Intracranial osteolytic hemangiopericytoma manifesting as a rapidly enlarging extracranial soft tissue mass lesion

Hemangiopericytoma is a highly vascular and rapidly growing tumor, which tends to recur at distant locations. Complete surgical resection is often difficult because of intraoperative excessive hemorrhage or brain swelling. A 31-year-old male presented with intracranial osteolytic hemangiopericytoma manifesting as a rapidly enlarging extracranial soft tissue mass lesion causing a subcutaneous mass in the forehead. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging demonstrated a lesion in the frontal lobe. Careful follow up was performed because the patient suffered no neurological deficits. The subcutaneous mass rapidly enlarged for 6 months. CT and MR imaging showed an osteolytic intracalvarial lesion with an extradural soft tissue component. Angiography demonstrated obstruction of the superior sagittal sinus and dense tumor staining with slow circulation and venous drainage. Gross total surgical resection was performed following endovascular embolization of the feeding arteries. Histological examination demonstrated an hemangiopericytoma. Although rare, hemangiopericytoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of rapidly enlarging subcutaneous mass. Preoperative endovascular treatment may allow less invasive surgery.     

Intracerebral hematoma due to ruptured nontraumatic middle meningeal artery aneurysm--case report.

A 77-year-old woman suddenly lost consciousness and presented with right hemiparesis. Computed tomography showed a large subcortical hematoma in her left frontal lobe associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage. The first impression was hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm of the middle cerebral or the internal carotid artery on the left. Left internal carotid angiography showed no aneurysm or vascular anomaly, but back flow of contrast medium into the external carotid artery disclosed two saccular aneurysms arising from the anterior branch of the left middle meningeal artery (MMA). Emergent surgical intervention confirmed that the hematoma was due to ruptured MMA aneurysm. Nontraumatic MMA aneurysm should be recognized as a possible causative lesion of intracranial hemorrhage despite the extremely low incidence. External carotid angiography should be performed in patients with intracranial hemorrhage in whom no vascular cause can be detected in the internal carotid system.     

Neurocytoma manifesting as intraventricular hemorrhage--case report

A 43-year-old man presented with a neurocytoma manifesting as severe headache and disturbance of consciousness. Computed tomography revealed intraventricular hemorrhage, and a small mass lesion with calcification on the wall of the left lateral ventricle. The lesion appeared as mixed intensity regions on both T(1)- and T(2)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and heterogeneous enhancement with gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid. Angiography showed the pooling sign near the calcification in the late venous phase. Neurologically, amnestic syndrome was demonstrated in the subacute phase. Gross total removal of the lesion was performed through a transcallosal approach. His transient memory disturbance resolved. The histological diagnosis was neurocytoma. Intraventricular hemorrhage is rare as the initial presentation of neurocytoma. Surgery should avoid fornix injury and the risk of permanent memory disturbance.     

Intracranial osteosarcoma after radiosurgery--case report

A 56-year-old woman presented with an intracranial osteosarcoma at the site of previous radiosurgery, manifesting as sudden onset of headache and left hemiparesis with aphasia. She had a previous history of stereotactic radiosurgery for an intracranial tumor under a diagnosis of falx meningioma. Computed tomography showed intratumoral and peritumoral hemorrhage at the right parietofrontal region. Gross total resection of the tumor with hematoma was performed. The histological diagnosis was osteosarcoma. Sarcomatous change is a rare complication of radiotherapy. This case illustrates that osteosarcoma may develop years after radiosurgery for benign brain neoplasm.     

Chronic encapsulated intracerebral hematoma associated with cavernous angioma--case report

An 80-year-old male presented with a chronic encapsulated intracerebral hematoma (CEIH) with surrounding edema under the right frontal lobe manifesting as slow exacerbation of disturbance of orientation and gait. He had a history of cerebral infarction with an asymptomatic cavernous angioma in the right frontal lobe. The CEIH was diagnosed as bleeding from the cavernous angioma, and surgical removal was performed. The hematoma was chronic and covered by a thick capsule. In addition, mass tissue covered with the organized hematoma was found near the capsule, which was excised and found to be a cavernous angioma. CEIH is a special type of intracerebral hemorrhage, and bleeding from a cavernous angioma is occasionally seen. CEIH should be considered in the case of a hemorrhagic intracranial lesion with a chronic, progressive course with capsule formation and edema around the lesion. The source of bleeding is unknown in about half of the reported cases, and occult vascular malformation may be involved, necessitating care in diagnosis.     

Serial neuroimaging of encapsulated chronic intracerebral hematoma with repeated hemorrhage--case report

A 69-year-old woman presented with headache and short memory disturbance. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a small cystic mass lesion in the left temporal lobe. CT and magnetic resonance imaging showed that this lesion enlarged with repeated hemorrhages, associated with progressive amnesia and headache during 3 years follow up. Surgery demonstrated a well-demarcated hard mass lesion in the medial temporal lobe through a transcortical approach after opening left sylvian fissure. The lesion was located entirely in the brain parenchyma and was removed en-bloc after cutting some capillary-like vessels on the capsule. The histological diagnosis was encapsulated old hematoma. The histological findings suggested that expansion of the lesion was due to multiple bleedings from the sinusoidal vessels in the capsule fed by small feeding arteries. The mass effect due to the expansion of the encapsulated hematoma caused progressive short-term amnesia and headache, which were completely resolved by the surgical removal.     

Pituitary apoplexy manifesting as massive intracerebral hemorrhage

A 68-year-old man presented with severe conscious disturbance caused by pituitary apoplexy resulting in massive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). He had been periodically followed up for asymptomatic pituitary adenoma at another hospital for 8 years. Neuroimaging examination revealed pituitary apoplexy and massive ICH located in the left frontal lobe, and the ICH was directly connected to the intratumoral hemorrhage. The diagnosis was massive ICH from pituitary apoplexy. The patient underwent emergent evacuation of hematoma and removal of the pituitary adenoma via bi-frontal craniotomy. Postoperatively, he continued to exhibit deep consciousness disturbance and died 1 month after the operation. Pituitary apoplexy is usually characterized by intra-tumoral hemorrhage. The treatment strategy for asymptomatic pituitary adenoma is still controversial. This case shows that we should always consider the risk of pituitary apoplexy manifesting as ICH which may cause a fatal outcome.     

Spinal subdural hematoma following intracranial aneurysm surgery: four case reports

Four patients presented with rare spinal subdural hematoma (SDH) occurring after intracranial aneurysm surgery and manifesting as postoperative back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging performed from 4 to 11 days after the operation showed acute or subacute thoracolumbar SDH. No patient had risk factors for bleeding at this site (e.g., lumbar puncture, coagulation abnormality). Overdrainage of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was performed for brain retraction during the operation in all four cases. Computed tomography performed during the postoperative period showed a suspicious tentorial subdural hemorrhage in Case 1 and an interhemispheric subdural hemorrhage in Case 3. All four patients received conservative management and their lumbago improved. We hypothesize that CSF hypotension due to overdrainage of CSF and downward migration of intracranial SDH under the influence of gravity were involved in the formation of spinal SDH.     

Central nervous system malignant lymphoma associated with Behcet's disease. Case report

A 75-year-old woman presented with intracranial B-cell lymphoma associated with Behcet's disease manifesting as headache and dizziness. She had been treated with prednisolone for 17 years, and colchicine for 4 years under a diagnosis of incomplete Behcet's disease. Computed tomography revealed a 4-cm high density mass surrounded with diffuse edema in the right frontal lobe. Surgery removed a discolored red mass together with hematoma. The histological diagnosis was B-cell type malignant lymphoma. Malignant lymphoma is rarely associated with Behcet's disease, as only 10 cases have been reported.     

Multiple oligodendroglioma--case report.

A 32-year-old male was hospitalized with headache and disturbance of consciousness. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a tumor and an intracranial hematoma in the right frontal lobe. The tumor was totally removed, and postoperative radiation therapy was administrated locally at 50 Gy. Five years later, he experienced sudden onset of headache and vertigo. CT demonstrated a mass lesion with a hematoma in the cerebellar vermis. The tumor was subtotally removed and he underwent postoperative local irradiation at 50 Gy as well as ventriculoperitoneal shunting. Four years later, he complained of visual and gait disturbances, and CT disclosed a tumor in the suprasellar region. Following partial removal of the tumor, local brain irradiation was given at 40 Gy. Histological examination proved all three tumors to be oligodendrogliomas with no evidence of malignant change.     

Idiopathic interdural hematoma looking like a "Chinese dumpling"--case report

A 79-year-old man presented with an interdural hematoma manifesting as headache. Computed tomography revealed a right parietal intracranial hematoma. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed the hematoma had divided the dura mater into two layers. Craniotomy was performed and a dural pouch containing a solid hematoma was totally removed. Histological examination showed the hematoma had divided the meningeal dura into two layers. This case confirms the location of interdural hematoma.     

Glossopharyngeal neurinoma causing symptomatic hemorrhage: case report

A 86-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of swallowing disturbance and deterioration of consciousness. He had been aware of hearing disturbance on the right side for twelve months. Computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated an inhomogeneous hyperdense mass lesion, 3.2 X 2.3 cm in size, at the right cerebello-pontine angle, and ventricular enlargement with intraventricular hemorrhage. Skull tomogram revealed destructive enlargement of the right jugular foramen. The angiogram showed avascular mass with elevation of anterior inferior cerebellar artery, and downward shift of posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Operative and histological findings were compatible with glossopharyngeal neurinoma of Antoni type A dominance. This tumor had numerous abnormal vessels probably causing massive hemorrhage. Only fifteen cases of intracranial neurinoma with symptomatic hemorrhage have been reported in the world literature. This case is reported as the sixteenth one and the first glossopharyngeal neurinoma among them. Possible etiology of such hemorrhage is discussed.     

A case of meningeal melanocytoma in the cerebellopontine angle

Meningeal melanocytomas are uncommon intracranial tumors and extremely rare in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). The tumors are generally considered to be benign because they lack malignant features in histological examination, but several literatures describe malignant behavior of the tumors such as high frequency of local recurrence, malignant transformation with leptomeningeal seeding. We describe a case of meningeal melanocytoma in the CPA and discuss the features of the tumor. The case was a 43-year-old woman with a right CPA exta-axial mass suffering from vertigo and nausea. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass in the right CPA. The mass was hyperintense on T1-weighted images and hypointense on T2-weighted images. Surgical removal was done and pathological diagnosis was made as meningeal melanocytoma. Twenty months after the first surgery, MRI revealed local recurrence of the tumor and subtotal resection was performed.     

Two cases of cerebral aspergillosis with intracerebral hemorrhage

Two patients who had cerebral aspergillosis with massive intracerebral hemorrhage were presented. Case I was a 59-year-old woman who had slight mental retardation. There was swelling in the left forehead, from which mucosal cysts of frontal sinus had been removed 2 years before her admission. She had a diagnosis of subdural abscess and radical operation was performed. Aspergillus was found in the abscess histologically. Three months after the operation, CT scan revealed multiple abscess in bilateral frontal lobe. When she lost consciousness suddenly 4 months after the operation, CT scan showed a huge intracerebral hematoma. Case 2 was a 16-year-old girl who suffered from immunological dysfunction caused by more than 6 months antibiotics-steroid treatment for pneumonitis. She lost her consciousness after complaints of severe headache. CT scan showed a heterogeneous high density area with severe brain edema in the left temporal lobe. The removal of hematoma was performed immediately. The level of her consciousness improved, but she died of the complication of DIC and renal failure 14 days after the hemorrhage. Autopsy revealed a number of aspergillomas in lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas. Marked necrosis and a number of aspergillus hyphae which invaded and penetrated the wall of cerebral vessels were found in the brain tissue. It was presumed that such a huge intracerebral hematoma was caused by direct invasion and penetration into the brain of aspergillus from the blood vessels. The diagnosis of cerebral aspergillosis is made mainly by the pathological examination of the tissue obtained at surgery or autopsy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Connection between a dural artery and a dural vein in a dural arteriovenous fistula of the cranial vault

A 41-year-old man presented with consciousness disturbance and right hemiparesis. Computed tomography showed a hematoma in the frontal lobe. Left carotid angiography showed a dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF) located in the cranial vault, supplied by the left middle meningeal artery, and drained directly into the cortical vein adjacent to the superior sagittal sinus. Emergency decompressive craniectomy and evacuation of the intracerebral hematoma were performed. A red vein was found on the cortex but the location of the arteriovenous shunt was not clear due to severe brain swelling. Two months later, cranioplasty was performed and a part of the dura mater, expected to have been affected by the dural AVF, was resected. Histological examination disclosed thickening of the intima of the middle meningeal artery and a few small veins around this artery. The fistula was clearly demonstrated between the dural artery and the dural vein. The non-sinal type of dural AVF may originate in similar arteriovenous connections to the sinal type.     

Primary angiitis of the central nervous system mimicking tumor-like lesion--case report

A 60-year-old man presented with a rare case of primary angiitis of the central nervous system mimicking a tumor-like lesion and manifesting as slight disorientation, left hemiparesis, and motor aphasia. Computed tomography showed multiple low density lesions in the left frontal lobe, brain stem, and right parietal lobe. Magnetic resonance images revealed a slightly enhanced mass lesion in the right parietal lobe with surrounding brain edema. Serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and other image examinations did not show any abnormal findings, so surgical removal of the right parietal mass was performed. Histological examination revealed that the mass consisted of hemorrhagic infarction without cellular atypia. Proliferations of endothelial cells in small and medium arteries, and infiltration of macrophages in the perivascular space were detected in the infarction tissues. The histological diagnosis was primary angiitis of the central nervous system.     

Bilateral distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysm associated with supreme anterior cerebral artery: case report]

A 67-year-old woman presented with bilateral distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysms manifesting as consciousness disturbance. Computed tomography revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage in the interhemispheric fissure, right sylvian fissure, and a hematoma in the right frontal lobe and lateral ventricles. Angiography showed bilateral symmetrical aneurysms located on the pericallosal artery at the bifurcation of the callosomarginal artery. The operation was performed on the day the patient was admitted. The aneurysms were clipped via the interhemispheric approach, and the hematoma was aspirated. Operative view demonstrated rupture of the left aneurysm, and supreme anterior cerebral aneurysm. Postoperative angiography showed disappearance of the aneurysms and an intact bilateral anterior cerebral artery. The patient was discharged with mild organic mental syndrome. However, a few days later, she was admitted again with a high fever and died of complications due to sepsis. Pathological view showed clipped aneurysms and the connection of the bilateral distal anterior cerebral artery with the so-called supreme anterior communicating artery.     

Lumbar meningeal hamartoma and epidermoid cyst associated with spinal dysraphism in an elderly patient

Meningeal hamartoma associated with spinal dysraphism in an elderly patient is an extremely rare clinical presentation. A 62-year-old woman who progressively developed gait disturbance and urinary retention was admitted to our hospital. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large cystic mass associated with a dermal sinus at the L4-L5 level. MRI was useful in the diagnosis and determination of this lesion. However, preoperative differential diagnosis of the tumor was not possible based on neuroimaging evidence. The diagnosis of meningeal hamartoma was based on the histological and immunohistological findings of the specimen obtained from the tumor. Meningeal hamartoma associated with spinal dysraphism should be kept in mind, even in adult cases. In this article, we also discuss the radiological and pathological appearance of this rare clinical entity.     

Multifocal primary intracerebral malignant fibrous histiocytoma--case report

A 58-year-old female presented with a unique case of multifocal primary intracerebral malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) manifesting as partial seizure. Neuroimaging showed a mass lesion in the right frontal lobe, which was totally removed. The histological diagnosis was MFH. Follow-up neuroimaging one month after surgery showed another lesion rapidly growing in the left frontal lobe. This lesion was totally removed, and identified as MFH. Her condition gradually worsened. Neuroimaging performed 3 months after first operation revealed bilateral recurrence. She died of respiratory failure 7 months after the initial diagnosis of MFH. Primary intracranial MFH is an extremely rare entity with only 31 cases of solitary tumor previously reported.     

Hemangiopericytoma in the trigone of the lateral ventricle--case report

A 40-year-old male presented with hemangiopericytoma in the lateral ventricle manifesting as headaches persisting for 6 months associated with vomiting and visual obscurations for one month. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed a large tumor in the trigone of the right lateral ventricle. The highly vascular tumor was completely excised. The histological diagnosis was hemangiopericytoma. Hemangiopericytoma is rarely located in the lateral ventricle and is difficult to differentiate from meningioma by neuroimaging methods.