title: Rupture of a spinal dermoid cyst may lead to dissemination and progress of Fatty tissue in the central spinal canal and intracranial subarachnoid space. A case report.
abstract: Intradural dermoid cysts may rupture and subsequent subarachnoid dissemination of lipid droplets has been described before. However, the rupture of a spinal dermoid cyst into the central spinal canal is a rare entity. In this context, dissemination of fat into the intracranial subarachnoid space with local progression is a peculiar finding that, to the best of our knowledge, has not been published so far. We describe the case of a 28-year-old man with a dermoid cyst at the upper lumbar level as part of a complex congenital craniospinal malformation, presenting with new unspecific neurologic symptoms. CT and MRI revealed disseminated intraventricular and subarachnoid lipid droplets intracranially and in the spine not present on previous CT and MRI scans obtained eight years earlier. Thus, repeated rupture of a spinal dermoid cyst with subarachnoid spread and/or secondary proliferation should be suspected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne, Germany - anastasios.mpotsaris@uk-koeln.de.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kabbasch
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mpotsaris
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Kantonsspital Winterthur, Department of Neurosurgery; Winterthur, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Cologne; Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liebig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003884:Dermoid Cyst / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013346:Subarachnoid Space / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: MRI; central spinal canal; dermoid tumour; subarachnoid space