The management of pineal region tumor remains controversial. This paper reports a case of pineocytoma which was attempted to improve treatment planning by the use of clinical features, computerized tomography, and markers for germ-cell tumor. A presumptive diagnosis could be made and this tumor less likely to respond to radiotherapy was subjected to primary surgery.
Diagnosis ; Pinealoma* ; Radiotherapy

A 44-year-old female with cervical cord compression signs had myelographic and computerized tomographic evidence of extradural spinal cord compression without any tuberculous bony lesion or cold abscess. At surgery, cervical spinal cord was compressed by extraosseous extradural granulomatous tissue which was histologically proved a very rare localized extradural tuberculous granuloma.
Abscess ; Adult ; Cervical Cord ; Female ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Spinal Cord Compression ; Tuberculoma*

The authors report a case of massive spontaneous intracerebral hematoma in a infant, caused by bleeding from cryptic vascular malformation associated with vitamin K dependant factor deficiency. The bleeding was initiated by vitamin K dependant factor deficiency, then 3 weeks later hematoma was expanded by rebleeding from malformed vessel after PT and PTT had been returned to normal values. The well circumscribed organized old hematoma with fresh expanded bleeding component within a huge rusty colored cystic fluid cavity was recognized in operative field and pathological ground.
Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant ; Reference Values ; Vascular Malformations ; Vitamin K

In advent of high-resolutional CT and MRI, it is not so difficult to detect the lumbar synovial cyst, however the unusual disease should be included in the differential diagnosis of cauda equine compression syndromes. The case of a 55-year-old man who had a low back pain and severe radiating pain on both legs showed a retrolisthesis at L3-4 and L4-5 and epidural enhancing mass just around L4-5 facet joint on MRI. Microscopically a lining of synovial tissue was demonstrated. After surgery of the total resection of synovial cyst and stabilization, the patient's presenting symptoms were improved.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Synovial Cyst* ; Zygapophyseal Joint

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of various quantitative indices for the differentiation of benign from malignant primary soft tissue tumors by FDG-PET. A series of 32 patients with a variety of histologically or clinically confirmed benign (20) or malignant (12) soft tissue lesions were evaluated with emission whole body (5min/bed position) PET after injection of [18F]FDG. Regional 20min transmission scan for the attenuation correction and calculation of SUV was performed in 16 patients (10 benign, 6malignant) followed by dynamic acquisition for 56min. Postinjection transmission scan for the attenuation correction and calculation of SUV was executed in the other 16 patients (10 benign, 6 malignant). The following indices were obtained : the peak and average SUV (pSUV, aSUV) of lesions, tumor-to-background ratio acquired at images of 51 min p.i. (TBR51), tumor-to-background ratio of areas under time-activity curves (TBRarea) and the ratio between the activities of tumor ROI at 51 min p.i. and at the time which background ROI reaches maximum activity on the time-activity curves (T51/Tmax). The pSUV, aSUV, TBR51, and TBRarea, in malignant lesions were significantly higher than those in benign lesions. We set the cut-off values of pSUV, aSUV, TBR51, TBRarea and T51/Tmax for the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions at 3.5, 2.8, 5.1, 4.3 and 1.55, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 91.7%, 80.0%, 84.4% by pSUV and aSUV, 83.3%, 85.0%, 84.4% by TBR51, 83.3%, 100%, 93.8% by TBRarea and 66.7%, 70.0%, 68.8% by Tsl/Tmax. The time-activity curves did not give additional information compared to SUV or TBR. The one false negative was a case with low-grade fibrosarcoma and all four false positives were cases with inflammatory change on histology. The visual analysis of FDG-PET also detected the metastatic lesions in malignant cases with comparable accuracy. In conclusion, all pSUV, aSUV, TBR51, and TBRarea are useful metabolic semi-quantitative indices with good accuracy for the differentiation of benign from malignant soft-tissue lesions.
Fibrosarcoma ; Humans ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: N-(3-[18F]Fluoroporpy)-2beta- carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane ([18F]FP-CIT) has been shown to be very useful for imaging the dopamine transporter. However, synthesis of this radiotracer is some what troublesome. In this study, we used a new method for the preparation of [18F]FP-CIT to increase radiochemical yield and effective specific activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: [18F]FP-CIT was prepared by N-alkylation of nor-beta-CIT (2 mg) with 3-bromo-l-[18F]fluoropropane in the presence of Et3N (5-6 drops of DMF/CH3CN, 140 degree C, 20 min). 3-Bromo-l-[18F]fluoropropane was synthesized from 5 microliter of 3-bromo-l-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxypropane (3-bromopropyl -l-triflate) and nBu4N18F at 80 degree C. The final compound was purified by reverse phase HPLC and formulated in 13% ethanol in saline. RESULTS: 3-Bromo-l-[18F]fluoropropane was obtained from 3-bromopropyl-l-triflate and nBu4N18F in 77-80% yield. N-Alkylation of nor-beta-CIT with 3-bromo-l-[18F]fluoropropane was carried out at 140 degree C using acetonitrile containing a small volume of DMF as the solvents. The overall yield of [18F]FP-CIT was 5-10% (decay-corrected) with a radiochemical purity higher than 99% and effective specific activity higher than the one reported in the literature based on their HPLC data. The final [18F]FP-CIT solution had the optimal pH (7.0) and it was pyrogen-free. CONCLUSION:: In this study, 3-bromopropyl-l-triflate was used as the precursor for the [18F]fluorination reaction and new conditions were developed for purification of [18F]FP-CIT by HPLC. We established this new method for the preparation of [18F]FP-CIT, which gave high effective specific activity and relatively good yield.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins* ; Dopamine* ; Ethanol ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Solvents

We evaluated the in vivo kinetics, distribution, and pharmacology of N-(4-[F] fluorornethylbenzyl)spiperone ([F]FMBS), a newly developed derivative of spiperone, as a potentially more selective #radiotrar.er for the dopamine (DA) Dz receptors. Mice received 1.9-3.7 MBq (1.8-3.6 nmol/kg) of [F]FMBS by tail vein injectivn. The time course and regional distribution of the tracer in brain were assessed. Blocking studies were carried out by intravenously preinjecting DA Dp receptor blockers (spiperone, butaclamol) as well as drugs with high affinity for DA Dr lSCH 23390), DA transporter (GBR 12909), and serotonin Sp (5-HTz) (ketanserin) sites. After injection of the tracer, the radioactivity in striatum increased steadily over time, resulting in a striatal-to-cerebellar ratio of 4.8 at 120 min postinjection. By contrast, the radioactivity in cerebellum, frontal cortex, and remaining cortex washed out rapidly. Preinjection of unlabe1ed FMBS (1 rng/kg) and spiperone (1 mg/kg) reduced [F] FMBS striatal-to-cerebellar ratio by 41Zo and 80Ya, respectively. (+)-Butaclamol(1 mg/kg) blocked 80Yo of the striatal [F]FMBS binding, while (-)-butaclamol (1 rng/kg) did not. Preinjection of SCH 23390 (1 mg/kg) and GBR 12909 (5 mg/kg) had no significant effect. On [""F]FMBS binding. Ketanserin (1 mg/kg), a ligand for the 5-H1g receptors, did not cause significant inhibition either in striatum, in frontal cortex, or the remaining cortex. The results demonstrate that [F]FMEtS labels DA Dz receptors selectively in vivo in the mouse brain. It may hold promise as a selective radiotracer for studying DA Dz receptors in vivo by PET.
Animals ; Brain ; Cerebellum ; Dopamine* ; Ketanserin ; Kinetics ; Mice ; Pharmacology ; Radioactivity ; Receptors, Dopamine D2* ; Serotonin ; Spiperone* ; Veins

Recently, many authors have reported about the relationship of the volumes of hemorrhage in the brain parenchyma, hemorrhagic sites, optimal operation time, and the effects of mannitol and steroid on control of ICP to clinical manifestations. Many attempts to measure ICP in hydrocephalus, brain tumor, and head injury have been reported. But the measurements of intracranial pressure in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage are rare. Intracranial pressure was monitored prospectively in 30 patients who had stereotaxic surgery for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. The results are as follows. 1. Intracranial pressure was increased in high PaCO₂. 2. There were no correlation in ICP, rebleeding and ADL ad discharge (P>0.05). 3. ICP was the most high level in 72 hours after operation. 4. There was 63.2% decrease in ICP after irrigation with 6000 IU urokinase in the site of hemorrhage. 5. There was no correlation between the numbers of natural drainage and ADL at discharge (P>0.05). 6. The higher the initial GCS, the higher the postoperative GCS.
Activities of Daily Living ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Drainage ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Intracranial Pressure* ; Mannitol ; Prospective Studies ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

In an attempt to eliminate some negative aspects of conventional extensive laminectomy, 4 cases of multiple level of cervical compression myelopathy, 1 OPLL (ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament) and 3 cervical stenosis, were treated with a technique of expansive laminoplasty. Operative results in all patients were satisfactory without surgical complications and all patients had a neurological improvement. We suggest that our technique is more effective one for cervical canal stenosis, OPLL, and spondylosis than conventional extensive laminectomy.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Laminoplasty* ; Spinal Cord Diseases* ; Spondylosis

No abstract available.
Aging* ; Glucose* ; Metabolism*