A 53-year-old man presented with recurrence of a neurenteric cyst with malignant transformation in the foramen magnum 3.5 years after total resection of the original tumor had been reported. For 2 years following the initial surgery, the patient had been in good condition, but then underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for intracranial hypertension. At the time there was no evidence of recurrence of the tumor on magnetic resonance (MR) images. One and one-half years later, he presented with headache and anorexia. A massive recurrent tumor was identified on MR images. The tumor was severely adhesive to the brainstem, cranial nerves, and vessels, allowing only partial resection. Histological examination of tumor specimens obtained during the first and second craniotomies indicated a malignant change from a typical neurenteric cyst with a one-layer epithelium in the first specimen to an adenocarcinoma with papillary proliferation in the second. The results of various immunohistochemical studies of the first specimen were typical of those of a neurenteric cyst. The second specimen displayed stronger staining of carbohydrate 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigens than the initial specimen. The percentage of Ki-67 antigen (MIB-1)-positive cells increased from 0% in the first specimen to 6.7% in the second. To the authors' knowledge this is the first case in which malignant transformation has been demonstrated after total resection of a neurenteric cyst in the foramen magnum.

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A 33-year-old man presented with consciousness disturbance (Glasgow Coma Scale score 7) and right hemiplegia after suffering headache persisting for 10 days. Head computed tomography revealed an irregular intracerebral hematoma in the left temporoparietal region, associated with a tubular high density area compatible with a thrombosed transcerebral vein in the left temporal lobe. The patient was free of coagulopathy. Craniectomy was performed to remove the intracerebral hematoma and venous thrombosis was confirmed. Postoperative cerebral angiography demonstrated extensive venous malformation in the left parietal and occipital lobes. Multiple transcerebral draining veins converged in the vein of Galen associated with a varix. Segmental narrowing of the straight sinus was suggestive of congestion in the venous anomaly. The patient showed progressive recovery following surgery, and was discharged with moderate aphasia, mild right hemiparesis, and right homonymous hemianopsia 1 month later. Venous malformations are usually silent, but occasionally become symptomatic due to thrombosis of the draining vein. The presence of stenosis in the draining route may lead to venous congestion, thrombus formation, and catastrophic hemorrhagic venous infarct.

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Failed coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms may be occasionally followed by direct surgical treatment. We had 5 patients who underwent coil retrieval and surgical clipping after coil embolization because of periprocedural complications. The patients, ranging in age from 40 to 71, had wide-neck aneurysms located at the anterior communicating artery (AcomA) in 3 patients, the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in 1, and the internal carotid-ophthalmic artery (IC-Ophthalmic) in 1. They were embolized with Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs), which had to be retrieved within 8 days because of coil protrusion and migration in 3 patients, aneurysm rupture in 1, and increased mass effect due to coil compaction in 1. Coils were successfully removed with aneurysmotomy or arteriotomy under temporary trapping, aneurysms were then clipped or trapped. Three patients had a good outcome, but one suffered permanent visual disturbance and the other had a motor deficit. Our study revealed that a small AcomA aneurysm had a high risk of complication in a case of complex anatomy of the AcomA-A1-A2 complex with its difficult access. In addition, insufficient packing of the inflow zone in a large and symptomatic aneurysm may cause coil compaction and regrow with increasing mass effect. The indication and treatment strategy for these aneurysms should be carefully determined.