Hypothalamic hamartoma associated with an arachnoid cyst

J Clin Neurosci. 2001 Jan;8(1):46-8. doi: 10.1054/jocn.2000.0771.

Abstract

A hypothalamic hamartoma associated with an arachnoid cyst in an 8-year-old boy is reported herein. He presented with precocious puberty, and neuroimaging studies demonstrated a solid mass in the prepontine cistern and a huge arachnoid cyst in the left cranial fossa. The mass appeared isointense to the surrounding cerebral cortex on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images, hyperintense on T2-weighted images, and was not enhanced after administration of Gd-DTPA. The patient underwent a left frontotemporal craniotomy and a cyst-peritoneal shunt was inserted. Histological features of the cyst wall and the mass were characteristic of an arachnoid cyst and hamartoma, respectively. While a hypothalamic hamartoma associated with an arachnoid cyst is rare, such a case may help clarify the geneses of both anomalous lesions.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Arachnoid / diagnostic imaging
  • Arachnoid / pathology*
  • Arachnoid / surgery
  • Arachnoid Cysts / complications*
  • Arachnoid Cysts / pathology
  • Arachnoid Cysts / surgery
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / methods
  • Child
  • Hamartoma / complications*
  • Hamartoma / pathology
  • Hamartoma / surgery
  • Humans
  • Hypothalamic Diseases / complications*
  • Hypothalamic Diseases / pathology
  • Hypothalamic Diseases / surgery
  • Hypothalamus / diagnostic imaging
  • Hypothalamus / pathology*
  • Hypothalamus / surgery
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Puberty, Precocious / etiology
  • Puberty, Precocious / pathology
  • Puberty, Precocious / surgery
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome