Turkish Neurosurgery 2009 , Vol 19 , Num 3
A Case of Ecchordosis Physaliphora Presenting with an Intratumoral Hemorrhage
Özlem ALKAN1, Tülin YILDIRIM2, Osman KIZILKILIÇ3, Meliha TAN4, Melih ÇEKİNMEZ5
1,2Baskent University, Medical School, Radiology Department, Adana, Turkey
3Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical School, Radiology Department, Istanbul, Turkey
4Baskent University, Medical School, Neurology Department, Adana, Turkey
5Baskent University, Medical School, Neurosurgery Department, Adana, Turkey
Ecchordosis physaliphora is a rare congenital, benign, hamartomatous, retroclival mass derived from notochordal tissue that is typically located intradurally in the prepontine cistern. Ecchordosis physaliphora is usually asymptomatic. In rare cases, ecchordosis physaliphora can be symptomatic due to tumor expansion and compression of the surrounding structures and extratumoral hemorrhage. To our knowledge, ecchordosis physaliphora associated with intratumoral hemorrhage and vasogenic edema has not been previously described. We present a case of 22-year-old man who presented with headache and confusion. MR imaging and CT revealed intracranial ecchordosis physaliphora associated with intratumoral hemorrhage and vasogenic edema. The neurological findings resolved completely after medical therapy. Keywords : Ecchordosis physaliphora, MR, Osseous stalk, CT
Corresponding author : Özlem Alkan, yalinozlem@hotmail.com