INNOVATIVE SURGICAL TECHNIQUES / CHILDREN

Skull base tumor with concomitant fistula in a 3-year-old patient

We treated the rare case of a young boy who presented with a small skin lesion on the forehead between the orbits. This skin lesion had never been assessed until a few months ago when our young patient began suffering episodes of fluid effusion from the area. He underwent a brain MRI that revealed a benign skull base tumor (dermoid cyst) that had caused the bone to become thinner and had created a fistula to the patient’s nose. This is a very serious condition because it disrupts the isolation of the brain, from the external environment possibly resulting in a severe infection of the nervous system that may threatent the patient neurological integrity and even his/her life.

We performed a cunolox surgery that includes a craniotomy in the frontal and orbital area, and then completely removed the tumor as well as the fistula.

The young patient was discharged after only a few days of hospitalization in excellent neurological condition.

Dermoid cyst with intradural extension and tract

Dermoid cyst with intradural extension and tract

Radical excision of the cyst along with its adherence to the cerebral falx

Radical excision of the cyst along with its adherence to the cerebral falx

 

Spinal cord tethering with concomitant meningocele and lipoma in a 6 month-old infant

Spinal cord tethering accompanied by meningocele is usually recognized immediately after birth and requires surgical treatment in the first months of one’s life in order to protect leg functionality, as well as bladder and bowel control. We treated a 6-month-old infant who further presented with a lipoma (a benign tumor) inside the spine, in contact with the spinal cord and nerve roots, significantly increasing the surgical difficulty. The increased difficulty is due to the anatomical relationship of the tethered spinal cord with the lipoma.

Our young patient was underwent to microsurgical (using surgical microscope), removal of the lipoma and detethering of spinal cord  with aesthetic restoration.

We are confident that she will have a normal life without any neurological deficits.