Symptomatic vertebral haemangiomas: report of two cases.

The authors reported two cases of vertebral haemangiomas with spinal cord compression. The first case deteriorated during her pregnancy. Plain radiography of the thoracic spine gave the hint for the diagnosis and computed axial tomography showed the lesion. She was treated via surgical removal with minimal improvement of her paraparesis. The second case was diagnosed after operation because there was no abnormality over the relevant vertebra and the myelogram demonstrated an extradural mass lesion compressing the lower thoracic spinal cord. The patient improved satisfactorily after total removal of the tumour. Both surgical specimens were classical pictures of haemangiomas histologically.

Computed tomography of intraventricular masses.

The CT appearances in 87 patients with intraventricular mass lesion were analyzed in order to verify the characteristic finding. The pathological diagnoses included medulloblastoma in 27, astrocytoma in 16, craniopharyngioma in 15, ependymoma in 9, meningioma in 7, AVM in 4, choroid plexus papilloma and epidermoid cyst in 2 each. One each had teratoma, ependymal cyst, cysticercosis, cavernous hemangioma and hemangioblastoma. The histologic diagnosis could be suggested by the frequency, location, density, age and sex of the patients. The differential features of each diagnosis are discussed.

CT diagnosis of cerebral cysticercosis.

CT findings of 132 patients with cerebral cysticercosis were analysed. The most common finding was multiple parenchymal punctate calcifications, accounting for 53 per cent; calcifications mostly scattered in both cerebral hemispheres. The second most common finding was enhancing ring(s) or nodule(s) of about 1 cm in diameter with perifocal edema, about 43 per cent. Other findings included thin-walled parenchymal cysts of various sizes from less than 1 cm to 7 cm in diameter, non-enhancing low-density area, intraventricular and cisternal cysts, and hydrocephalus due to obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid pathway by the cyst, arachnoiditis, or ependymitis. About 30 per cent of patients had a combination of these forms of cysticercosis. Seizure disorder was the most common presenting symptom. Praziquantel was used effectively in parenchymal cystic forms but without response in intraventricular and cisternal cysts. In conclusion, CT is considered to be the procedure of choice for the detection of cerebral cysticercosis and the follow-up of patients after medical or surgical treatment. When multiple forms of cysticercosis are present, the diagnosis can usually be made with accuracy. A single finding of non-specific pattern such as enhancing ring or nodule, low-density area, or parenchymal cyst(s) without typical mural nodules, has to be differentiated from other conditions such as tumors and inflammatory process. Clinical correlation and follow-up scan are required in these cases in which the definitive diagnosis cannot be ascertained, and in certain cases, surgical intervention may be necessary.

Computed tomography in the diagnosis of central nervous system lymphomas.

CT appearances of 13 patients diagnosed as having CNS lymphoma were reviewed. Eight patients were of primary type and 5 patients had secondary CNS involvement. In primary CNS lymphoma, the median age was 62.5 years. All except one were male. Solitary lesions were observed in 4 patients; multiple lesions in 3 patients and an infiltrative lesion in one. Characteristic CT finding was a hyper-or isodense mass with homogeneous enhancement in the gray matter and corpus callosum. In secondary CNS lymphoma, the median age was 30 years. Two had solitary lesions. Isodense lesions were found in 4 of 5 patients.

Ultrasound diagnosis of Dandy-Walker cyst.

A variety of congenital malformations of the brain can be diagnosed by cranial sonography. Those which alter macroscopic morphology can be recognized and their findings are similar to those seen on computed tomography and pneumoencephalography. The ultrasonic findings in Dandy-Walker cyst are described in this report.