Ossified Occipital Pseudomeningocele following Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Malfunction

Ossification of pseudomeningocele is a rare occurrence and is one of the rare complications of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt malfunction. We report a case of 12-year-old boy who came with features of raised intracranial pressure following shunt malfunction which was placed as a treatment to the aqueductal stenosis. Computed tomography showed ventriculomegaly and hypodense collection in the occiput with posterior rim of calcification. The findings were confirmed on histopathology. Although ossified pseudomeningocele is a rare entity following VP shunt placement, it should be suspected if patients present with aggravated symptoms, especially if there is shunt malfunction as the treatment option varies with the presence or absence of resultant symptoms and ossification.

Isolated Sphenoid Sinus Lesions: Experience with a Few Rare Pathologies

INTRODUCTION

The sphenoid sinus is often neglected because of its difficult access. The deep position of the sphenoid sinus hinders early diagnosis of pathologies in that location. Delayed diagnosis can cause serious complications due to proximity to many important structures.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to demonstrate different pathologies which can affect the sphenoid sinus and elucidate the findings.

METHODS

Cases of isolated sphenoid sinus lesions encountered in the neurosurgical setting which had rare pathologies are discussed. Pathologies such as Langerhans cell histiocytosis, solitary plasmacytoma, chordoma, pituitary adenoma, leiomyosarcoma, fungal infection, and mucocele which appeared primarily in sphenoid sinus are discussed along with their imaging features and pathological findings.

CONCLUSION

Multitude of different pathologies can occur in sphenoid sinus. Detailed preoperative imaging is very helpful, but transnasal biopsy and histological study are required often for definitive diagnosis. The possible advantages of early diagnosis before spread of pathology for prognosis cannot be overemphasized.

Recurrent Glioblastomas Exhibit Higher Expression of Biomarkers with Stem-like Properties

Background

Despite advances in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM), the prognosis of patients continues to remain dismal. This unfavorable prognosis is mainly attributed to the tumor's propensity for progression and recurrence, which in turn is due to the highly aggressive nature of the persisting GBM cells that actively egress from the main tumor mass into the surrounding normal brain tissue. Such a recurrent tumor described to have a more malignant potential is highly invasive and resistant to current therapies, probably due to increased stemness and preferential selection of therapy-resistant clones of tumor cells. However, there is a paucity of literature on the expression of biomarkers in the recurrent GBM tumors that could have a role in conferring this aggressiveness.

Aim

To identify the differences in the expression pattern of selected biomarkers in paired tissue samples of GBM.

Material and Methods

A retrospective study on 30 paired samples of GBM (newly diagnosed/primary and recurrent) archived in the Department of Neuropathology, NIMHANS (2006-2009), was carried out. After obtaining clinical and demographic details, tumors were characterized histomorphologically and immunohistochemically on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues with reference to expression of biomarkers such as p53, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2), and topoisomerase 2 A (Top2A). The results were statistically analyzed.

Results

It was observed that while p53 and IGFBP-3 expression remained unaltered in paired samples, a significant increase in the expression of EGFR (P < 0.01) was noted in the recurrent tumors. Among the other biomarkers, SOX2 expression was higher in the recurrent tumors when compared to the primary tumors (P < 0.01). Conversely, the expression of Top2A was reduced in recurrent tumors (P = 0.05). Mild elevation in the expression of IGFBP-3 was observed in recurrent tumors but was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

A significant increase in the expression of SOX2 in recurrent tumors probably indicates the presence of undifferentiated cells with stem-like properties in these tumors. EGFR is known to mediate SOX2 expression thereby resulting in stemness of the glioma cancer cells, which could further explain its overexpression in recurrent GBMs. Furthermore, a decreased expression of TOP2A observed in the recurrent tumors could probably be due to reduction in chemosensitivity to temozolomide, which has been shown in earlier studies. We also noted that p53 expression remained unaltered in the recurrent tumors when compared to the primary, suggesting the absence of preferential clonal expansion of p53 mutant cells following exposure to radiochemotherapy. Our study reiterates the fact that GBM recurrences are associated with molecular alterations that probably contribute to radiochemoresistance, increased invasiveness, therapeutic efficacy, and stemness.

Supratentorial Pure Cortical Ependymoma: An Unusual Lesion Causing Focal Motor Aware Seizure

Ependymomas usually arise from the ependymal lining cells of the ventricular system and central canal of the spinal cord. Supratentorial ependymoma is a rare entity with the variable clinical course. In a small number of cases, ependymoma arises from supratentorial parenchyma. Only a few cases are reported in the literature. We report a case of 3-year-old girl with left frontal mass. Total removal of the mass lesion was performed without any neurological deficit. Pathological examination of the excised tumor was consistent with anaplastic ependymoma. We have discussed management strategy of this rare entity.

Intracranial fungal granuloma: a single-institute study of 90 cases over 18 years

OBJECTIVE

Intracranial fungal granuloma (IFG) remains an uncommon entity. The authors report a single-institute study of 90 cases of IFG, which is the largest study until now.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, all cases of IFG surgically treated in the years 2001-2018 were included. Data were obtained from the medical records and the pathology, microbiology, and radiology departments. All relevant clinical data, imaging characteristics, surgical procedure performed, perioperative findings, and follow-up data were recorded from the case files. Telephonic follow-up was also performed for a few patients to find out their current status.

RESULTS

A total of 90 cases consisting of 64 males (71.1%) and 26 (28.9%) females were evaluated. The mean patient age was 40.2 years (range 1-79 years). Headache (54 patients) was the most common presenting complaint, followed by visual symptoms (35 patients), fever (21 patients), and others such as limb weakness (13 patients) or seizure (9 patients). Cranial nerve involvement was the most common sign (47 patients), followed by motor deficit (22 patients) and papilledema (7 patients). The mean duration of symptoms before presentation was 6.4 months (range 0.06-48 months). Thirty patients (33.3%) had predisposing factors like diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, or other immunocompromised status. A pure intracranial location of the IFG was seen in 49 cases (54.4%), whereas rhinocerebral or paranasal sinus involvement was seen in 41 cases (45.6%). Open surgery, that is, craniotomy and decompression, was performed in 55 cases, endoscopic biopsy was done in 30 cases, and stereotactic biopsy was performed in 5 cases. Aspergilloma (43 patients) was the most common fungal mass, followed by zygomycosis (13 patients), chromomycosis (9 patients), cryptococcoma (7 patients), mucormycosis (5 patients), and candida infection (1 patient). In 12 cases, the exact fungal phenotype could not be identified. Follow-up was available for 69/90 patients (76.7%). The mean duration of the follow-up was 37.97 months (range 3-144 months). The mortality rate was 52.2% (36/69 patients) among the patients with available follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

A high index of suspicion for IFG should exist for patients with an immunocompromised status and diabetic patients with rhinocerebral mass lesions. Early diagnosis, aggressive surgical decompression, and a course of promptly initiated antifungal therapy are associated with a better prognosis.

Atypical presentation of extraspinal neurofibroma presenting with acute-onset monoparesis and Horner's syndrome: Case report and review of literature

The clinical presentation of spinal or extraspinal neurofibroma is radiculopathy or myelopathy, pain, and motor weakness. Extraspinal neurofibroma presenting with acute-onset monoparesis and Horner's syndrome is very rare. We report the case of a 55-year-old female who presented with acute-onset monoparesis of the left upper limb along with left-side drooping of the eyelid. Imaging revealed C6–D2 extraspinal solitary mass lesion lateral to spinous process with bleed without intraspinal component. The patient underwent an anterior cervical approach and excision of the tumor. Final biopsy report was a neurofibroma. At 3-year follow-up, she recovered from motor weakness, and Horner's syndrome subsided. Extraspinal neurofibroma can present with acute bleed, and surgical outcome is superior in early intervention.

Cerebrovascular pathology in cerebral amyloid angiopathy presenting as intracerebral haemorrhage

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is the second most common cause of non-traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) accounting for 12-15% of lobar haemorrhages in the elderly. Definitive diagnosis of CAA requires histological evaluation. We aimed to evaluate the spectrum of cerebrovascular changes in CAA-related ICH. Between 2011 and 2015, biopsy-confirmed cases of CAA were retrieved and clinical, radiological and pathological features were reviewed. The spectrum of vascular alterations was evaluated and amyloid deposition was graded in accordance with the Greenberg and Vonsattel scale. Seven cases of sporadic CAA [5 males and 2 females] were diagnosed, none of whom were suspected to have CAA pre-operatively. Six presented with large intracerebral haematoma (ICH) requiring neurosurgical intervention (age range: 56-70 years) and one had episodic headache and multiple microhaemorrhages requiring a diagnostic brain biopsy (45 years). In the presence of large ICH, vascular amyloid deposits were of moderate to severe grade (grade 4 in 4, grades 2 and 3 in 1 case each) with predominant involvement of medium (200-500 μm) to large (> 500 μm) leptomeningeal vessels. Fibrinoid necrosis was noted in four. Two were hypertensive and on antiplatelet agents. β-Amyloid plaques were detected in two, one of whom had symptomatic dementia. MRI performed in 3 of 6 cases with ICH did not reveal any microhaemorrhages. Amyloid deposits in small (50-200 μm) to medium (200-500 μm) calibre intracortical vessels produced parenchymal microhemorrhages. Histopathological examination of ICH is essential for diagnosing CAA. The vascular calibre rather than grade of amyloid deposits dictates size of the bleed. Presence of co-morbidities such as antiplatelet agents may predispose to haemorrhage.

Cervical Spine Osteoblastoma with an Aneurysmal Bone Cyst in a 2-Year-Old Child: A Case Report

Osteoblastomas and aneurysmal bone cysts are uncommon benign tumors of the spine. Their presentation can vary between diffuse pain, restriction of neck movements, torticollis, radiculopathy, and myelopathy. Complete excision is the best treatment to achieve a cure, but recurrence is not uncommon. A combination of the two conditions in the pediatric population is extremely rare. To the best of the authors' knowledge, only 2 cases of such a combination in the cervical spine have been reported in the literature. We report the case of a 2-year-old child having a right C4 lateral mass osteoblastoma with an aneurysmal bone cyst. The child underwent complete surgical excision of the lesion with fusion.

Pediatric Suprasellar Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor Arising from the Third Ventricle: A Rare Tumor at a Very Rare Location

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is a rare, highly malignant tumor of the central nervous system, commonly affecting children below 3 years of age, with around 300 cases reported in the literature. Suprasellar area is a very rare location for such tumor in the pediatric population, with technical difficulties in complete excision. Third ventricular ATRT is very rare. Here, we report the case of a 2-year-old male child who presented with lethargy and vomiting. He had features of raised intracranial pressure with reduced vision in both eyes. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a heterogeneously enhancing lobulated giant lesion in the suprasellar location, occupying the third ventricle and hypothalamus with encasement of both carotids. He underwent pericoronal parasagittal craniotomy, interhemispheric transcallosal interforniceal approach and gross total excision of the lesion. Postoperatively, the child had altered sensorium and diabetes insipidus, both of which recovered over a span of 10 days. Histopathological examination of the specimen was consistent with the diagnosis of World Health Organization Grade IV ATRT. In spite of all our efforts, he succumbed to his illness 5 months postoperatively.

Pilocytic astrocytoma with spontaneous malignant transformation with intracranial and skeletal dissemination: case report and review of the literature

Pilocytic astrocytoma is a benign low-grade tumor with a favorable prognosis. We present a 47-year-old- lady with a posterior fossa pilocytic astrocytoma who underwent surgical decompression. She developed multiple early local recurrences Along with malignant transformation of the cranial lesion she developed skeletal dissemination within a very short time frame. There were no features or family history of neurofibromatosis 1. She did not receive radiotherapy or chemotherapy prior to the recurrences.

Primary Pediatric Intracranial Neuroblastoma: A Report of Two Cases

Neuroblastoma is the most common pediatric extracranial solid malignancy. It has a high propensity for spread, especially to the bones and lymph nodes. The involvement of central nervous system is uncommon and most of the cases are restricted to the spine. Primary intracranial neuroblastoma is extremely rare and very few cases have been described in the available literature. We report two cases of primary intracranial neuroblastoma in pediatric age group.

Cerebellopontine Angle Schwannoma and Meningioma in Contiguity: Surgical Implications in Neurofibromatosis

Concurrent occurrence of brain tumors in the same location is very unusual and has been noted in patients with neurofibromatosis. Two lesions, occurring in close contact but of different histology, are called contiguous tumors. Schwannoma and meningioma are the two common histologies reported to present as contiguous tumor. We present two patients with contiguous tumors in the cerebellopontine angle. The magnetic resonance imaging characteristics in both cases demonstrate important findings that should be identified to raise the possibility of contiguous tumors. We discuss the surgical implications in identifying the facial nerve in this complex tumor morphology and steps we took to preserve function. Variable displacement of the facial nerve in the presence of multiple tumors needs to be kept in mind during surgical management and can be significantly aided by intraoperative monitoring.

A simple algorithmic approach using histology and immunohistochemistry for the current classification of adult diffuse glioma in a resource-limited set-up

AIMS

The WHO 2016 classification of diffuse gliomas combines histological and molecular parameters for diagnosis. However, in view of cost constraints for molecular testing, an economical working formula is essential to reach a meaningful diagnosis in a resource-limited setting. The aim of this study was to establish a practical algorithmic approach using histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the classification of diffuse gliomas in such a set-up.

METHODS

Diffuse gliomas of WHO grade II and III diagnosed in our institute in the year 2016 were analysed for histological and IHC features, using the markers isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1R132H) and α thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked gene (ATRX). Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) for 1p/19q co-deletion was performed when requested.

RESULTS

449 diffuse gliomas (grades II/III) were included in the study. Integrating histology and IHC features, as per the WHO 2016 guidelines, we derived the following groups: Astrocytoma, IDH-mutant (A,IDH-mt, 37.2%); astrocytoma, not otherwise specified (A,NOS, 12.7%); oligoastrocytoma, NOS (OA,NOS, 4.5%); and oligodendroglioma, NOS (ODG,NOS, 45.6%). FISH was performed in a subset of ODG,NOS, OA,NOS and A,NOS gliomas. This revealed 1p/19q co-deletion in all cases of ODG,NOS, 15.8% of OA,NOS and 37.5% of A,NOS. Sequencing for rare IDH 1/2 mutations was not carried out in this study.

CONCLUSION

In a resource-limited set-up, histology with IHC (IDH1(R132H) and ATRX) form the baseline to reasonably derive four histomolecular subgroups of diffuse glioma. Of these, we recommend, OA,NOS and IDH1(R132H)-non-mt ODG,NOS to be our priority for performing 1p/19q co-deletion studies in comparison to IDH-mt ODG,NOS, and it would not be mandatory for astrocytoma. Sequencing for rare IDH mutations is advised for A,NOS and OA,NOS groups, but not for the IDH1(R132H)-non-mutant diffuse gliomas with 1p/19q co-deletion.

Choroid plexus tuberculoma. Diagnosis, management and role of endoscopy

Ventricular involvement in central nervous system tuberculosis can be in the form of tuberculous ependymitis, intraventricular tuberculoma, intraventricular tuberculous abscess, choroid plexitis and choroid plexus tuberculoma. Only a few cases of choroid plexus tuberculomas have been described and even more rare is the description of the role of endoscopy in management of intraventricular tuberculomas. We report a 33-year-old patient while on treatment for tubercular meningitis who developed a left side choroid plexus lesion with loculated temporal horn. To confirm the diagnosis, endoscopic biopsy of the lesion was carried out. The final histopathology was tuberculoma. Intraventricular tuberculomas are usually associated with recalcitrant lesions, probably due to the poor drug levels within the CSF or as an indirect effect of immune resistance and biopsy becomes important to rule out other possibilities.

Spinal epidural capillary hemangioma: A rare case report with a review of literature

Background:

Purely epidural capillary hemangiomas are very rare. There are only 6 such reports.

Case Description:

A 50-year-old male presented with a progressive lower extremity paraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a purely epidural lesion at the L1-L2 level without any bony involvement. Following an L1-L2 laminectomy for total excision of the lesion, the patient showed significant improvement. The histopathology was consistent with a pure capillary hemangioma.

Conclusion:

The radiological presentation of purely epidural capillary hemangiomas are often similar to those of schwannomas and meningiomas. Surgical confirmation of the pathology, and gross total excision of these lesions is recommended.

Management dilemmas in a rare case of pituitary apoplexy in the setting of dengue hemorrhagic fever

Background:

Pituitary apoplexy occurs due to infarction or hemorrhage, within a pituitary adenoma or a nontumorous pituitary gland and can have catastrophic consequences. Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a severe manifestation of the spectrum of dengue virus infection and is characterized by high-grade fever, thrombocytopenia, hemorrhagic tendencies, and increased vascular permeability. Cases of incidentalomas complicated by DHF and presenting with apoplexy are extremely rare.

Case Description:

We describe the case of a 45-year-old gentleman who suffered an attack of pituitary apoplexy while being treated for DHF. The issues pertaining to the management of hydrocephalus, timing of surgical intervention, and treatment of electrolyte imbalances encountered in the dual setting of DHF and pituitary apoplexy are discussed with reference to the outcome in our case.

Conclusion:

Although patients suffering from DHF harbor multiple factors, which may be precipitants of pituitary apoplexy, the association between these two conditions is rare and only few case reports document their coexistence. We review the pertinent literature and discuss the management dilemmas faced by us while dealing with these dual pathological states.

Psammomatoid Juvenile Ossifying Fibroma: Report of Three Cases with a Review of Literature

Psammomatoid juvenile ossifying fibroma (PJOF), a variant of juvenile ossifying fibroma (JOF), is a locally aggressive neoplasm of the children and young adults. This entity has predilection for the sinonasal region. It forms a differential diagnosis for many bone neoplasms. We report three cases of PJOF, in young patients whose biopsy showed the presence of psammomatoid bodies in a cellular fibrous stroma. The diagnosis of JOF indicates requirement of extensive surgery due to its locally aggressive nature.

Giant Hypothalamic Hamartoma in an Infant: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Giant hypothalamic hamartomas (GHH) are extremely rare lesions in infants and usually intrinsically epileptogenic. We present the case of a 10-month-old girl child presenting with drug-resistant seizures and a giant hypothalamic lesion that was confirmed as hamartoma on histopathology. Surgical decompression and disconnection from the hypothalamus was performed with the intent of controlling her seizures. Unfortunately, the patient developed right middle cerebral artery and posterior cerebral artery territory infarction, possibly due to vasospasm or thrombosis of the vessels. The patient had a stormy postoperative course but has recovered well neurologically at the 18-month follow-up. Histopathological examination revealed abnormal clusters of NeuN-positive neurons, which was confirmatory of hypothalamic hamartoma. A review of the published literature on infantile GHH, its management and the postoperative complications is undertaken in this short report.

Intrinsic brainstem schwannoma - A rare clinical entity and a histological enigma

Intraparenchymal schwannomas arising in the brainstem are very rare, and only eight cases have been reported in literature till now. We report an intraparenchymal brainstem schwannoma presenting with the classical clinical presentation of an intrinsic brainstem lesion, and discuss its clinicoradiological characteristics and histological origins. We highlight the importance of an intraoperative frozen section diagnosis in such cases. Intraoperative tissue diagnosis significantly may alter the surgical strategy, which should be aimed at near total intracapsular decompression of the schwannoma.

Primary parietal myeloid sarcoma

Intracranial occurrence of myeloid sarcoma without any evidence of systemic hematological disorder is uncommon. We report the case of a 17-year-old girl who presented with features of raised intracranial pressure and paraparesis of short duration. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 6 cm bilateral middle 1/3^rd para sagittal contrast enhancing extra-axial mass with mass effect. The tumor was subtotally excised. Histology and immunohistochemistry proved to be a myelosarcoma. Further evaluation done with peripheral blood smear and bone marrow biopsy ruled out the possibility of leukemia or myeloproliferative disorder. She was referred for chemotherapy and clinically showed improvement after 6 months of follow-up. Authors report a case of intracranial myelosarcoma which closely resembled meningioma both radiologically and in intraoperative morphological appearance. Authors discuss in detail the radiological and histological features of myelosarcoma along with differential diagnoses and treatment options.