Extradural motor cortex stimulation for advanced Parkinson disease. Report of two cases

Motor cortex stimulation is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used for pain control. The authors report their results treating two patients with typical Parkinson disease. Unilateral motor cortex stimulation proved to be beneficial bilaterally. Motor cortex stimulation may represent a cost-effective alternative to deep brain stimulation.     

Secondary penile tumors: report of two cases

Two cases of secondary penile tumor are reported. The first was a 69-year-old man with the complaint of continuous painful penile erection. He had been diagnosed to have left lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and was treated with chemotherapy as well as irradiation 10 months previously. He underwent amputation of penis and histopathologically diagnosed to have penile metastasis from the lung cancer. The second was a 60-year-old man who had been treated by Miles' operation due to rectal cancer, adenocarcinoma, 24 months previously. Autopsy demonstrated continuous invasion in a corpus cavernosum of rectal cancer which had locally recurred. We reviewed and discussed briefly 74 cases with secondary penile tumor collected from the Japanese literature.     

Resection of primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma: A report of two cases

We report herein the cases of two patients who underwent resection of a primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma. The first patient was a 58-year-old man found to have a mass-like shadow of about 5 cm in diameter in the right hilum by a routine chest X-ray. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a probable mediastinal tumor, and surgery was performed. Postoperative pathological examinations comfirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary hemangiopericytoma. The second patient was a 21-year-old woman found to have a mass-like shadow of about 2 cm in diameter in the left middle lung field. As a preoperative diagnosis could not be made, exploratory surgery was performed and the left S₆ segment was excised. A definitive diagnosis of pulmonary hemangiopericytoma was established postoperatively by pathological examination. Primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma is an extremely rare type of tumor, with only 36 cases having been reported in the Japanese literature to date, including out 2 cases. A discussion following the case reports examines the sex, age, initial manifestations, sites, and methods of surgery employed in these 36 cases.The abstract of this paper was presented at the 61st Meeting of the Kansai Chapter of the Japan Lung Cancer Association.     

Safe surgery of lesions near the motor cortex using intra-operative mapping techniques: a report on 50 patients

Summary In 50 patients lesions located in or adjacent to the motor strip were microsurgically removed with the help of intra-operative electrophysiological mapping of the sensorimotor cortex. Mapping consisted of cortical stimulation and/or recording of somatosensory evoked potentials. Depending on the patient's pre-operative neurological status, surprisingly good results could be achieved: The surgery resulted in increased permanent sensorimotor deficit in only 4% of cases and in improved neurological status in 30% of cases.It is concluded that surgical removal of centrally located lesions using a microsurgical technique and intra-operative mapping of the motor cortex is safe and permits extensive or radical resection of lesions, even those in the motor cortex itself.     

Motor cortex stimulation for post-stroke pain using neuronavigation and evoked potentials: report of 3 cases

Although motor cortex stimulation (MCS) has been accepted as an effective therapeutic option for central pain, the efficacy of MCS widely varies among previous reports. In this report, we describe our recent trial for successful MCS in 3 patients with central pain due to cerebral stroke. Medical treatments were transiently effective, but gradually became ineffective in all of the cases. During surgery, the appropriate cortical target was determined by using neuronavigation, somatosensory evoked potential (SEP), and motor evoked potential (MEP). A flat, four-plate electrode was positioned on the dura mater parallel to the motor cortex. After surgery, pain almost resolved in 2 of 3 patients and markedly improved in another. The pain relief depended on their motor function. These findings strongly suggest that both patient selection and intraoperative monitoring for targeting the motor cortex are quite important for successful MCS, although further studies were essential.     

Calcification of spinal cord tumors: report of two cases

Two cases of calcification of spinal cord tumors were detected by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The first; a 27-year-old male, with a very rare astrocytoma accompanied by calcification of the thoracic spinal cord, and the second; a 62-year-old female, with a rare calcified neurilemmoma in the upper cervical extradural space. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the fact that some spinal cord tumors occasionally contain areas of calcification, and review the literature on this subject.     

Radical resection for intrinsic midbrain pilocytic astrocytoma: report of two cases

Summary. Background. Intrinsic midbrain glioma has been one of the most challenging therapeutic tasks in neurosurgery due to its prognosis and risks associated with surgical procedures. It is known that the prognosis of pilocytic astrocytoma is relatively good if radical resection can be achieved without severe complications. In order to remove pilocytic astrocytoma within the midbrain radically, we used microsurgical techniques.Method. Two patients with intrinsic pilocytic astrocytomas located at the midbrain were operated on. The subtemporal approach was used with a point of entry on the lateral surface of the midbrain just behind the cerebral peduncle. Major vessels were preserved, followed by resection of the intrinsic tumor making the cleavage between tumour and midbrain.Findings. In both patients, intrinsic pilocytic astrocytoma was grossly totally removed with minimal permanent morbidity. They have been able to maintain independent activities in their daily lives without tumor recurrance.Conclusions. Surgical cure can be accomplished in some cases of midbrain pilocytic astrocytoma, even if the lesions are intrinsic to the midbrain. To remove the tumor totally without further neurological deficits, it is necessary to select a safe access or entrance point to the tumor, and to demarcate the gliotic plane between tumour and midbrain. A long-term follow up with a larger number of patients is needed to establish the significance of radical resection for intrinsic midbrain pilocytic astrocytoma.     

Laparoscopic resection of retroperitoneal tumors: report of two cases

Here we report two rare cases of retroperitoneal tumors which were found incidentally and resected laparoscopically. Case 1; A 43-year-old woman presented with general fatigue and revealed liver dysfunction. Although the initial diagnosis with computed tomography (CT) was left non-functioning adrenal tumor, it was proven as a retroperitoneal tumor adjacent to the left adrenal gland by laparoscopic examination. The tumor was resected laparoscopically and diagnosed histopathologically as a solitary retroperitoneal neurofibroma. Case 2; A 68-year-old man was being followed for a renal stone and a perirenal tumor was found by CT. It was resected laparoscopically and diagnosed as a mature retroperitoneal teratoma by histopathological examination. We conclude that laparoscopic resection is useful for the retroperitoneal tumors as well as for adrenal tumors.     

Mitral annular tumors: report of two cases in childhood

Primary tumors of the mitral valve are extremely rare especially in the pediatric age group; only a few cases have been reported previously. The clinical appearance of the tumor may mimic other pathological findings of heart structures or remain asymptomatic. We describe two different benign primary cardiac tumors, which were hemangioma and myxoma originating from the anterior annulus of the mitral valve and presenting with an unusual clinical course in two children. Both tumors were resected successfully with mitral valve conservation and there was no recurrence at 6-month and 1-year follow-ups.     

Resection of lung metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma after living donor liver transplantation: report of two cases

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation is associated with a poor prognosis; nonetheless, we report two cases of long-term survival after resection of pulmonary metastatic lesions following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The intervals between LDLT and pulmonary resection for the metastatic lesion were 24 months and 30 months, respectively. Regular checking of tumor markers and prompt workup for early detection may contribute to the resectability of such metastatic lesions. These cases suggest that resection of a solitary metastatic lesion in the lung from HCC after liver transplantation may be a feasible treatment for selected patients.     

累及多肝门的巨大肝肿瘤切除术(附22例报告)

目的 探讨累及多肝门的巨大肝肿瘤切除的安全性、可行性及手术方法。方法 总结1996年4月至2003年4月间我科收治的累及多肝门的巨大肝肿瘤22例，肿瘤平均直径12．9cm（8～23cm）。肿瘤同时累及第1和第3肝门者9例，同时侵及第2、3肝门者8例，累及1、2、3肝门者5例。肝肿瘤包括：原发性肝细胞癌14例，胆管细胞癌1例，肝血管瘤4例，肝母细胞瘤3例。癌灶有完整包膜12例（55．5％），无完整包膜10例（45．5Voo）。对肝肿瘤所施手术方法、并发症防治等进行分析。结果 全部病例均手术切除，无手术死亡，术中平均出血量1480ml（450～4200m1），12例施行第1肝门阻断，10例采用了肝门区域选择性血管阻断，手术时间平均195min。术后无严重并发症，均治愈出院。本组22例病人经1～8年随访，术后存活时间最长已达8年，1年生存率为90．9％（20／22）。结论 对于累及多肝门的巨大肝肿瘤，只要正确把握手术指征，熟练掌握切肝技术，手术切除是安全的、可行的最佳治疗手段。     

儿童肾上腺皮质肿瘤(附13例报告)

目的　提高对儿童肾上腺皮质肿瘤的认识。　方法　肾上腺皮质肿瘤患儿 13例。男8例 ,女 5例。年龄 2岁 6个月～ 16岁 ,平均 8岁。左侧 5例 ,右侧 8例。回顾性总结其临床特点及诊断治疗情况。　结果　皮质腺癌 6例 ,腺瘤 7例。 9例伴高血压 ,其中 2例出现高血压危象 ;11例表现为库兴综合征 ;10例合并性征异常。 13例均行手术治疗 ,7例腺瘤均完整摘除 ;6例皮质腺癌中 ,5例行肿瘤摘除但术中肿瘤破溃 ,1例行部分切除。手术并发肾静脉损伤 2例 ,下腔静脉、门静脉及肾静脉多发损伤伴出血性休克 1例 ,膈肌穿破 1例。 6例皮质腺癌患者中 ,4例术后 1年内死亡 ,2例术后 5个月复发并再次手术。　结论　儿童肾上腺皮质癌多伴雄激素分泌过多而出现性征异常 ,应与先天性肾上腺增生或性早熟鉴别。血管损伤为常见手术并发症。肾上腺皮质腺瘤手术疗效良好而腺癌预后不佳     

Resection followed by radiosurgery for advanced juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: report of two cases

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Experience with the management of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) by gamma knife radiosurgery is limited. We report control of the disease in two patients with advanced-stage JNA treated with primary resection followed by gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery of residual disease. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: An 18-year-old man presented with chronic sinusitis, worsening headaches, diplopia, and left-sided facial numbness. A second patient, a 19-year-old man, presented with recurrent epistaxis and nasal congestion. Magnetic resonance imaging findings and endoscopic evaluation in each patient were consistent with advanced-stage JNA. INTERVENTION: One patient underwent craniofacial resection with approximately 3.0 cm(3) of residual tumor in the region of the cavernous sinus. The other patient underwent preoperative embolization followed by a lateral rhinotomy for tumor resection with approximately 4.7 cm(3) of residual tumor in the right infratemporal fossa. In an attempt to limit radiation to surrounding normal brain, residual tumor in both patients was treated with gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery. Control of disease was documented by magnetic resonance imaging more than 24 months after treatment. CONCLUSION: Short-term control of late-stage JNA was achieved by use of a strategy of primary surgical resection followed by gamma knife radiosurgery of residual tumor in two patients. Establishing the effectiveness and safety of this strategy over conventional methods of managing advanced JNA will require future prospective studies.     

Granular cell tumors of the breast: A report of two cases

Granular cell tumors (GCT) are rare neoplasms, and only 173 cases of benign GCT of the breast have been documented. We report herein the cases of two patients with this tumor and discuss the methods of diagnosis and treatment. The first patient was a 60-year-old woman who presented with a firm ill-defined mass in her left breast. Mammography showed a dense shadow with spicula and skin thickness, and ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic mass with an irregular border. Radical mastectomy was performed under the wrong preoperative diagnosis of breast cancer. The second patient was a 31-year-old woman who presented with an elastic-hard mass in her left breast. Mammography showed a well-demarcated dense mass, and ultrasonography revealed a well-defined hypoechoic mass with a large depth-width ratio. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) showed a large number of histiocytic cells with abundant granular cytoplasm. An excisional biopsy was performed, and histological examination confirmed a diagnosis of GCT. GCT is benign, but often misdiagnosed as breast cancer both clinically and radiologically. Therefore, histological examination is essential for making a correct diagnosis, while FNAC is also useful. Local resection is still the treatment of choice, and surgeons should do their utmost to avoid performing needless radical mastectomy.     

Adenomatoid tumors of testis and epididymis: A report of two cases

Adenomatoid tumors are rare benign tumors of female and male genital tracts. In this paper, we reported an epididymal and a testicular adenomatoid tumor in two patients presented with enlarged intrascrotal mass. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Neurogenic tumors of the brachial plexus: report of two cases.

Two cases of solitary neurogenic tumors of the brachial plexus unassociated with von Recklinghausen's disease are presented. One patient had a malignant schwannoma. The lesion of the other patient was benign and was diagnosed pathologically as a plexiform neurofibroma. These uncommon neurogenic tumors of the brachial plexus unassociated with von Recklinghausen's disease pose diagnostic and surgical problems. The initial clinical presentation is usually that of a painless supraclavicular mass. At the time of surgical exploration, the exact site or nerve of origin cannot always be identified. If motor loss is caused by such a tumor of the brachial plexus, it usually indicates a malignant lesion and a poor prognosis. Although wide radical excision of a malignant neurogenic tumor is indicated surgically, one of our patients had an early malignant recurrence that necessitated immediate amputation.     

Hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy for splenic vascular tumors: report of two cases

We report 2 cases of splenic vascular tumors that were successfully treated by hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy. Two patients, a 41-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man, were admitted to our department for investigation of a splenic tumor. After ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, we suspected that the masses were hemangioma or inflammatory pseudotumor in the spleen. However, we preoperatively could not rule out the possibility of a malignant neoplasm because they each had previously undergone surgical treatment, one for cervical cancer of the uterus and the other for testicular seminoma. Hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy was safely performed for the diagnosis and treatment of the splenic tumors. A histologic diagnosis was venous hemangioma and littoral cell angioma, respectively. Hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy may be a good indication for splenic vascular tumors that are difficult to diagnose preoperatively whether they are malignant or benign.