Praxis
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We report the case of a 81-year-old, immunocompromised Patient, admitted to our hospital with new-onset headaches and word-finding difficulties. The MRI of the brain revealed a temporal mass on the left with marginal contrast-enhancement. During the next days Listeria monocytogenes grew in the bloodcultures so that the diagnosis of a brain-abscess caused by Listeria was established. ⋯ The MRI after therapy demonstrated no abscess persistence. Listeria mostly cause infections in the immunocompromised, elderly, newborn or pregnant host. Next to bacteraemia without a focus, CNS-invasion with meningitis, meningoencephalitis or less frequent abcess-formation (5-10%) is the most important manifestation.
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Malignant gliomas, among others the glioblastoma multiforme, are the most frequent brain tumors. The glioblastoma itself represents the most unfavorable tumor. In Switzerland, about 450 humans contract a glioblastoma each year. ⋯ A preoperative administered substance colors the tumor and makes it better visible for the neurosurgeon. Consequently, the healthy brain tissue can be better distinguished from the tumor. This permits not only a larger complete surgical resection of the tumor but also minimizes the resection of healthy tissue.
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Percutaneous and endoscopic ultrasound are very useful complementary imaging tools in the detailed assessment of physiological as well as pathological lymph nodes in almost all anatomical regions of the human body. A comprehensive consideration of various features obtained by gray-scale and color Doppler sonography is the basis of the differentiation of benign from malignant lymphadenopathy. ⋯ Nevertheless the sonographic differential diagnosis of enlarged and structurally altered lymph nodes has some limitations. (Endoscopic) ultrasound guided biopsy permits histological diagnosis of pathological lymph nodes with minimal risk, low cost, and high diagnostic accuracy. The sonographical evaluation of lymph nodes is an essential adjunct to the clinical investigation in staging of malignant tumors and lymphoma, in the case of palpable lymph nodes, and in various benign diseases.