Effect of platelet-activating factor antagonist on brain injury in rats.

The ability of a platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist to reduce infarct size has been reported in a animal model of focal brain ischemia. The authors studied the effect of PAF antagonist (TCV-309) on cold brain injury in rats. Twenty-four hours after injury, water content was determined by both drying-weighing and specific gravimetric techniques, and ischemic brain damage was assessed with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride in multiple coronal sections. Pretreatment with TCV-309 (lmg/kg) significantly reduced the water content (p < 0.01) and volume of ischemic damage (p < 0.001) produced by the cold brain injury. These results indicate that PAF antagonist can ameliorate secondary brain tissue damage following brain injury.

[Brain metastasis of lung cancer with Eaton-Lambert syndrome--case report].

A case of brain metastasis of lung cancer with Eaton-Lambert syndrome (ELS) is reported. A 45-year-old male was admitted to the Department of Surgery in Kurume University Hospital on November 13, 1985, complaining of general fatigue. On admission, neurological examination revealed diplopia and fatigue of the extremities. The electromyogram (EMG) showed the waning phenomenon in low frequency repetitive stimulation (2Hz) and the waxing phenomenon in high frequency repetitive stimulation (10Hz, 20Hz). His clinical symptoms, radiological findings and EMG findings demonstrated lung cancer with ELS. Left pulmonary lobectomy with lymphnode dissection of the anterior mediastinum and pulmonary hilus was performed on December 4. Intraoperatively, the tumor was strongly adherent to a medium lymphnode. The patient experienced complete relief symptoms due to ELS. Histological examination disclosed a small cell carcinoma without lymphnode metastasis. He was discharged without any neurological deficits following chemotherapy on February 27, 1986. He was readmitted to the Department of Neurosurgery on August 29, 1986, because of the development of nausea and vomiting. Neurological examination demonstrated no abnormalities except for choked disc in the bilateral ocular fundi. The computed tomography scan revealed a metastatic brain tumor with a mural nodule and cyst. The tumor was totally removed on September 2. Histological examination revealed a typical appearance of small cell carcinoma. He followed a satisfactory postoperative course. He was discharged following radiation therapy on November 2, 1986, and was followed as an outpatient. He has no problem in daily life since then. Though the patient had an expanding metastatic brain tumor from lung cancer after the first operation, he experienced no symptoms due to ELS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[MRI findings of closed head injury in children; with special reference to the effect of central shearing force].

It is considered that shearing effect as introduced by Holbourn may produce central concussion, diffuse brain swelling and diffuse axonal injury according to its grade of force. MRI was performed in 38 children who had been admitted to our hospital during the previous 1 year for the treatment of closed head injury of varying severity. In 8 out of 38 cases, abnormal high signal intensity was observed in the medial and para-medial brain parenchyma on MRI. All of these 8 cases suffered from head trauma caused by motor vehicle accidents. They included 2 cases of cerebral concussion, 1 of diffuse brain swelling, and 5 cases of diffuse axonal injury. In 2 cases of cerebral concussion, MRI (T2 weighted) revealed only localized high intensity in the corpus callosum, while CT showed normal and subarachnoid hemorrhage only at the interposium. These two children had been unconscious for periods of 20 to 30 minutes. In one case of diffuse brain swelling, MRI (T2W) showed a slightly obscure border between gray and white matter due to generally increased intensity. In 5 cases of diffuse axonal injury, most of these cases manifested lesions at the corpus callosum, deep white matter, periventricular gray matter, pons, midbrain and the cerebellum as demonstrated by high signal intensity on MRI (T2W) while CT in the acute stage showed small hemorrhage at the corpus callosum, corticomedullary junction and mid-brain and in the ventricles. Among these, two cases also demonstrated subdural hematoma and cortical contusional hemorrhage. At 3-4 weeks after injury, the area of high intensity previously demonstrated in the deep white matter and the corpus callosum on MRI (T2W) was reduced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Cerebellar ganglioglioma: a case report].

A case of cerebellar ganglioglioma is reported. A 22-year-old female was admitted to the Kurume University Hospital on August 19, 1985, suffering from headache, vomiting and gait disturbance. On admission, neurological examination revealed staggering gait and the right cerebellar ataxia showing dysmetria and dysdiadochokinesis. Mild choked disc in the right fundus was also noted. Plain CT scan showed the low-density area involving the right cerebellar hemisphere and the part of the vermis with internal hydrocephalus. Enhanced CT scan showed the high-density area adjacent to the low-density area suggesting a mural nodule. A vertebral angiogram in the arterial phase showed an expansive lesion in the posterior fossa and the tumor stain, which was also visualized in the venous phase. An emergency suboccipital craniectomy was then performed. With opening the tense dura mater, the cyst formation was noted and 30 ml of xanthochromic fluid was then aspirated. A well demarcated mural nodule was noted in the lateral wall of the cyst. The nodule was then extirpated in toto. The hypertrophy of the cerebellar cortex was not observed. Histologically, the tumor was consisted of nerve fiber, glial fiber and neuronal cells. Its architecture was differed distinctly from that of hamartomatous diffuse hypertrophy of the cerebellar cortex (Lhermitte-Duclos' disease). Immunohistochemically, the neuronal cells revealed positive staining for NSE and S-100, and the glial cells displayed positive staining for GFAP, S-100. The authors reviewed previously reported eleven cases of cerebellar ganglioglioma including the present case. These results showed that cerebellar gangliogliomas have some characteristic clinical features among general intracranial gangliogliomas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Medullary venous malformation with azygos anterior cerebral artery aneurysm: a case report].

A case of medullary venous malformation with azygos anterior cerebral artery aneurysm is reported, which was associated with the leptomenigeal angiomatosis on the cortex of the right frontal lobe. A 62-year-old female was admitted to the Kurume University Hospital on June 21, 1985, because of a convulsive seizure. On admission, neurological and general examinations, except for slightly liver function disorder, was no abnormality. Plain CT scan showed the cortical atrophy and two small high-density areas in the right frontal lobe. Enhanced CT scan showed a high-density area in the genu of the corpus callosum. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), on T2 weighted image, showed a high signal intensity area in the right paraventricular deep white matter and the right frontal region. A right internal carotid angiogram in the venous phase showed numerous enlarged medullary veins in the deep frontal region, converging into a single large draining vein that empties into the basal vein of Rosenthal. An azygos anterior cerebral artery was visualized on the right and left carotid angiograms. The aneurysm was situated at the distal end of the azygos artery. Twenty eight days after admission, a right frontal cranioplastic craniotomy was performed. During operation, the surface of the right frontal lobe was covered by fine, vascular networks, which was reddish brown. A right frontal lobectomy, including venous malformation and vascular networks, was performed. The aneurysm was clipped via an interhemispheric approach. Histologically, the malformation vessels had spread into the subarachnoid space.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)