Intraventricular oligodendroglioma (IVO)
J.Sales-Llopis
Neurosurgery Department, University Hospital Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Oligodendrogliomas usually arise in the cerebral hemispheres, less frequently they are found in the cerebellar hemispheres and very rarely they adopt an intraventricular location.
Neurosurgery Department, University Hospital Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Oligodendrogliomas usually arise in the cerebral hemispheres, less frequently they are found in the cerebellar hemispheres and very rarely they adopt an intraventricular location.
Epidemiology
Intraventricular oligodendroglioma remains a rare diagnosis, with high-grade/anaplastic IVO being an even rarer subtype.
Types
These lesions vary in regard to tumor grading and clinical presentation, as compared with their intraparenchymal counterparts.
see Anaplastic intraventricular oligodendroglioma.
see Anaplastic intraventricular oligodendroglioma.
Clinical Features
They occur in the younger age, an interval between clinical onset and diagnosis or operation is shorter, and initial symptoms are most often limited to those of increased intracranial pressure, although the patient may occasionally present mild organic dementia, callosal disconnection syndrome, and/or mild gait ataxia 1).
Diagnosis
Analysis of the clinical and CT characteristics of 11 cases in the literature and eight new examples revealed specific radiographic features, which included the presence of an anterior, midline mass within the lateral ventricles composed of clumped calcifications within a dense, enhancing matrix.
Hydrocephalus is a constant feature, and these tumors present with signs of increased intracranial pressure. Eighteen of the 19 cases were benign and all were pure oligodendrogliomas, without admixture of other cellular elements.
Intraventricular oligodendrogliomas can be distinguished from other intraventricular lesions by fairly specific CT characteristics. 2). 3).
Angiography showed slightly increased vascularity in the mass, and displacement of subependymal veins near the tumor 4).
Magnetic resonance imaging proved to be most useful as a radiologic diagnostic procedure 5)
Hydrocephalus is a constant feature, and these tumors present with signs of increased intracranial pressure. Eighteen of the 19 cases were benign and all were pure oligodendrogliomas, without admixture of other cellular elements.
Intraventricular oligodendrogliomas can be distinguished from other intraventricular lesions by fairly specific CT characteristics. 2). 3).
Angiography showed slightly increased vascularity in the mass, and displacement of subependymal veins near the tumor 4).
Magnetic resonance imaging proved to be most useful as a radiologic diagnostic procedure 5)
Outcome
Intraventricular oligodendrogliomas grow slowly and are associated with prolonged survival but, due to their location, are difficult to remove and frequently require shunting. Subsequently developing symptoms, including herniation and death, are more frequently associated with complications related to hydrocephalus than with tumor growth.
The ability to recognize them is helpful in prognosis, and awareness of associated complications related to hydrocephalus may assist in the long-term survival of affected patients 6).
The ability to recognize them is helpful in prognosis, and awareness of associated complications related to hydrocephalus may assist in the long-term survival of affected patients 6).
Differential diagnosis
Oligodendrogliomas of the lateral ventricle are rare but should be included in the differential diagnosis of intraventricular tumors near the foramen of Monro 7).
The possibility of central neurocytoma should be considered in all young patients including children presenting with an intraventricular lesion. Definitive diagnosis requires electron microscopic and immunohistochemical studies 8).
The possibility of central neurocytoma should be considered in all young patients including children presenting with an intraventricular lesion. Definitive diagnosis requires electron microscopic and immunohistochemical studies 8).
Case reports
1979
Two cases of primary intraventricular oligodendrogliomas which were successfully removed by a transventricular approach using microtechniques are presented 9).
1985
Two cases of primary intraventricular oligodendrogliomas are presented. Total excisions of well-demarcated large tumors in the lateral ventricle were successfully performed in young women by means of a frontal transventricular approach. An evaluation by computed tomography and positron emission tomography was attempted to obtain definite diagnosis of not only the location of the tumor but also the histologic grade of malignancy 10).
1986
Ng et al. report two cases 11).
Martinez-Lage et al. report a case of a ventricular oligodendroglioma associated with a cortical arteriovenous malformation. The patient presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Computed tomographic scan showed an intraventricular hyperdense lesion, mimicking a hematoma. Angiography revealed a superficial arteriovenous malformation in the right parietal lobe, unrelated to ventricular cavities. Both lesions were treated during the same operation 12).
1987
Two cases of oligodendroglioma primarily involving the lateral ventricle are reported in female patients, aged 29 and 19, respectively, with sole complaints of an increased intracranial pressure.
The tumor was radically removed via a parafalcine transcallosal approach without causing any persistent neurological deficits 13).
The tumor was radically removed via a parafalcine transcallosal approach without causing any persistent neurological deficits 13).
1992
A 39-year-old woman harbouring a primary oligodendroglioma of the left lateral ventricle was treated by subtotal removal of the tumour through a left frontal transcortical transventricular approach. The clinical, radiological and surgical details of the case are presented in correlation with the current data on oligodendrogliomas. Benefits of postoperative irradiation are stressed 14).
1996
Romero et al. describe two cases of intraventricular oligodendroglioma.
Case No. 1: 18-year old woman with a clinical history of headache, vertigo and dizziness of 6 months duration. Central Nervous System imaging revealed a right lateral ventricle tumor.
Case No. 2: 38 year old man with a chief complaint of positional headache and visual impairment. C.N.S. imaging showed a third ventricular lesion15).
Case No. 1: 18-year old woman with a clinical history of headache, vertigo and dizziness of 6 months duration. Central Nervous System imaging revealed a right lateral ventricle tumor.
Case No. 2: 38 year old man with a chief complaint of positional headache and visual impairment. C.N.S. imaging showed a third ventricular lesion15).
1) , 5) , 13) Nioka H, Nakasu S, Nakasu Y, Matsuda M, Handa J. [Oligodendroglioma of the lateral ventricle–report of 2 cases and a review]. No Shinkei Geka. 1987 Feb;15(2):201-5. Japanese. PubMed PMID: 3561685.
2) , 6) Dolinskas CA, Simeone FA. CT characteristics of intraventricular oligodendrogliomas. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1987 Nov-Dec;8(6):1077-82. PubMed PMID: 3120535.
3) , 4) , 7) Hasuo K, Fukui M, Tamura S, Yasumori K, Uchino A, Nakagaki H, Ogawa H, Nagasaka S, Masuda K. Oligodendrogliomas of the lateral ventricle: computed tomography and angiography. J Comput Tomogr. 1987 Oct;11(4):376-82. PubMed PMID: 3443012.
8) Yuen ST, Fung CF, Ng TH, Leung SY. Central neurocytoma: its differentiation from intraventricular oligodendroglioma. Childs Nerv Syst. 1992 Oct;8(7):383-8. PubMed PMID: 1458495.
9) Markwalder TM, Huber P, Markwalder RV, Seiler RW. Primary intraventricular oligodendrogliomas. Surg Neurol. 1979 Jan;11(1):25-8. PubMed PMID: 451839.
10) Kikuchi K, Kowada M, Mineura K, Uemura K. Primary oligodendroglioma of the lateral ventricle with computed tomographic and positron emission tomographic evaluations. Surg Neurol. 1985 May;23(5):483-8. PubMed PMID: 3872482.
11) Ng SH, Lui CC, Wai YY, Liu YH, Tsai CC, Chen L. Primary intraventricular oligodendroglioma–report of two cases. Changgeng Yi Xue Za Zhi. 1986 Mar 20;9(1):33-40. PubMed PMID: 3454696.
12) Martinez-Lage JF, Poza M, Esteban JA, Sola J. Subarachnoid hemorrhage in the presence of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation and an intraventricular oligodendroglioma: case report. Neurosurgery. 1986 Jul;19(1):125-8. PubMed PMID: 3748333.
14) Tekkok IH, Ayberk G, Saglam S, Onol B. Primary intraventricular oligodendroglioma. Neurochirurgia (Stuttg). 1992 Mar;35(2):63-6. PubMed PMID: 1603222.
15) Romero Z, Mora-La Cruz E, Cardozo J. [Intraventricular oligodendroglioma. Description of 2 cases]. Invest Clin. 1996 Mar;37(1):51-9. Review. Spanish. PubMed PMID: 8920031.