title: Hemangiopericytoma of the foramen magnum in a pregnant patient: A case report and literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The presentation of intracranial hemangiopericytomas is very rare, and only one case of a hemangiopericytoma during pregnancy has been reported in the literature. The management of these lesions poses a great challenge to the neurosurgeon, since the physiological and hormonal changes of pregnancy can exacerbate the symptoms of this highly vascularized neoplasm and pose different risks to both the mother and the fetus. We report the case of a patient who had sudden onset of intracranial hypertension at the ninth week of gestation due to a hemangiopericytoma of the foramen magnum and review the literature in this regard.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 23-year-old female who presented with signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension at the ninth week of gestation was initially thought to have hyperemesis gravidarum. Because her symptoms persisted, she was found to have intracranial hypertension due to a tumor in the foramen magnum. She was treated by means of derivative surgery to allow for her pregnancy to progress beyond the first trimester, and at the 22(nd) week of gestation she underwent a sub-occipital craniotomy with partial tumor removal. Pathology was consistent with hemangiopericytoma. Both the mother and the fetus had positive outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the second intracranial hemangiopericytoma presenting during pregnancy to be reported in the literature, and it is the first one of its kind to be located in the foramen magnum and causing severe intracranial hypertension.
authors.affiliation: University of Costa Rica School of Medicine, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica ; Department of Neurological Surgery, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Paseo Colón, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hernández-Durán
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Paseo Colón, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Jiménez
authors.affiliation: University of Costa Rica School of Medicine, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica ; Department of Neurological Surgery, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Paseo Colón, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Berríos
keywords: Hemangiopericytoma; hyperemesis gravidarum; intracranial hypertension; intracranial neoplasms; pregnancy complications