title: Immediate resolution of tonsillar herniation and severe cervicothoracic syringomyelia after third ventriculostomy for hydrocephalus caused by a brainstem tumor. Case report.
abstract: The authors report the case of a patient who harbored a large intrinsic brainstem tumor associated with tonsillar herniation, hydrocephalus, and severe cervicothoracic syringomyelia. This 15-year-old girl had a 2-month history of progressively worsening headaches. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a large tumor in the dorsolateral brainstem accompanied by hydrocephalus as well as a cervicothoracic syrinx extending to the level of T-8. She underwent endoscopic third ventriculostomy that resulted in a marked decrease in the ventricle size as well as complete resolution of the syrinx and tonsillar herniation within 4 days. Clinical and neuroimaging findings of the case along with a pertinent literature review are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Arkansas Children's Hospital, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, USA. airaja@uicalumni.org
authors.forename: Ali I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Raja
authors.forename: Badih
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Adada
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D020295:Brain Stem Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D020542:Third Ventricle / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D014696:Ventriculostomy