OBJECTIVE: To describe the MRI findings in ten patients of spinal epidural angiolipoma for differentiated diagnosis presurgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten surgically proved cases of spinal epidural angiolipomas were retrospectively reviewed, and the lesion was classified according to the MR findings. RESULTS: Ten tumors were located in the superior (n = 4), middle (n = 2), or inferior (n = 4) thoracic level. The mass, with the spindle shape, was located in the posterior epidural space and extended parallel to the long axis of the spine. All lesions contained a fat and vascular element. The vascular content, correlating with the presence of hypointense regions on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and hyperintense signals on T2-weighted imaging, had marked enhancement. However, there were no flow void signs on MR images. All tumors were divided into two types based on the MR features. In type 1 (n = 3), the mass was predominantly composed of lipomatous tissue (> 50%) and contained only a few small angiomatous regions, which had a trabeculated or mottled appear. In type 2 (n = 7), the mass, however, was predominantly composed of vascular components (> 50%), which presented as large foci in the center of the mass. CONCLUSION: Most spinal epidural angiolipomas exhibit hyperintensity on T1WI while the hypointense region on the noncontrast T1WI indicates to be vascular, which manifests an obvious enhancement with gadolinium administration.
Adult ; Aged ; Angiolipoma/*diagnosis/surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Epidural Neoplasms/*diagnosis/surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laminectomy/methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate clinical features of pheochromocytoma and summarize experiences of anesthetic management during the perioperative period.

METHODSTwo hundred and fifty eight patients who were diagnosed with pheochromocytoma in our hospital were reviewed retrospectively for clinical features. According to different preoperative pharmalogical preparations, perioperative mortalities were analyzed in three periods (Period 1: January 1955 - December 1975; Period 2: January 1976 - December 1994; Period 3: January 1995 - July 2001). In Period 3, hemodynamic changes in the patients undergoing different anesthetic methods were analyzed.

RESULTSAbout 5.8% (15/258) of pheochromocytoma was an integral part of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type II or mixed type. Sixty percent (149/249) of the patients who had undergone surgery possessed evidence of catecholamine cardiac toxicity preoperatively. Impaired glucose tolerance was found in 59% (147/249) of the patients before surgery. Perioperative mortality was significantly decreased from 8% (5/60) in Period 1 to 1.2% (1/75) in Period 2 (P < 0.01). No perioperative deaths occurred in Period 3. The volume infused during the operation was significantly higher both in the epidural anesthesia group (3474 ml +/- 624 ml, P < 0.01) and in the epidural plus general anesthesia group (3654 ml +/- 475 ml, P < 0.01) than in the general anesthesia group (2534 ml +/- 512 ml). There were favorable hemodynamic characteristics in patients before removal of the tumor in the epidural anesthesia group and in the epidural plus general anesthesia group, as compared with the general anesthesia group.

CONCLUSIONSA positive surgical outcome of the excision of pheochromocytoma depends on multiple factors, including careful assessment of potential vital organ damage before surgery and restoration of blood volume by establishing alpha-blockade preoperatively, meticulous anesthetic management of patients during surgery, and appropriate circulatory support after surgery.

Adolescent ; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; mortality ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Anesthesia ; methods ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, General ; Blood Volume ; Child ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pheochromocytoma ; diagnosis ; mortality ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies

Adolescent ; Brain Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; Brain Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial ; diagnostic imaging ; Hernia ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Plasmacytoma ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed