Malignant gliomas--ploidy and DNA-content before and after therapy.

DNA ploidy and S-phase percentage from nine malignant gliomas (four glioblastomas, four anaplastic astrocytomas grade 3 and one anaplastic oligoastrocytoma grade 3) have been estimated by single cell cytophotometry on biopsy and necropsy specimens. All gliomas from biopsy material showed, with the exception of two diploid tumours, a polyploid-aneuploid DNA-pattern and stem-lines of different ploidy. The most frequent stem-lines were diploid and hyperdiploid. In necropsy material, following treatment i.e. operation and combined drug and radiation therapy, the heterogeneous nature of all malignant gliomas persisted. From seven aneuploid-polyploid gliomas four showed an elevation and three of them a decrease of DI values. Diploid tumors remained diploid. Because of marked heterogeneity of ploidy patterns and the small number of tumors investigated, ploidy changes could not be used for estimation of therapy efficacy and prognosis. Further studies will be necessary to answer this question.

[Dementia and psychotic symptoms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. / Demenz und psychotische Symptome bei der amyotrophen Lateralsklerose.

We present 2 case histories of patients, treated in psychiatric clinics because of psychotic disorders, in whom further investigation revealed the presence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and dementia. The causal relationship between psychotic symptoms and dementia on the one hand and ALS on the other hand is discussed. Probably in ALS other functional systems besides motor-neuron pathways are involved.