Background: Erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor play a major role in embryonic brain, are weakly expressed in normal postnatal/adult brain and up-regulated upon metabolic stress. EPO protects neurons from hypoxic/ ischemic injury. The objective of this trial is to study the safety and efficacy of recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) for treatment of ischemic stroke in man. Materials and Methods: The trial consisted of a safety part and an efficacy part. In the safety study, 13 patients received rhEPO intravenously (3.3 ϫ 10 4 IU/50 ml/30 min) once daily for the first 3 days after stroke. In the double-blind randomized proof-of-concept trial, 40 patients received either rhEPO or saline. Inclusion criteria were age Ͻ80 years, ischemic stroke within the middle cerebral artery territory confirmed by diffusion-weighted MRI, symptom onset Ͻ8 hr before drug administration, and deficits on stroke scales. The study endpoints were functional outcome at day 30 (Barthel Index, modified Rankin scale), NIH and Scandinavian stroke scales, evolution of

Single voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides a rapid non-invasive fingerprint of tissue chemistry. A case history is presented in which a B cell lymphoma with antecedent demyelinating lesions of the CNS was suspected by MRS and confirmed by neuropathological examination and immunoglobulin gene rearrangement. (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2001;70:259-262)

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We report a case of moyamoya disease (MMD) associated with arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The 30-year-old female patient presented with left-hemispheric transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) involving dysphasia and right-sided hemiparesis. CT-scan and lumbar puncture showed no evidence of intracranial haemorrhage. Cerebral angiography revealed typical moyamoya vessels and occlusion of multiple cerebral arteries with consecutive collateral blood supply. Moreover, a left-parietal AVM with a diameter of approximately 2 cm was detected. An extra-intracranial arterial bypass (EIAB) connecting the left superficial temporal artery (STA) with a cortical branch of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) was performed (STA-MCA anastomosis) and yielded subsequent resolution of the neurological deficit. Nine months post-operatively neurological deficits similar to those of the initial presentation recurred. Repeated angiography suggested comparatively increased AVM blood flow, and successful extirpation of the AVM gradually re-established almost full functional ability. However, deterioration of the neurological condition developed again. We herewith present the first European case of moyamoya disease associated with arteriovenous malformation and report the clinical course under an alternative neurosurgical treatment consisting of STA-MCA anastomosis and delayed extirpation of the AVM.

A 10-year-old girl presented with a cerebral malignant ectomesenchymoma (MEM), a very unusual tumour with undifferentiated mesenchymal as well as ectodermal elements. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) was performed during the diagnostic workup. The recurrent residual tumour mass was exactly visualized with SRS, and was negative after successful treatment of the patient. The potential application of SRS in initial staging, follow-up and therapy planning in MEM is discussed. This is the first application of SRS in MEM.