Patterns of lesions of corpus callosum in inner cerebral trauma visualized by computed tomography.

Computed tomographic analysis of lesions of the corpus callosum in 13 patients with "inner cerebral trauma" showed significant congruence of linear translation of acceleration and the topographic distribution of such lesions. This congruence permits computed tomography to be used to reconstruct the course of linear translation and the site of the main blow, which can be important for forensic use. The findings of even a small lesion in the corpus callosum indicates the need for further investigation of other structures which are usually involved in inner cerebral trauma, such as the hippocampus and brain stem.

Distribution of traumatic lesions of corpus callosum in "inner cerebral trauma".

This study deals with the topographic distribution of traumatic lesions in the corpus callosum within the pattern of "inner cerebral trauma". Material for neuropathological investigations consisted of 49 brains of patients who suffered closed head injury of the acceleration type with linear translation of acceleration acting along the longer axis of the head. As a control, 5 brains were investigated in which the direction of linear translation was latero-lateral.

Sex steroid receptors in intracranial tumors.

Estrogen (ER), progestin (PGR), and androgen (AR) receptors were assayed in cytosols prepared from 38 various intracranial tumors. The receptors were in the following proportions (number of receptor-positive/number of tumors examined): meningiomas were positive for PGR (4/6) and AR (2/5); glioblastomas were also positive for PGR (3/21) and AR (7/21); astrocytomas were positive only for PGR (4/5); and oligodendrogliomas only for AR. In two hamartomas AR was present, while in one chordoma both PGR and AR were present.

The concept of inner cerebral trauma.

The pattern of "inner cerebral trauma" is a morphological and functional-pathological correlate of biomechanical conditions at the event of severe closed craniocerebral injury of acceleration-type, if the traumatizing forces act in the direction of the longest diameter of the skull. The lesions are characteristically localized in the "centro-axial" regions of the brain involving most frequently: corpus callosum, septum pellucidum, fornix, tela chorioidea, peri- and para-ventricular zone, infundibulobasal region and cingulum; this pattern also includes lesions of the hippocampal area, upper brainstem, pontocerebellar complex, and parasagittal areas of the cerebrum. This pattern includes lesions, which are from the onset "primary irreversible" as well as "primary reversible" lesions, which spread apart from the "epicentres" of the primary irreversible damage and are in principle more diffuse but still within the basic pattern of the main predilection.

Traumatic tears of the tela chorioidea: a hitherto unrecognized cause of post-traumatic hydrocephalus.

A new and hitherto unrecognized phenomenon of rupture of the tela chorioidea in closed head injury of acceleration-deceleration type is described. It occurs very frequently, especially in association with blows in the centro-axial plane even if the acceleration forces are relatively mild. These tears are regularly followed by intraventricular bleeding which follows the flow of the CSF into the subarachnoid space producing a leptomeningeal reaction with impairment of absorption of CSF and consequent communicating hydrocephalus.

Centronuclear myopathy with type I fibre hypotrophy and "fingerprint" inclusions associated with Marfan's syndrome.

The authors present results of histological and electron-microscopical investigations of muscular tissue obtained by biopsy from a 20-year-old man, who showed typical features of Marfan's syndrome associated with slowly progressive muscular weakness. The muscle showed a peculiar combination of centronuclear myopathy with hypotrophy of type I fibres and the so called "fingerprint myopathy". The combination of such myopathic phenomena with Marfan's syndrome presents a unique and hitherto undescribed condition.

"L'acropathie ulcéro-mutilante familiale" with involvement of the distal mixed nereves and long bones fractures.

Two siblings are described with mutilating lesions of the feet and hands, with sensory disturbances and muscle amyotrophy. The motor and afferent nerve conduction velocities were at the lower limit of normal. The nerve action potentials disappeared, first with percutaneous stimulation of the fingers and later with more proximal direct nerve stimulation.