Of the 21 patients with aspergillosis of central nervous system seen during the years 1990-1997, 16 (76%) had aspergillosis of sino-cranial origin. The occupation in patients with sino-cranial aspergillosis was either agricultural or manual work and predisposing risk factors were present in only two (12.5%) patients. Skull-base syndromes were the presenting features in 13 patients and three patients presented with features of intracranial space-occupying lesion. Paranasal sinus mass lesions were seen in all the 16 patients. Computerized tomography showed intracranial extradural-enhancing mass lesions in the anterior, middle or posterior cranial fossa in nine (68%) patients, intracranial and orbital lesions in four and orbital lesions in three. Well-formed granuloma with dense fibrosis was the histological feature. Survival rates were not good even after surgical and antifungal chemotherapy. Surgical treatment was subradical in our series. The majority of cases of sinocranial aspergillosis are reported from countries with temperate climates and the high incidence in these regions is probably related to constant exposure to the high spore content of pathogenic Aspergillus species in the 'mouldy' work environment.

Primary tumors of spine are rare accounting for less than 5% of new bone tumors diagnosed every year. These tumors may exhibit characteristic imaging features that can help in early diagnosis and improved prognosis. Plasmacytoma/multiple myeloma and lymphoproliferative tumors are the most common malignant primary spinal tumors. Hemangioma is the most common benign tumor of the spine. Computed tomography is useful to assess tumor matrix and osseous change. Magnetic resonance is useful to study associated soft tissue extension, marrow infiltration, and intraspinal extension. Confusing one tumor with the other based on only imaging findings is not uncommon. However, radiologic manifestations of these tumors need to be correlated with the age, sex, location, and presentation to arrive at a close clinical diagnosis.

The imaging features of 42 histopathologically confirmed cases of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST) were analyzed, to observe the pattern of metastasis. At presentation 22 of 42 patients (52.3%) showed metastasis. During follow-up, three more cases developed metastasis, within one year of resection. Mesentery, omentum, and liver were the most frequent sites for metastasis. Other sites that were rarely reported to be involved were increasingly recognized to show metastasis due to longer survival. The metastasis often showed attenuation and enhancement characteristics, similar to primary GIST, and frequently showed necrosis, hemorrhage, and calcification.

The uncommon observations included incidence in children <5 years (8%) and occurrence in craniofacial bones, spine, scapula, and clavicles and in extraosseous sites such as retroperitoneum, adrenals, or extremity. Uncommon findings included epiphyseal involvement, sclerosis, saucerization, calcification in soft tissue component, and pathological fracture and lesion crossing the joint.

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