[Neuroepithelial thalamo-mesencephalic cyst]. / Kyste neuroépithélial thalamo-mésencéphalique.

Thalamo-mesencephalic neuroepithelial cysts are rare lesions of the central nervous system. They are thought to arise from neuroectoderm and are also referred to as ependymal cysts due to their origin. It can remain asymptomatic throughout life or rarely can cause symptoms. We describe a 42-year-old woman who presented with thalamic syndrome due to a neuroepithelial cyst of the thalamo-midbrain. Differential diagnosis is made with other cystic lesions in the brain. However a good analysis of imaging feature led to diagnosis. When the lesion is symptomatic, mini-invasive procedure is indicated.

Textiloma: an uncommon complication of posterior lumbar surgery.

A surgical sponge or cotton swab that is inadvertently left behind in a surgical wound eventually becomes a "textiloma". Such foreign material (also called "gossypiboma") can cause a foreign-body reaction in the surrounding tissue. Textiloma is mostly asymptomatic in chronic cases, but can be confused with other soft-tissue masses. Therefore, it is important to be aware of patients who present with a paraspinal soft-tissue mass and unusual or atypical symptoms. Imaging is helpful for arriving at the correct diagnosis. Here, we describe a case of textiloma in which the patient presented with low-back pain 6 years after laminectomy and lumbar discectomy. Spinal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a mass lesion in the posterior paravertebral region.

Acute spontaneous subdural hematoma: an unusual form of cerebrovacular accident.

An acute subdural hematoma is commonly regarded as a complication of a head injury, and bleeding is associated with contusion or laceration of the bridging vein in the subdural space. Occasionally, reports describe non traumatic acute subdural bleeding from the rupture of cerebral aneurysm or vascular malformation. However, acute spontaneous subdural hematomas (ASDH) of arterial origin, without any traumatic history or vascular anomaly, are rarely reported in literature. Here we describe two cases who presented with acute signs of intracranial hypertension secondary to a spontaneous acute subdural hematoma in which spontaneous bleeding from a small cortical artery was seen during operation.

Metallic foreign body in the sphenoid sinus after ballistic injury: a case report.

Paranasal sinus injuries by foreign bodies have a lower incidence compared with facial injuries. Among them, penetrating maxillofacial injuries to the sphenoid sinus and skull base remain rare. We report the case of a 41-year-old man who presented with, after a missile-related maxillofacial injury, a metallic foreign body enclosed within the sphenoid sinus with carotid-canal fracture. Angiographic evaluation showed a mass in the right internal carotid artery. The foreign object was successfully extracted through a transmaxillary sublabial approach with a good outcome. We discuss the extensive preoperative evaluation and interdisciplinary management of this unusual injury.

Idiopathic spinal epidural lipomatosis without obesity: a case with relapsing and remitting course.

STUDY DESIGN: Case report of a rare form of idiopathic spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) manifesting with relapsing and remitting course. OBJECTIVE: To describe this very rare clinical and pathological condition and the results of surgical intervention. SETTING: A department of neurosurgery in Morocco. METHODS: A 24-year-old man presented with a 2-year history of mid-thoracic back pain and progressive neurogenic claudication with two episodes of remitting and relapsing course. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging revealed a fatty epidural mass extending from T4 to T9. Posterior decompression was performed, and he was followed for 3 years after the operation. RESULTS: Pathological examination of the surgical specimen revealed nodules of mature fat cells without neoplasm. The patient's symptoms completely resolved after surgical decompression. CONCLUSION: Fluctuating clinical course has not been reported previously in SEL. Such pathology should be considered in the differential diagnosis of demyelinating diseases.

[Intradiploic epidermoid cyst of the occipital bone]. / Kyste épidermoïde intradiploïque de l'os occipital.

BACKGROUND: A rare case of intradiploic epidermoid cyst of the occipital bone is described and recent literature, which emphasizes the radiological evaluation and surgical treatment of this lesion is reviewed. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 56-year-old female patient complained of headache and occasional episodes of vertigo for one year. Computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging were performed. The patient underwent occipital right craniotomy followed by total removal of the cyst and its capsule. RESULT: The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged 4 days later. CONCLUSION: A review of the literature shows that intradiploic epidermoid cyst of the occipital bone is rare. Correct radiological assessment and complete excision of this lesion and its capsule provides complete recovery.

[Spheno-orbital mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. A case report]. / Chondrosarcome mésenchymateux sphéno-orbitaire. A propos d'un cas.

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a highly malignant and extremely rare tumor of the orbit: only 18 cases have been reported to date. We report a case of spheno-orbital mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in a 36-year-old woman presented with a 4-month history of progressive left exophthalmia and temporal mass. A CT-scan of the orbit and MRI showed a spheno-orbital mass, with temporal fossa extension, fed by the internal maxillary artery visible on cerebral angiography. Surgery via a transcranial, left frontotemporozygomatic approach after selective embolization enabled subtotal removal. Definitive histologic examination revealed mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. Postoperatively, exophthalmia spectacularly regressed. We report our clinical findings and present a review of the literature.