title: Microsurgical removal of sylvian fissure lipoma with pterion keyhole approach-case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intracranial lipomas are thought to be congenital in origin and are very rare, representing 0.1% to 1.7% of all intracranial tumors. Most ICLs are located at midline. Lipomas at sylvian fissure are extremely rare. They are slow growing, and biological course is favorable even without surgical treatment. A Medline search of the literature from 1965 to 2007 revealed only 13 cases of sylvian fissure lipomas reported. Of 9 patients with sylvian fissure lipoma diagnosed during life, 6 patients were operated on with no mortality and got improvement of symptoms. Surgical intervention should be considered if there are problems such as compressive effect or resistance to anticonvulsive medical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a 57-year-old woman with a sylvian fissure lipoma presenting with persistent intractable headache. Imaging study showed a lobular nonenhanced lesion associated with abnormal vessels in the right sylvian fissure. The patient underwent minimally invasive pterion keyhole approach, and the lipoma was successfully and totally removed. Headache and subsided postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are only few cases of sylvian fissure lipomas in which surgical excision has been attempted. Because of improvement of microsurgical techniques, direct surgical approach with total removal of lipomas, via a minimally invasive pterion keyhole approach, is feasible. Therefore, it should be kept in mind that the primary goal of the surgery is adequate decompression; and total removal may be achieved if the lesion permits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Shao-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Chiung-Chyi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008067:Lipoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D016896:Treatment Outcome