Giant colloid cyst in a child.

We describe a case of a giant third ventricular colloid cyst occurring in a 10-year-old child with unusual imaging features and discuss the causes for these imaging findings.

Symptomatic central canal rupture heralding the presence of an asymptomatic conus dermoid.

Dermoid cysts represent a rare group of tumors manifesting predominantly in adulthood. Rupture of these tumors is well described with it being symptomatic more commonly intracranially as compared to central canal rupture of intraspinally located dermoid tumor which not only is uncommon, but also frequently asymptomatic. The authors report an unusual case of asymptomatic conus dermoid in a young male diagnosed when investigated for a symptomatic isolated central canal rupture.

Eumycetoma presenting as a cerebellopontine angle mass lesion.

Eumycetoma in the cerebellopontine angle region is extremely uncommon with no case being reported as per an extensive review of the literature by the authors. The authors report a case of cerebellopontine angle eumycetoma in a young female managed by subtotal decompression and antifungal treatment. The pre-operative diagnosis of eumycetoma in this location is extremely difficult and the role of histopathology is very important to characterize this uncommon lesion.

Images in neuro oncology: primary extraaxial cerebellopontine angle ependymoma.

Posterior fossa ependymoma usually arise in the fourth ventricle. Though extension of this tumor into the cerebellopontine angle and subarachnoid space through the foramina of Luschka or Magendie is well described, a primary extraaxial cerebellopontine angle location of a posterior fossa ependymoma is distinctly uncommon. The authors report imaging in such an unusual case of a primary cerebellopontine angle ependymoma.

Cervicomedullary compression secondary to massive calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition in the atlantoaxial joint with intradural extension and vertebral artery encasement.

Background: Deposition of CPPD crystals occurs in the fibrous and hyaline cartilage of the joints and intervertebral disks of the spine. Half of patients known to have chondrocalcinosis had asymptomatic calcification in the odontoid region. The cases of 12 patients with a spinal cord syndrome secondary to CPPD deposition in the odontoid region were published in the literature.

Treatment of intramedullary spinal cysticercosis: report of 2 cases and review of literature.

Background: NCC, Taenia solium involvement in the central nervous system, is one of the most common parasitic diseases. Spinal IMC is one of the rarest forms of NCC.

Case Description: We report 2 cases (an 8-year-old child and a 35-year-old woman) of spinal IMC.

Tuberculosis of the craniovertebral junction: is surgery necessary?

Objective: Tuberculosis of the craniovertebral junction is an uncommon entity and its optimal management remains controversial. In this study, we present the evolution of management protocol of this disease in our institute in the past 3 decades.

Methods: A total of 51 patients with craniovertebral junction tuberculosis presenting as atlantoaxial dislocation from 1978 through 2004 were reviewed.

Acromegaly with fibrous dysplasia: McCune-Albright Syndrome -- clinical studies in 3 cases and brief review of literature--.

The McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is characterized by a triad of poly/monostotic fibrous dysplasia, café-au-lait macules and hyperfunctioning endocrinopathies including growth hormone (GH) excess. Polyostotic bone lesions and café-au-lait macules are common while monostotic bone lesions are rare. Similarly, acromegaly as a manifestation of endocrine hyperfunction with MAS is uncommon and in most of the instances somatotropinoma has not been documented.