[Subependymoma of the lateral ventricle. A case report]. / Subependimoma del ventriculo lateral. A proposito de un caso.

INTRODUCTION. Intracranial subependymomas are rare, slow-growing, noninvasive, benign tumors. They are most often located in the fourth ventricle. Most of these tumors are discovered incidentally during autopsy. Routine medical checkups using neuroimaging techniques have increased their diagnosis. Subependymomas may present with symptoms related to cerebrospinal fluid obstruction or mass effect. CASE REPORT. A 52-year-old man presented with severe headache and mental deterioration with memory disturbances and bradypsychia. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass in the right lateral ventricle causing obstructive hydrocephalus. The tumour was totally removed through a right frontal transcortical approach. Histological examination showed a typical subependymoma. A complete neurological recovery was achieved after surgery. CONCLUSIONS. Subependymomas are rare low-grade glial neoplasm that commonly arise in the ventricular system. They have a low-proliferative potential but in these locations they can cause symptomatic hydrocephalus. Surgical removal of the mass and the restoration of the normal cerebrospinal fluid pathways constitute the optimal management strategy.

Subependimoma del ventrículo lateral. A propósito de un caso / Subependymoma of the lateral ventricle. A case report

Introducción. Los subependimomas intracraneales son tumores benignos poco frecuentes, no invasivos y de lento crecimiento. Se localizan habitualmente en el cuarto ventrículo. La mayor parte de estos tumores se descubre incidentalmente como pequeñas lesiones durante la realización de estudios de autopsia. Los estudios con técnicas de neuroimagen han incrementado su diagnóstico. En los casos de pacientes sintomáticos con subependimomas, estos síntomas habitualmente se deben a la obstrucción del líquido cefalorraquídeo o por efecto masa. Caso clínico. Varón de 52 años que presentaba cefalea intensa y deterioro cognitivo con alteraciones de memoria y bradipsiquia. Las imágenes de tomografía computarizada y de resonancia magnética mostraron una lesión en el ventrículo lateral derecho que provocó hidrocefalia obstructiva. El tumor fue resecado totalmente a través de un abordaje frontal transcortical derecho. El examen histológico demostró hallazgos de subependimoma típico. Tras la cirugía, se consiguió una recuperación neurológica completa. Conclusiones. Los subependimomas son neoplasias gliales poco frecuentes que habitualmente crecen dentro del sistema ventricular. Tienen un bajo potencial proliferativo, pero en estas localizaciones pueden provocar hidrocefalia sintomática. La resección quirúrgica de la lesión y la restauración de las vías normales de circulación del líquido cefalorraquídeo constituyen la estrategia terapéutica óptima (AU)

Introduction. Intracranial subependymomas are rare, slow-growing, noninvasive, benign tumors. They are most often located in the fourth ventricle. Most of these tumors are discovered incidentally during autopsy. Routine medical checkups using neuroimaging techniques have increased their diagnosis. Subependymomas may present with symptoms related to cerebrospinal fluid obstruction or mass effect. Case report. A 52-year-old man presented with severe headache and mental deterioration with memory disturbances and bradypsychia. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass in the right lateral ventricle causing obstructive hydrocephalus. The tumour was totally removed through a right frontal transcortical approach. Histological examination showed a typical subependymoma. A complete neurological recovery was achieved after surgery. Conclusions. Subependymomas are rare low-grade glial neoplasm that commonly arise in the ventricular system. They have a low-proliferative potential but in these locations they can cause symptomatic hydrocephalus. Surgical removal of the mass and the restoration of the normal cerebrospinal fluid pathways constitute the optimal management strategy (AU)