Hemiparkinsonism secondary to sphenoid wing meningioma.

We describe the case of a 41 year-old woman who presented with a slight slowness of the right hand movement, which began four months prior to admission. Neurological examination showed slight rest tremor of the right hand, moderate bradykinesia and rigidity. She had been taking medication for Parkinson's disease, but without any benefit. The patient underwent a gadolinium-enhanced brain MRI, which showed a large left sphenoid wing meningioma with surrounding edema compressing the basal ganglia. Total excision of tumor was performed. The right hemiparkinsonian signs were completely resolved. This rare case underlines the significance of neuroimaging in patients presenting with Parkinson's disease especially in those patients with a relatively younger age at onset or unresponsive to medication.

[Hydrocephalus and vestibular schwannomas treated by Gamma Knife radiosurgery]. / Hydrocéphalie et radiochirurgie gamma knife des schwannomes vestibulaires.

The occurrence of hydrocephalus in association with a vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a well-known phenomenon. It is usually supported, albeit never demonstrated, that radiosurgery increases the risk of hydrocephalus. The purpose of this study is to investigate this Issue in our own series of patients in order to provide more data. Between July 1992 and January 2002, among the 1000 VS that have been treated at the Timone hospital using a Gamma knife, 43 patients displayed a hydrocephalus, 32 of them before the treatment (group A) and 11 of them only after the treatment (group B). It is of note that in both groups, age at the time of treatment (median age of 70 in A & B) and Volume of tumor were comparable and significantly higher than for the whole treated population. Following radiosurgery, 75% of the patients from the group A did not require a shunt whereas all the patients from the group B did, including 3 who also had significant tumor progression requiring surgery. Occurrence of a de novo hydrocephalus was a rare event (1%) that required a shunt early after radiosurgery, at a mean interval of 14.8 Months (4-31). Results from this study suggest that radiosurgery does not significantly increase the risk of hydrocephalus during the natural history of a VS. We can postulate that Gamma Knife radiosurgery might provide a protective influence on hydrocephalus decompensation since the number of preexisting hydrocephalus that necessitated a shunt after the treatment was small. More investigations involving more patients will bring more arguments in the near future.

[Preservation of hearing function in the radiosurgical treatment of unilateral vestibular schwannomas. Preliminary results]. / Préservation de la fonctionnalité auditive dans le traitement radiochirurgical des schwannomes vestibulaires unilatéraux. Résultats préliminaires.

INTRODUCTION: Preservation of functional hearing can be now attempted during the surgical treatment of a vestibular schwannomas. The probability of functional hearing preservation for each of the neurosurgical approaches is currently under evaluation. We report here a preliminary evaluation of our radiosurgical experience. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In Marseilles, we performed 800 gamma-knife procedures for cochleovestibular schwannomas by between July 1992 and December 2000. These patients were evaluated systematically according to a prospective methodology. We report here the study of the population of 211 patients with unilateral schwannoma and a functional preoperative hearing (Gardner and Robertson 1 or 2) treated as first intention, with a follow-up longer than two years. RESULTS: Hearing was improved with the radiosurgery in 3% of cases with a average gain of 10 decibels. Average loss in decibel on the four main frequencies (500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000 Hz) was 17 dB. The probability of functional hearing preservation with radio surgery was high: 73%. However, this probability depended on numerous factors related to the patient and to the "operative technique". The main parameters of predictability were limited preoperative tonal loss, Gardner and Robertson stage 1 (versus 2), multiisocentric planning, peripheral dose lower than 13 Gy. So a Gardner and Robertson stage 1 intracanalicular tumor treated in accordance with "the state of the art" with a gamma-knife and a marginal dose inferior to 13 Gy has a probability of functional conservation at 2 years greater than 95%. CONCLUSION: Our results are preliminary and they require the confirmation of a more extensive and more prolonged follow-up. However, the large size of this population and the systematic methodology should help us in determining more precisely the place of radiosurgery and especially to better inform the patients of their chances of hearing preservation according to their individual risk profile.

[Lumbar canal stenosis caused by amyloidosis of the yellow ligament]. / Canal lombaire étroit par amylose du ligament jaune.

Symptomatic lumbar canal stenosis without bony stenosis has previously been described. We describe the pathological modifications of ligamentum flavum among such operated patients. Ten patients were prospectively included in this study. Their mean age was 74, ranges: from 52-90. Clinical manifestation was a radicular claudication (sciatic or crural). Neuroradiology confirmed in all cases the ligamentum flavum thickness as the main cause of the symptomatology. This feature was also confirmed operatively and complete resection of the ligamentum flavum was performed. Resolution of the radicular pain was obtained in all cases at last follow-up. Pathological examination of the ligamentum flavum displayed characteristic features of degenerative modifications and elastic fibers fragmentation caused by numerous amorphous deposits. The deposits were studied using red Congo staining, polarized light and immunostaining methods. Such technique showed evidence of amyloid origin of the deposits. Immunodetection was positive for the P component in the amyloid deposits and for beta-2-microglobulin in one case (chronic renal failure and hemodialysis). The deposits did not express antitransthyretin antibodies. In parallel, control ligamentum flavum were obtained from 10 operated patients affected by bony lumbar stenosis. Moderate degenerative features were observed but small amounts of amyloid deposits were found in only 3 of those cases, without thickening of the ligamentous structure. This study correlates the presence of thickened ligamentum flavum caused by amyloid deposition, with symptomatic non-osseous lumbar canal stenosis. Association with degenerative modifications of the spine in the studied cases is suggestive of a microtraumatic origin.

[Primary spinal osteosarcomas]. / Ostéosarcomes primitifs vertébraux.

The rarity of primary osteosarcoma of the spine led us to index the 66 reported cases published in literature. From this analysis a difference was found between spinal osteosarcoma and osteosarcoma of the extremities. Tumors of the spine appear to be two times more frequent in the male population in their thirties. The average period between the beginning of the symptoms and the first consultation is seven months. Back pain is permanent and localized to the affected vertebra. In 80 percent of the cases, neurological symptoms already exist at the stage of the diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography and standard X-ray remain complementary in the morphological analysis of this tumor. All the aspects from the lytic to sclerotic forms are noted, although the lytic form is common. Among spinal osteosarcoma, the lumbar vertebrae are the most frequently affected. Diagnosis can only be established by pathology, even though this may also lead to some errors. In all the reported cases surgery is used, but carcinological methodology is not possible and a complete removal of affected tissue is difficult, with this being achieved in only a quarter of the cases. Radiation therapy, when used, requires doses of 70 Gy to 80 Gy without any certitude of controlling the tumour and with high risks of post-radiation complications. Chemotherapy on its own, despite the use of high-dose methotrexate, only has a temporary effect due to partial action on the primary center. Twenty years ago, only twenty percent of all patients suffering from osteosarcoma lived beyond two years, with worse prognosis for spinal osteogenic sarcoma. Today, the therapeutic approach for spinal tumors uses techniques developed in the treatment of osteosarcoma of the extremities, which can now expect more than seventy percent of all patients to live beyond five years. Present day methods recommend a rapid confirmation of the diagnosis, and then a neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove all the affected area. This strategy allows an evaluation of the tumor chemosensitivity and to adapt the treatment in consequence. The latest results of this treatment on spinal osteosarcoma appear to be encouraging.

[Acoustico-facial cavernomas. Apropos of 2 surgically treated cases]. / Cavernomes du paquet acoustico-facial. A propos de 2 cas opérés.

BACKGROUND: Acousticofacial cavernomas are rare lesions. Only 4 cases with a cerebellopontine extension have been reported previously whereas intrapetrous facial nerve cavernomas are well described in the otologic literature. In this paper, we describe two additional cases of acousticofacial cavernomas. METHOD AND RESULTS: The two patients were operated via a translabyrinthine route with a preoperative diagnosis of vestibular schwannoma. In the first case, the lesion was confined in the internal auditory canal whereas the cavernoma extended into the cerebellopontine angle in the latter. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis is suspected when facial nerve deficit strikingly reveals a small cerebellopontine angle lesion. MRI examination is not specific enough when the lesion is confined to the internal auditory canal. Treatment is based upon surgical removal although facial nerve impairment is often described as the main cause of postoperative morbidity.