Congenital quadrigeminal lipoma with osteocartilagenous element. A case report

Role of intraoperative squash smear cytology as a diagnostic modality in lipoma of quadrigeminal cistern

Quadrigeminal lipoma is a rare tumor that has been categorized as developmental malformation rather than a hamartoma or true neoplasm, due to its origin from abnormal persistence and mal-differentiation of meninx primitiva during the development of the subarachnoid cisterns. Reported admixture of adipose tissue with heterotopic elements also supports a developmental origin. Quadrigeminal lipomas are frequently asymptomatic and detected incidentally. Though a favorable clinical course is usually expected, recurrences may occur due to partial removal of lesions in close relation to vital structure. We describe the role of intraoperative squash smear cytology as a diagnostic aid in quadrigeminal cistern lipoma and an alternative to frozen sections that are technically difficult to obtain due to presence of lobules of fibro-adipose tissue. With radiological correlation, squash cytology can be an economical method for intraoperative diagnosis, pending subsequent histopathological confirmation.

Vaginal osseous metaplasia

BACKGROUND

Osseous metaplasia is an unusual event in the gynecologic organs. It has been reported mostly in the endometrium and rarely in the cervix.

CASE

The authors describe a rare case of bone formation in vaginal mucosa of a 52-year-old woman with chronic pelvic pain and exteriorization of bone from vaginal introit.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this finding has not been reported yet in the English medical literature.

Tectal plate lesions in children

OBJECT

The authors characterized the clinical course of tectal plate lesions in a group of pediatric patients to identify the prognostic factors at presentation that predict progression, in an attempt to differentiate tectal hamartomas from tumors.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted of the management of tectal plate lesions in children since the advent of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at the authors' hospital (1984-2003). The lesion volume seen on MR images, the clinical and radiological features at presentation, and the clinical course of the population were analyzed for correlations. Forty children with tectal lesions presented in the typical delayed fashion (mean 8.5 months) with symptoms referable to hydrocephalus (93%). Fourteen children whose tumors demonstrated radiological progression (enlargement, contrast enhancement, or cystic change) were treated surgically. Histologically, 80% of the surgically treated lesions were low grade (with the other 20% consisting of one dysplasia, one high-grade tumor, and one unidentified tumor). Five patients required a second operation and one required a third. One patient died of a high-grade astrocytoma after undergoing surgery and radiotherapy; the other 39 patients remain clinically stable. The only factor predictive of tumor enlargement was lesion volume at presentation (p = 0.002). Distribution analysis revealed three subgroups based on lesion volume (< 4, 4-10, and > 10 cm3), which correlated with the clinical course of the disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with tectal lesions should undergo contrast-enhanced MR imaging and volume assessment at the time of presentation. After hydrocephalus has been managed with endoscopic third ventriculostomy, these children require prolonged, close clinical and radiological surveillance. Lesions with a volume less than 4 cm3 were likely to be hamartomas and followed a predominantly benign course, with few atypical cases progressing. All large lesions, defined as having a volume greater than 10 cm3 at presentation, eventually required treatment, and all were histologically determined to be tumors. An argument is made for earlier treatment of larger lesions with the aim of improving outcome.

Intracranial extramedullary hematopoiesis associated with pilocytic astrocytoma: a case report

Intracranial EMH is only occasionally found in primary brain tumors (mostly hemangioblastomas) and, to our knowledge, this is the first case of EMH associated with an astrocytoma. Intracranial extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is described in a 29-year-old man with a recurrent pilocytic astrocytoma in the tectal region. Special stains confirmed the identities of erythroid, myeloid and megakaryocytic cells. The patient had no evidence of a predisposing bone marrow disorder or systemic EMH. Although the presence of multinucleated and blastic cells associated with a low-grade brain neoplasm is unusual, recognition of hematopoietic lineages allows EMH to be readily identified. Another tumor resection after a year of follow-up confirmed the absence of malignant progression in this recurrent astrocytoma. The small number of cases describing intracranial EMH in the absence of systemic hematologic abnormalities are correlated with the findings in this case. The low incidence of intracranial EMH indicates that cells with hematopoietic potential are seldom exposed to a supportive microenvironment within the central nervous system. However, intracranial EMH should be included as a potential, ancillary diagnosis when considering brain lesions. This may be particularly true if medical therapies involving growth factors or stem cells are found to promote hematopoiesis.

Angiolipoma of the right inferior colliculus: a rare central cause of hearing loss and limb ataxia

Intracranial angiolipomas are rare entities and are infrequently symptomatic. These benign lesions are adherent to the surrounding neurovascular structures as they share the same blood supply, which limits their resectability, and impose a possibility of persistence of symptoms. However, due to recent advancements in the neuro-radiological fields and microneurosurgical techniques it has been possible to localise precisely and excise these lesions with low morbidity and mortality. The authors present an interesting rare case of intracranial angiolipoma of the right inferior colliculus situated in the quadrigeminal plate cistern. The patient had presented with ipsilateral hearing loss and upper limb ataxia. Interesting clinical findings, neuro-imaging studies and peroperative features are presented and discussed along with a brief review of the literature.