INTRAMEDULLARY EPIDERMOID CYST IN THE BRAIN-STEM - CASE-REPORT

BACKGROUND The incidence of intracranial epidermoid cysts is between 0 .2% to 1.8% of all brain tumors. They usually occur in the cerebellopo ntine angle or parasellar region. Intramedullary epidermoid cyst is ra re and only nine cases have been previously reported. METHODS A 69-yea r-old woman had progressive left hemiparesis for 2 years. Computed tom ography scanning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed that th ere was a cystic tumor in the pens that was compressing the brain stem . A part of the tumor cyst wall and the content of the cyst were surgi cally removed by right subtemporal transtentorial approach. The histol ogic diagnosis was epidermoid cyst. After the surgery, the left hemipa resis was improved and there was no sign of the tumor growth by MRI. C ONCLUSION The outcome of the previous cases with radical tumor resecti on was poor compared with the present case in which only a part of the cyst wall and the content were removed. Therefore, radical removal of the whole tumor may not be necessary for intramedullary epidermoid cy st of the brain stem.