In the last 9 years, infundibular dilatation (ID) has been sought in 260 aneurysm (An) cases and 398 carotid angiogram's (CAG) to reveal its incidence and morphology. Findings were as follows: The incidence was about double that so far published. Small ID, usually triangular in shape, tended to become round as it grew larger (P less than 0.01). Large ID favored young age (P less than 0.05). In internal carotid-posterior communicating aneurysm (IC-P com An) cases, a high incidence of ID was noted as compared to other An cases (P less than 0.05), and intermediate or large, round ID accounted for high ratios. Cases with a history of hypertension showed a high large ID ratio (P less than 0.05). Cases with well developed P com A had a high ratio of large, round ID (P less than 0.01). In cases with a large divergent angle of ICA and P com A, intermediate or large, round ID was found in high ratio (P less than 0.05). Aggressive follow-up or treatment was thought necessary in cases which possess the factors mentioned.

No abstract

Cadherins are Ca(2+)-dependent cell adhesion molecules that play an important role in tissue formation and morphogenesis in multicellular organisms. In recent years, there have been reports of cadherin involvement in tumor invasion and metastasis. Twenty-two surgical specimens and some cultured cells were studied by immunohistochemical staining. No significant difference was observed in the patients with anaplastic astrocytoma, whereas decreased expression of N-cadherin was detected at the time of recurrence in those with glioblastoma. In these groups, cerebrospinal fluid dissemination was found, and contralateral cerebral metastases and extracranial metastases were observed. We conclude that decreased N-cadherin expression at the immunohistochemically demonstrated time of recurrence correlates with tumor invasion and dissemination of cerebrospinal fluid.

Ganglion cell tumours are mostly seen in children and young people, but they are extremely rare, accounting for 0.1-0.5% of all brain tumours. It usually occurs in the floor of the third ventricle and the temporal lobe. Recently we have experienced a pineal gangliocytoma, probably the first ever seen in Japan and the fourth case in the world, and have succeeded in a total removal of it. The case concerns a 51-year-old man who suffered from intermittent blurred vision and headache of 3 years' duration. CT showed, together with severe hydrocephalus, positive contrast medium enhancement and a somewhat irregular but sharply circumscribed high density lesion suggestive of a meningioma. But the brain scintiscan revealed a badly and irregularly demarcated region of warm activity and having little change with time mainly in the pineal region, which was strongly suspicious of gliomas. Hence this scan was thought to be important in diagnosing this tumour. As an operative procedure, biparieto-occipital craniotomy was successfully performed in the "sea lion" position to remove the tumour totally. Pathological findings indicated a mixture of dispersion and concentration of giant cells possessing prominent nucleoli, abundant chromatin and a prominent nucleus or several nuclei of varying sizes and process-like cell bodies polygonal or irregular in shape. GFAP stain showing no glial fibres and the tumour was thought to be a gangliocytoma.

In this paper, we discuss the results of a systemic study of various materials so far used for wrapping, using the intracranial arteries of 43 mongrel dogs. The findings obtained are: Muscle, fascia and dura observed began to show necrotic and absorbable change within 1 to 2 months after operation, suggesting their unreliability. Bemsheet was superior in this study in adhesiveness to the vascular wall, highly contributory to constructing a firm reinforced wall by proliferating collagen fibres in the space of stereo-reticular structure of cotton fibre. No change occurred in the cotton fibre itself with the passage of time. Lyodura had a poor adhesiveness to the vascular wall with detectable gap; in addition, it showed necrosis and absorption in the bending site. Coating with Aron alpha A had a relatively poor adhesiveness to the vascular wall and seemed to crack and disappear with time.