Modified "Extended" Suboccipital Subtonsillar Clipping of a Ruptured Proximal Pica Aneurysm: Technical Note with Relevant Anatomical Demonstration.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Lesions located lateral to the lower brainstem, such as proximal posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysms, are surgically challenging. We report a case of a patient with a left proximal PICA aneurysm that was successfully clipped via a so-called "extended" suboccipital subtonsillar approach, which allowed us to obtain proper vascular control without removal of the atlas. The anatomy relevant for this approach has been studied. METHODS: Three adult cadaveric heads were studied. The relevant neurovascular anatomy related to this approach was exposed. Hence, this technique was applied on the patient herewith reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old man with sudden onset of severe headache, nausea, and vomiting was admitted to our hospital. Computed tomography of the brain showed diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage, mainly distributed at the level of the perimesencephalic cisterns. Cerebral angiography revealed a 3-mm aneurysm arising at the origin of the left PICA. The aneurysm was considered unsuitable for coil embolization, so it was treated via a "modified" posterolateral suboccipital subtonsillar route. The modification consisted of accomplishing proper proximal vascular control at the extracranial segment of the vertebral artery (V3), without the need of further removal of the posterior portion of the atlas. The patient was discharged neurologically intact. CONCLUSIONS: The technique we suggested allowed no unnecessary removal of bone, with no need to drill the occipital condyle or remove the atlas, offered proper proximal vascular control in the early stage of the surgical procedure, and limited the quantity of temporary vascular clips inside the intracranial surgical field.

Staged Management of Intracranial Masson Tumor: An Unexpected Gauntlet: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH), also known as Masson tumor, is a benign lesion consisting of a reactive proliferation of endothelial cells with papillary formations related to thrombi. It has been reported in many different anatomic areas. Gross total resection is the elected treatment. Intracranial IPEH is rare, and only a few cases have been reported. This article reports a complicated case of cavernous sinus Masson tumor. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 51-year-old woman presented because of hemicraneal headache, left facial paresthesia, and diplopia (due to a slight left ocular external rectum muscle paresis) that she had experienced the previous 60 days. She had previously received a diagnosis of neurofibromatosis type I. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging showed a 3.5-cm contrast-enhanced tumor adjacent to the left cavernous sinus involving the Meckel cave that extended around the distal petrous portion of the left internal carotid artery. Two possibilities as a differential diagnosis were suggested: meningioma or neurogenic tumor. After a staged surgical procedure, the histopathologic findings were unexpected and showed IPEH (Masson tumor) as the cause of the mass. Despite having benign features, the IPEH showed recurrences over time, so adjuvant 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy was initiated. CONCLUSIONS: IPEH is prone to recurrences after subtotal resection. In the present case, successful surgical treatment and adjuvant radiotherapy showed an excellent outcome. To date, no adjuvant therapy has been established as a go-to option.