Adult Arnold-Chiari malformation and intrinsic brain stem neoplasm: a difficult differential diagnosis.
The occurrence of a brain stem neoplasm in three adults previously treated for an adult Arnold-Chiari malformation is reported. The diagnosis of adult Arnold-Chiari malformation had been confirmed by angiography and computed tomographic scanning. All patients were treated with a combination of ventricular shunts and posterior fossa decompression. The diagnosis of brain stem neoplasm was not made until late in the clinical course, and all patients died within 2 years of the onset of symptoms.
D000293:Adolescent; D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D014695:Cerebral Ventriculography; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011149:Pons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed