Response of recurrent medulloblastoma to low-dose oral etoposide.

Purpose: The outcome for patients with recurrent medulloblastoma has historically been poor, with most patients dying of disseminated disease. Here, we report on seven patients with recurrent medulloblastoma, most heavily pretreated with a variety of chemotherapeutic agents, including parenteral etoposide (VP-16), who showed responses to the administration of repeated courses of low-dose oral VP-16.

Patients And Methods: Seven patients age 4 to 16 years were treated with VP-16 after neuroradiographic and clinical evidence of tumor progression.

Value of unenhanced spin-echo MR imaging in distinguishing between synovitis and effusion of the knee.

Objective: We performed a study to determine if unenhanced spin-echo MR imaging can be used to differentiate effusion from synovitis of the knee joint.

Materials And Methods: Unenhanced spin-echo MR imaging examinations of 1051 consecutive patients referred for evaluation of internal derangement of the knees were reviewed. Twelve of 550 knees with significant joint effusion also had thickened or irregular synovium.