Using univariate analysis, the authors determined prognostic factors that were significantly associated with a favorable impact on survival including age younger than 60 years, radiation therapy (without evidence of a dose-response relationship), radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy, and chemotherapy consisting of anthracycline. Partial surgical resection was an unfavorable prognostic factor. Multivariate analysis was used to confirm the independent prognostic value of radiation therapy, age, chemotherapy consisting of anthracyclines or methotrexate, and partial surgical resection. This European survey provides a reasonable basis for the treatment of primary intracerebral lymphoma with the following sequence: stereotactic biopsy sampling, chemotherapy with a methotrexate- and anthracycline-based regimen, followed by cranial irradiation.

cally signi®cant when variations in the initial severity of injury were taken into account.The ®ndings in the present survey are compared with newly analysed information for three previous large series: the International Data Bank involving the UK, the Netherlands and the USA, the North American Traumatic Coma Data Bank, and data from four centres in the UK. The comparisons showed substantial similarities and also di¨erences that may re¯ect variations in policy for admission of the head injury to`neuro' units, and evolution in methods of assessment, investigation and management. The e¨ects of these differences on outcome requires further, rigorous prospective study.

In Europe there are great differences between centres in the frequency of CPP monitoring and ventilatory support applied to head-injured patients. ICP measurement disclosed a high rate of intracranial hypertension, which was not suspected in patients evaluated on a clinical basis alone. ICP monitoring was associated with a low rate of complications. Cases with severe neurological impairment, and with the worse outcome, were treated and monitored more intensively.

These findings for an unselected series of patients confirm previous reports of the adverse prognostic significance of tSAH. The data support the view that death among patients with tSAH is related to the severity of the initial mechanical damage, rather than to the effects of delayed vasospasm and secondary ischemic brain damage.

Large series of cauda equina tumors in adults are seldom reported. This French series retrospectively reviews 231 cases collected for the congress of the Societe Francaise de Neurochirurgie in 1996. The authors first analyze this series and then discuss the pertinent literature. Schwannoma was the most frequent benign tumor in this series, followed by ependymoma. Very few malignant tumors were recorded; these were usually malignant neurinomas nearly always in neurofibromatosis patients. Some other rare tumors were also recorded, including paragangliomas. This series confirms the importance of the pretherapeutic neurological status in functional prognosis. All schwannomas can be cured, while ependymomas and paragangliomas may recur after a very long delay. Surgery must be as complete as possible, since adjuvant therapies are proven to have little efficacy. This type of tumor requires very long follow-up. Prognosis is good for hemangioblastomas. Sphincter dysfunctions carries a poor prognosis and may appear after primary surgery, more often after treatment of recurrences.