Secondary tumours after prophylactic cranial irradiation

A 22 year old woman, who at the age of 6 years had prophylactic cranial irradiation for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, presented with both astrocytoma of the brain and breast carcinoma. The link between the two solid tumours and previous cranial irradiation is discussed.     

Double outlet left ventricle: Morphology, cineangiocardiographic diagnosis and surgical treatment

In double outlet left ventricle, both the pulmonary artery and the aorta arise from the morphologic left ventricle. This paper presents the anatomic and cineangiocardiographic features of five patients who had this condition proved at surgery or autopsy. The condition of the first patient was incorrectly diagnosed as transposition of the great arteries with pulmonary stenosis and ventricular septal defect; the anatomic features were correctly interpreted at operation in 1966 and appropriate repair was made, but the patient died postoperatively. The condition of the other four patients was correctly diagnosed. The second patient had Ebstein's malformation of the tricuspid valve and hypoplastic right ventricle in addition to double outlet left ventricle; her condition was not considered operable. Two patients, one with visceroatrial situs solitus, concordant d-loop and dextrocardia, were surgically treated with good long-term results. The fifth patient died 2 years postoperatively and is the first patient reported to have double outlet left ventricle with visceroatrial situs inversus, a discordant d-loop and levocardia.

The segmental approach to the classification and diagnosis of connection disorders is discussed and the radiologic criteria by which double outlet left ventricle may be diagnosed considered in detail. The importance of using the radiologic projection (usually left anterior oblique) that profiles the ventricular septum is emphasized because the diagnosis can be established only by delineating the relations of the origins of the great arteries to the ventricular septum. The surgical significance of other anatomic features, including the number, size and position of ventricular septal defects and conal malformations, is also discussed.     

Clinical audit in radiation oncology: Results from one centre

This study aims to determine workload statistics and to document patterns of fractionation in a single centre in two time periods separated by 4 years. Patient, tumour and treatment-related data were collected for courses of radiation treatment that were commenced within two 6-month periods in both 1988 and 1993. In both time periods, 45–49% of patients were treated with curative intent. Of these, one-third were irradiated definitively and two-thirds in an adjuvant setting. Most of the remainder were treated with palliative intent. A few were treated for non-neoplastic conditions. The re-treatment rate in 1993 was 13%. In both time periods, breast and lung tumours represented approximately 20% each of the total treatment courses. Skin, head and neck, gynaecological, urological and haematological primary tumours accounted for 5–10% each. Treatment intents differed markedly for different primary sites. For example, in 1993 65% of patients with breast primaries were treated curatively compared with 6% of patients with lung primaries. Treatment schedules for curative intent were similar in both time periods and for the majority of treatment sites. Median fraction numbers were 25 (excluding skin primaries), reflecting conventional daily fractionation. Treatment schedules for palliation showed greater variation and there was a trend towards shorter treatment courses in 1993. For palliative treatment of bone, brain and lung, from either primary or metastatic disease, treatment schedules with 10–15 fractions were used most frequently in 1988. In 1993, however, the majority of patients received 1–5 fractions. In 1993, the breakdown of techniques according to treatment intent showed that for treatment with curative intent, single, parallel opposed and more complex field arrangements were used in 27% (includes skin primaries), 12% and 61% of treatment courses, respectively, compared with 29%, 59% and 12%, respectively, for palliative treatment courses. In 1993, one-third of patients receiving radiation treatment lived in the local health area. Patients living in areas with rural postcodes were more likely to receive palliative irradiation and had a higher incidence of melanoma than patients living in areas with Sydney metropolitan postcodes. As approximately 50% of patients were treated with palliative intent, changes in the fractionation patterns used can alter significantly the utilization and availability of megavoltage equipment. However, any reduction in attendances caused by hypofractionation for palliation may be offset by the trend to use hyperfractionation for curative treatments. The data support the hypothesis of reduced availability and use of radiation therapy in patients with cancer from rural areas.     

Central neurocytoma occurring in the thalamus: CT and MRI findings

A case of central neurocytoma occurring in the thalamus, confirmed by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry, is reported. Computed tomography demonstrated a hypodense mass with an irregular margin arising from the right thalamus, extending into the lateral ventricle and crossing the midline. It contained areas of calcification and showed slight enhancement after contrast injection. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, the tumour was hypointense to the brain in T1-weighted images and was heterogeneously hyperintense to the brain in T2-weighted images.     

Endovascular Treatment of a Ruptured Dual Aperture Cavernous Aneurysm

The authors describe the diagnosis and endovascular management of a multiaperture, ruptured cavernous internal carotid artery aneurysm causing a carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) using both transarterial and transvenous techniques. Although uncommon, recognition of the imaging characteristics of such a lesion will aide in successful management and improve treatment outcome. To the authors' knowledge, CCF due to a ruptured cavernous aneurysm with multiple shunts has not been previously reported.     

Magnetic resonance imaging findings in a population-based cohort of children with cerebral palsy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and spectrum of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in a population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) who were born in the years 2000 and 2001 in Victoria, Australia. In 2000 and 2001, 221 children (126 males, 95 females; mean age 6y [SD 7mo], range 5–7y) with CP, excluding those with CP due to postneonatal causes (6% of all cases), were identified through the Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register. All medical records were systematically reviewed and all available brain imaging was comprehensively evaluated by a single senior MRI radiologist. MRI was available for 154 (70%) individuals and abnormalities were identified in 129 (84%). The study group comprised 88% with a spastic motor type CP; the distribution was hemiplegia in 33.5%, diplegia in 28.5%, and quadriplegia in 37.6% of children. Overall, pathological findings were most likely to be identified in children with spastic hemiplegia (92%) and spastic quadriplegia (84%). Abnormalities were less likely to be identified in non-spastic motor types (72%) and spastic diplegia (52%). The most common abnormalities identified on MRI were periventricular white matter injury (31%), focal ischaemic/haemorrhagic lesions (16%), diffuse encephalopathy (14%), and brain malformations (12%). Dual findings were seen in 3% of patients. This is the first study to document comprehensively the neuroimaging findings of all children identified with CP born over a consecutive 24-month period in a large geographical area.     

Case report 492

Presented at the 14th Annual Meeting, of the International Skeletal Society, Cannes 1987