[Prognostic value of PET using 11C-methionine in patients with untreated cerebral gliomas].

We evaluated the prognostic role of positron emission tomography (PET) with 11C-methionine in adults with untreated supratentorial glioma. Histopathologic grading and clinical follow-up data were available from 147 patients with low-grade (n=74) and high-grade gliomas (n=73). Follow-up was conducted until the last clinical contact (n=79) or until death (n=68). The 11C-methionine uptake index (UI) was calculated as the tumor hot spot-to-normal cortex uptake ratio. In the univariate analysis the statistical support from clinical, histological, and PET parameters was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. For all glioma patients age (<40 or > or = 40 years), astrocytoma histopathology and WHO grading class (low versus high), extent of the increased 11C-methionine uptake (<6 cm or > or = 6), were found to be significant predictors of survival by univariate analysis. For all grades of gliomas UI higher than 2.0 was statistically associated with a shorter survival (p=0.00001). Patient sex, glioma location, pattern of the 11C-methionine uptake were not significantly predictive. In the most patients UI was closely associated with glioma histopathology. However separate analysis of astrocytoma subgroups showed that PET with "C-methionine was a more reliable prognostic factor in case of conflict between metabolic characteristic and histopathology findings. A high uptake of 11C-methionine and large extent of increased 11C-methionine accumulation were statistically associated with a poor survival time. Results showed that PET with 11C-methionine may be useful for determinating the prognosis of patients with primary glioma and this information can provide aid in making treatment decision.

[Positron emission tomography in the diagnosis of recurrent growth of brain tumors].

The authors analyzed the results of 11C-methionine positron emission tomography (PET) in 101 patients with suspected recurrent brain tumor. The diagnosis was confirmed in 72 patients. The increased 11C-methionine uptake in the initial tumor area is considered to be a crucial PET evidence of a recurrent tumor. On the other hand, brain tissue histological changes associated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy were characterized by the low uptake of the tracer. The sensitivity and specificity of PET scanning in detecting tumor recurrence were found to be 95.8 and 96.5%, respectively. 11C-methionine PET is proposed as a reliable technique for early differentiating between a recurrent brain tumor and treatment-induced nonneoplastic changes.

[New criteria for positron emission tomographic diagnosis of brain glioma using 11C-methionine]. / Novye kriterii v positronno-émissionno-tomograficheskoi diagnostike gliom golovnogo mozga s ispol'zovaniem 11C-metionina.

The study was based on the data of positron emission tomography (PET) and L-[methyl]-[11C]-methionine used in 117 patients with suspected brain tumor. PET data on 74 patients with histologically verified cerebral tumors were analyzed in detail. New additional criteria for assessing PET scans, which formed the PET syndromes of astrocytomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, and glioblastomas. Operative and histological verification confirmed the high validity of the proposed criteria for defining the type of a tumor.

[Auditory and verbal agnosia in the left-handed patient: comparison of neuropsychological data, magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography]. / Slukhorechevaia agnoziia u levshi: sopostavlenie dannykh neiropsikhologicheskogo analiza, magnitno-resonansnoi i pozitronno- émissionnoi tomografii.

A case of the post-traumatic auditory-and-speech agnosia in a left-handed female patient is presented. The patient (a professional painter) showed satisfactory recovery in painting, speech production, reading and writing, whereas a severe deficit in auditory recognition of speech, melodies and rhythms persisted over time. She was also impaired in some aspects of visual recognition including prosopagnosia. To study this patient comprehensively, a neuropsychological assessment was combined with structural (magnetic resonance imaging-MRI) and metabolic (positron emission tomography--PET) data. Both PET and MRI revealed a large bilateral cortical damage in the medial basal cortex of the frontal, temporal and occipital lobes along with the anterior half of the lateral temporal cortex. In the left hemisphere the damaged area involved the whole temporal lobe, a large part of the occipital lobe and the opercular frontal and parietal regions. The relationship of the symptoms with the brain damage extension is discussed taking into account the left-handedness of the patient.

[The function of the internal carotid artery in patients with vascular optic neuropathies]. / Sostoianie vnutrennei sonnoi arterii u bol'nykh sosudistymi opticheskimi neiropatiiami.

Roentgenographic and angiographic examinations of 140 patients with vascular optic neuropathies have revealed atherosclerotic changes of internal carotid artery in 66.4% and 94.6%, respectively. Stenosis of internal carotid artery was recorded in 85.7%, thrombosis--in 8.9% of cases. In 55.9%, ostium stenosis of internal carotid artery is associated with its pathologic winding and is one of causes of acute disturbances in blood circulation in the optic nerve. Atherosclerotic changes of internal carotid artery are recorded in its extracranial segment in 69.6% of cases.

[X-ray diagnosis and prognosis of post-traumatic cervical myelopathies]. / Rentgenodiagnostika i prognozirovanie posttravmaticheskikh sheinykh mielopatii.

X-ray examination (pneumomyelography, vertebral angiography, phlebospondylography) of 192 patients with disorders of functions of the cervical spinal cord in a late period after the injury demonstrated residual local and diffuse compressions and atrophy of the spinal cord. Operations were conducted on 186 patients; atrophy of the spinal cord aggravated restoration of functions after decompression operations, which must be borne in mind in prognosticating the disease.

[Diagnosis and treatment of birth injuries of the cervical portion of spine and spinal cord in newborn infants]. / Diagnostika i lechenie rodovykh povrezhdenii sheinogo otdela pozvonochnika i spinnogo mozga u novorozhdennykh.

Experience in the treatment of 200 newborns with birth spinal cervical trauma in the acute period (under 3 weeks of age) is generalized. Forty-nine infants died; circulatory disorders and edema of the spinal cord were the prevalent morphological findings. The clinical manifestations were pareses of the upper extremities and, less frequently, truncal disorders. X-ray examination revealed spinal injury, epidural hematomas and edema of the spinal cord. Treatment included reduction of the dislocated vertebrae with subsequent immobilization of the cervical spine and rehabilitation therapy. Improvement and, sometimes, total normalization of the functions of the spinal cord were achieved.