Unusual Imaging Appearance of a Huge Intracranial Dermoid Cyst Located Across the Anterior and Middle Skull Base

Abstract

Intracranial dermoid cysts are rare congenital neoplasms. Typical dermoid cysts are well-circumscribed fat-density masses with no associated contrast enhancement. We report a woman with a dermoid cyst across the anterior and middle skull base of unusual imaging appearance. This report highlights the challenge facing the diagnosis and management of intracranial dermoid cysts with unusual primary imaging findings.

Keywords

dermoid cyst - unusual imaging appearance - anterior and middle skull base

• Reference

• 1 Rubin G, Scienza R, Pasqualin A, Rosta L, Da Pian R. Craniocerebral epidermoids and dermoids. A review of 44 cases. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 1989; 97: 1-16
• 2 Osborn AG. Diagnostic Neuroradiology. St Louis: Mosby; 1994
• 3 Goh GJ, Page RD, Nixon TE. An unusual CT and MR appearance of a posterior fossa dermoid. Eur J Radiol 1995; 20: 46-47
• 4 Bizzozero L, Talamonti G, D'Angelo VA, Casadei GP, Arrigoni GL, Collice M. Dermoid cyst mimicking hematoma in the posterior fossa. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 1992; 94: 61-63
• 5 Conley FK. Epidermoid and dermoid tumors: clinical features. In: Wilkins RH, Rengachary SS, , eds. Neurosurgery. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1985: 668-673
• 6 Baxter JW, Netsky MG. Epidermoid and dermoid tumors: pathology. In: Wilkins RH, Rengachary SS, , eds. Neurosurgery. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1985: 655-661
• 7 Russel DS, Rubinstein LJ. Pathology of Tumors of the Nervous System. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1989
• 8 Wallace D, Tress B, Kwan PF. Radiologically atypical congenital posterior fossa dermoid cyst presenting late in life. J Clin Neurosci 2008; 15: 835-838
• 9 Brown JY, Morokoff AP, Mitchell PJ, Gonzales MF. Unusual imaging appearance of an intracranial dermoid cyst. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2001; 22: 1970-1972
• 10 Shen WC, Chiou TL, Lin TY. Dermal sinus with dermoid cyst in the upper cervical spine: case note. Neuroradiology 2000; 42: 51-53
• 11 Lee JK, Kim JH, Kim JS , et al. Cervical dermal sinus associated with dermoid cyst. Childs Nerv Syst 2001; 17: 491-493
• 12 Yaşargil MG, Abernathey CD, Sarioglu AC. Microneurosurgical treatment of intracranial dermoid and epidermoid tumors. Neurosurgery 1989; 24: 561-567
• 13 Dunn LT, May PL. Brain stem dermoid cyst. Childs Nerv Syst 1996; 12: 229
• 14 Caldarelli M, Colosimo C, Di Rocco C. Intra-axial dermoid/epidermoid tumors of the brainstem in children. Surg Neurol 2001; 56: 97-105