Cortical Ependymoma Presenting as Subclinical Seizures in a Very Young Child.

Supratentorial cortical ependymoma is an extremely rare malignancy in the pediatric population, especially in very young age groups. Most of the reported cases present with dramatic neurological symptoms like seizures and sudden onset hemiplegia. We hereby report a case of anaplastic supra-cortical ependymoma in a 13-month-old male child, with subtle seizures for four weeks.

Isolated Discitis in Melioidosis: An Unknown Presentation and a Microbiological Challenge.

causes Whitmore's disease or melioidosis which is endemic in many South Asian countries including India. This gram-negative bacterium is frequently found in the moist soil and agricultural workers get infected most commonly. Most of the infections are asymptomatic and have a wide spectrum of manifestations as in tuberculosis.

Interhemispheric transcallosal transforaminal approach and its variants to colloid cyst of third ventricle: Technical issues based on a single institutional experience of 297 cases.

Context: Colloid cysts are benign intracranial lesions that usually involve the anterior third ventricle with varying appearance on imaging studies. The number of articles debating the origin of this tumor is surpassed by papers proposing the best modality available for its treatment.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical presentation and surgical outcome of colloid cysts surgically managed over a period of thirty-two years and evaluate the technical issues based on our experience.

Surgical outcome in cystic vestibular schwannomas.

Background: Cystic vestibular schwannomas (VS) form a rare subgroup that differs from the solid variant clinically, radiologically, and histopathologically. These tumors also vary in their surgical outcome and carry a different risk of post-operative complications. We analyzed our series of 64 patients with cystic VS and discuss the technical difficulties related to total excision of these tumors and focus on complication avoidance.

Pediatric thalamic tumors in the MRI era: a Canadian perspective.

Background: Thalamic gliomas are rare. The natural history is unpredictable, and the optimal management of these tumors in children is poorly defined. The aim was to identify outcomes, prognostic factors, and response to various modalities of treatment in a relatively large population of pediatric thalamic tumors from many centers within a fairly homogeneous health care system.

Rosette forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle in squash cytology smear.

Rosette forming glioneuronal tumor (RGNT) is a recently recognized and extremely rare glioneuronal tumor occurring in the fourth ventricle. It is crucial for the cytopathologist to be aware of this entity as it can be easily mistaken for more common neoplasms occurring at this site. We present here the cytology of such a rare case of RGNT that was misdiagnosed as ependymoma.

The "vagal ansa": a source of complication in vagus nerve stimulation.

A 16-year-old boy underwent vagus nerve stimulation for treatment-resistant multifocal epilepsy. During intraoperative system diagnostics, vigorous contraction of the ipsilateral sternomastoid muscle was observed. On re-exploration, a thin nerve fiber passing from the vagus to the sternomastoid was found hooked up in the upper electrode.

Long term outcome in surgically treated posterior fossa epidermoids.

Objectives: To study posterior fossa epidermoids treated surgically at our institute and to compare their long term outcome with respect to extent of surgical decompression.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective analysis of 50 cases of posterior fossa epidermoid surgically treated at our institute between 1997 and 2007.

Results: The mean duration from onset of symptoms to surgery was 2.

Brainstem ganglioglioma in an infant: Case report and review of literature.

Gangliogliomas are well differentiated, usually low grade, neuroepithelial tumors that comprise of neoplastic ganglion cells in combination with neoplastic glial cells. Occasionally, glial cells may show anaplastic features and are then labeled as anaplastic gangliogliomas. Most of the reported gangliogliomas are supratentorial tumors, predominantly in the temporal lobe.

A retrospective study of primary cerebellar glioblastoma multiforme in adults.

Primary cerebellar glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a rare tumour in adults that accounts for less than 1% of all patients with GBM. In view of their rarity, the pathogenesis and prognosis of cerebellar GBM are not yet completely understood. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyse patients with primary cerebellar GBM treated in our institute over a period of 10 years.

Factors predicting the need for cerebrospinal fluid diversion following posterior fossa tumor surgery in children.

Background: No consensus exists regarding the management of hydrocephalus in children with posterior fossa tumors before, during or after surgery. In the present study we analyze the factors that predispose to persistent hydrocephalus and the need for a postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedure.

Methods: Pediatric patients who underwent surgery for posterior fossa tumors with hydrocephalus at our hospital were reviewed to evaluate the need for a postoperative CSF diversion procedure.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma of the spine presenting as acute paraplegia.

Ewing's sarcoma is a primary bone malignancy with the highest incidence in the second decade of life. Although it mostly affects the metaphyseal region of long growing bones, involvement of spine is not very uncommon especially the sacrum. Nonsacral spinal Ewing's sarcoma is rarer and often mimics a benign condition before spreading extensively.

Case Report: Floating fat globule within an arachnoid cyst.

Intralesional floating fat globules have been reported in cystic lesions such as teratoma of the ovary and dermoid of the head and neck but not within intracranial lesions. Fat globules dispersed within the subarachnoid space are a known imaging finding of ruptured intracranial dermoid. We report a unique case of an intralesional solitary floating fat globule within a multicompartmental arachnoid cyst, with varying locations on serial imaging.

Epidermoid cyst of the brainstem in children: case-based update.

Epidermoid cysts are rare, slow growing, space-occupying lesions of early adulthood. Among the various locations, involvement of the brainstem is quite exceptional. In children, these tumors are extremely uncommon; only 4 purely intrinsic brainstem epidermoids are reported in the literature.

A single institution series of cavernomas of the brainstem.

We retrospectively analyzed a series of patients with brainstem cavernomas of the medulla, pons, or midbrain to attempt to define the natural history, indications for surgery, and outcome after surgical resection. Between 1993 and 2008, 52 patients with cavernomas of the brainstem presented to our institute and were managed either surgically or conservatively. Twenty-three patients underwent surgical excision using standard skull base approaches.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a case of postoperative spinal extradural haematoma: case report and review of literature.

A 14-year-old girl presented with progressive paraparesis and paresthesia of one-year duration. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a T6 vertebral hemangioma with epidural compression on the spinal cord. Following angiography and embolization, she underwent dorsal laminectomy and excision of the soft tissue component compressing the cord.

Iophendylate myelography induced thoracic arachnoiditis, arachnoid cyst and syrinx, four decades later.

Iophendylate (Myodil) was a popular oil-based contrast agent used until late 1980s for myelography, ventriculography and cisternography. Although several long-term sequelae have been reported in literature, they are extremely rare. We report a rare occurrence of symptomatic dorsal arachnoid cyst 40 years after Myodil myelography.