Brainstem germinoma presenting as intermittent apnoea: a rare entity: report of one patient and review of literature.

A 17-year-old man who had repeated pneumonia and presented with intermittent apnoea was described clinically and pathologically. Neurological examination and computed axial tomography revealed a calcified mass over the lower brainstem. Neurological intervention was done with removal of the tumour and the pathological section showed the classical picture of germinoma.

Computed tomography of intraventricular masses.

The CT appearances in 87 patients with intraventricular mass lesion were analyzed in order to verify the characteristic finding. The pathological diagnoses included medulloblastoma in 27, astrocytoma in 16, craniopharyngioma in 15, ependymoma in 9, meningioma in 7, AVM in 4, choroid plexus papilloma and epidermoid cyst in 2 each. One each had teratoma, ependymal cyst, cysticercosis, cavernous hemangioma and hemangioblastoma.

Computed tomography in the diagnosis of central nervous system lymphomas.

CT appearances of 13 patients diagnosed as having CNS lymphoma were reviewed. Eight patients were of primary type and 5 patients had secondary CNS involvement. In primary CNS lymphoma, the median age was 62.