A case of haemangioblastoma of the fourth ventricle presenting with depression
- 1University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, Korytkova 2, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
- 2Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, Korytkova 2, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
- Clara Limbäck Stokin, limbaeckc{at}yahoo.com
- Published 14 April 2009
Summary
Haemangioblastoma (Hab) is a rare, benign and slow-growing tumour of uncertain histiogenesis. It constitutes roughly 1% to 2% of all intracranial tumours and most commonly arises in the posterior cranial fossa: more than 80% of Habs are located in the cerebellar hemispheres, the remaining cases lie in the vermis, brainstem and spinal cord. In about 20% of the cases Habs are associated with the hereditary disorder known as von Hippel–Lindau disease (VHL). Usually, Hab presents with symptoms of increased intracranial pressure and focal neurological symptoms, which depend on the tumour location. Here, a case of Hab localised in the fourth ventricle that manifested with an unusual clinical picture featuring predominant psychiatric symptoms is described; the condition went unrecognised until the patient’s death.
Footnotes
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Competing interests: none.
