Desmoid tumor after resection of cerebellar hemangioblastoma

Desmoid tumors are histologically benign but locally invasive tumors that rarely can occur in the head and neck. In this article, we illustrate a rare case of desmoid tumor formation in intracranial posterior fossa after suboccipital craniotomy for hemangioblastoma. A 43-year-old woman presented with headaches, dizziness, equilibrium disorders, nausea, and vomiting due to a hemangioblastoma in posterior fossa. A gross total resection was achieved. Three years postoperatively, the patient developed a growing mass at the intracranial intradural regions in posterior fossa near the previous incision. Surgical resection of the lesion was performed and the mass was totally resected. Postoperative imaging demonstrated no residual evidence of tumor and the pathological review of the surgical tumor specimen demonstrated desmoid tumor in intracranial posterior fossa. As desmoid tumors seem to arise at the location of a previous surgical site, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis for superficial masses occurring in the surgical bed after posterior surgery. Additionally, identifying the relationship between the basic effects of tumor surgery and desmoid tumor formation is considerably needed.