Central neurocytoma with symptomatic paraventricular cyst: case report

This is the first report of the occurrence of a central neurocytoma and a symptomatic paraventricular cyst; this entity may have particular surgical implications. A 37-year-old male was admitted with a four month history of dizziness and gait instability. He subsequently developed increasing weakness of his left arm and leg. An unenhanced computed tomography scan revealed a hyperdense mass in the right lateral ventricle with a paraventricular cystic lesion in the frontoparietal white matter. MR images showed the origin and extent of the lesion more completely. A frontoparietal craniotomy with a transfrontal transcystic approach allowed resection of the tumor. Intraventricular tumors continue to present a major challenge for neurosurgeons because of their depth and the important surrounding structures. We report the use of a well-known neurosurgical strategy, the transcystic approach, for gross removal of a neurocytoma located in the ventricles.