Surgical Treatment of Cavernous Angiomas in the Pineal Gland ­ Case Report

Pineal cavernous angioma is a vascular malformation that has a prevalence lower than 1%. The etiology is debated. It is believed that it is originated from an autosomal dominant inheritance or from radiotherapeutic treatment. Complete resection enables the cure and prevents complications of the natural evolution of the lesion, mainly hemorrhagic events. A female patient, with 67 years of age, presented mental confusion and visual acuity deficit, which evolved to periods of psychomotor agitation. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the head showed a lobulated mass lesion in the pineal region with hypersignal on T1 and hyposignal on the susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) sequence. Hydrocephalus was also noticed. The patient underwent a microsurgery for complete lesion resection though a supracerebellar/ supratentorial access. The anatomopathology revealed an arteriovenous malformation compatible with cavernous angioma. The pineal cavernous angioma is a rare malformation that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of expansive lesions of the pineal gland.

Pathological findings of colorectal polyps analyzed in Curitiba - Brazil / Achados anatomopatológicos de pólipos colorretais analisados em Curitiba ­ Brasil

ABSTRACT Context: Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of death from malignancy in the world and the fourth leading cause in Brazil's ranks. Adenomatous polyps are considered premalignant lesions, and its resection reduces both morbidity and mortality rates. Objectives: Investigate the prevalence of premalignant lesions and correlate it with age and gender, as well as with the lesion found profile: location, morphology, histology and grade dysplasia. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational and descriptive study. We analyzed and tabulated results of polyps reports sent to Pathology Laboratory in the period ranging from January 1 to December 31, 2013, in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Results: We analyzed 4640 reports of colorectal polypectomy, coming from 3089 patients, of whom 97.6% were examined by colonoscopy. Concerning gender, 56.5% were female and 43.5% were male. The mean age was 57.6 years (ranging from 15 to 92 years). The predominant removal areas of polyps were rectum in 26.2% and sigmoid in 24.2% cases. About histological aspects, the most common type - adenoma - was present in 75.1% polyps, of which 74.2% were tubular and 21.7% were serrated. Among the non-adenomatous polyps, hyperplastic prevailed with 88.7% cases. Malignancy was observed in 100 cases (2.15%). Conclusion: This study showed higher incidence of colorectal polyps in women, although adenocarcinomas are equally distributed in both sexes. In addition, the average age of patients undergoing colonoscopy is decreasing. Furthermore, 2.15% polyps sent for pathology analysis were found to be malignant.

RESUMO Contexto: O câncer colorretal (CCR) é a terceira causa de morte por doença maligna no mundo e, no Brasil, ocupa a quarta posição. Os pólipos adenomatosos são considerados lesões pré-malignas e a sua ressecção diminui a taxa de morbimortalidade. Objetivos: Verificar a prevalência das lesões pré-malignas e malignas, correlacionando com a idade e gênero, com perfil da lesão encontrada: tamanho, localização, aspecto morfológico, tipo histológico e grau de displasia. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo, observacional e descritivo. Foram analisados os resultados dos laudos encaminhados a um Laboratório de Patologia, no período de janeiro a dezembro de 2013, em Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil. Resultado: No total, analisou-se 4640 laudos de polipectomias colorretais, oriundos de 3089 pacientes, dos quais 97,6% realizaram exame por colonoscopia. Em relação ao gênero, 56,5% eram mulheres e 43,5% homens. A idade média foi 57,6 anos (entre 15 e 92 anos). Os locais predominantes de retirada dos pólipos foram reto (26,2%) e sigmoide (24,2%) dos casos. Em relação aos aspectos histológicos, o tipo mais comum foi adenoma, presente em 75,1% dos pólipos, dos quais 74,2% eram do tipo tubular e 21,7% serrilhado. Dentre os pólipos não adenomatosos, predominou o hiperplásico com 88,7% dos casos. A presença de malignidade foi observada em 100 casos (2,15%). Conclusão: O presente estudo evidenciou maior frequência de pólipos colorretais em mulheres, embora os adenocarcinomas estejam distribuídos igualmente em ambos os sexos. Além disso, a média de idade dos indivíduos que fazem colonoscopia está diminuindo. Malignidade foi encontrada em 2,15% dos pólipos encaminhados para análise anatomopatológica.