Massive Calcified Cerebellar Pilocytic Astrocytoma with Rapid Recurrence : A Rare Case

Pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) are World Heath Organization Grade I tumors and are most common in children. PA calcification is not a common finding and has been reported more frequently in the optic nerve, hypothalamic/thalamus and superficially located cerebral tumors. We present a cerebellar PA in a 3-year-old male patient with cystic components and massive calcification areas. The residual tumor grew rapidly after the first operation, and the patient was operated on again. A histopathological examination revealed polar spongioblastoma-like cells. Massive calcification is not a common feature in PAs and can lead to difficulties in radiological and pathological differential diagnoses.

A Rare Case of Concomitant Intramedullary Gangliocytoma at the Cervicomedullary Junction in Patient with Neuroendocrine Tumor of Lung

Ganglion cell tumors (GCT) are divided into two subtypes : gangliocytoma and ganglioglioma. Intramedullary gangliocytomas are extremely rare. A 20-year-old male patient with pain of neck, who also had a previously known neuroendocrine tumor of lung, was operated for mass found in the cervicomedullary junction with a presumptive diagnosis of metastases. Only partial resection could be performed. Pathological diagnosis had been reported as gangliocytoma. Only ten cases of intramedullary gangliocytoma have been reported in the literature. Although association with scoliosis and Von Recklinghausen's disease were previously reported in the literature, no gangliocytoma case concomitant with endocrine tumor of lung have been published. Pathological study is the most important diagnostic method for gangliocytomas. Surgical excision is the primary treatment, but difficulty in total surgical tumor resection is the most important problem.

Uncommon locations of hydatid cyst

To document the hydatid cyst cases in the endemic Cukurova region of Turkey, by their involvement sites in the body, and discuss the clinical and morphological features of the cases with rare localization. Archival materials of 153 hydatid cyst cases that were diagnosed in 2 different medical centers in Adana, Turkey Cukurova region between the years 2000-2006 were included in the study. Cases with rare localizations were reevaluated in terms of clinical and laboratory findings, and histopathological features. Involvement sites of the cases were documented, and cases with rare localizations are discussed. The liver was the most common localization with 63 cases followed by lungs with 54 cases. Uncommon locations were spleen n=4, bone n=3, intraarterial n=1, ovary n=1, adrenal n=1, heart n=1, mesenteric n=2, retroperitoneal n=2, subcutaneous tissue n=4, breast n=3, intramuscular tissue n=4. The diagnosis of hydatic cyst should be considered in patients with a cystic mass, who live or have lived in a geographic region that has a high risk for Echinococcus granulosus, or visited an endemic area