Clinical and Neuroradiologic Evaluations of Intracranial Lipoma

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 19(2); 2001 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2001;19(2): 149-154.

두개강내 지방종의 임상 및 신경방사선학적 고찰

조광덕, 김현각

울산대학교 의과대학 강릉병원 신경과

Clinical and Neuroradiologic Evaluations of Intracranial Lipoma

Kwang Deog Jo, M.D., Hyeon Gak Kim, M.D.

Department of Neurology, Kangnung Hospital, University of Ulsan

Abstract

"Background : Intracranial lipomas are uncommon benign lesions of the central nervous system. They preferentially occur near the midline, most frequently in the pericallosal cistern, and are often associated with various neurologic and systemic anomalies. Since the advent of CT scanning and MR imaging, unexpected findings of intracralial lipomas have increased. We identified 11 cases of intracranial lipomas diagnosed by CT and MR and analyzed their characteristic clinical and radiologic findings. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed 11 cases of intracranial lipomas. MR was used in all cases and CT in three. Results : There were seven men and four women whose ages ranged from six months to 76 years, with a mean of 39 years. Six (55%) lipomas were located in the quadrigeminal plate and five (45%) in the peri-callosal area. The pericallosal lipomas were divided into three cases of curvilinear type and two cases of tubulonodular type. Of the six quadrigeminal lipomas, five cases (83%) were associated with either hypoplasia of the unilateral (four) or bilateral (one) superior and/or inferior colliculus. One case of quadrigeminal lipoma was associated with hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis, agenesis of the septum pellucidum, and glioblastoma multiforme. All cases of pericallosal tubulonodular type were associated with dysgenesis of the corpus callosum and enlarged ventricles. However, all cases of pericallosal curvilinear type were not associated with other anomalies. Four (36%) cases found incidentally were asymptomatic. Seizure was the most frequent clinical presentation in five (45%) cases, followed by headaches in three (27%) and mental retardation in one (9%). Of five seizures cases, three had secondary generalized seizures and two had generalized tonic clonic seizures. Conclusions : Quadrigeminal and pericallosal lipomas were the most common types of intracranial lipomas. Sixty-three percent of the lesions were associated with adjacent brain malformations of varying degrees. Four cases were asymptomatic, while the others presented with seizures, headache, and mental retardation. J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(2):149~154, 2001 Key Words : Lipoma, Brain tumor, MRI, Corpus callosum, Quadrigeminal cistern"