Victor J. Ojeda

Primary cerebral neuroblastomas. a clinico-pathological study of one adolescent and five adult patients

&NA; Neuronal differentiation was demonstrated by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy in the cerebral neoplasms of one adolescent and five adult patients. The tumours exhibited a wide spectrum of cellular differentiation from low to high grade malignancy which seems to correlate well with their biological behaviour. The natural history of these 6 cerebral neuroblastomas is rather long compared to that of other malignant primary cerebral neoplasms of adulthood; however, 2 patients died, one survived about 5 yr after initial symptoms whilst an untreated patient survived more than 12 yr. It is suggested that morphological grading along the lines of Kernohans system13 may be useful in determining the prognosis and postoperative management of patients with cerebral neuroblastomas.

Primary colo-rectal linitis plastica type of carcinoma: report of two cases and review of the literature

Summary Linitis Plastica type of carcinoma can arise primarily in the colon or rectum. Fifty‐two cases have been reported in the English medical literature over a 50‐yr period. Two new cases are described. One patient had primary linitis plastica of the ascending colon, the other being in the rectum. Both patients died of widespread malignancy within 10 mth of diagnosis, the fate of most of the reported cases. This rare manifestation of colo‐rectal carcinoma carries an ominous prognosis.

Cerebral Gliosarcoma, Pulmonary Adenoid-Cystic Carcinoma, and Pulmonary Metastatic Gliosarcoma: Report of an Untreated Case

Summary An elderly woman had a cerebral gliosarcoma with a single pulmonary metastasis, together with a separate pulmonary adenoid‐cystic carcinoma. Spontaneous extraneural metastases of primary intracranial neoplasms are exceedingly unusual; so far, only 8 proven cases are recorded in the English language medical literature. The association of cerebral gliosarcoma and a pulmonary adenoid‐cystic carcinoma is presumably coincidental.

Cerebral and spinal cord myxopapillary ependymomas: A case report

&NA; We report the case of a 16 year old male with a left temporal myxopapillary ependymoma which did not demonstrate any connection to the lateral ventricles. The patient had complained of headaches for ten months and signs of increased intracranial pressure for one month. One month post‐operatively, because of lower back pain, further investigations disclosed two separate intraspinal myxopapillary ependymomas, one at T12‐L1 level and the other at L5‐S1 level. It is postulated that the cerebral myxopapillary ependymoma was in fact a secondary from one of the spinal cord tumors. There are only three reports of this type of ependymoma in the cerebrum.

Primary cerebral neuroblastoma. Case report with light microscopy, tissue culture and electron microscopy study

&NA; A cerebral neuroblastoma was studied by light microscopy, tissue culture and electron microscopy. Synapse‐like structures were found within tumour cells. This supports the neuroectodermal origin of this neoplasm.

Cerebral gliomas with palisading necrosis: glioblastoma multiforme or high grade cerebral neuroblastoma? A light and electron microscopical study of three cases

&NA; Three adult patients had cerebral malignant gliomas composed predominantly of small cells and displaying many areas of palisading necrosis, which are usually characteristic of glioblastoma multiforme. Light and electron microscopy, however, revealed tumour cells with neuritic processes, while astrocytic differentiation was convincingly excluded. It is suggested that palisading necrosis is not pathognomonic of glioblastoma multiforme and that high grade cerebral neuroblastoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis. The need for comprehensive light and electron microscopic studies for the accurate classification of gliomas is stressed.

Angiocentric Pulmonary Granulomas in Tuberculosis

An open-lung biopsy performed in a 15-year-old girl because of left sided pulmonary nodules revealed striking angiocentric necrotising granulomas. No acid fast bacilli (AFB) were cultured or demonstrated in tissue sections, however, the diagnosis of tuberculosis was suggested. Anti-tuberculous therapy resulted in both clinical and radiological cure within 12 months. The differential diagnosis of this type of lesion should include pulmonary tuberculosis as well as the non-infective angiocentric granulomas such as lymphomatoid granulomatosis and has major therapeutic implications.

Necrotizing Myopathy Associated with Steroid Therapy. Report of Two Cases

Summary A range of histological lesions was found i.n necropsy samples of skeletal muscle from 2 datients on steroid therapy. There were perifascicular necroses, regeneration, atrophy, and sclerosis. These findings disagree with published data from human material; however, they are similar to observations made in experimentally induced steroid myopathy in rabbits.