventricle. The present case showed ventricular extension with minimal mass effect to adjacent structures, and did not disturb ventricular configuration. According to the unusual finding of ventricular extension, this rare case of pineoblastoma requires adjuvant chemotherapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/149. Atypical central neurocytoma: report of a case.Central neurocytomas are rare, relatively benign intraventricular neoplasms composed of uniform round cells with neuronal differentiation. The majority of previously reported central neurocytomas did not recurr after tumor removal and the patients had favorable postoperative outcomes. Only a few cases with malignant histopathology or malignant behavior have been noted. Atypical central neurocytoma is a new entity that was first described in the literature in 1997. The tumors have been noted to exhibit a Ki-67 labeling index of 2% or more, or vascular proliferation, mitoses, and necrosis, or both. Atypical histologic findings are usually associated with a somewhat less favorable clinical course and requires postoperative radiotherapy. We report a unique case of a 33-year-old man with a large intraventricular central neurocytoma. The characteristic histopathologic picture, the immunoreactivity for both synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase, and the ultrastructural features of neuronal differentiation distinguished it from ependymoma and oligodendroglioma. The mitotic activity (up to 3 mitoses/10 high power field) and the high percentage of Ki-67-staining tumor cells (labeling index, 5.0%) in our case were consistent with the atypical variant of central neurocytoma. The patient underwent craniotomy and partial resection of the tumor. Unfortunately, he died of hydrocephalus and brain edema, the next day.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/149. meningioma of the fourth ventricle.Meningiomas are primary meningeal based tumors of the central nervous system that rarely are located strictly within the fourth ventricle. We report a 72-year-old man operated upon for such a tumor. The pre-operative magnetic resonance images revealed a well circumscribed mass in the fourth ventricle that exhibited a low signal on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images and homogenously enhanced with gadolinium. By light microscopy the tumor was composed of tightly packed spindle cells separated by collagen. immunohistochemistry showed the tumor cells to be positive for vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen, and negative for glial fibrillary acidic protein. Electron microscopy revealed typical findings of meningioma, including interdigitating cell processes, desmosomes, and intermediate filaments. Although rare, fibroblastic meningioma must be included in the differential diagnosis of a fourth ventricular spindle cell tumor in elderly patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.6962579939376keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/149. Subtonsillar-transcerebellomedullary approach to lesions involving the fourth ventricle, the cerebellomedullary fissure and the lateral brainstem.We describe the use of the subtonsillar-transcerebellomedullary approach to laterally placed fourth ventricle and brain-stem lesions. The subtonsillar-transcerebellomedullary approach to the fourth ventricle and the lateral brainstem was used in six patients: three patients with tumours of the fourth ventricle and brainstem (two ependymomas and one papillary thyroid carcinoma metastasis), two patients with cavernous angiomas of the brainstem and one patient with a distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery (pica) aneurysm. The microsurgical anatomy of this approach was studied in five cadaveric head specimens. The tumours and cavernous angiomas were removed and the distal pica aneurysm was clipped successfully. In all patients the Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) was equal to or better than the preoperative status on follow-up examinations. The anatomical studies also revealed the extensive exposure provided with this approach. The subtonsillar-transcerebellomedullary approach is recommended for lesions occupying the cerebellomedullary fissure, and the lateral aspect of the fourth ventricle.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 8keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/149. hemifacial spasm caused by a pilocytic astrocytoma of the fourth ventricle.An 11-year-old male in whom hemifacial spasm was the presenting sign of a pilocytic astrocytoma within the fourth ventricle is reported. The child's hemifacial spasm decreased substantially after resection of the tumor. hemifacial spasm is largely a disease of adults and only rarely is attributed to brain tumors. In contrast, this marks the fifth case of hemifacial spasm reported in a child, three of which have been attributed to tumors of the fourth ventricle.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/149. Malignant spread of haemangioblastoma: report on two cases.Two cases are described in which, after successful removal of a cerebellar haemangioblastoma followed by several years of freedom from symptoms, there developed a progressive spinal cord compression, leading to death. At necropsy the spinal cords in both cases and the brainstem in one case, were irregularly plastered with haemangioblastoma. Although there was no doubt that malignant spread had occurred from one or more primary tumours, the histology of the tumour tissue was in no way different from that of conventional haemangioblastoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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