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Positional vertebral artery occlusion(PVAO)is a mechanical occlusion of the extracranial vertebral artery(VA)due to physiological movement of the head and neck. However, only a few cases of mechanical VA compression due to routine flexion-extension of the neck have been reported. We present a unique case of PVAO due to neck extension with an occipital condylar spur. A 78-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for sudden onset of right hemiparesis and dysarthria. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)revealed bilateral occipital and cerebellar infarctions and vessel occlusion extending from the VA to the basilar artery. Mechanic thrombectomy resulted in partial recanalization. Computed tomography angiography(CTA)performed the next day showed spontaneously recanalized left VA with some wall irregularity. CTA in the neck-extended position revealed a severely compressed left VA in its V3 segment, which was attributed to the left occipital condylar spur with degenerative changes of the condyle-C1 facet. Cervical MRI also showed a pseudotumor from the lower clivus to the odontoid process that indicated mechanical stress on the occipitocervical ligaments. An occiput to C2 fusion was performed to stabilize and avoid dynamic vascular compression. Postoperative CTA revealed no evidence of restricted flow with flexion or extension movements of the neck. It should be noted that physiological head and neck movements accompanied by condylar degenerative changes could be a cause of vertebrobasilar insufficiency.

Objective: The surgical resection of craniovertebral junction(CVJ)meningioma is challenging because of the neighboring brainstem, lower cranial nerves, and vertebral artery(VA). Moreover, encasement of the VA by the tumor can raise the risk of complications and require cautious manipulation during surgery., Case: A 46-year-old woman presented with a one-year history of neck pain. She had temporal hemiplegia and numbness on her left side. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)showed a CVJ meningioma pushing the brainstem from the right vertebral side and encasing the right VA. Digital subtraction angiography(DSA)showed two feeding arteries arising from the right VA and a sunburst sign. The right VA was the dominant side but did not have the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery(PICA). The anterior spinal artery(ASA)was dominant in the left VA. We performed a balloon test occlusion(BTO)for 20 min and it did not cause any complications;therefore, we occluded the VA using endovascular coils. After 4 days, we removed the meningioma in the prone position, using a far-lateral approach and C1-laminectomy. The laterally located meningioma pushed the brainstem. After detaching the tumor from the dura, we cut the encased VA and the tumor was resected safely(Simpson grade II). Postoperatively, she developed temporal thermal hypoalgesia on the left side of her body. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a microinfarction in the medulla., Conclusion: If the VA test occlusion provides a clear result, pre-operative endovascular sacrifice of the VA encased by CVJ meningioma is a feasible treatment strategy.

Background: The spinal trigeminal nucleus is a cranial nerve which extends caudally from the medulla to the upper cervical segment of the spinal cord. An upper cervical lesion can cause pain or dysesthesia of the face sparing the central area, which is called onion-skin pattern., Case Presentation: We present a rare case of a 73-year-old man with cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament(OPLL)causing onion-skin pattern dysesthesia. No other brain lesion was detected by MRI. He had received adequate medication for six months, but his dysesthesia persisted. Cervical radiographic studies showed OPLL with slight instability at the C2-3 level and mild spinal cord compression at the C3 vertebral level. The lesion was considered solely responsible for the onion-skin pattern dysesthesia, and it resulted in posterior cervical decompression. Immediately after the surgery, his dysesthesia disappeared., Conclusion: The onion-skin pattern dysesthesia could have been caused by the C2-3 lesion.

Leptomeningeal metastasis is a rare entity and its diagnosis is often difficult. Moreover, evidence-based therapeutic strategies have not yet been established. A 52-year-old woman presented with high fever and was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis at first examination;although her fever was alleviated, she experienced motor weakness in both of her lower extremities. Ga scintigraphy highlighted the hot-spot areas of the disease in the cranial bone. She was then transferred to our department. Open biopsy of the skull showed metastasis of the cancer. Chest CT results indicated right breast cancer and Gd-DTPA imaging showed obvious enhancement of the pia mater around the conus medullaris and cauda equina. However, cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)cytological examination did not show the presence of any positive cells;consequently, mastectomy was performed in the thoracic surgical department. The severity of paraparesis and pain in her legs increased;however, repeat MRI 1 month later showed no evidence of any change. Therefore, we performed biopsy of the cauda equina and arachnoid lesions. The pathological diagnosis was metastasis of breast cancer with positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)immunological staining. The results of a repeat cytological examination of the CSF during the surgery were negative. Local radiotherapy(25 Gy/5 Fr)as a monotherapy was selected for the patient, because her family did not approve of the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The severity of both paraparesis and limb pain decreased immediately after the radiotherapy.

We report a case of longstanding asymptomatic direct carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) which caused fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A 91-year-old female with no history of previous head trauma and optic symptoms presented acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. Angiography revealed a left direct carotid-cavernous fistula draining only into the contralateral cavernous sinus with leptomeningeal venous reflux and small varix on the pontine bridging vein. The affected cavernous sinus was markedly dilated and there was no septum between the left cavernous sinus and the internal carotid artery. The patient underwent transvenous coil embolization for intercavernous sinus and leptomeningeal venous reflux was successfully obliterated and opacification of the varix was diminished. The past history of this patient and angiographical findings strongly suggest long standing asymptomatic CCF caused SAH.

It is generally known that meningioma has histological pleomorphism and ossification is one of them. In the cases of spinal meningioma, osteoblastic type is rare. We encountered two different types of ossified spinal meningioma. Two cases of ossified spinal meningioma are reported in this paper. One case is that of a 45-year-old male who had a sudden transient tetraparesis with a tumor located in the upper cervical spinal column. The tetraparesis was caused by the patient's head having been hit. Another case is a 74-year-old female, who had progressive paraparesis and hypesthesia in her lower extremities, with a tumor located in the 9th thoracic spinal column. The MRI findings in these cases suggested that an ossified area was included in the tumor. We performed surgical therapy in both cases, and an operative finding was that these tumors had a very hard component. Histopathological diagnosis in both cases was meningioma. The former included isolated matured bone tissue with fat marrow mixed with the tumor tissue, and the latter included scattered matured lamellar bone tissue. These tumors are considered to be osteoblastic in type.

The surgical results in 37 patients with cervical myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine were described. This series consisted of 32 patients who underwent anterior decompression with anterior cervical fusion using bone grafts obtained from cervical vertebral bodies, and 5 patients who underwent expansive laminoplasty or laminectomy as a method of posterior decompression. 6 out of 32 patients with anterior cervical fusion were operated on at one level, 18 at two levels and 8 at three levels. The patients were out of bed within two days and treated using a soft collar for 3 months. In all patients, the symptoms improved postoperatively. Postoperative X-ray films showed solid bone fusion in all patients with anterior cervical fusion at a mean follow up time of one year and nine months (range 6 months to 3 years 6 months). Anterior angulation was found in one (3%) out of 32 patients who underwent anterior cervical fusion. Concerning the method of operation, the authors think that anterior decompression is to be recommended for cases with ossification within three consecutive vertebrae and posterior decompression should be applied to cases in which anterior decompression is very difficult. If necessary, a two-stage combined decompression is recommended.

Encapsulated intracerebral hematomas mimicking a brain tumor have been reported as a rare occurrence. An additional case with a characteristic feature found on computed tomography (CT), and a clinical course is described. CT scans revealed a high density mass with peripheral low density in the brain. A hematoma was successfully removed and found to have a thick and multilobular fibrous capsule associated with cavernous hemangioma. Repeated hemorrhage due to vascular malformation was considered to have contributed to the formation of the capsule. Increasing awareness of the possibility of an encapsulated intracerebral hematoma as a clinical and pathological entity, would enable us to make a correct diagnosis and to select proper treatment. A thorough survey of occult vascular malformation is necessary in surgery.

The authors reported 3 cases of dural arterio-venous malformation (AVM) in the posterior fossa and discussed mainly on surgical treatment. Case 1: 53-year-old man was admitted to our clinic with complaints of amnesia, visual impairment, dysarthria and gait disturbance. Neurological examination on admission disclosed slight disturbance of consciousness, bilateral papilledema, horizontal nystagmus, dysarthria and ataxic gait. Contrast CT showed a presence of vermiform irregular high density with enlarged ventricle, indicating phlebectasia in the brainstem and the cerebellum. Angiograms revealed a presence of dural AVM at the straight sinus fed by branches of external carotid artery and vertebrobasilar circulation with appearance of phlebectasia due to increase in straight sinus pressure on later phase. Dural sinus isolation for the affected sinus was performed under large occipital craniotomy which was initially reported by Hugosson and Bergström. Case 2: 55-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with complaint of gait disturbance. Neurological examination at the time of admission disclosed signs of raised intracranial pressure and caudal cranial nerves disturbance. Bruit synchronized with radial pulse was audible over the left occipital region. Angiograms showed a presence of dural AVM at the left transverse and sigmoid sinus with many feeding arteries and abnormal venous returns. Isolation of the involved sinuses was performed as same as in case 1. Case 3: 39-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic with complaints of protrusion of eyes and uncomfortable machinery noise over the right retromastoid region.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A 7-year-old boy was admitted to Hokkaido University Hospital complaining of headache and vomiting. On admission he was slightly confused and presented Parinaud's sign. CT scan revealed abnormal high density mass with contrast enhancement effect at the pineal region and obstructive hydrocephalus. Laboratory studies showed the normal value of human chorionic gonadotropin and no trace of alpha-fetoprotein. Germinoma was most suspected based on the findings of CT scan and laboratory studies. The radiation therapy was carried out for a month and CT scan taken after the radiation therapy revealed marked reduction of the size of the tumor at the pineal region, and he was discharged. But he was re-admitted 3 months after the discharge complaining of headache and vomitting again. CT scan showed the recurrence of the tumor and laboratory studies showed abnormal high value of A.F.P. After the ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, the sub-occipital craniectomy was performed by the Stein's approach, and the tumor was removed. Pathologically the tumor was a typical yolk sac tumor. This case is a very interesting case because it suggests an alternation of the element of the germ cell tumor by the radiation therapy. At first admission, germinoma was the main element of the tumor judging from the effectiveness of the radiation therapy and laboratory studies. But the main element of the tumor seemed to have changed to yolk sac tumor after the radiation therapy. The relation between the tumor markers and the types of the germ cell tumor and histopathological characters of the intracranial germ cell tumor were discussed.

We reported two cases of germinoma originating in the basal ganglia among the 50 cases of intracranial germinoma which were experienced at the Department of Neurosurgery, Hokkaido University Hospital. (Case 1) A 8-year-old boy was admitted to our hospital in October 1977, because of precocious puberty and left hemiparesis. Plain CT showed an irregularly-defined high density lesion in the right basal ganglia, which had several low density spots and was moderately enhanced on contrast CT. Endocrinological examination by radioimmunoassay revealed abnormally high level of serum luteinizing hormone and scanty level of serum follicle stimulating hormone. Beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) showed 46.4 ng/ml. Following radiation, the lesion on CT disappeared and beta-subunit turned to be in the normal range. It was concluded that the precocious puberty was due to hypersecretion of HCG by the tumor. About 2 years after the first admission, the tumors were disseminated to the spinal cord, followed several months later by the intracranial recurrence. The neurosurgical exploration was performed to both intracranial and spinal tumor lesions, which were proved to be germinoma by histological examination. Postoperative course was uneventful without recurrent signs. (Case 2) A 10-year-old boy was admitted to our hospital with 6-month history of right hemiparesis in February, 1979. CT at the first admission disclosed a slight high density lesion in the left basal ganglia, which had low density area suggesting cyst formation and was moderately enhanced on contrast CT. CT after one year showed multiple cysts in the tumor and displacement of neighboring structures. In February, 1980, a piece of the tumor was removed under bifrontal craniotomy and histologically diagnosed to be germinoma. Following radiation, the tumor disappeared on CT and his clinical features improved. In August, 1981, no recurrent signs were noted. From our 2 cases and review of the literature, it can be concluded that germinoma originating in the basal ganglia is rare and have high radiosensitivity as well as germinoma arising in the other sites, and common symptoms and signs are hemiparesis in all cases, not accompanied by intracranial hypertension in the early stage.

There have been only a few reports of asymptomatic aneurysm clinically treated up to the present. The authors incidentally found eight cases of intracranial aneurysm: five cases with brain tumor, one with brain abscess and the remaining three with head injury. It may be considered that the careful observation of angiograms could reveal more asymptomatic aneurysms. The ideal treatment of aneurysm should be direct operation before rupture. But it is difficult to find out them before the onset of signs and symptoms of subarachnoid hemorrhage or cranial nerve involvement. The only chance of finding asymptomatic aneurysm is brought about by paying special attention to aneurysm even in angiography for other intracranial diseases such as tumors, head injuries, vascular diseases and so on. It was thus concluded that incidentally-discovered aneurysm should be directly treated if the prognosis of the original disease is thought to be good. The authors operated on four aneurysms of three patients and operative result was excellent.