Intracerebral fibroma: a case report and review of the literature.

Intracerebral fibromas are among the most rare neoplasms found in the central nervous system. Ten previously reported cases have been documented in the literature including only two reported cases since 1985. As a result, little is known about these uncommon intracerebral fibrous tumors.

Brain metastases from cervical cancer--a short review.

Aims And Background: Brain metastases from cervical cancer are extremely rare yet local recurrence and systemic spread is fairly common. The role of surgical resection and CNS screening for this pathology was interrogated from a review of the literature.

Clinical Experience: We present a case of a single brain metastasis that originated from the cervix and describe chronologically the spread of the disease with pathological confirmations.

Rhenium-186 liposomes as convection-enhanced nanoparticle brachytherapy for treatment of glioblastoma.

Although external beam radiation is an essential component to the current standard treatment of primary brain tumors, its application is limited by toxicity at doses more than 80 Gy. Recent studies have suggested that brachytherapy with liposomally encapsulated radionuclides may be of benefit, and we have reported methods to markedly increase the specific activity of rhenium-186 ((186)Re)-liposomes. To better characterize the potential delivery, toxicity, and efficacy of the highly specific activity of (186)Re-liposomes, we evaluated their intracranial application by convection-enhanced delivery in an orthotopic U87 glioma rat model.

Isolated spinal neurenteric cyst presenting as intramedullary calcified cystic mass on imaging studies: case report and review of literature.

Intramedullary neurenteric cysts (NEC) without associated malformations are extremely rare and, to our knowledge, have never been reported in association with calcification. We report a unique imaging presentation as a partially calcified mass of an isolated intramedullary neuroenteric cyst of the lower thoracic spinal cord with pathologic correlation. The literature for isolated forms of intramedullary NEC since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging is also reviewed.

Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells for intravascular delivery of oncolytic adenovirus Delta24-RGD to human gliomas.

Delta24-RGD is an infectivity-augmented, conditionally replicative oncolytic adenovirus with significant antiglioma effects. Although intratumoral delivery of Delta24-RGD may be effective, intravascular delivery would improve successful application in humans. Due to their tumor tropic properties, we hypothesized that human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) could be harnessed as intravascular delivery vehicles of Delta24-RGD to human gliomas.

Extended lateral parascapular approach for resection of a giant multi-compartment thoracic schwannoma.

Background: Resection of giant thoracic schwannomas is challenging and usually requires a staged approach. The resection of the intraspinal component, usually via laminectomy, is done in one sitting and the intrathoracic component, via thoracotomy, follows at another. We describe the complete resection of a massive multi-compartmental thoracic schwannoma by an extended lateral parascapular approach.

Population-based study of medulloblastoma: outcomes in Alberta from 1975 to 1996.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine incidence, survival rate, and prognostic factors as well as the frequency of Collins' Law Violators (CLVs) in an unselected population of medulloblastoma patients. Collins' Law dictates that 'cure' of a child with a tumor occurs after a period that includes the child's age at diagnosis plus 9 months.

Methods: Using the Alberta Cancer Registry a population-based review identified 49 patients with medulloblastoma (19 adults, 30 children) diagnosed from 1975-96.

Interferon-induced hypothyroidism causing reversible pituitary enlargement.

Objective: To present the first reported case of interferon-induced hypothyroidism with radiographic confirmation of secondary pituitary hyperplasia.

Methods: We describe the case of a woman with recurrent malignant melanoma, outline the details of her endocrine work-up, and illustrate the serial findings on magnetic resonance imaging of the head.

Results: A 26-year-old woman underwent surgical excision of a melanoma of the left thigh and 10 years later had a second melanoma removed from her right knee.

Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of gliomas.

The poor survival of patients with human malignant gliomas relates partly to the inability to deliver therapeutic agents to the tumor. Because it has been suggested that circulating bone marrow-derived stem cells can be recruited into solid organs in response to tissue stresses, we hypothesized that human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) may have a tropism for brain tumors and thus could be used as delivery vehicles for glioma therapy. To test this, we isolated hMSCs from bone marrow of normal volunteers, fluorescently labeled the cells, and injected them into the carotid artery of mice bearing human glioma intracranial xenografts (U87, U251, and LN229).

Resection of brain metastases previously treated with stereotactic radiosurgery.

Object: To date, no report has been published on outcomes of patients undergoing resection for brain metastases who were previously treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Consequently, the authors reviewed their institutional experience with this clinical scenario to assess the efficacy of surgical intervention.

Methods: Sixty-one patients (each harboring three or fewer brain lesions), who were treated at a single institution between June 1993 and August 2002 were identified.

Surgical resection of metastatic intraventricular tumors.

The ventricle is a rare site of brain metastases. Renal cell carcinoma has a higher propensity to metastasize to the ventricle compared with more common metastatic tumors (e.g.

Clinical trials of adenoviruses in brain tumors: a review of Ad-p53 and oncolytic adenoviruses.

Adenoviruses have been critical in the development of the molecular approaches to brain tumors. They have been engineered to function as vectors for delivering therapeutic genes in gene therapy strategies, and as direct cytotoxic agents in oncolytic viral therapies. This review outlines the uses of adenoviruses in brain tumor therapy by examining clinical trials of adenovirus-mediated p53 gene therapy and by reviewing the application of two conditionally replicative adenoviruses (CRAds) ONYX-015 and Delta 24 in brain tumors.