Lhermitte-Duclos disease: a tumour or not a tumour

L'hermitte-Duclos disease in an elderly patient: A case report and review of the literature

L'hermitte-Duclos disease (LDD) is an extremely rare cerebellar lesion of uncertain etiology. Occasionally, the patients with LDD may even have sudden neurological deterioration due to acute heniation as seen in the present case report. It is also imperative to distinguish this disease from other malignant lesion of the cerebellum and cerebellar malformations with its varied natural course of history and hence better ability to prognosticate such patients. Herein, we reported a successfully treated case of LDD following a long history of vaguely defined neurological complaints in an elderly patient and reviewed the literature.

Advanced MR imaging in Lhermitte-Duclos disease: moving closer to pathology and pathophysiology

INTRODUCTION

Lhermitte-Duclos disease (LDD, dysplastic gangliocytoma) is an extremely rare cerebellar lesion of uncertain etiology. The debate as to whether it constitutes a neoplastic, malformative, or hamartomatous lesion is still continuing. In this report we explore the usefulness of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), perfusion imaging, and chemical shift imaging (CSI) in demonstrating the pathology and pathophysiology in two patients with LDD.

METHODS

MR imaging of the brain and the cervicodorsal spine was performed on a 1.5-T scanner in a 47-year-old woman presenting with numbness and paresthesia of both upper and lower limbs, and in a 17-year-old male with right frontal headache associated with neck pain.

RESULTS

Routine imaging in the first patient showed a left-side cerebellar mass with characteristic 'tiger-striped' thick folia associated with Chiari I malformation, tonsillar herniation and cervicodorsal syringomyelia and in the second patient a right cerebellar mass with similar findings. The SWI demonstrated the characteristic deep running veins between the folia, which is thought to be the cause for vascular contrast enhancement. Diffusion showed a T2 shine-through effect with mild increased diffusivity, and perfusion showed increase in relative cerebral blood volume, relative cerebral blood flow, and mean transit time in the lesion. MR spectroscopy demonstrated reduction in metabolites and a prominent lactate peak in both the patients. The pathological and pathophysiological significance of these findings is discussed.

CONCLUSION

MRI with the newer imaging capabilities can demonstrate the pathology and pathophysiology in Lhermitte-Duclos disease better. SWI helps in detecting the veins around the thickened folia.

Cowden disease and Lhermitte-Duclos disease: an update. Case report and review of the literature

OBJECT

Cowden disease is a rare autosomal-dominant phacomatosis and cancer syndrome that is associated with Lhermitte-Duclos disease (LDD), also called dysplastic cerebellar gangliocytoma.

METHODS

In this review the authors summarize the additions to the literature during the past 5 years, with emphasis on new case reports and advances in imaging and molecular biology. Adult-onset LDD is now considered pathognomonic for Cowden disease. Approximately 220 cases of LDD have been reported. Magnetic resonance imaging in patients with LDD is often diagnostic, and imaging studies have facilitated accurate diagnosis and contributed to the improved outcome in affected patients. Cowden disease and other rare, related disorders, such as Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba, Proteus, and Proteus- like syndromes, are often caused by mutations of the PTEN gene.

CONCLUSIONS

Because of the high incidence of systemic cancer in patients with Cowden disease, it is important for neurosurgeons to recognize the association between this disease and LDD and to refer affected patients for appropriate cancer screenings and interventions.