Paroxysmal bilateral dysosmia treated by resection of the olfactory bulbs.

Dysosmia, or the distortion of olfaction, is most commonly preceded by viral illness or head trauma, but has a variety of etiologies. The precise nature of the disease process remains obscure. Medical management is largely empiric, and has been aimed at treating underlying illnesses, restricting triggering medications, as well as various pharmacologic interventions. Successful eradication of a severe case of persistent unilateral paroxysmal dysosmia with resection of the ipsilateral olfactory bulb has been reported. We report here a case of bilateral paroxysmal dysosmia, refractory to medical therapy, successfully treated with bilateral olfactory bulb resection.

Eosinophilic granuloma of the cervical spine. A case report and review of the literature.

This is a report of a case of eosinophilic granuloma involving the second cervical vertebra in a 33-year-old woman. There have been 32 case reports in the literature describing eosinophilic granuloma presenting as cervical spine disease. Due to its intimate relation to the central nervous system, the opportunity for neurological sequelae and neurosurgical intervention is common in cervical eosinophilic granuloma. In this report a brief history of eosinophilic granuloma is reviewed and case histories from the literature with cervical spine involvement are summarized. The therapeutic options are described and a recommended protocol for management is outlined.

Malignant transformation of recurrent meningioma with pulmonary metastases.

A patient presented with a histologically benign intracranial meningioma which, after multiple recurrences, underwent malignant transformation. The patient survived 18 years following initial presentation. Pulmonary metastases were present over the final 8 years. Eleven subtotal resections of the meningioma were performed, including exenteration of the right eye and a thoracotomy. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy were relatively ineffective. The problem and treatment of recurrent meningiomas is briefly reviewed.

Metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate as a cause of subdural hematoma.

Nontraumatic subdural hematoma secondary to dural metastasis from adenocarcinoma of the prostate was encountered in 2 patients. The mechanism of production and a review of the literature are presented.

Ipsilateral sensory symptoms caused by a temporal lobe glioma.

Sensory symptoms can occasionally occur ipsilateral to lesions of the insula. We report a patient with left-sided sensory symptoms preceding the diagnosis of a left temporal lobe glioma. The anatomical basis for this clinical phenomenon is reviewed. This patient illustrates the complex neuroanatomical pathways and the clinical correlations from lesions in this region.

Giant arteriovenous malformation of the vein of Galen in an adult.

A case of a large vein of Galen malformation in a 29-year-old man is presented. A two-staged surgical procedure, first with ligation of the feeding vessels, and followed later by thrombectomy, allowed successful surgical treatment of this lesion.

Cerebral abscess: loss of computed tomographic enhancement with steroids. Case report.

A case of cerebral abscess with decreased computed tomography enhancement and clinical improvement after steroid therapy alone is reported. When the steroids were discontinued, the computed tomography enhancement increased and the patient's clinical condition deteriorated. The abscess subsequently ruptured with the development of ventriculitis. The infection was not eradicated with penicillin or chloramphenicol, but was effectively treated with metronidazole.

Epidermoid cyst of the third ventricle.

The authors report a case of a cystic epidermoid of the third ventricle in a young female presenting with headache and mental disturbances. The cyst filled completely with gas during ventriculography and was subtotally removed through an interhemispheric callosal-splitting approach.

Intrathalamic epidermoid tumor. Case report.

A case of an intrathalamic epidermoid tumor is reported, and the literature is reviewed with regard to the incidence, location, and etiology of intracerebral epidermoid tumors. The high frequency of mental symptoms associated with these tumors is also discussed.

Radionuclide cerebral angiographic evaluation of a diploic extracranial meningioma: case report.

A case of a diploic extracranial meningioma whose true vascularity was more significantly defined by radionuclide angiography than by selective contrast angiography is presented. The radionuclide angiogram clearly demonstrated large venous channels draining the tumor.