Temozolomide in combination with BCNU before and after radiotherapy in patients with inoperable newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carmustine (BCNU) in combination with temozolomide as first-line chemotherapy before and after radiotherapy (RT) in patients with inoperable, newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Patients And Methods: Forty patients were treated with BCNU (150 mg/m2) on day 1 and temozolomide (110 mg/m2/day) on days 1 through 5 of each 42-day cycle for up to four cycles prior to conventional RT (2 Gy fractions to a total of 60 Gy). After RT, BCNU + temozolomide was administered for four additional cycles or until progression.

[Retro-odontoid synovial cyst with Forestier's disease].

Study Design: We report one case of 66-year-old man with Forestier disease and spinal cord compression by retro-odontoid synovial cyst.

Objectives And Methods: Although retro-odontoid synovial cysts remain rare, an increasing number have been reported in the literature. Affecting adults in the sixth decade of life, retro-odontoid synovial cysts produce slowly progressive upper spinal cord symptoms.

[Hydroxyurea treatment for unresectable meningioma].

Background: Management of unresectable progressive meningioma remains controversial and constitutes a major challenge since therapeutic options including chemotherapy and hormone modulation are limited. Recent data have suggested that hydroxyurea treatment may have an antitumoral effect. The purpose of this prospective phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy of hydroxyurea treatment for unresectable progressive meningioma.

Lentiviral vectors efficiently transduce human gonadotroph and somatotroph adenomas in vitro. Targeted expression of transgene by pituitary hormone promoters.

Despite important advances in human therapeutics, no specific treatment for both non-functioning gonadotroph and resistant somatotroph adenomas is available. Gene transfer by viral vectors can be considered as a promising way to achieve a specific and efficient treatment. Here we show the possibility of efficient gene transfer in human pituitary adenoma cells in vitro using a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-type 1-derived vector.

Differential patterns of cognitive impairment in patients with aqueductal stenosis and normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Methods: We report a preoperative neuropsychological evaluation for ten adult patients with aqueductal stenosis, and compare the results of this group with a normal pressure hydrocephalus group.

Findings: For executive functions, aqueductal stenosis patients failed on isolated tests and results were heterogeneous; the normal pressure hydrocephalus group was more impaired, except for tasks which required memory processing. Memory deficits in aqueductal stenosis group are qualitatively dissimilar and more homogeneous and severe, despite the younger age, than in the normal pressure hydrocephalus group.

Phase II study of temozolomide without radiotherapy in newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme in an elderly populations.

Background: Currently, the survival of patients age > 70 years with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) ranges from 4 months to 6 months, although radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy may prolong survival in certain subgroups. Temozolomide is an oral chemotherapeutic agent with efficacy against malignant gliomas and a favorable safety profile. This open-label, single-center, Phase II study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of temozolomide as first-line chemotherapy and exclusive treatment in elderly patients with newly diagnosed GBM.

[Therapeutic strategies in somatotroph adenomas with extrasellar extension: role of the medical approach, a consensus study of the French Acromegaly Registry].

Unlabelled: From the first 198 patient files included into the French Acromegaly Registry, we analyzed 68 patients harboring a somatotroph adenoma with extrasellar extension, after exclusion of those treated by stereotactic or conventional radiotherapy. In these patients (including 37 women), aged 21-77 yr. (45.

[Intracranial aneurysm revealed by panhypopituitarism. Considerations on therapeutic management based on a case report and review of the literature].

We report a case of an unruptured intracranial aneurysm in paraclinoidal location which was a unmasked by severe panhypopituitarism. An ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) clamp test was performed in the pretreatment stage. The test was well tolerated and the aneurysm could be embolized with GDC (Guglielmi detachable coils) without necessitating an occlusion of the ICA.

Dynamic expression of RGS4 in the developing nervous system and regulation by the neural type-specific transcription factor Phox2b.

Previous studies have shown that members of the family of regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS), including RGS4, have a discrete expression pattern in the adult brain (Gold et al., 1997). Here, we describe for RGS4 a distinct, mostly transient phase of neuronal expression, during embryonic development: transcription of RGS4 occurs in a highly dynamic manner in a small set of peripheral and central neuronal precursors.

Differential regulation of proopiomelanocortin and pituitary-restricted transcription factor (TPIT), a new marker of normal and adenomatous human corticotrophs.

Since the identification of the pituitary-restricted transcription factor Tpit, a novel T-box factor that is only present in mouse in the two pituitary proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-expressing lineages, no information was available on its pattern of expression in human pituitary. We investigated by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization the expression of TPIT in normal human anterior pituitary tissue and in several types of human pituitary adenomas (n = 52). TPIT expression was restricted to the nucleus of normal or adenomatous human corticotroph cells.

[A retrospective study of 32 lumbar synovial cysts. Clinical aspect and surgical management].

We report a retrospective analysis of a series of 32 cases of lumbar synovial cysts. Clinically, two populations were identified: patients who presented radicular pain mimicking the clinical diagnosis of disk herniation (group I) and patients who presented neurogenic claudication consistent with a diagnosis of lumbar spinal stenosis (group II). The radiological work-up consisted in standard X-rays and CT-scan for all patients.

[Traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis: arguments in favor of surgical management after analysis of 8 patients].

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this report is to assess the efficacy of primary surgical stabilization in the management of traumatic C2 spondylolisthesis.

Material And Methods: Eight patients including 5 men and 3 women (mean age, 44 years) were treated surgically for traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis. Three patients presented permanent neurological deficit.

[Contribution of magnetic resonance spectrometry to the diagnosis of intracranial tumors].

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a method enabling the analysis of the tissue metabolic content. It may offer a more accurate diagnosis of the intracranial tumors than conventional MRI sequences. MRS of normal brain parenchyma displays 4 main metabolites: N-acetyl aspartate (neuronal marker), creatine (cellular density marker), choline (membrane activity marker) and myoinositol (glial marker); pathological processes lead to variations of the level of these metabolites and/or the appearance of abnormal metabolites (lactate), following different patterns according to pathological process involved: glioma, meningioma, metastasis, bacterial or toxoplasmic abscess, radionecrosis.

[Sphenoid sinus lymphoma. Case report and review of the literature].

A 64-year-old man presented to his general practitioner with an history of headaches and recent diplopia. Neuroradiological investigation showed a sphenoid sinus mass involving the sella and the clivus. Diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was made via a transsphenoidal approach.

[Endoscopic third ventriculostomy for management of obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to supratentorial intraventricular hematoma. Case report].

We report two cases of intraventricular hematoma with obstructive hydrocephalus. We perform endoscopic treatment of the hydrocephalus: aspiration of the hematoma associated with a third ventriculostomy. Both patients respectively aged 59 and 74 years had an obstructive hydrocephalus due to intraventricular hemorrage.

[Preservation of hearing function in the radiosurgical treatment of unilateral vestibular schwannomas. Preliminary results].

Introduction: Preservation of functional hearing can be now attempted during the surgical treatment of a vestibular schwannomas. The probability of functional hearing preservation for each of the neurosurgical approaches is currently under evaluation. We report here a preliminary evaluation of our radiosurgical experience.

Benign intracranial hypertension and thyreostimulin suppression hormonotherapy.

Purpose: To report a case of benign intracranial hypertension occurring during thyreostimulin suppression hormonotherapy after thyroidectomy for papillary cancer.

Design: Interventional case report.

Methods: A 45-year-old woman underwent total thyroidectomy for a 7-mm papillary cancer.