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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Asian J Neurosurg 2024; 19(03): 531-535
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1776300
Case Report

Symptomatic Cerebellar Cyst Formation after Foramen Magnum Meningioma Removal: A Case Report

Sho Hanai 
1   Department of Neurosurgery, Tsukuba Memorial Hospital, Kaname, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
,
Kiyoyuki Yanaka
1   Department of Neurosurgery, Tsukuba Memorial Hospital, Kaname, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
,
Kuniyuki Onuma
1   Department of Neurosurgery, Tsukuba Memorial Hospital, Kaname, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
,
Kazuhiro Nakamura
1   Department of Neurosurgery, Tsukuba Memorial Hospital, Kaname, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
,
Michihide Kajita
1   Department of Neurosurgery, Tsukuba Memorial Hospital, Kaname, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
,
Hitoshi Aiyama
1   Department of Neurosurgery, Tsukuba Memorial Hospital, Kaname, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
,
Eiichi Ishikawa
2   Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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Abstract

Background Symptomatic cerebellar cyst formation after surgery is rare and the mechanism remains unknown. We describe a cerebellar cyst that gradually expanded, becoming symptomatic, after the removal of a foramen magnum meningioma and discuss the mechanism of cyst formation.

Case Description A 76-year-old woman with a tumor at the foramen magnum was treated by posterior fossa craniotomy and C1 hemilaminectomy. The patient suddenly developed cerebellar symptoms and consciousness disturbance approximately 1 week into an otherwise good postoperative course. Imaging showed a subcutaneous pseudomeningocele in the occipital region and cerebellar cyst formation. After resolution by fenestration of the cerebellar cyst and duraplasty, the patient's symptoms gradually improved. No tumor or cerebellar cyst recurrence has been detected in over 5 years since the surgery.

Conclusion Postoperative pseudomeningocele appeared crucial for cerebellar cyst formation. Postoperative development of symptomatic cerebellar cysts is rare but should be recognized as a serious, sometimes life-threatening, postoperative complication of posterior fossa surgery.

Keywords

cerebrospinal fluid - craniotomy - cyst - one-way valve - pseudomeningocele

Note

This case report complies with the Declaration of Helsinki.


Authors' Contributions

S.H. drafted this case report. K.Y. made the design of this case report and revised the report. K.O., K.N., M.K., and H.A. treated this patient and checked this report. E.I. revised the report and advised the manuscript. All authors reviewed the final version of the case report.




Publication History

Article published online:
11 July 2024

© 2024. Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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