Central neurocytoma. A report of 4 cases.

We report 4 cases of central neurocytoma removed by a transfrontal approach with no recurrence after a mean follow up of 3 years. This uncommon lesion of the supratentorial ventricles (150 cases reported) occurs in young adul ts, and often induces intracranial hypertension secondary to an obstructive hydrocephalus. The CT scan MRI and histopathological features are related This neuronal origin tumor is difficult to distinguish front other intraven tricular processes as oligodendroglioma or ependymoma. However, the immunop ositivity for the neuronal markers as synaptophysin, calcineurin and microt ubul associated protein 2, and the negativity for the glial fibrillary acid ic protein, allow the diagnosis of this neuropathological entity. The progn osis is favorable though some cases of recurrence (14 cases) and cerebrospi nal dissemination (2 cases) has been reported in the literature.