Jorge Sergio Reis Filho

Neurocysticercosis: a clinical and pathological study of 27 necropsied cases

Neurocysticercosis is the most frequent and widespread neuroparasitosis of the human being. The development of brain and leptomeningeal lesions, with subsequent symptoms, are mainly related with the immune status of the host, and to the number and evolutional phase of the parasites. We present the pathological findings in 27 necropsies of patients with neurocysticercosis, which accounted for 3.1% of the necropsies. 77% of the patients were male and the age ranged from 18 to 85 years. In 26% there was previous history of alcoholism. Clinicopathological study showed that 50% of the cases were classified as asymptomatic form, 11% epileptic form, 11% intraventricular form and 11% combined form. 33% of the patients presented seizures as a factor of aggravation of the clinical picture. There was a single cysticercus in 60% of the cases, the cellulosae form present in 82% and the racemous form in 7% of the cases; the remaining 11% had both forms present. In 30% of the patients the cause of death was directly related with the presence of the cysticercus in the central nervous system. Our findings confirm the high morbidity of this disease.

Tumores pediátricos primários do sistema nervoso central. Estudo patologico de 623 casos

Tumours of central nervous system (CNS) represent the second most frequent malignancy in children under 15 years of age but are the commonest cause of death. The authors present the epidemiologic and histopathologic analysis of 623 primary tumours of CNS occurring during the period 1990 to 1996 in paediatric patients. In this period 3318 biopsies of CNS were analyzed. In this total were included 623 paediatric tumours (18 7%). The age of patients ranged from 5 months to 15 years, 325 tumours occurred in males and 298 in females. The majority affected the posterior fossa. The majority of paediatric neoplasias were of glial origin (n = 277). The most frequent tumours were: astrocytoma (27.9%), medulloblastoma (9.95%), craniopharyngioma (5.93%), ependymoma (4.97%) and glioblastoma (3.37%).Tumores primarios do sistema nervoso central (SNC) representam a segunda mais frequente forma de neoplasia em criancas abaixo dos 15 anos, entretanto sao as principais neoplasias responsaveis pelo obito. Os autores relatam a analise epidemiologica e histopatologica de 623 tumores primarios do SNC que acometeram pacientes pediatricos no periodo de 1990 a 1996 na cidade de Curitiba- PR. Neste periodo foram analisadas 3318 biopsias de SNC. Do total, 623 eram provenientes de neoplasias acometendo pacientes pediatricos (18,7%). As idades dos pacientes variaram de S meses a 15 anos, sendo que 325 tumores ocorreram no sexo masculino e 298 no sexo feminino. Grande parte dos tumores localizava-se na fossa posterior. Dos 623 tumores, 277 eram de origem glial. As mais frequentes foram: astrocitoma (27,9%), meduloblastoma (9,95%), craniofaringioma (5,93%), ependimoma (4,97%) e glioblastoma (3,37%).

Ganglioglioma desmoplásico da infância: estudo clínico, histopatológico e epidemiológico de cinco casos

Infantile desmoplastic gangliogliomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system, composed by a mixture of glial and neuronal cells and a fibrous stroma, which affect mainly young patients and arise from the surface of the cerebral hemispheres. We present five cases of infantile desmoplastic ganglioglioma: three were male and two were female. The ages ranged from three months and seven years (mean 2.62 years). The symptoms reflected the growth and topography of the tumors affecting the parietal (n=3), parieto-occipital (n=1), occipital (n=1) lobes. Immunohistochemistry was performed in two cases with similar results to those reported in the literature.

Meduloblastomas: achados clínicos, epidemiológicos e anátomo-patológicos de 28 casos

Relatamos os achados clinicos, epidemiologicos e anatomo-patologicos de 28 casos de meduloblastomas. Dos 28 pacientes analisados, 22 eram do sexo masculino e seis do sexo feminino. As idades variaram de 1 a 50 anos, com media de 15 anos. Os sinais e sintomas de maior frequencia foram cefaleia (64%) e vomitos (64%). Em relacao ao tratamento, a maioria dos pacientes foi submetida a resseccao cirurgica total (n=10) ou a exerese parcial (n=7). Com a excecao de um paciente que apresentava meduloblastoma desmoplasico, os demais apresentavam a forma classica do meduloblastoma. Foi evidenciada uma taxa de recidiva tumoral total de 21% (n=6) em 4 anos de seguimento clinico. A quimioterapia adjuvante parece contribuir para melhor evolucao clinica dos pacientes. Estes achados aproximam-se dos encontrados na literatura, contribuindo para a compreensao do comportamento biologico deste tumor.

Craniofaringiomas: achados clínicos, epidemiológicos e anatomopatológicos de 25 casos

We report the clinical and pathological findings of 25 cases of craniopharyngiomas. Fourteen patients were males and 11 were females. The ages ranged between 3 and 64 years, with a mean of 30.52 years. The symptoms reflected the growth and topography of the tumours; visual disorders (72%), headache (68%), vomits (40%) and papilledema (24%) were the most frequent symptoms. Twelve cases were suprasellar; 10 tumours arose from sellar region, from which 8 presented suprasellar extension; frontal lobe (n = 2) and ponto cererebellar angle (n = 1) were also affected. Eleven patients undergone total resection of the tumor and 14 were submitted to partial resection, from which 1 received adjuvant chemotherapy. The overall recurrence rate was 48%. Eight recurrences were observed in the patients submitted to partial resection and 4 in which total resection were performed. These results are similar with the literature, corroborating to the extension of residual tumour after the surgical resection as the main prognostic factor for this neoplasm.

Oligodendrogliomas: estudo anatomopatológico e clínico de 15 casos

Oligodendrogliomas account for 4-5% of primary central nervous system tumours with a slow and infiltrative growth. We report the clinical and pathological findings of 15 cases of oligodendrogliomas. Eight patients were males and 7 were females. The ages ranged between 17 and 66 years, with a mean of 39.73 years. The symptoms reflected the growth and topography of the tumours; migraine (60%) and seizures (60%) were the most frequent symptoms. Frontal (n=6), parietal (n=2), temporal (n=1) and occipital (n=1) lobes were affected. Five patients undergone total resection of the tumor and 10 were submitted to partial resection, from which 3 received adjuvant radiotherapy, 1 adjuvant chemotherapy and 1 chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The overall recurrence rate was 60% for a 32 month follow up. Five recurrences were observed in patients submitted only to the surgical treatment and 4 in which adjuvant radio or chemotherapy were performed. These results are similar with the literature and may contribute to further understanding the biological behavior of these rare tumours.

Ependimomas: achados clínicos, epidemiológicos e anatomopatológicos de 22 casos

Ependymomas are composed of neoplastic ependymal cells, affecting mainly children and young adults. We report the clinical and pathological findings of 22 cases of ependymomas. Fourteen patients were males and 8 were females. The ages ranged between 1 and 58 years, with a mean of 24.63 years. The symptoms reflected the growth and topography of the tumours; muscle weakness (59.1%), gait disorders (36.3%), sensitive disorders (36.3%), hyperreflexia and intracranial hypertension syndrome were the most frequent symptoms. Ten tumours affected the medulla, 7 the cerebral hemispheres, 2 the cerebral ventricles and 1 brain stem. Seven patients were submitted total resection of the tumor, from which one received adjuvant radiotherapy. 15 other patients were submitted to partial resection; from which 4 received adjuvant radiotherapy, 3 adjuvant chemotherapy and 1 chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The recurrence rate was 18.2%. These results are similar with the literature and may contribute to further understanding the biological behavior of these tumours.Ependimomas sao neoplasias compostas por celulas ependimarias neoplasicas, manifestando-se predominantemente em criancas e adultos jovens. Relatamos os achados clinicos, epidemiologicos e anatomopatologicos de 22 casos de ependimomas. Dos 22 casos analisados, 14 ocorreram em pacientes do sexo masculino e 8 em pacientes femininos. As idades variaram de 1 a 58 anos, com media de 24,63 anos. Quanto a localizacao, 10 casos acometeram medula, 7 ocorreram em hemisferios cerebrais, 2 intraventriculares e 1 no tronco cerebral. Os sinais e sintomas observados incluiram reducao da forca muscular (59,1% dos pacientes), alteracoes da marcha (36,3%), alteracoes da sensibilidade(36,3%), hiperreflexia e sindrome de hipertensao endocraniana, com periodo de evolucao variando de 15 dias a 8 anos, com media de 17,58 meses. Sete pacientes foram submetidos a resseccao cirurgica total , 7 a exerese parcial, 4 a exerese parcial associada a radioterapia adjuvante, 3 a resseccao parcial seguida de quimioterapia e 1 a tumorectomia total associada a radioterapia. Evidenciou-se taxa de recidiva tumoral total de 18,2%. Estes achados aproximam-se dos encontrados na literatura internacional, corroborando para a compreensao do comportamento biologico deste tumor.

Eclerose tuberosa: relato de caso com estudo histopatológico e ultraestrutural

Tuberous sclerosis complex is a group of autosomal disorders characterized by hamartomas and benign neoplastic lesions that invariably affect the central nervous system. We report a case of tuberous sclerosis that is the first presenting ultrastructural findings of this phacomatosis in the Latin American literature. The patient was a 2 year old girl presenting West syndrome non responsive to the clinical treatment with vigabatrin, trileptal and clonazepan, and undergoing left frontal lobectomy. The histopathological and ultrastructural findings were compatible with tuberous sclerosis. These results may help to further understand this controversial phacomatosis, warning to the clinical presentation as West syndrome.

Hemangioblastomas: achados clínicos, epidemiológicos e anatomopatológicos em 14 casos

We report the clinical, epidemiological and pathological findings of 14 patients with haemangioblastoma. Sixty-four percent occurred in males, with ages ranging from 16 to 60 years, with an average of 34,4 years. Most of the tumours were confined to the cerebellum (n=9). The most frequent symptoms were headache (n=7) and dizziness (n=7), with a mean duration of 70 days. Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (vHL) was diagnosed in 3 patients. Eleven patients were submitted to total surgical removal and in 3 the tumour was partially ressected. A relapse rate of 28% in 3 years of follow-up was found. The patients with vHL showed recurrence in 66% of the cases. These findings corroborate those in current medical literature, showing an increased morbidity of this tumor when associated with vHL.

Metástase de câncer gástrico simulando neoplasia primária de pulmão: relato de caso e revisão da literatura

Gastric cancer frequently presents intraperitoneal spread. Distant metastases are rare. The authors describe a case of a 47-year-old white man, long-term cigarette smoker, who had a right upper lobe mass seen on plain films and computed tomography of the chest. A gastric adenocarcinoma was concomitantly diagnosed by endoscopic examination. A bronchoscopy guided biopsy showed that the lung mass was in fact a metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma. In this article, the imaging findings of gastric cancer and the patterns of dissemination to other organs are reviewed.