Collin S. MacCarty

The electroencephalogram in cases of tumors of the posterior fossa and third ventricle

Abstract This report is based on a study of the electroencephalograms of 66 patients with tumors of the posterior fossa, 12 patients with tumors of the third ventricle, and 9 patients with obstructive hydrocephalus. The principal abnormality seen consisted of rhythmic, bilaterally synchronous slow waves. Less often, irregular, arrhythmic waves were seen. With the exception of tumors of the cerebellopontine angle, the incidence of abnormal records was approximately equal regardless of the nature or site of the pathologic process. There was no correlation between the site of the electroencephalographic abnormalities and the anatomic site of the lesion. The rhythmical abnormalities tent to be increased with hyperventilation and to be inhibited by opening of the eyes. In contrast, the arrhythmic abnormalities are only rarely affected by these procedures. Increased pressure within the third and lateral ventricles appears to be of major importance in the production of abnormality in the electroencephalogram. An acute increase in intraventricular pressure appears to produce an abnormality more often than a slow increase. Abnormality is more likely to be seen in young patients than in old patients.

Subdural hematoma, subdural hygroma and subarachnoid hemorrhage among infants and children.

DURING an 11 year interval at the Mayo Clinic, 47 cases of intracranial bleeding were encountered among infants and children. The literature on this subject is extensive. One of the most interesting of the earlier reports was that of Rosenbergl in 1913. Sherwood2 in 1930 published an excellent paper in which he summarized the older literature and presented nine cases of subdural hematoma among infants. His interest seems to have focused attention on this subject, since he stressed the importance of recognition and early therapy. Ingraham and associates3-5 published reports on the largest series of cases and are largely responsible for our modem conce ts of therapy of this condition.

The Roentgenologic Manifestations of Meningiomas in the Region of the Tuberculum Sella

Although meningiomas of the tuberculum sellae had been described previously, Cushing and Eisenhardt (1) made the first extensive study of these tumors, emphasizing the fact that they seldom caused gross roentgen abnormalities. More recently Weyand and Camp (2) and di Chiro and Lindgren (3) have shown that evidence of such tumors often can be detected by careful roentgenographic evaluation of the sella turcica. Carotid angiography and cerebral pneumography have been used widely for the study of suprasellar tumors. List and Hodges (4) and Wood (5) have found angiography useful. Wickbom (6) believed that pneumoencephalography and carotid angiography should be used as complementary diagnostic examinations. Schlezinger and Teplick (7) and Dyke and Davidoff (8) described the abnormalities noted on pneumoencephalographic examinations. Many of the published series have included suprasellar tumors other than meningiomas of the tuberculum sellae. Present Study The present study was undertaken to re-evaluate abnorma...

Cerebral angiography in agenesis of the corpus callosum.

A genesis of the corpus callosum is an interesting and rather uncommon error in the development of the brain. According to Davidoff and Epstein (1), it was first described by Reil in 1812, and 83 cases of partial or complete agenesis of the corpus callosum found at necropsy had been recorded prior to 1934. These writers credited Guttman with the first description of the pneumoencephalographic changes in 1929, although the diagnosis in that particular case was made at necropsy. Davidoff and Dyke (2), in 1934, reported 3 cases, 2 of which were recognized by their pneumoencephalographic characteristics; the lesion in one of these was subsequently proved by operation. At the present time, although the features of complete or relatively complete agenesis of the corpus callosum are well known, little has been written concerning the changes demonstrated by cerebral angiography. Because of the frequency of cerebral angiographic examinations now being carried out on patients who show rather nonspecific clinical sy...