title: Spinal dermoid cysts originating intracranial fat drops causing obstructive hydrocephalus: case reports.
abstract: The authors report two cases of spinal dermoid cysts whose rupture originated the migration of free fat drops into the ventricles and intracranial subarachnoid spaces. In both cases the fat drops caused obstructive hydrocephalus, which represents a quite exceptional complication. Moreover, one of the cases is unique, since the finding of intracranial fat causing hydrocephalus considerably preceded the discovery of the spinal neoplasm. The authors suggest that the finding of intracranial fat in the absence of a local source makes the search for a intraspinal dermoid or epidermoid tumor mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavazzani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruelle
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michelozzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andrioli
mesh_terms: D002552:Cerebral Ventricles; D003884:Dermoid Cyst / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology*; D008055:Lipids; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013346:Subarachnoid Space
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids