Cerebellopontine angle subependymoma without fourth ventricle extension: An uncommon tumor in a rare location

• Published in: Neuropathology Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 164 - 170
• Main Authors: Cunha, Alexandre Martins, Brito, Ana Carolina Gonçalves, de Almeida Lima, Gabriela, de Souza, Luis Alberto, Simões, Elington Lannes, Telles, Carlos, Montagna, Nádia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Publishing Asia 01-04-2012
• Subjects: apparent diffusion coefficient; Benign; Brain Neoplasms - diagnosis; Brain Neoplasms - surgery; cerebellopontine angle; Cerebellopontine Angle - pathology; Cerebellopontine Angle - surgery; Fourth Ventricle; Glioma, Subependymal - diagnosis; Glioma, Subependymal - surgery; Humans; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Middle Aged; MRI; Neuroma, Acoustic - diagnosis; Neuroma, Acoustic - surgery; retrosigmoid approach; subependymoma; Tumors; Ventricles (cerebral)
• ISSN: 0919-6544; 1440-1789
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2011.01233.x

Subependymomas are benign tumors that occur predominantly in the ventricular system. We describe a case of a 57‐year‐old man with a large cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumor which expanded into the jugular foramen. Complete surgical excision of the tumor was achieved through a retrosigmoid approach and the histopathological diagnosis was subependymoma. Subependymomas located exclusively in the CPA without extension into the fourth ventricle are extremely rare. The mainly pathological features and the difficulty in correctly diagnosing these cases preoperatively, even with MRI, are discussed.