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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Mixed glioneuronal neoplasms are relatively uncommon tumors in the central nervous system. Recently, an unusual glioneuronal tumor arising in adults marked histologically by neuropil-like islands was described. We present a similar case arising in a 23-year-old woman who presented with headaches and seizures and on imaging studies was noted to have a frontal-temporal lobe mass. The patient underwent partial resection of the tumor, which histologically resembled anaplastic astrocytoma, and received a course of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Increasing seizure frequency and expanding size on neuroimaging prompted a re-excision of the tumor. The second resection was marked by islands of tissue resembling gray matter with slightly atypical neuronal and glial cells situated in the white matter. These islands stained positively with synaptophysin and did not stain with glial fibrillary acid protein. Mild vascular proliferation and moderate nuclear pleomorphism also characterized the tumor. Areas of necrosis were not noted. A MIB-1 labeling index of 18.1% was noted. P53 immunoreactivity was observed in approximately 40% of tumor cell nuclei. This lesion is felt to represent a clinically aggressive glioneuronal neoplasm with an unusual and distinctive histologic phenotype. HUM PATHOL 31:1435-1438.
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PMID:Glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands. 1111 23

The burden imposed by disease recurrence in patients with high-grade gliomas is not well documented. We studied the frequency of self-report symptoms and the effects on health-related quality of life in patients who had recurrent glioblastoma multiforme or anaplastic astrocytoma and who had a Karnofsky performance score > or = 70. Patients completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 Items (QLQ-C30) and the Brain Cancer Module (BCM20) before initiation of treatment for first recurrence of disease. Six symptoms (fatigue, uncertainty about the future, motor difficulties, drowsiness, communication difficulties, and headache) were reported with a frequency > 50% by both groups of patients. An additional two symptoms (visual problems and pain) were also reported with frequencies of > 50% by patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. Most of the symptoms were likely due to recurrence, but previous radiation therapy and on-going corticosteroid treatment may have also been casual factors for fatigue, whereas uncertainty about the future and pain were probably nonspecific for brain cancer. Problems with motor functioning, vision, leg strength, and pain were reported more frequently by patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme than by those with recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma. Scores on health-related quality-of-life functioning scales were similar in the two groups. Finally, the scores for patients who had recurrent high-grade gliomas and a Karnofsky performance score > or = 70 were compared with the reported health-related quality of life scores of patients with other cancers. Their scores were similar to those of patients with metastatic cancers and worse than those of patients with localized cancers.
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PMID:Effect of disease burden on health-related quality of life in patients with malignant gliomas. 1126 31

(1) Temozolomide, a cytotoxic agent, was recently licensed in France for treating patients with anaplastic astrocytoma who are in relapse or progression after standard therapy. (2) The clinical dossier contains only one non comparative trial. (3) In this trial, 111 patients with anaplastic astrocytoma or oligoanaplastic astrocytoma had not all had the standard treatment with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy based on nitrosourea plus procarbazine. In the subgroup of 54 patients who met these criteria, median global survival on temozolomide was 16 months, or 31 months from the start of initial treatment, which was no better than survival before the introduction of temozolomide. (4) The adverse effects of temozolomide include gastrointestinal disorders (nausea, vomiting, constipation), headache, and haematological disorders.
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PMID:Temozolomide and anaplastic astrocytoma: new indication. No clear proof of efficacy. 1147 93

The occasional occurrence of dissemination and tumor-associated hemorrhage from glioblastoma is well known and widely reported in the literature. The authors present a case of cerebral glioblastoma with dissemination possibly caused by intratumoral hemorrhage. Computed tomographic (CT) scan revealed a small hemorrhagic lesion in the right frontal lobe and a sylvian fissure in a 62-year-old man who complained of sudden headache. Four months later, he again presented with neck pain followed by weakness and numbness in the extremities. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the cervical spine demonstrated multiple enhanced tumors. After transfer to our institution, a large cystic tumor with ring-like enhancement was found in the right frontal lobe. Progressive neurological deficits prompted an operation on the cervical tumors and a pathological diagnosis of anaplastic astrocytoma with a negative reaction for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was made. Intraoperative findings of the second operation for the cerebral tumor disclosed that the tumor extended outside the frontal lobe, growing substantially within the sylvian subarachnoid space and involving middle cerebral artery branches. The results of a pathological study were those consistent with glioblastoma having tumor cells with little positive reaction to GFAP staining. Craniospinal radiation was undertaken as a palliative treatment of the residual tumor. On MRI, multiple nodular dissemination in the lumbo-sacral region was diagnosed. Two months later, the patient suddenly lost consciousness and suffered eye deviation. A CT scan found a large tumor-associated hemorrhage in the right frontal lobe. Emergency evacuation of the hematoma with gross total removal of the residual tumor was performed. He temporarily returned to his preoperative neurological condition but died later due to the recurrent cervical tumor. Dissemination secondary to intratumoral hemorrhage in patients with glioblastoma has not been reported. This rare case shows that hemorrhagic glioblastoma is at risk for dissemination, especially when the hemorrhage occurs in or near the subarachnoid space and tumor cells have a less positive reaction for GFAP staining.
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PMID:[A case of glioblastoma associated with dissemination, secondary to intratumoral hemorrhage]. 1155 96

This phase II study in recurrent high-grade glioma evaluated the response rate, toxicities, and time to treatment failure of high-dose carboplatin modulated by a 24-h infusion of thymidine (75 g/m(2)). The trial was based on preclinical data and a prior phase I study ( J. Clin. Oncol. 17, 2922-2931, 1999); a phase II recurrent high-grade glioma study was initiated in July of 1998. Thymidine was given over 24 h; carboplatin was given over 20 min at hour 20 of the thymidine infusion. The starting dose of carboplatin had a value of 7 for the area under the curve (AUC), with allowance for dose escalation of 1 AUC unit per cycle if grade 2 toxicity was observed. Treatment cycles were repeated every 4 weeks. Accrual as of September 1999 was 45 patients [4 were unevaluable]: 76% with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), 20% with anaplastic oligodendroglioma, 2% with mixed type, and 2% with anaplastic astrocytoma. Most patients had prior chemotherapy (78%). As observed in the earlier phase I study (in which carboplatin pharmacokinetics were unaltered by thymidine or antiseizure medications), thymidine was myeloprotective, resulting in a minimal need for dose reduction for patients having a >2 grade toxicity (in only 4% of the courses of treatment). Of 101 total courses, the number of courses (at the AUCs) was 3 (5), 4 (6), 58 (7), 20 (8), 11 (9), and 5 (10). Grade 3 nonhematologic toxicities included headache (4%), altered consciousness (3%), fatigue (1%), and nausea (3%). Responses included 2 partial (1 oligodendroglioma, 1 GBM; 5%); 3 minor (1 anaplastic astrocytoma, 2 GBM; 7.3%); 6 stable disease (14.6%); and 30 progressive disease (73.2%). For GBM patients, median survival was 23 weeks (with a 95% confidence interval of 20 to 50 weeks), and progression-free survival was 8 weeks (with a 95% confidence interval of 7-16 weeks). These results in GBM were comparable to other phase II GBM trials and thus do not represent a therapeutic advance in the treatment of GBM. Taken collectively, however, results are consistent with continued investigation of thymidine in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for high-grade glioma and other malignant diseases. The significant myeloprotection afforded by thymidine may have particular relevance to polychemotherapeutic regimens.
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PMID:A phase II trial of thymidine and carboplatin for recurrent malignant glioma: a North American Brain Tumor Consortium Study. 1191 2

We report on two children with bilateral thalamic astrocytomas. The first patient developed psychomotor regression at the age of 20 months followed by rapidly progressive ataxia, intention tremor, slurred speech, and bouts of drowsiness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed swelling and high signal intensity in both thalami accompanied by supratentorial hydrocephalus. The second patient presented with progressive cerebellar ataxia, headache, and vomiting at the age of 11 years. MRI of the brain revealed symmetrical, hyperintense and sharply delineated swelling of both thalami. Additional lesions were seen in the cerebellum and the right temporal lobe. In both cases proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the lesions showed a striking decrease of the neuronal marker N-acetylaspartate, an increase of choline-containing compounds, and a minimal lactate peak. Stereotactic biopsies from the thalamus of the first patient and from a cerebellar lesion of the second patient finally revealed glial tumors, namely a diffuse astrocytoma of World Health Organization (WHO) grade II in the first patient and an anaplastic astrocytoma of WHO grade III in the second patient. We conclude that the clinical manifestations and MRI patterns of bilateral thalamic astrocytomas are very similar to those of encephalitis and neurometabolic disorders and should therefore be included in the differential diagnosis of these encephalopathies.
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PMID:Diagnostic difficulties in childhood bilateral thalamic astrocytomas. 1257 91

A 7-year-old boy presented with acute onset of left hemiparesis and headache, followed by disturbance of consciousness. Neuroimaging studies showed pontine hemorrhage. Surgery was performed to remove a massive hematoma. Histological examination of the wall revealed anaplastic astrocytoma. Postoperative radiation therapy and several types of chemotherapy were administered. However, the tumor recurred and he died 9 months after onset. Hemorrhagic onset of pontine glioma is rare and carries an extremely poor prognosis.
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PMID:Pontine malignant astrocytoma with hemorrhagic onset--case report. 1296 9

Cancer is the hyperactive state of cell growth in which the multiplication and division of cells occur abnormally. Malignant cancer to the brain frequently begins and ends with the loss of self or quality of life. Cancer of the central nervous system can be in the form of a primary or secondary brain tumor commonly known as metastatic cancer. Primary brain tumors can be benign or malignant on the basis of the cell type or location within the brain. Metastatic cancer has a primary source of origin, from which it has traveled to the brain by direct extension (tumors arising from the skull or vertebral column), or most commonly by hematogenous spread (through the blood supply, lymphatic system, or cerebral spinal fluid). As the cancer grows, the individual can experience headache, seizures, or focal neurologic deficits, all impinging on quality of life. This article addresses malignant central nervous system cancer including metastatic cancer and malignant gliomas (anaplastic astrocytoma, grade III, and glioblastoma multiforme, grade IV). Epidemiology, diagnostic workup, treatment, and outcome also are reviewed.
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PMID:Epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with metastatic cancer and high-grade gliomas of the central nervous system. 1527 34

In the last 11 years we operated on 20 patients (1.03% of all operated brain tumors) with lateral ventricular masses. Anamnesis lasted from 6 months in the case of epileptic seizures to 6 years when headache was the main symptom of disease only. Tumor was located in the anterior cornu and pars centralis in 15, in the trigonum of lateral ventricle in 2, and in the posterior cornu of the lateral ventricle in 3 cases. 13 tumors were large and in MRI the largest diameter was above 5 cm. Tumors located in the anterior cornu and pars centralis were removed using transcortical (10 cases) or transcallosal approaches (5 times). The tumor of the trigonum of ventricle was removed twice through superior parietal lobulus. Tumors of the posterior cornu were operated on via precuneus in order to save visual fields or through the occipital cortex. In 4 cases after removal of tumor the orifice in the frontal lobe was closed with fibrine glue. We totally removed tumors from lateral ventricles in 85% and subtotally in 15% of all cases. Histopathological examination revealed: astrocytoma anaplasticum in 5 cases, astrocytoma pilocyticum 4, oligodendroglioma 2, oligodendroglioma mixtum 1, papilloma plexus chorioidei 2, cystis epidermalis 2, subependymoma 1, ependymoma 1, pineocytoma 1 and haemangiona arterio-venosum 1. Two patients (10%) with diagnosis of anaplastic astrocytoma died after the operation as a result of ischemia and edema cerebri. During the follow-up examination, where the average time of observation was 3.7 years, 15 patients were found to be in a good condition (GR+MD), 1 patient was severely disabled (SD), 2 patients with anaplastic astrocytoma and pineocytoma died because of enlargement of the remnants of tumors left at first operation in spite of reoperation. Tumors of the lateral ventricle grow slowly and often achieve a large size before their clinical appearance. Most of tumors are accessible for a total or subtotal removal with acceptable morbidity and mortality rate after the operation. Long-term results depend on the size of resection and histopathological investigation.
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PMID:[Surgical treatment of intraventricular tumors]. 1535 29

Astroblastoma is one of the very unusual type of tumors, whose histogenesis has not been clarified. It occurs mainly among children or young adults. Astroblastoma is grossly well-demarcated, and shows histologically characteristic perivascular pseudorosettes with frequent vascular hyalinization. Perivascular pseudorosettes in astroblastoma have short and thick cytoplasmic processes and blunt-ended foot plates. A 15-yr-old girl presented with headache and diplopia for one and a half year. A well-demarcated mass, 9.7 cm in diameter, was found in the right frontal lobe in brain MRI, and it was a well-enhanced inhomogenous mass. Cystic changes of various sizes were observed inside the tumor mass as well as in the posterior part of the mass, but no peritumoral edema was found. Histologically, this mass belongs to a typical astroblastoma, and no sign of anaplastic astrocytoma, gemistocytic astrocytoma or glioblastoma was found in any part of the tumor. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed diffuse strong positivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein, S-100 protein, vimentin and neuron specific enolase, and focal positivity for epithelial membrane antigen and CAM 5.2, while showing negativity for synaptophysin, neurofilament protein, pan-cytokeratin and high molecular weight keratin.
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PMID:Astroblastoma: a case report. 1548 62


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