Suprasellar ganglioglioma presenting as a middle cerebral artery infarction.

BACKGROUND: Gangliogliomas are a relatively rare neoplasm with a major incidence in the pediatric population. As the temporal lobes are the most common site, patients usually present with seizures. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 9-year-old child with an extensive suprasellar ganglioglioma presenting with a cerebral infarction due to direct compression of the medium cerebral artery. CONCLUSIONS: Suprasellar lesions can compress adjacent vascular structures, so an accurate diagnosis is necessary for an early treatment.

Insulin regulates GLUT1-mediated glucose transport in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells.

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of malignant bone cancer, accounting for 35% of primary bone malignancies. Because cancer cells utilize glucose as their primary energy substrate, the expression and regulation of glucose transporters (GLUT) may be important in tumor development and progression. GLUT expression has not been studied previously in human osteosarcoma cell lines. Furthermore, although insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) play an important role in cell proliferation and tumor progression, the role of these hormones on GLUT expression and glucose uptake, and their possible relation to osteosarcoma, have also not been studied. We determined the effect of insulin and IGF-I on GLUT expression and glucose transport in three well-characterized human osteosarcoma cell lines (MG-63, SaOs-2, and U2-Os) using immunocytochemical, RT-PCR and functional kinetic analyses. Furthermore we also studied GLUT isoform expression in osteosarcoma primary tumors and metastases by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analyses. RT-PCR and immunostaining show that GLUT1 is the main isoform expressed in the cell lines and tissues studied, respectively. Immunocytochemical analysis shows that although insulin does not affect levels of GLUT1 expression it does induce a translocation of the transporter to the plasma membrane. This translocation is associated with increased transport of glucose into the cell. GLUT1 is the main glucose transporter expressed in osteosarcoma, furthermore, this transporter is regulated by insulin in human MG-63 cells. One possible mechanism through which insulin is involved in cancer progression is by increasing the amount of glucose available to the cancer cell.

Ependymal denudation and alterations of the subventricular zone occur in human fetuses with a moderate communicating hydrocephalus.

In mutant rodents, ependymal denudation occurs early in fetal life, preceding the onset of a communicating hydrocephalus, and is a key event in the etiology of this disease. The present investigation was designed to obtain evidence whether or not ependymal denudation occurs in 16- to 40-week-old human fetuses developing a communicating hydrocephalus (n = 8) as compared to fetuses of similar ages with no neuropathologic alterations (n = 15). Sections through the walls of the cerebral aqueduct and lateral ventricles were processed for lectin binding and immunocytochemistry using antibodies against ependyma, astroglia, neuroblasts, and macrophages markers. Anticaveolin was used as a functional marker of the fetal ependyma. The structural and functional molecular markers are differentially expressed throughout the differentiation of the human fetal ependyma. Denudation of the ependyma of the aqueduct and lateral ventricles occurred in all fetuses developing a communicating hydrocephalus, including the youngest ones studied. The denuded surface area increased in parallel with the fetus age. The possibility is advanced that in many or most cases of human fetal hydrocephalus there is a common defect at the ependymal cell lineage leading to ependymal detachment. Evidence was obtained that in hydrocephalic human fetuses a process to repair the denuded areas takes place during the fetal life. In hydrocephalic fetuses, detachment of the ependyma of the lateral ventricles resulted in the (i) loss of the germinal ependymal zone, (ii) disorganization of the subventricular zone and, (iii) abnormal migration of neuroblasts into the ventricular cavity. Thus, detachment of the ependymal layer in hydrocephalic fetuses would not only be associated with the pathogenesis of hydrocephalus but also to abnormal neurogenesis.

Semiologia lacrimal / Lacrimal semiology

O autor descreve a dacriocistografia em relaçäo às formas mais comuns de obstruçäo lacrimal e o auxílio que esta técnica traz para o diagnóstico de localizaçäo das obstruçöes e para a conduta cirúrgica

Dacriocistite na criança / Dacriocystitis in children

A dacriocistite na criança está sempre ou quase sempre associada e dependente de obstruçäo lacrimal. O Autor discute as diferentes manobras para o diangóstico e tratamento desta afecçöes

Vias lacrimais / Lachrymal duct

Dois procedimentos especiais devem ser mencionados além da cirurgia clássica de dacriocistorino-anastomose e da sondagem: A dacriocisto-radiografia que é um exame que traz grandes aportes de diagnóstico e de conduta cirúrgica e a implantaçäo de tuvos de Jones para os casos em que a cirurgia convencional näo está indicada. O uso de tubos de diversos tamanhos e formatos deve ser tentado até obter o melhor resultado anatômico e funcional

Olho seco / Dry eye

Os principais aspectos do ôlho seco säo descritos bem como o quadro clínico. O tratamento através de lágrimas artificiais é pouco adequado e o futuro do tratamento está em inserts que liberem quantidades adequadas de umidade, associada a lisozima, lactoferrina, vitamina A e sem preservativos