• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2000

Purpose : To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerance of postoperative e지ernai beam radiotherapy for patients with low grade glioma of the brain and define the optimal radiotherapeutic regimen. Materials and Methods : Between June, 1985 and May, 1998, 72 patients with low grade gliomas were treated with postoperative radiotherapy immediately following surgery. Median age was 37 years with range of 11 to 76 years. Forty one patients were male and 31 patients were female with male to female ratio of 1.3:1. Of those patients, 15 underwent biopsy alone and remaining 57 did subtotal resection. The distribution of the patients according to histologic type was as follows: astrocytomas-42 patients (58$\%$), mixed oligodendrogliomas-19 patients (27$\%$), oiigodendrogliomas-11 patients (15$\%$). Two patients were treated with whole brain irradiation followed by cone down boost and remaining 70 patients were treated with localized field with appropriate margin. Ail of the patients were treated with conventional once a day fractionation. Most of patients received total tumor dose of 5000 $\~$ 5500 cGy. Results : The overall 5 and 7 year survival rates for entire group of 72 patients were 61$\~$ and 50$\~$. Corresponding disease free survival rates for entire patients were 53$\~$ and 45$\~$, respectively. The 5 and 7 year overall survival rates for astrocytomas, mixed oligodendrogiiomas, and oligodendrogiiorras were 48$\%$ and 45$\%$, 76$\%$ and 56$\%$, and 80$\%$ and 52$\%$, respectively. Patients who underwent subtotal resection showed better survival rates than those who did biopsy alone. The overall 5 year survival rates for sub total resection patients and biopsy alone patients were 57$\%$ and 43$\%$, respectively. Forty six patients who were 40 years or younger survived batter than 26 patients who were 41 years or older (overall survival rate at 5 years, 69$\%$ vs 45$\%$). Although one patient was not able to complete the treatment because of neurological deterioration, there was no significant treatment related acute toxicities. Conclusion : Postoperative radiotherapy was safe and effective treatment for patients with low grade gliomas. However, we probably need prospective randomized trial to define optimal treatment timing and schedule for low grade gliomas and select patient group for different treatment philosophies.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.684-687
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• 2000

Primary anaplastic oligodendroglioma in brain stem is extremely rare. The authors present a case of a anaplastic oligodendroglioma arising from pons. A 29 year-old male patient was admitted because of cranial nerve palsy and visual disturbance. Neurological examination revealed bilateral sixth and left seventh cranial nerve plasies. Near-total resection of tumor mass was performed through midline suboccipital appraoch. Tumor was not related with choroid plexus and major vessels but it was firmly attached to the fourth ventricle floor. Tumor was considered to be arised from the tegmental portion of pons, growing dorsally into the 4th ventricle. Hitopathological exmination revealed primary anaplastic oligodendroglioma. Postoperative course was uneventful. The authors believe that this type of tumor with dorsally growing pattern can be successfully resected without major neurological deficit.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.934-938
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• 2001

Oligodendrogiomas account for about 4 per cent of intracranial gliomas and surgery is known to be an essential first step to establish an accurate diagnosis and when oligodendrogliomas recur with or without anaplastic features after initial resection, radiation and chemotherapy consisting of the administration of procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine are usually indicated. We report our experience of an excellent result with intraventricular methotrexate chemotherapy for a patient with disseminated anaplastic oligodendroglioma. A 29-year-old male patient presented with diplopia and headache for two months. MRI showed a irregular, faintly enhanced mass in the posterior fossa. The hisotological diagnosis was an anaplaplastic oligodendroglioma and he was treated with chemotherapy of PCV regimen and radiotherapy followed by surgery. CSF dissemination was revealed by a follow-up MRI during the period. Intraventricular methotrexate(0.175mg/kg) was given twice a week for 4 weeks through ommaya reservoir and the size of the multiple tumors was decreased significantly on follow-up MRI. This case report suggests that an aggressive treatment involving intravent-ricular chemotherapy may be helpful even when anaplastic oligodendrogliomas disseminates to leptomeninges.