Giant posterior fossa dural cavernoma in a child

Extra-axial (dural) cavernomas are rare and constitutes 5% of all cavernomas. They are thought to arise from the venous plexus of the dura. They can reach large sizes before diagnosis and can have an aggressive presentation.

The authors report a rare case of giant cavernoma based on the posterior fossa dura adjacent to the sigmoid sinus (sino-dural angle) in an 8-year-old boy which was excised with good outcome. The authors describe its clinico-radiological profile and outcome characteristics along with a comprehensive review of relevant literature.

This child underwent retromastiod craniectomy and complete excision of the dural cavernoma. The dural attachment was coagulated. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis.

We report cavernoma needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of a dural-based posterior fossa lesion in paediatric population as complete excision is possible.