Freiburg Neuropathology Case Conference: A Cystic Lesion of the Cerebellum in an Adolescent

Excerpt

A 19-year-old female patient reported a 6-month history of severe headache attacks accompanied with nausea that occurred 3–4 times a week. There were no other complaints apart from myopia, which had been treated with prescription of eyeglasses 3 months earlier. An ambulant magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a small cerebellar lesion on the left with unimpeded circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. On admission, the patient showed no neurological deficits. Extensive cerebrospinal fluid analyses were inconspicuous for a neuroinflammatory or infectious disease. A transcerebellar stereotactic biopsy was performed with the patient under general anesthesia. Postoperatively, the patient transiently showed vertigo, nausea and a mild intention tremor of the left hand. These cerebellar symptoms were completely reversible with dexamethasone treatment and the patient was discharged home 3 days after surgery. …