Patterns of the Cranial Venous System from the Comparative Anatomy inVertebrates. Part III. The Ventricular System and Comparative Anatomy of the Venous Outlet of Spinal Cord and Its Homology with the Five Brain Vesicles.

SUMMARY: Ontogenetically, the ventricular venous systemmay develop in order to drain the gray matter(cells of the mantle layer of the neural tube) which migrates dorsally. On primitive brain vesicles of submammals especially fish, amphibianand reptile, the ventricular venous system is the major venous collector located on the middorsal surface, in between the meningeal layers comparable to the subarachnoid space in mammals. The ventricular venous system functions as a major drainage system for the brain vesicles in these submammals but its role decreases when the other two venous systems develop. Concerning the route of venous exit from the brain vesicles, we found that it resembles the spinal cord but could not be found all the way along the brain vesicles.

Moyamoya syndrome: post cranial irradiation of pineal gland tumor.

SUMMARY: A right-handed eight-year-old boy, with headache, vomiting and positive parinaud's sign was diagnosed as having a pineal gland tumor which histopathological section from surgical biopsy revealed to be a germinoma. The patient underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt for obstructive hydrocephalus. Thereafter, he received cranial irradiation as definitive treatment. He was well and went back to school until five years later he developed a transient ischemic attack. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed a complete cure of the pineal tumor without any other specific abnormality. Eight months later he had an episode of stroke which was demonstrated by cranial computed tomography as acute left cerebral infarction in the middle cerebral artery territory. Cerebral angiography showed Moyamoya syndrome.

Somatostatin receptor tumor imaging (Tc 99m P829) in pituitary adenoma.

Technetium 99m P829 (99mTc P829) is a somatostatin like structure labelled with Technetium-99m. Somatostatin receptor positive tumors such as pituitary tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, and lymphomas show positive scintigraphy. Eleven patients suspected of having a pituitary mass (12 studies) were studied with 99mTc P829. Three pituitary adenoma patients (4 studies) showed positive somatostatin receptor tumor imaging. Eight negative somatostatin receptor scintigraphy were one hypothyroid induced pituitary hyperplasia, one craniopharyngioma, one normal pituitary tissue with focal hyperplasia, one ACTH secreting pituitary tumor, one GH, PRL secreting pituitary tumor post transphenoidal partial tumor removal, and no surgery in 3 patients. Finally, somatostatin receptor imaging may be useful as a tumor localizing technique in addition to conventional CT and MRI imaging and identify patients who might potentially benefit from octreotide treatment. In addition, the development of peptide analogs coupling to beta-emitting radiopharmaceutical may lead to a situation in which diagnosis peptide receptor scintigraphy can be followed by radionuclide therapy.

Metastatic follicular carcinoma of thyroid to pericardium.

A 62 year-old man presented with massive pericardial effusion and a thyroid nodule. One thousand ml of serosanguinous pericardial effusion was tapped and the cytology consistent with metastatic papillary carcinoma. Total thyroidectomy was done. The pathological report of the thyroid gland was follicular carcinoma, poorly differentiated with capsular and vascular invasion. The patient received a treatment of 150 mci I-131 without complications. The total body scan after I-131 treatment showed only residual thyroid tissue. There was no demonstrable abnormal uptake in other parts of the body. No significant reaccumulation of pericardial fluid occurred. The diagnosis was follicular carcinoma of the thyroid with pericardial metastasis. The patient was discharged from the hospital with an improved clinical status.

Interventional neuroradiology in Thailand: 1989-1997.

SUMMARY: In 1979 the Siriraj team in Bangkok began exploring a field that was then new in Thailand, i.e. interventional neuroradiology. This first phase consisted mostly in self-training and foreign exposure. It included experimental work with animal models, as well as early clinical trials designed to assess our skills in particle embolisation and the ligated and detachable balloon techniques. In 1990 a new phase started. Essential techniques were acquired in collaboration with the neurovascular unit of Bidtre Hospital in France during a three year training programme. Throughout this period, the support of the Association Medicale Franco-Asiatique (AMFA) and the French foreign affairs department proved vital. Our department progressively became a referral centre for the different techniques used in embolisation (balloons, glue...) and for various vascular lesions of the brain, the head and neck region, and spinal cord diseases. Within Mahidol University, the Ramathibodi and Prasat Hospital centres started the same interventional neuroradiology training program in 1995; they benefited from the same tutors and connections as Siriraj. In 1996, the newly acquired biplane DSA machines in both centres enabled us to improve the treatment of arteriovenous malformations - using the glue technique -, intracranial aneurysm - using GDC-coils-, clot lysis, angioplasty...ete. According to international recommendations, the critical mass we reached in 1997 in terms of number of patients and interventions, allows us to offer training in endovascular techniques to junior neuroradiologists at Mahidol university.