Choroid plexus papillomas of the posterior fossa: extraventricular extension, intraventricular and primary extraventricular location. Report of four cases.

Four cases of Choroid Plexus Papilloma (CPP) of the posterior fossa are presented. Two cases had extraventricular extension from the fourth ventricle to the Cerebellopontine Angle (CPA) through the foramen of Luschka, in one the CPP was located primarily in the CPA and the fourth case was only in the fourth ventricle. CPP are rare tumours of the Central Nervous System and primary extraventricular location is extremely rare. We know that primary location in the extraventricular and intraventricular regions and extraventricular extension have different pathological mechanisms. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss and review some possible explanations for these mechanisms.

Primary giant granulomatous basal meningitis: an unusual presentation of tuberculosis.

A case of granulomatous tuberculous meningitis in a 3-year-old child without any known primary disease in any other organ is presented. Tuberculous meningitis is an uncommon presentation of tuberculosis and is characterized by diffuse or circumscribed granulomatous involvement of the meninges, particularly at the base of the brain. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent the worst events it can bring and to improve the chances of survival. Diagnosis remains difficult because of the lack of reliable clinical diagnostic criteria.

Sacral hydatid cysts with intrapelvic extension presenting as herniated intervertebral disc.

Hydatid disease of bone is a rare condition. Although the bones most often involved are the vertebrae, sacral vertebral involvement is extremely rare. Prognosis is poor despite extensive medical and surgical treatment. In this paper we present two unusual cases of hydatid disease located in the sacral vertebrae with extension into the pelvic cavity causing radicular symptoms.

Intraparenchymal schwannomas of the central nervous system: an additional case report and review.

Intraparenchymal location of schwannomas in the central nervous system (CNS) is rare. Occasional cases involving the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, and spinal cord have been reported. We report here an additional case of thoracic intramedullary schwannoma in a 42 year old woman. The literature concerning intraparenchymal schwannomas in the CNS is reviewed and discussed.

Primary intracranial extradural hydatid cyst extending above and below the tentorium.

We report a 15-year-old girl with an intracranial extradural hydatid cyst. The lesion extended from the right occipital extradural region to the right infratentorial extradural region, passing over the right transverse sinus. An intracranial extradural hydatid cyst is very rare and we found only 12 previously reported cases in the literature.

Cerebral phaeohyphomycosis.

A 14-year-old girl with a rare form of fungal brain abscess involving the dura and brain parenchyma is reported. No portal of entry of the infection was found. Histological findings and fungal culture both indicated that the causative agent was Xylohypha bantiana, an uncommon dematiaceous fungus. A review of the literature suggests that this infection, which affects primarily young male patients, exhibits distinct neurotropism. Despite therapy, the prognosis is generally poor.