H. vander Eecken

The Anatomy of the Late Radiation Encephalopathy

The clinico-pathological data and the topography of the lesions were determined in 13 cases of late radiation encephalopathy. In one case the arterial vascularisation was studied by the translucidatio

Dementia and Confusional State in Patients with Cerebral Infarcts

In a series of 302 postmortem brains with cerebral infarcts, a history of dementia was obtained in 21 and of confusional state in 13 patients in whom the occurrence of strokes was the only responsible

INTRACRANIAL BILATERAL SYMMETRICAL CALCIFICATION ON CT-SCANNING - A CASE-REPORT AND A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

The case of a 57-year-old woman with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism is presented. A CT-scan showed extensive bilateral symmetrical calcification in the region of the basal ganglia, nuclei of the cerebellum and the cerebral and cerebellar white matter. A review of the literature showed that bilateral symmetrical calcification detected by CT is usually small in extent and is most often confined to the globus pallidus. It is most commonly found in patients older than 50 years, who only rarely have symptoms associated with it. The finding is, though, non-specific and may occur in a variety of pathological conditions both with and without an aetiological relationship. Further study of the cerebral parathormone responsive adenylate cyclase enzyme proves hopeful to elucidate the aetiology of idiopathic bilateral symmetrical calcification.

Epilepsy in patients with cerebral infarcts

SummaryOut of series of 240 patients, with proved cerebral infarcts at necropsy, 14 with a clinical history of epilepsy were selected. The possible etiology of seizures was analyzed by comparing the clinical and pathological data. It appeared from this series that epileptic spells, preceding for years the occurrence of a stroke, were due to other causes than to cerebrovascular insufficiency. It was also difficult to separate apoplectic seizures from those occurring due to scar formation after a cerebral infarct, as postapoplectic epilepsy was induced either by the occurrence of a new stroke or by hemodynamic disturbances. Severe generalized or local hemodynamic and metabolic disturbances were also noted in cases of convulsions resulting from a cerebral infarct.ZusammenfassungVierzehn Patienten mit der klinischen Vorgeschichte einer Epilepsie gehörten einer Gruppe von 240 Fällen an, bei denen zerebrale Infarkte bei Autopsie nachgewiesen wurden. Die klinischen und pathologischen Ergebnisse wurden verglichen, um die mögliche Ätiologie der Krampfanfälle analysieren zu können. Es zeigte sich, daß die epileptischen Anfälle, die dem Auftreten eines Ictus um Jahre vorausgingen, andere Ursachen als eine zerebrovaskuläre Insuffizienz hatten. Außerdem schien es schwierig, apoplektische Konvulsionen zu trennen von jenen Epilepsien, welche nach Narbenbildung infolge eines zerebralen Infarktes auftraten, da eine post-apoplektische Epilepsie entweder durch das Auftreten eines neuen Ictus oder durch hemodynamische Störungen induziert wird. Auch in Fällen von Konvulsionen, die mit dem Auftreten eines zerebralen Infarktes verbunden sind, wurden ernsthafte allgemeine oder lokale haemodynamische oder metabole Störungen festgestellt.

Stroke Pattern and Topography of Cerebral Infarcts

In a series of 312 postmortem confirmed cerebral infarcts the clinical history was reviewed and the pattern of the strokes compared to the involved vascular territory. A high incidence of silent strok

Parkinsonism in patients with cerebral infarcts

From 220 necropsies of patients with cerebral infarcts, 5 were selected, in which the clinical history revealed typical parkinsonian symptoms with a progressive course of the extrapyramidal disorder. No correlation could be found between the location and the size of the infarcts on the one hand and the signs of parkinsonism on the other hand. In the 5 cases presented, the substantia nigra showed patchy areas of neuronal degeneration without any Lewy bodies nor neurofibrillary changes, around a pronounced status cribrosus in areas irrigated by paramedian branches of the mesencephalic arteries. Similar neuropathologic findings were present, but to a minor degree, in 2 of 5 cases of pseudo-bulbar palsy. Some extrapyramidal features were also present. It is proposed that is some rare instances, status cribrosus may be responsible for nigral degeneration and for the occurrence of parkinsonism.

Cytophotometric DNA determination in human astroglial tumours

The DNA content is determined by the cytophotometric method in 16 astroglial tumours, classified according to the degree of clinical malignancy. The values are compared to those found in non‐tumoural astrocytes. This method appears to be more reliable in assessment of the degree of malignancy of the tumour in biopsy material than histological criteria and the mitotic index. It is also shown to be of great value in cases where the biopsy is taken at the margin of the tumour and in which malignant histological features are missing.

Electron Microscopical Study of Neuroaxonal Dystrophy

A case of a 5½-year-old patient with psycho-motor retardation is presented. It is studied by a cortico-subcortical biopsy of the right frontal lobe, by light and electron microscopy

The target phenomenon in rat muscle following tenotomy and neurotomy

SummaryTarget fibers were checked at regular intervals in two groups of rat gastrocnemius muscle namely after tenotomy and neurotomy. The highest amount of target fibres was observed during the first week. following tenotomy and around the seventh week, when the muscle became again functional by spontaneous union of the tendon. The target phenomenon was restricted to the type II fibres. It appeared also in the early stage of re-innervation, 5 weeks following neurotomy and remained present subsequently in a transitional zone between denervated and re-innervated muscle fibres and was restricted to the type I muscle fibres. The target phenomenon was not the only histochemical alteration observed following tenotomy and neurotomy. This experimental study allowed to determinate more precisely the causal factors of the target phenomenon.

The angioarchitecture of the astroblastoma.

Summary The angioarchitecture of an astroblastoma of the corpus callosum is studied on serial carotid angiograms, made during life, and on post mortem angiograms, performed by filling of the cerebral arterial system with a colloidal bariumsulphate solution and by using the translucidation technique. The results of these investigations are compared to the histological aspect of the tumour. This study reveals the close relationship between the astroblasts and the bloodvessels. The angio-architectural pattern of this tumour is characterized by new formation of capillaries. It is considered as an additional support to classify the astroblastoma as a separate type of glioma.