title: Ependymal cyst of the midbrain.
abstract: We present the case of a 30-year-old man who developed an acute hydrocephalus secondary to an obstruction of the cerebral aqueduct by a midbrain cystic lesion. After a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was placed to relief symptoms of intracranial hypertension, the patient underwent a neuronavigation-assisted endoscopic fenestration of the cyst. A careful immunohistochemical staining confirmed the diagnosis of an ependymal cyst. An extensive review of the literature has revealed that this is the first report of a periaqueductal ependymal cyst with definite histological diagnosis. This is a rare cause of acute non-communicating hydrocephalus but an important entity in the differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Virgen de La Salud Hospital, Toledo. rpieto29@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Issa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Subhi-Issa
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pascual
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D020863:Central Nervous System Cysts / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004805:Ependyma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D038361:Neuronavigation