Symptomatic bilateral cerebellar mass lesions: an unusual presentation of intracranial xanthogranuloma

Xanthogranulomas are a group of benign lesions with an incidence of 1.6-7.0% in various autopsy series. Although the lateral ventricle is the most frequent intracranial site involved, most symptomatic cases occur in the choroid plexus, involving the third ventricle. Multicentric bilateral symptomatic cerebellar xanthogranuloma has not been reported previously. We describe a 35-year-old man who presented with a complaint of vertigo, with nystagmus and left-side cerebellar signs found on clinical examination. Radiological evaluation revealed bilateral cerebellar lesions abutting the cerebellopontine angle cistern. The left-side lesion was excised and diagnosed as xanthogranuloma up on histopathological examination. The right-side lesion was subsequently excised 4 years later when it became symptomatic. The role of histopathology cannot be overemphasized in the diagnosis of this rare lesion and long-term follow-up is advised in cases managed conservatively owing to the propensity of this tumor to grow over time.