A 20-year-old lady presented with a 6 months history of progressive headache and memory disturbances. Few days prior to presentation, she had three episodes of generalized tonic clonic seizures. She also had gait disturbances and severe giddiness. Higher mental function examination revealed impaired recent memory. Fundoscopic examination showed bilateral papilloedema. Cranial nerve examination, motor and sensory examination was normal. Plantar reflexes were extensor on both sides and Romberg's sign was positive. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain showed isodense lesion located at foramen of Monro with hyperdense areas suggestive of hemorrhage with foraminal obstruction. The lesion was not enhancing on contrast []. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain revealed obstructive hydrocephalus due to a large lesion in the third ventricle which was homogenously hyperintense on T1-weighted images and homogenously hypointense on T2-weighted images [].\nRight lateral ventricle was entered via right frontoparietal craniotomy and an interhemispheric transcallosal approach. A grayish red, well-defined, soft to firm lesion was reached through the interforniceal approach. Needle aspiration was attempted but was unsuccessful. The surface of the cyst was vascular, so it was coagulated. The cyst wall was thickened and its separation from surrounding tissue was difficult. On opening the cyst, there was no colloid material, but a brownish yellow organized clot was found which was removed piecemeal. The clot was easily separated from the inner cyst wall. After almost complete evacuation of cyst content, the thick wall was held with biopsy forceps with one hand and with the other hand it was dissected from the surrounding parenchymal tissue. A complete excision of the cyst was ensured. Both internal cerebral veins were seen and found intact. Pathological examination confirmed hemorrhage within the colloid cyst. Microscopic examination also showed blood clots containing hemosiderin laden macrophages and many rhomboid cholesterol crystals and chronic inflammatory cells []. Post-operatively she had no seizures. Her memory function completely improved over a 3 week period.
A 20-year-old male patient presented to our outpatient services with complaints of neck pain for 4 months and intermittent vomiting for 2 months duration. General physical examination was unremarkable. Neurological examination revealed left upper limb weakness (power 4+/5, Medical Research Council grading). Rest of the examination was normal.\nGadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a well-defined lobulated lesion in the ventral cervicomedullary region from medulla to upper border of C2 vertebra. The lesion was heterogeneous in appearance; the anterior part measured 2.8 × 1.6 cm and was hypointense and hyperintense on T1- and T2-weighted images, respectively; while the 1.7 × 1.1 cm sized posterior part was iso to mildly hyperintense on T1 and heterogeneously hyper intense on T2-weighted sequences [Figure and ]. The anterior part of the lesion was isointense, whereas the posterior part was hyperintense on fluid attenuation and inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences. There was mild restriction on diffusion-weighted sequences. On post-contrast study, rim enhancement was evident in the posterior part of the lesion []. Preoperative diagnosis was neurenteric cyst. Surgery was performed in prone position. A midline suboccipital craniectomy (with bone removal more on left side), left-sided C1 posterior arch removal, and partial C2 hemilaminectomy were performed. Intraoperatively, there was a well-defined, intradural, extra-medullary encapsulated, relatively avascular, lobulated lesion containing easily suckable, cheesy material located anterior to medulla extending up to C2 vertebral level. Vertebral artery, lower cranial nerves, and posterior inferior cerebellar artery were well visualized and preserved. Tumor decompression was followed by near total excision of the cyst wall in view of adherence of the cyst wall focally to surrounding vital structures. Postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged on 7th postoperative day and is currently on regular follow-up. At the last follow-up of 3 months, patient was well with no deficits. Postoperative MRI showed a very small residual lesion [].\nHematoxylin and eosin photomicrographs showed epithelial lining thrown into folds along with irregular bundles of collagen. Higher magnification images show a prominent columnar epithelial lining with goblet cells focally thrown into papillary formations (×100), pseudostratification, and absence of cilia (×400). Overall features were consistent with an endodermal (neurenteric) cyst of Hind-gut type [Figure and ].