ABSTRACT
Pineal hemorrhage only occurs in rare cases, and this known to have several different causes such as germ cell tumors, pineal cysts and vascular malformations, including the cavernous malformations. Pineal cavernous malformations are extremely rare: to date only fifteen cases have been reported worldwide. Although the diagnosis of pineal cavernous malformation is not easy because of the extreme rareness of this condition, the presence of this lesion can be suspected based on its typical radiological findings. Case 1. A 42-year- old man presented with a limitation in his upward gazing. Radiologic examinations showed acute hemorrhage in the pineal region. He underwent ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunting but the patient's condition deteriorated after the shunting surgery. We operated and totally removed the tumor and the hemorrhages via an occipital-transtentorial approach. Case 2. A 37-year-old man presented with diplopia. Radiologic examinations showed acute hemorrhage in the third ventricle. He underwent VP shunting, and after this procedure the diplopia was aggravated. We operated and totally removed the tumor and the hemorrhages via an occipital-transtentorial approach. If there is no doubt about the pineal cavernous malformation on MR imaging, we strongly recommend early surgical intervention without performing a risky biopsy. In this study, we describe our experiences for the diagnosis of cavernous malformations in the pineal region with special emphasis on the radiological aspects and the clinical course of this disease.
Subject(s)
Male , Humans , Adult , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Pineal Gland/blood supply , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Intracranial Hemorrhages/diagnosis , Hematoma/diagnosis , Diplopia/diagnosis , Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations/diagnosis , AngiographyABSTRACT
Las lectinas son proteínas que contienen áreas singulares para el reconocimiento de secuencias de azúcares en los glicoconjugados. La lecitina del tomate Lycopersicon esculentum (LEL) es capaz de reconocer específicamente los residuos de N-acetil-glucosamina (Gly-Nac) y poli-N-acetil-lactosamina. Utilizamos la técnica histoquímica para LEL conjugada a la biotina con el propósito de investigar en la glándula pineal de ratones adultos y durante el desarrollo, las estructuras morfológicas capaces de unirse a esta lecitina. Nuestros resultados experimentales mostraron un material de coloración por la LEL, solamente en la superficie de las células endoteliales de todos los vasos sanguíneos y en todas las regiones de la glándula. La excepción ocurrió en los ratones con un día pos-natal (PN1), donde solamente los vasos de la región más periférica de la glándula presentaban coloración marrón amarillenta por la LEL, pero ninguno presentaba esta coloración en la región más central de la glándula. La reacción apareció especialmente en el espacio interno de las pseudo-rosetas, demostrando así que este espacio está, seguramente, representado por un vaso.