Pilocytic astrocytoma mimicking cavernous angioma: Imaging features and histological characteristics

Critical cerebellar hemorrhage due to pilocytic astrocytoma in a child: A case report

BACKGROUND

Cerebellar hemorrhage is rare in children, and its cause is usually vascular disorders such as arteriovenous malformations or hematological disorders.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A previously healthy 10-year-old girl presented with a loss of consciousness following sudden headache and vomiting. A non-contrast brain computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a massive cerebellar hemorrhage with obstructive hydrocephalus; however, subsequent CT angiography (CTA) showed no vascular abnormalities. An emergency craniotomy was performed to evacuate the hematoma, and histological analysis of the specimen obtained from the tissue surrounding the hematoma revealed a pilocytic astrocytoma (PA). Six months after the ictus, her recovery was scored at 2 on the modified Rankin Scale.

CONCLUSION

PA can be a cause of critical cerebellar hemorrhage. In this case of life-threatening massive hematoma, CTA was useful to exclude a major vascular pathology and to save time.

Hemorrhagic presentation of frontal partially calcified pilocytic astrocytoma in an 18-year-old woman: A case report and literature review as "clinical case"

We report an unusual case of a frontal partially calcified pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) (WHO grade 1) in an 18-year-old woman who presented with acute, spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. Histopathology revealed the PA was mixed with psammoma bodies and areas of vascular proliferation responsible for a hypervascular pattern. The patient underwent a total gross resection. MRI showed no residual tumor at the 18-month follow-up and her neurological deficits improved after rehabilitation. Only 20 cases, including ours, of hemorrhagic presentation of PA in adults have been reported to date with enough radiological data. Furthermore, hemorrhagic presentation of a calcified PA is extremely rare. To date only two other cases of calcified PA with hemorrhagic presentation have been reported, one in an adult and one in an infant as described by Shibao et al. (2012) and Kapoor et al. (2015) respectively. Endothelial proliferation may be the main cause of bleeding in these lesions. In our case, a hypervascular pattern was exhibited by histopathological findings. A diagnosis of PA should be considered, especially when calcifications are present within a hemorrhagic tumor lesion.