Intracranial cholesterol granuloma in a cat

A case of intracranial cholesterol granuloma is described in a 4-year-old neutered European male cat presented with a 5-month history of progressive weakness, ataxia and depression. On clinical evaluation, haematological and biochemical profiles revealed only mild hypercholesterolemia and magnetic resonance imaging showed a large space-occupying extra-axial mass in the area of the falx, not homogeneous after contrast enhancement. At post-mortem examination, an orange-yellowish mass of 22 mm in diameter extended from the right frontal lobe to the temporo-parietal region, causing atrophy of the prosencephalic region of the brain. The site of origin of the mass was within the subarachnoid space of the supracallosum sulcus of the right cerebral hemisphere. Histological examination of the lesion revealed abundant deposits of cholesterol clefts, surrounded by clusters of macrophages and multinucleated giant cells. Neither inflammatory lesions, nor cholesterol deposits were detected in other areas of the brain and in other organs. On the basis of the histological examination, a diagnosis of intracranial cholesterol granuloma was made.