Complete remission of a diffuse pontine glioma.

A patient is described in whom a large diffuse glioma of the pons extending into the midbrain was diagnosed at the age of 2 years. Biopsy showed a fibrillary astrocytoma. After shunting of a hydrocephalus, the clinical symptoms abated without conventional therapy.

Analysis of p53 mutation and epidermal growth factor receptor amplification in recurrent gliomas with malignant progression.

Genomic alterations and expression of the p53 tumor suppressor gene and the epidermal factor receptor gene (EGFR) were investigated in 22 patients with primary World Health Organization (WHO) grade II gliomas that on recurrence had progressed to malignant gliomas of WHO grades III or IV. Mutations of the p53 gene (exons 5 to 8) were found in 12 of 22 primary tumors (10 of 13 astrocytomas, 1 of 7 oligodendrogliomas, 1 of 2 oligoastrocytomas). In each of these cases identical p53 mutations were present in the respective malignant recurrences.

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in oligodendroglial tumors.

A series of 13 oligodendrogliomas (WHO grade II) and 20 anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (WHO grade III) was studied for gene amplification and expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR). EGFR gene amplification was found in only one case of anaplastic oligodendroglioma, which additionally showed a deletion/rearrangement at the 5' end of the gene. Northern blot analysis, however, revealed increases of EGFR mRNA expression relative to non-neoplastic control brain in 6 of 13 oligodendrogliomas and 10 of 18 anaplastic oligodendrogliomas.

Primary glioblastoma multiforme of the oculomotor nerve. Case report.

Tumors of the oculomotor nerve are rare and most instances reported have been schwannomas. The authors present clinical, neuroradiological, and neuropathological findings in a 70-year-old woman with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) growing primarily in the proximal part of the left oculomotor nerve. The patient presented with a 1-month history of transient diplopia.

Mutation of the Von Hippel-Lindau tumour suppressor gene in capillary haemangioblastomas of the central nervous system.

A series of 20 capillary haemangioblastomas of the central nervous system was screened for mutations of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumour suppressor gene by single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and heteroduplex analysis. Aberrant polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were detected in ten tumours. DNA sequencing of these PCR products revealed that seven tumours had frameshift mutations due either to deletions of one or more base pairs (six cases) or to insertion of one base pair (one case).