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Four patient (3 males, 1 female) with meningioma treated by preoperative embolization using lipiodol since January 1997 were included in this study. Almost the same procedure was performed on them; superselective catheterization into feeders from the external carotid artery, slow infusion of lipiodol, and proximal occlusion with liquid coils. Duration between embolization and direct surgery varied (5–13 days). Three meningiomas resected 5 days after the embolization were successful but one resected after 13 days needed transfusion. Post operative complications were seen in two patients, one is lockjaw due to ischaemia of the temporal muscles, and the other is transient dilatation of perifocal oedema. The ischaemic effect and safety of lipiodol as embolic material are discussed.

Summary With the aid of flow cytometry (FCM), distribution of DNA content in 40 cases of brain tumour, primary culture cell, and secondary culture cell can be determined and chronological change after subculture is studied from the analysis of their cell cycle. In most primary cultures, proliferating index (PI) is likely to decrease, which suggests that environmental change might affect the growth activity. In comparison with that of the original sample, DNA-histogram of the secondary culture can be divided into the following 3 types: the type recovering to the original pattern (“adapting type”), in which astrocytoma, ependymoma, glioblastoma and medulloblastoma are included, 2) the type increasing more at G2 + M phase than the original (“proliferating type”), in which meningioma and some of glioblastoma are included, and 3) the type decreasing so far as to induce degeneration or death (“degenerating type”), in which pituitary adenoma and neurinoma are included. FCM is of great usefulness for the study of cell kinetics of a tumour cell undergoing culture and the present method will be available for the respective study of biological characteristics of the cultured cell, established cell line or sensitivity test for antineoplastic agents.

Cardiac calcinosis is a common complication of end stage renal disease. A newly observed risk of thromboembolism is reported in four patients with mobile cardiac calcinosis, treated with long term dialysis. Rapidly growing mobile calcification was confirmed by echocardiography. Each patient had an imbalance in serum calcium × inorganic phosphate (Ca × P product ≥ 50); this imbalance could not be treated due to the sudden death of the patient or the need for surgical resection to prevent recurrent cerebral thromboembolism. Histological examination revealed intracardiac calcinosis in three cases, and each case showed haemodialysis hypoparathyroidism (intact PTH < 160 pg/ml). Thromboembolism in such cases is rare, however it indicates a need for cautious echocardiographic monitoring in end stage renal disease in patients with an uncontrolled Ca × P product.