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Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to characterize vascular stroma in glioblastoma (GB), to analyze its immunomorphological features, and to seek a relationship between patients' age and characteristics of the tumor microcirculation. Subjects in the study were 38 patients with GB, divided into two groups according to their age: group I--14 patients aged under 49 (from 32 to 49), and group II--24 patients over 50 years of age (51-78). Main types of vessels were specified: microvessels with normal morphology (capillaries, arterioles/venules), telangiectases, haemangioma--like forms, and microvascular proliferation types--simple and glomeruloid. An immunohistochemical analysis of the vascular stroma was performed with monoclonal antibodies against vWf and CD31, ASM, and Collagen IV (DAKO) to visualize the vessel wall components. The immunomorphological analysis was carried out for particular types of vessels separately. The vWf and ASM expression ratios--percentage of immunopositive area on 10 representative tumor fields under 100 x HPF--were assessed using a computer image analyzer. The incidence of some vessel types was dependent on the patients' age: in group I vascular--rich areas were more numerous, while in group II glomeruloid proliferation was more frequent--20/24-83.3% vs 8/14-57.1%. Immunoreactivity of the examined antigens was not related to the patients' age. The endothelial markers positivity was found within cells directly around the vascular lumen, and the reaction with vWf was more pronounced than CD31 reactivity. The most intense reactions were noted in proliferative changes of both types and in capillaries. ASM reactivity was found in abluminal cells within all types of vessels, most abundant in glomeruloid proliferation. ASM positivity was present also in some capillaries. Collagen IV staining revealed various abnormalities in the vascular basement membrane structure. No significant intergroup differences were found in the vWf and ASM expression ratios. However, in both groups the ASM expression ratio was significantly higher than that of vWf expression (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Expression of the vascular wall antigens under study depends on the blood vessel type. The number of cells with smooth muscle phenotype is significantly higher than that of endothelial cells, especially within proliferative vascular changes. Microvascular changes intensity is higher in the older patient group.

The purpose of this study was an evaluation of the ability of the multiphase spiral CT and MR imaging to localise focal liver lesions referring to specific hepatic segments. The authors studied prospectively 26 focal liver lesions in 26 patients who had undergone spiral CT and MRI before surgery. Multiphase spiral CT included non-contrast scans, hepatic arterial-dominant phase, portal venous--dominant phase and equilibrium phase. MRI was performed in all cases. The following sequences were performed: SE and TSE T1- and T2-weighted images, STIR and dynamic T1-weighted FFE study after i.v. administration of gadolinium (Gd-DTPA). The CT and MR scans were prospectively and independently reviewed by three radiologists for visualisation of hepatic and portal veins and segmental localisation of hepatic lesions. The authors used the right and left main portal veins along with transverse fissura, hepatic veins and gallbladder fossa as landmarks for the tumour localisation to specific hepatic segments. The primary segmental locations of the lesions were correctly determined with CT in 22 of 26 focal liver lesions (85%) and with MR imaging in 24 of 26 lesions (92%). The full extent of lesions was correctly described with sCT in 19 of 26 focal lesions and with MR in 21 of 26 tumours. MRI and CT were helpful preoperative tools for determining the segmental location of focal liver lesions and for planning the surgical approach.

We present a case of a 60-year old woman with a history of stroke with suspected aneurysm of anterior communicating artery. Angiography of cerebral arteries excluded the presence of an aneurysm. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the presence of a tumour in the area of the sella turcica. The tumour was resected, totally, using fronto-orbital approach. Histopathological examination showed granular cell type. The patient was released from the hospital in good health without any neurological deficits and hormonal disorders. On the basis of our case and reports of other authors we can conclude that benign character, usually with well defined boundaries from surrounding tissue and poorly vascularised, makes it easy to remove and gives good surgical results for this type of tumours.

A 26-year-old man with primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET) is reported. The tumour originated from the cervical spinal cord and was resected partially. Few months later dissemination of the tumour to the meninges occurred. Familial history revealed that the first daughter of the patient had died in age of 14 months three years earlier of a tumour of the right cerebral hemisphere, also diagnosed as PNET.