Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Brain tumors are, after leukemias, the most frequent fatal neoplasms of infancy. The clinical features and symptoms are often markedly different from those observed in the adult forms, according to the peculiar anatomy and behaviour of the child. Persistent headache, vomiting, astenia , behavioral alterations may be the precocious findings. Later, some more specific and suggestive signs such as strabismus, dyplopia , fast head size increase, funduscopic alterations, ataxia, paresis and nystagmus may be observed. On their appearance a prompt diagnostic work-up should be performed. The tumors of the posterior fossa (cerebellar astrocytoma and medulloblastoma, brainstem glyoma , hependimoma in decreasing order of frequency) generally cause precocious symptoms because of the small dimension of the subtentorial space; the presence in this region of several fundamental nuclei and pathways may explain how also small tumors may cause severe deficits. Supratentorial tumors (astrocytoma, malignant glyoma , hependimoma , craniofaringioma ) often show a more prolonged latency and may begin with signs of endocranial hypertension, seizures, or sometimes with hormonal troubles according to the involved anatomic structures. Hypothalamic astrocytoma is responsible of an extreme weight loss as far as to a cachetic status, due to the hyperincretion of GH. Finally, plexus papilloma, dermoid, optic nerve glyoma , oligodendroglyoma , germinoma, teratoma are responsible of a small number of child brain tumors, with different localization and symptomatology.
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PMID:[Clinical course of brain tumors in childhood]. 673 95

A case of teratoma in the pineal region which recurred 4 years after the first tumor removal was reported in this paper. When the patient was 5 years old, she, complained of headache and vomiting, and visited our hospital. As a heterogeneous mass with no enhancement effect was found in the pineal region by CT scan, she was admitted on November 9, 1976. There was no abnormalities on physical examination but neurological examination revealed slight disturbance of conjugate upward gaze (Parinaud's sign). Left vertebral angiogram demonstrated posterior superior displacement of posterior choroidal artery and downward displacement of Rosenthal vein, but early venous filling and tumor stain were not seen. Under preoperative diagnosis of a teratoma in the pineal region, the first operation (left occipital craniotomy and total removal of the tumor) was performed on November 24, 1975. Microscopic examinations revealed that the removed tumor was a mature teratoma in the pineal region. Postoperative course was uneventful and discharged on December 20, 1975. The follow-up study was continued at outside clinic after discharge. There was no signs of recurrence until 3 years after the first operation, but on January, 1981 (4 years after the first operation), she suffered from severe headache and vomiting again and re-admitted to our hospital on February 3, 1981. There was no remarkable neurological deficits except for the mild intracranial hypertensive sign and no changes of findings on angiogram. But CT findings were markedly characteristic. It revealed a heterogenous mass with remarkable enhancement effect in the pineal region and ventricular enlargement. Because a mixed type (teratomatous and germinomatous) of pineal tumors was suspected from the CT findings, irradiation was done after V-P shunt. The tumor was reduced to half size after the first course of 2000 rads irradiation, but there is no more reduction of the size of the tumor following the second course of 2000 rads (total 4000 rads) irradiation. Against the residual tumor, tumor removal was performed on June 2, 1981. Microscopically, the most part of the resected tumor showed fibrous changes caused by irradiation and partially teratomatous compartment. From this result (radiosensitivity and histology) the authors assumed that the recurred tumor could be a mixed type (germinoma and teratoma) of pineal tumor. Postoperative course was uneventful except for a transient disturbance of conjugate upward gaze and she was discharged on June 25, 1981. And now, there is no signs of recurrence 12 months after the second operation. Conclusively, it will be stressed that we should continue follow-up study the case even after total removal of teratoma, especially in the pineal region. Moreover, it was considered that there is a possibility of the changes of the histological features on recurrence of the pineal teratoma. When germinomatous compartment is suspected, irradiation is the first choice and then microsurgical operation should be done against residual tumor.
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PMID:[Problems on recurrence after removal of teratoma in pineal region--an experience of recurrence of pineal teratoma 4 years after tumor removal]. 715 42

We present a rare case of thalamic germinoma with crossed aphasia in a dextral. A patient, 17-year-old righat-handed male, was admitted to Nippon Medical School Hospital with chief complaints of headache, abnormality of visual field and speech disturbance. There were pigmentations on the back of hand, foot and the perineum. Neurological examination revealed left homonymous hemianopsia, right slight degree of ptosis, left facial palsy, a mild paresis of the left upper extremity and motor aphasia. Right carotid angiography showed marked unrolling and midline shift of right anterior cerebral artery. CT scan revealed ring-like high density area in the right thalamic region, which was enhanced after constant infusion. Brain scintigraphy also showed an abnormal accumulation at the same site. The hen-egg sized tumor of 40 g. weight was almost totally removed by the right fronto-parietal craniotomy. The tumor was characterized histologically by the so-called two cell pattern with teratomatous components. As postoperative treatment local injection of adriamycine, irradiation and immunotherapy with picibanil were performed, and then left hemiparesis was markedly improved without sign of recurrence. Language evaluation was performed after operation. There were dysarthria, remarkable word amnesia, paraphasia and perseveration. Repetition was also impaired. His speech function was concluded to be a mixed type aphasia mainly composed of Broca's aphasia. The speech function of thalamus and crossed aphasia with dextrales were discussed.
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PMID:[A case of thalamic germinoma with crossed aphasia in a dextral (author's transl)]. 743 99

Cases of embryonal carcinoma arising in the basal ganglia are rarely reported. According to the literature available, only 5 cases of embryonal carcinoma, arising from the basal ganglia, have been reported to date. This paper reports one such case we recently encountered. The patient was a 15-year-old boy. He was first admitted to another hospital because of occasional headache and vomiting. During the hospital stay, CT scans revealed abnormalities. For this reason, the patient was referred to our critical care center. Upon admission to our center, a physical examination revealed no abnormalities, but neurological examination disclosed left hemiparesis. CT scans revealed a large mass lesion of a low to high density in the right basal ganglia, accompanied by midline shift and ventricular dilatation. Elevation of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was observed. The tumor with multiple cysts was removed totally by craniotomy. The removed tissue was rated histopathologically as mixed-type germ cell tumor composed of germinoma and embryonal carcinoma. The removed tumor cells were found immunohistologically to contain HCG and AFP. Postoperative CT scans showed complete disappearance of the tumor. Taking into account a recent report that a combined cisplatin and etoposide therapy (PE chemotherapy) was effective in treating intracranial germ cell tumors, we used this chemotherapy for postoperative management of this patient. The patient underwent 3 cycles of PE chemotherapy during the 3 months after surgery. The elevated HCG and AFP levels in serum and CSF returned to their normal range within 2 months after surgery. CT and tumor markers revealed no signs of recurrence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Cisplatin-etoposide chemotherapy of an embryonal carcinoma arising in the basal ganglia of the cerebrum: a case report]. 807 94

Intracranial mixed germ-cell tumors are rare. We describe the findings from six autopsies of patients with these tumors. The patients were all young at presentation (mean age, 16 years), and five of the six were male. Headache, vomiting, polyuria and diplopia were common symptoms. Radiographic evaluation demonstrated a mass on the midline of the brain. The patients were treated mainly with radiation, but survival (mean, 3.7 years) was not as long as predicted. At autopsy, the tumors occupied most of the ventricular spaces, and ranged from being well-circumscribed to invasive. All tumors contained both germinoma components and nongerminomatous germ-cell tumor components. Because the distribution of these components was not homogenous, at least two sections were necessary for the diagnosis. Immunoreactivity for placental alkaline phosphatase was found in all tumors. Immunostaining for human chorional gonadotropin, alpha-fetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen was usually associated with abnormally high serum levels of these tumors markers in life. A number of the cells in both kinds of tumor components expressed proliferating cell nuclear antigen, probably reflecting the intense malignant potential.
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PMID:Mixed germ-cell tumor of the brain. Pathologic study of six autopsy cases. 885 48

Between July 1992 and August 1995, 11 patients with pineal region tumors (PRTs) were treated at our center. Ages ranged from 8 to 72 years (median 21). Diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination in 7 patients. The remaining cases had strong neuroradiological and marker evidence of the diagnosis, so that a stereotactic biopsy could be avoided. The pathological diagnoses were pinealocytoma (n = 1), tectal astrocytoma (n = 1), germinoma (n = 2), pinealoblastoma (n = 2), and meningioma (n = 3). The marginal dose of these tumors ranged from 12 to 18-20 Gy. Conventional external radiotherapy was never used in this series. With a median follow-up of 12.3 months (range 2-34), all tumors responded to treatment and disappeared or ceased growing. We observed no mortality or major morbidity. One patient (tectal astrocytoma) had a mild radiation-induced reaction, with headache and transient worsening of an abducent nerve palsy, which were controlled with steroids. In germinomas and pinealoblastomas, recovery of normal cerebrospinal fluid circulation was observed in less than 7 days, in parallel with major tumor shrinkage. In this study we confirm that radiosurgery can be an effective and safe alternative for the treatment of pinealocytomas and low-grade tectal gliomas. Moreover, we consider that the characteristics of the radiosurgery technique suggest the method should be evaluated for the treatment of malignant PRTs.
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PMID:Pineal region tumors: the role of stereotactic radiosurgery. 903 58

A 15-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with diabetes insipidus, headache and bitemporal hemianopia and a computed tomogram (CT) revealed an intra- and suprasellar tumor. Differential diagnosis between large intra- and suprasellar germinoma and pituitary adenomas is quite difficult based on CT. After comparing our case with past literature of reported cases of intrasellar and suprasellar germinoma, we found that an enhanced mass posterior to the pituitary gland on the midsagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and absence of the high signal intensity of the posterior lobe on T1-weighted MRI in patients with diabetes insipidus indicated germinoma rather than a pituitary adenoma. Transphenoid approach and appropriate radiotherapeutic management were administered with a good result.
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PMID:Intrasellar and suprasellar germinoma. 926 Apr 68

It is well known that Down's syndrome is sometimes associated with leukemia. However, there have been only a few case reports of a relationship between Down's syndrome and brain tumors. We report 2 cases with histological diagnoses of germinoma. The 1st case was a 10-year-old boy with Down's syndrome complaining of seizure and left hemiparesis. Computed tomographic (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass lesion in the right basal ganglia and thalamus. Histological examination indicated two cell pattern germinomas. The 2nd case was a 20-year-old man with Down's syndrome complaining of headache and vomiting. CT scan and MRI showed a pineal region tumor with marked hydrocephalus. Surgical specimens showed typical germinoma. Only 13 cases of brain tumors associated with Down's syndrome have been reported. A higher incidence of germ cell tumors seems to be related to chromosomal abnormalities.
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PMID:Intracranial germinoma associated with Down's syndrome. Report of 2 cases. 987 49

Primary germinoma of the central nervous system carries a good prognosis because of their radiosensitivity. Recurrence is rare and extraneural metastases are even more unusual. We report a unique case of a primary intracranial germinoma exhibiting complete response to radiotherapy, but recurring as an intra-abdominal yolk sac tumor. The presence of a VP shunt is thought to have facilitated metastatic spread of the intracranial neoplasm. An 21-year-old (corrected) male was admitted with headache and consciousness disturbance. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an enhanced tumor of the pineal region and hydrocephalus. A ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was emplaced immediately. No serum tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein or human chorionic gonadotropin were detectable. A test dose of radiotherapy (whole brain 20Gy) was given. The tumor size was remarkably decreased. Clinical diagnosis was germinoma. Additional whole brain radiation (total 45Gy) and whole spine radiation (20Gy) were given. The tumor and the hydrocephalus regressed completely and the patient returned to school. Three years later, he experienced a feeling of abdominal fullness. CT and echotomography of the abdomen showed a large peritoneal and intra-hepatic tumor. But MRI revealed no recurrent tumor of the pineal lesion or of the other areas in the central nervous system. Radiological and clinical findings showed no tumors in the testis, the retroperitoneal cavity, or the thymus. Laboratory investigation demonstrated elevated serum AFP (26,550 ng/ml). AFP level regressed after combined chemotherapy. However, the patient died due to pneumonia and multiple organ failure. Only needle necropsy was performed. The microscopic appearance of the peritoneal tumor was confirmed to be an endodermal sinus tumor. It was suspected to be a metastasis of the pineal tumor through the V-P shunt system.
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PMID:[Extraneural metastasis of pineal germinoma through a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, following histological change]. 1019 Jan 63

A 19-year-old male presented with progressive loss of vision and diabetes insipidus due to an intra- and suprasellar tumor. Transsphenoidal exploration revealed a pure germinoma. Seven days after the operation, bleeding from the residual tumor caused headache and right occulomotor palsy. The residual tumor and hematoma were removed using pterional approach. The residual tumor disappeared after postoperative irradiation. After 5 months of radiation, multiple lesions due to dissemination of the germinoma were discovered in the suprasellar region. Adjuvant chemotherapy and whole supratentorial irradiation were performed. All lesions regressed completely. Mid-sagittal magnetic resonance image was useful in our patient for differential diagnosis between intrasellar germinoma and pituitary adenoma. Before initiating an operation for intrasellar germinoma, awareness is needed for the fact of postoperative bleeding. We notice that transsphenoidal surgery should be selected for treatment of postoperative bleeding from intrasellar germinoma.
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PMID:[A case of intrasellar pure germinoma]. 1072 27


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