A rare primary intracerebral solitary malignant melanoma with extracranial metastasis is reported. The patient was a 66-year-old man who was revealed to have a tumor in the right temporal lobe by MRI. The tumor was totally resected and the histopathological diagnosis was malignant melanoma. Despite postoperative treatment with chemo-radiotherapy, tumor recurred with multiple subarachnoid dissemination. Complete autopsy showed marked leptomeningeal dissemination of tumor in the cerebro-spinal compartment. In the outside of the central nervous system, a microscopic metastatic nodule was found in the right lung. Metastatic tumor in the spinal cord showed the extradural extension which might have led to hematogenous metastasis to the lung.

Aged↗

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Ciliated craniopharyngioma may arise from Rathke cleft cyst.

OBJECTIVE: The histogenesis of craniopharyngioma is not fully understood. We encountered a ciliated craniopharyngioma, the details of which may shed light on the histogeny of craniopharyngioma in general. PATIENT: A 74-year-old man presented with visual disturbance. Computed tomography showed an intra-suprasellar cyst including a solid tumor. Transsphenoidal surgery was performed. During surgery, the cyst was found to contain mucoid milky-white fluid and a solid tumor 1 cm in diameter. Histologically, the tumor was shown to be a papillary type craniopharyngioma with foci of ciliated columnar epithelial cells. Ciliated craniopharyngioma was diagnosed. CONCLUSION: Our findings in this case together with findings in other reported cases suggest that the basal cells of Rathke cleft cyst transform to papillary type craniopharyngioma after squamous metaplasia, explaining the presence of the cilia and goblet cells.

Aged↗

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Spontaneous carotid cavernous fistula presenting only with cranial nerve palsies.

PURPOSE: To discuss the differences in angiographic findings between cases of spontaneous carotid cavernous fistula with and without the classical triad of symptoms (pulsating exophthalmos, bruit, and conjunctival chemosis). METHODS: With CT, MR, and angiography, we examined 12 cases of spontaneous carotid cavernous fistula, five of whom presented only with cranial nerve palsies. RESULTS: In the seven cases with the triad, the main venous drainage from the cavernous sinus was the superior ophthalmic vein. Only one or two veins drained the cavernous sinus, and cortical venous drainage was not present in any case. In contrast, all but one case with only cranial nerve palsies had at least three venous drainage routes from the cavernous sinus, including cortical venous drainage. CONCLUSION: For the diagnoses of spontaneous carotid cavernous fistula, it is important to know that some patients do not show the classical triad of symptoms. In such patients, early diagnosis and treatment are particularly important because cortical venous drainage and a consequent risk of hemorrhage are frequently present.

Adult↗

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Pathophysiologic assessment of stagnating arteries after removal of arteriovenous malformations.

PURPOSE: To assess the hemodynamics and pathophysiology of stagnating arteries after removal of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). SUBJECTS: 50 patients with supratentorial pial AVMs underwent pre- and postoperative angiographic studies. RESULTS: The following characteristics were found to correlate with stagnating arteries: 1) advanced patient age, 2) large AVM size, 3) markedly dilated feeders, 4) early postoperative angiograms, and 5) delayed restoration of feeding artery diameter. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of blood flow in the former feeding arteries, expressed as v x pi x r2 (v = mean velocity, r = vessel radius), suddenly decreases after removal of AVMs. When dilatation persists postoperatively in these arteries the flow velocity decreases and stagnation takes place. Delayed postoperative restoration of feeding artery diameter may be caused by a decrease of elasticity due to long-standing hemodynamic stresses, and by increased postoperative vascular resistance of these arteries.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Superselective embolization for severe traumatic epistaxis caused by fracture of the skull base.

Intractable epistaxis developed in a 13-year-old girl after she fell down a flight of stairs sustaining facial fractures and fracture of the skull base. Epistaxis was found to emanate from a right ascending pharyngeal artery, which the authors promptly and successfully embolized using polyvinyl alcohol particles and microfibrillar collagen.

Adolescent↗