Case 263 -- A Cerebellar Mass

Contributed by Thomas J. Cummings, MD, Robert H. Ebert II, Ph.D., James Provenzale, MD, Roger E. McLendon, MD
      Department of Pathology (TJC, RHE, REM), and Radiology (JP)
      Duke University Medical Center
Published on line in March 2001


PATIENT HISTORY:

A 16-year-old female presented with a seven month history of headaches and difficulty with gait. She had no significant past medical history. Neurologic examination revealed mild right cerebellar dysfunction. She underwent a suboccipital craniotomy and resection of a right cerebellar lesion.

IMAGING STUDIES:

Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain revealed a lesion within the right cerebellar hemisphere. On T1-weighted MR images, the lesion exhibited a striated pattern of alternating isointense and hypointense zones that did not enhance following the administration of contrast (Fig 1). The lesion was hyperintense on T2-weighted images, and also showed a striated appearance (Fig 2). There was prominent mass effect on the caudal medulla.

PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS

DIAGNOSIS AND DISCUSSION


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