[Bulbar hematoma of the olivary area. An analysis of the autonomic syndrome].

The consequences of an anterolateral medullary hematoma in a 50 year old patient are reported. The lesions principally involved the inferior olive nuclei, the lateral reticular nucleus, and, partially, the nucleus ambiguus. Long-lasting postural control deficit and hypotonia were observed, associated with alpha motoneurons hyperexcitability.

Upbeat and downbeat nystagmus occurring successively in a patient with posterior medullary haemorrhage.

In a patient with posterior medullary haemorrhage, first upbeat and later downbeat nystagmus occurred in the primary position. The lesion was limited to the posterior and medial part of the medulla. Clinical and electro-oculographic examination first showed upbeat nystagmus in the primary position and upgaze, with downbeat nystagmus in downgaze.

[Bilateral cavernous sinus syndrome: Burkitt's lymphoma].

Bilateral cavernous sinus syndrome is usually due to a vascular disease, such as thrombophlebitis or arteriovenous malformation. In a 29-year old woman this syndrome revealed a malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the Burkitt type. In this case, the physiopathological mechanism was metastatic extension to the dura mater of a systemic lymphoma.

[Chronic sciatalgia caused by sensitive deafferentiation following surgery for lumbar disk hernia: clinical and therapeutic aspects. Apropos of 110 patients].

Sensitive deafferentation is a well recognized entity which has changed the therapeutic approach of some kinds of chronic post operative sciatalgia. It mainly occurs related with a long story of radicular pain and the responsibility of so-called epidural fibrosis has to be discussed. The case records of 110 consecutive patients with deafferentation sciatalgia were reviewed and the clinical data precised: chronic and lasting burning pain with acute nightly paroxysms and sensitive alterations at objective examination.

The stereotactic approach to brain stem lesions: a follow-up of 29 cases.

Stereotactic biopsy is the safest and most reliable method for the histological diagnosis of intraaxial brain stem lesions. The definitive pathological diagnosis permits the selection of adequate therapy. No operative and/or adjuvant therapy must be proposed without a previous histological diagnosis.

Early hypopituitarism following cavernous sinus thrombosis: total recovery within 1 year.

Hypopituitarism related to cavernous sinus thrombosis is a very rare event which usually occurs at least 1 year after the acute stage. We report a case which distinguished itself from the previously reported cases through (i) its occurrence during the acute stage and (ii) its total recovery within 1 year. Early anterior hypopituitarism is probably more frequent than expected on the basis of reported cases and it may contribute to the high rate of mortality in cavernous sinus thrombosis.

[Opticochiasmatic apoplexy].

A 26-year-old patient presented with acute chiasmal syndrome. Computerized Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging demonstrated an intrachiasmal hematoma which was evacuated via a right subfrontal approach. Histological examination revealed an arteriovenous malformation.

[Mood disorders and right hemisphere infarction].

Persistent depression of mood following stroke and acute psychiatric disturbances in conjunction with infarcts in the right hemisphere has been well reported. Sometimes its psychiatric features were most salient although neurological signs could not be elicited. We treated two patients with infarcts in the right hemisphere.

[Intracerebroventricular morphine therapy. Apropos of 79 patients].

The authors report their experience in the treatment of 79 patients suffering from intractable cancer pain with intra-cerebro-ventricular morphine. They obtain a long-lasting analgesia (34.2 hours at the beginning of treatment and 27.

[Postero-medial bulbar hematoma with a favorable outcome. Study of dysautonomia].

A case of postero-medial medullary hematoma in a 21 year-old woman is reported. An initial neurovegetative severe disregulation had a favorable outcome after surgery. Late deficits, characterizing the postero-medial medullary syndrome have been studied: paresis of the tongue, suppression of the nauseous reflex, instability with retropulsion, and downbeating nystagmus in primary position of the eyes were noted.

[Lhermitte-Duclos disease. Apropos of a case].

The authors report a case of dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum (Lhermitte-Duclos disease). This woman's first neurosurgical admission was in 1970 at the age of 15 years. Hydrocephalus related to aqueduct-stenosis was diagnosed and a ventriculo atrial shunt was inserted.

[Intracranial ependymomas. Experience with 86 cases].

The authors report a series of 86 intracranial ependymomas. The origin of the tumor was supratentorial in 53 cases, infratentorial in 33. All patients underwent surgery and most of them had also radiation therapy.

[Distal intracranial arterial aneurysms. Apropos of a case of giant aneurysm of the right angular gyrus artery].

A 57 year old man presented with a giant, fusiform, partially thrombosed aneurysm, located distally to the right angular gyrus artery, and revealed by a subarachnoïd hemorrhage. There was no history of head trauma, endocarditis or systemic infection, and physical examination was normal. The treatment consisted in simple trapping of the aneurysm, responsible for a transient ischemic parietal syndrome.

[Prevention of risk in stereotaxic biopsy of various tumors of the pineal region. Apropos of 3 cases].

During the last ten years, the authors have performed 750 stereotactic biopsies with 6 deaths. In 3 cases, the lesion was a pinealoblastoma, with comparable symptomatology and CT scan image. Safety measures are discussed.

[Cystic meningioma. 3 cases].

The association of a meningioma and an arachnoid cyst is one of the many association of cyst and meningioma. The diagnosis could be difficult by CT scan. We report three cases of parameningiomal cysts and discuss their different mechanism of formation before stressing practical problems.