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Suprasellar hemangioblastoma during pregnancy: illustrative case
Patrick Toyota1, Michael McKenzie2, Jason R Shewchuk3
1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Background:
Hemangioblastoma is a benign tumor that typically occurs in the posterior fossa but may be found anywhere along the neuroaxis. Its growth behavior may be difficult to predict, and pregnancy has been discussed as a possible growth-promoting factor.
Observations:
The authors report the case of a rare suprasellar apparently sporadic hemangioblastoma diagnosed during pregnancy. Following the progressive worsening of symptoms, the baby was delivered by cesarean section. The patient was treated with stereotactic radiotherapy, resulting in a marked improvement in symptoms and impressive reduction in tumor size.
Lessons:
High vascularity and solid growth with a tendency for surgical complications appear to be typical of suprasellar hemangioblastoma, as indicated by this and several other reported cases. The importance of nonsurgical treatment strategies, including radiation therapy, is emphasized by this case. Pregnancy is one of the factors that has been investigated as potentially growth promoting. The authors speculate that postpartum hormonal changes may have contributed to tumor shrinkage in their case. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE26756.