title: Frontal dermoid cyst coexisting with suprasellar craniopharyngioma: a spectrum of ectodermally derived epithelial-lined cystic lesions?
abstract: There is a wide group of lesions that may exist in the sellar and suprasellar regions. Embryologically, there is varying evidence that many of these entities may in fact represent a continuum of pathology deriving from a common ectodermal origin. The authors report a case of a concomitant suprasellar craniopharyngioma invading the third ventricle with a concurrent frontal lobe cystic dermoid tumor. A 21-year-old man presented to the authors' service with a 3-day history of worsening headache, nausea, vomiting, and blurry vision. Magnetic resonance imaging depicted a right frontal lobe lesion associated with a separate suprasellar cystic lesion invading the third ventricle. The patient underwent a right pterional craniotomy for resection of both lesions. Gross-total resection of the right frontal lesion was achieved, and subtotal resection of the suprasellar lesion was accomplished with some residual tumor adherent to the walls of the third ventricle. Histopathological examination of the resected right frontal lesion documented a diagnosis of dermoid cyst and, for the suprasellar lesion, a diagnosis of adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma. The occurrence of craniopharyngioma with dermoid cyst has not been reported in the literature before. Such an association might indeed suggest the previously reported hypothesis that these lesions represent a spectrum of ectodermally derived epithelial-lined cystic lesions.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and.|Departments of 2 Neurosurgery and.
authors.forename: Hussam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abou-Al-Shaar
authors.affiliation: Departments of 2 Neurosurgery and.
authors.forename: Muhammad M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Abd-El-Barr
authors.affiliation: Departments of 2 Neurosurgery and.
authors.forename: Hasan A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.affiliation: Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Russell-Goldman
authors.affiliation: Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Rebecca D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Folkerth
authors.affiliation: Departments of 2 Neurosurgery and.
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Laws
authors.affiliation: Departments of 2 Neurosurgery and.
authors.forename: E Antonio
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Chiocca
mesh_terms: D020863:Central Nervous System Cysts / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D003884:Dermoid Cyst / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EVD = external ventricular drain; RCC = Rathke's cleft cyst; craniopharyngioma; cystic intracranial lesions; embryology; intraaxial dermoid cyst; third ventricle