Associação de malformação vascular e gliomas: estudo de quatro casos Arteriovenous malformation-glioma association: study of four cases

Entre os pacientes operados no Hospital São Paulo e acompanhados pelo setor de neuro-oncologia no período de 1991 a 2000, avaliamos a apresentação clínica, aspectos de imagem e características histopatológicas de 4 pacientes (2 homens; idade entre 15 e 52 anos) cujo diagnóstico histológico foi malformação vascular associada a glioma. O quadro inicial foi cefaléia progressiva com características de hipertensão intracraniana (em 3) e crises parciais motoras (em 1). O diagnóstico tomográfico inicial foi processo expansivo, sem que houvesse suspeita de malformação vascular pelo aspecto da imagem em nenhum caso. O exame histológico mostrou neoplasias de linhagem astrocítica associadas a malformações vasculares. Em nenhum paciente o componente vascular esteve localizado na intimidade da neoplasia. A associação de malformação vascular e gliomas é rara e deve ser caracterizada por nítida separação entre a malformação e a neoplasia, independente da vascularização própria do tumor.<br>We reviewed the clinical presentation, imaging and histopathologic findings in 4 patients with the diagnosis of arteriovenous malformation associated with glioma that were operated on from 1991 to 2000 in our institution. Four patients (2 males; age between 15 and 52 years) presented with progressive headache with clinical evidence of intracranial hypertension (in 3) and partial seizures (in 1). CT scan showed a brain tumor without any detectable pathologic vessels. Histologic examination revealed astrocytic tumors associated with arteriovenous malformation. No patient presented the vascular component intermixed with the tumor. The arteriovenous-glioma association is rare and must be identified by a clear demarcation between the malformation and the tumor

Hypertension as a risk factor for glioma? Evidence from a population-based study of comorbidity in glioma patients.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the aetiology of glioma. Research is often hampered by the low incidence and high mortality of the disease. Concomitant diseases in glioma patients may indicate possible aetiological pathways. We therefore studied comorbidity in glioma patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a case-control study using population-based data from the Eindhoven Cancer Registry. We compared prevalences of concomitant diseases in 510 glioma patients with two reference cancer populations from the same registry. RESULTS: Compared with all other cancer patients, a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension was found in glioma patients for age categories 60-74 years [odds ratio (OR) 1.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.84] and 75+ years (OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.34-4.21). The association was most pronounced in elderly men and in astrocytic glioma, with a maximum in age category 75+ years (OR 5.86; 95% CI 2.20-15.7). The prevalence of cerebrovascular disease was higher in glioma patients >45 years old (OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.12-2.47), whereas the prevalence of other cancers was lower (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.48-0.87). No consistent associations were detected for several other concomitant diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest an association between hypertension and glioma, although questions remain about causality and the possible mechanisms. We hypothesise that this association is mediated through potentially neurocarcin