Kenji Yoshiki1, Yasuo Sasagawa2, Masashi Kinoshita1, Takuya Furuta3, Sho Tamai1, Hemragul Sabit1, Shingo Tanaka1, Mitsutoshi Nakada1. 1. Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. 2. Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. Electronic address: y-sasa@med.kanazawa-u.ac.jp. 3. Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Superficial siderosis is an irreversible disease in the central nervous system caused by the deposition of hemosiderin in the subpial tissue due to persistent bleeding in the subarachnoid space. The main symptoms include sensorineural hearing loss, cerebellar ataxia, and pyramidal tract disorder. Superficial siderosis is mainly idiopathic, but bleeding factors such as tumors or history of surgery often play an important role in its pathogenesis. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 66-year-old man with a history of surgery for a cerebellar tumor 37 years ago complained of hearing loss. Magnetic resonance imaging showed recurrence of the tumor on T2-weighted images and hypointense areas along the cerebellar sulci on T2∗-weighted images. During the operation, microscopic bleeding was observed on the surface of the tumor. The pathologic diagnosis was pilocytic astrocytoma. A biopsy obtained during the first surgery revealed almost the same pathologic findings as those from a biopsy obtained during the second surgery, but the first specimen showed no hemosiderin deposition or active bleeding, which the second specimen did show. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent pilocytic astrocytoma with intratumoral hemorrhage was the suspected cause for superficial siderosis. The source of chronic bleeding was identified with intraoperative and pathologic findings. We describe the first report of superficial siderosis associated with a pilocytic astrocytoma that recurred 37 years after an initial tumor was excised.
BACKGROUND: Superficial siderosis is an irreversible disease in the central nervous system caused by the deposition of hemosiderin in the subpial tissue due to persistent bleeding in the subarachnoid space. The main symptoms include sensorineural hearing loss, cerebellar ataxia, and pyramidal tract disorder. Superficial siderosis is mainly idiopathic, but bleeding factors such as tumors or history of surgery often play an important role in its pathogenesis. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 66-year-old man with a history of surgery for a cerebellar tumor 37 years ago complained of hearing loss. Magnetic resonance imaging showed recurrence of the tumor on T2-weighted images and hypointense areas along the cerebellar sulci on T2∗-weighted images. During the operation, microscopic bleeding was observed on the surface of the tumor. The pathologic diagnosis was pilocytic astrocytoma. A biopsy obtained during the first surgery revealed almost the same pathologic findings as those from a biopsy obtained during the second surgery, but the first specimen showed no hemosiderin deposition or active bleeding, which the second specimen did show. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent pilocytic astrocytoma with intratumoral hemorrhage was the suspected cause for superficial siderosis. The source of chronic bleeding was identified with intraoperative and pathologic findings. We describe the first report of superficial siderosis associated with a pilocytic astrocytoma that recurred 37 years after an initial tumor was excised.