A Case of Cephalic Brain-like Heterotopia / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

Cephalic brain-like heterotopias, so called nasal gliomas, are masses of mature glial tissue resulted from an error in embryonic development and are frequently located on the bridge of the nose. They often give rise to the clinical suspicion of dermoid cyst, hemangioma, or lipoma. Histologically, they are composed of fibrillary neuroglial cells, mainly large astrocytes, which are interlaced with a variable amount of fibrous and vascular connective tissue. Mitoses are rare. The possible tumor stalk is usually fibrous without glial elements. Due to the occasional presence of connection to the intracranial space it deserves a careful preoperative evaluation including imaging studies. We report a case of cephalic brain-like heterotopia. A sixteen day-old infant presented a mass which was suspended to the forehead by a fibrous stalk. Th excised lesion showed characteristic pathologic features of cephalic brain-like heterotopia.