Primary osteosarcoma of the cervical spine: one case.

The authors report the case of a 31-year old woman who was operated upon for cervical bone tumour. The pathological study showed that it was a primary, highly differentiated osteosarcoma. The clinical picture was limited to a spinal cord compression syndrome without signs of inflammation. Radiological findings were non-specific. Treatment consisted of laminectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The course of the disease was marked by stabilization, then rapid aggravation 2 years after the operation. A review of the literature highlighted the rarity and relatively slow progression of primary osteosarcomas of the spine.

[Intracerebral schwannoma. Apropos of a case]. / Schwannome intra-cérébral. A propos d'un cas.

The authors report a case of intracerebral Schwannoma discovered in a 13 year old girl who had shown symptoms of increased intracranial pressure since four years and half evolving progressively to aggravation. CT scan images and operating appearance were uncharacteristic. Histological diagnosis of the tumor was only established at pathological examination. The tumor recurred 15 months after in spite of its complete extirpation. The characteristics of this extremely rare localization of Schwannoma (14 cases published in the literature) are pin-pointed by the authors.

[Pseudo-oligodendrogliomatous meningioma. Report of 2 cases and review of the literature]. / Méningiome pseudo-oligodendrogliomateux. Etude de deux cas et revue de la littérature.

We report two cases of oligodendroglioma-like meningioma revealed by symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, progressive hemiparesia and partial epileptic seizures. Brain CT-scan or scintigraphy and carotid arteriography were suggestive of a convexity meningioma. One patient had received radiation treatment for scalp tinea capitis 25 years previously. In spite of complete surgical removal, the tumor recurred in both cases respectively 17 years and 18 months later. The two patients were operated again, and one underwent a complementary radiotherapy. Pathologic diagnosis was particularly difficult in the first case where the pattern at conventional histologic technics was that of oligodendroglioma. On the occasion of recurrence, immuno-histochemistry and ultrastructural studies were performed. The tumor was positive for epithelial membrane antigen (E.M.A) and cytokeratin, but was negative for glial fibrillary acidic (G.F.A.) protein, S 100 protein (S 100), neuron-specific enolase (N.S.E.), vimentin, anti-LEU-7 (N.H.K.1), and neurofilaments (N.F.). Electron microscopy showed closely adjacent cells with tonofilaments and numerous desmosomes. These findings permitted to establish the diagnosis of oligodendroglioma-like meningioma instead of oligodendroglioma. In the second case, the histologic pattern was also reminiscent of oligodendroglioma, but presence of few cellular whorls in some part of the tumor permitted the correct diagnosis. The pathogenesis of this atypical form of meningioma, its tendency for recurrence, and usefulness of radiotherapy are discussed and literature is reviewed.