ABSTRACT
Glioblastoma, the most aggressive and fatal type of brain tumor, is capable of interacting with brain immune cells such as microglia, which contributes to the growth of these tumors. Various molecules, including growth factors and cytokines, have been identified as regulators of microglia-glioblastoma interaction. Recent studies suggest that the Wnt family of lipoglycoproteins plays an important role, not only in biological events during development, but also in cancer progression, and can be part of microglia recruitment to glioblastoma as well as of tumor growth and invasion. Here, we discuss recent interesting findings that support a role for Wnt signaling pathways in the microglia-glioblastoma crosstalk.
Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/metabolism , Glioblastoma/metabolism , Microglia/metabolism , Wnt Signaling Pathway/physiology , Animals , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Cytokines/metabolism , Glioblastoma/pathology , Humans , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism , Microglia/pathologyABSTRACT
We report the association a multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord tumour and intracranial tumor in a 63 years-old female patient with a 10 years history of relapsing/remitting MS. Symptoms usually remitted in response to costicosteroid therapy. In 1997 the patient presented with paraparesis and paresis of right arm which did not respond to corticotherapy. A spinal RMI revealed in the cervical spinal an intra spinal cord tumour, further diagnosed as ependymoma, and a parietal region meningioma. We call attention to this rare association of central nervous system tumour and MS, enphasizing the need for investigation of new and uncommon symptoms during the evolution of MS.
Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/complications , Ependymoma/complications , Meningioma/complications , Multiple Sclerosis/complications , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/complications , Brain Neoplasms/diagnosis , Ependymoma/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Meningioma/diagnosis , Middle Aged , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/diagnosisABSTRACT
In a ten year period 53 patients with hemifacial spasm were submitted to 54 microvascular decompression procedures in the posterior fossa. The technique was the same developed by Jannetta and the initial surgical results were considered excellent in 91% of the cases. The follow-up ranges from 60 days to 7 years, with 40 patients followed for more than two years and 16 for more than five years. Only one patient presented late recurrence of the spasms. There was no death nor serious complications which were usually transient and related do the seventh and eight nerve. In four patients we found no compression of the nerve root. We concluded that no matter what the causes of hemifacial spasm or the mechanisms of action of the surgery are the results of microvascular decompression are excellent and superior to all other clinical and surgical methods of treatment.
Subject(s)
Facial Muscles , Spasm/surgery , Adult , Aged , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Postoperative Complications , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Spasm/physiopathologyABSTRACT
This paper analyses the surgical findings and results obtained with the neurovascular decompression technique in the treatment of 70 patients with essential trigeminal neuralgia. Except for 3 patients in whom nothing was found, vessels were seen touching or compressing the nerve root in all the other patients, being the arteries responsible for the pain in 73% of the cases. The surgical results improved with the increased familiarity of the technique, being of 73% the excellent results obtained in the first group of 23 patients, and 95% in the remaining two groups. Only 3 patients were lost in the follow-up which ranged from 2 months to 4 years. Recurrences occurred in 4 patients. There were no important complications except for a death from a post-operative gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Our results and those published in the literature confirm that neurovascular decompression is a safe procedure in experienced hands, and that it should be the chosen method in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in order to preserve the sensibility of the face.
Subject(s)
Trigeminal Neuralgia/surgery , Adult , Aged , Electrocoagulation , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Microsurgery/methods , Middle AgedABSTRACT
A case of a patient with a giant aneurysm of the left middle cerebral artery and a huge arteriovenous malformation hemodynamically related is reported. Complete thrombosis of the aneurysm was observed after extirpation of the arteriovenous malformation as shown by angiography one week, six months and a year post-operatively. Reduction of the regional cerebral blood flow after extirpation of the arteriovenous malformation and the natural tendency of these giant aneurysms to partially thrombose were to be the explanation for our results.
Subject(s)
Intracranial Aneurysm/complications , Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations/complications , Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis/etiology , Cerebral Angiography , Humans , Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations/surgery , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Analisamos os achados cirurgicos e os resultados obtidos com a tecnica da descompressao neurovascular microcirurgica, no tratamento de 70 pacientes com nevralgia essencial do trigemeo. Com excecao de 3 casos, encontramos vasos em contato ou comprimindo a raiz do trigemeo em todos os demais pacientes, sendo as arterias responsaveis pela dor em 73% dos casos.Observamos que os resultados melhoram com a experiencia cirurgica adquirida, sendo de 73,91% os resultados excelentes obtidos no primeiro grupo de 23 pacientes e de 95,74% nos dois ultimos grupos.Apenas 3 pacientes foram perdidos no follow-up que variou de 2 meses a 4 anos, ocorrendo a recidiva da dor em 4 pacientes. Nao houve complicacoes importantes, com excecao de um obito por hemorragia digestiva. Ressaltamos a importancia deste metodo cirurgico, quando comparado aos demais, pela possibilidade de preservacao da sensibilidade da face, e concluimos que, por se tratar de um procedimento seguro em maos experientes, deve ser o tratamento de eleicao dos pacientes com nevralgia do trigemeo que se encontrem em bom estado clinico geral
Subject(s)
Adult , Middle Aged , Humans , Male , Female , Microsurgery , Trigeminal Neuralgia , Follow-Up StudiesABSTRACT
E registrado o caso de um paciente que apresentava um anenurisma gigante da arteria cerebral media esquerda, e volumosa malformacao vascular hemodinamicamente relacionada. Apos extirpacao da malformacao vascular, houve desaparecimento espontaneo do aneurisma, conforme demonstrado em angiografias repetidas uma semana, seis meses e um ano apos cirurgia. Atribuimos o fato a reducao do fluxo sanguineo regional cerebral, apos a extirpacao da malformacao vascular, e a tendencia natural desses aneurismas gigantes se trombosarem parcialmente
Subject(s)
Middle Aged , Humans , Male , Intracranial Aneurysm , Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis , Intracranial Arteriovenous MalformationsABSTRACT
In the period March to May 1979, 6 patients with trigeminal neuralgia were operated on, neurovascular decompression being carried out in the posterior fossa. In 5 cases an arterial loop was found compressing the root of the V nerve at its apparent origin in the protuberance, and in one case a large calibrous twisted vein was found, compressing the root at its distal portion near the temporal bone. Of the 6 cases, 5 experienced immediate relief and one improved with the total disappearance of the pain after a month. In all the cases, the sensitivity of the face was preserved in all its various forms.
