[Tuberous sclerosis with intraventricular tumor: report of 2 cases]

It is well known that intraventricular tumors are occasionally seen in patients with tuberous sclerosis. We have experienced two cases of tuberous sclerosis with intraventricular tumor. Case 1: an 8-year-old girl was admitted to our clinic because of headache and vomiting of one month's duration. She had adenoma sebaceum, mental retardation and seizures clinically, and a large tumor was found in the right lateral ventricle by pneumoventriculography. Partial removal of the tumor was performed by the right frontal transcortical approach, but she later died of pneumonia. Necropsy revealed hamartomatous disease characterized by multiple focal tumor-like malformations in various organs including the brain, kidneys, heart, lungs and liver. The histological diagnosis of the intraventricular tumor was subependymal giant cell astrocytoma. Case 2: a 6-year-old boy was admitted to our clinic because of headache of one year's duration. He had also suffered from seizures since 6 months of age. Adenoma sebaceum was noted in the cheeks. CT revealed a medium sized tumor at the right foramen of Monro and the moderately dilated right lateral ventricle and several calcified deposits in the lateral ventricle wall. The tumor was subtotally removed by the right frontal transcortical approach. The pathological examination showed subependymal giant cell astrocytoma. Now 6 years after the operation he is enjoying a normal school life. In our cases, intraventricular tumors associated with tuberous sclerosis were of a typically benign histological appearance, that is subependymal giant cell astrocytoma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)