Adult medulloblastoma and the “dural-tail” sign: Rare mimic of a posterior petrous meningioma

• Published in: Clinical neurology and neurosurgery Vol. 111; no. 6; pp. 540 - 543
• Main Authors: Furtado, Sunil V, Venkatesh, Prasanna K, Dadlani, Ravi, Reddy, Kalyan, Hegde, A.S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.07.2009; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebellar Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Cerebellar Neoplasms - pathology; Cerebellar Neoplasms - surgery; Cerebellopontine angle; Cerebellopontine Angle - pathology; Cerebellopontine Angle - surgery; Cerebellum; Dura Mater - pathology; Dura Mater - surgery; Humans; Infratentorial Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Infratentorial Neoplasms - pathology; Infratentorial Neoplasms - surgery; Magnetic resonance; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Medical sciences; Medulloblastoma; Medulloblastoma - diagnostic imaging; Medulloblastoma - pathology; Medulloblastoma - surgery; Meningioma; Meningioma - diagnostic imaging; Meningioma - pathology; Meningioma - surgery; Neurology; Neurosurgery; Petrous Bone; Radiography; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Tentorium; Treatment Outcome; Cerebellum; Petrous bone; Magnetic resonance; Medulloblastoma; Meningioma; Cerebellopontine angle; Nervous system diseases; Mimic; Malignant tumor; Cerebral disorder; Surgery; Central nervous system disease; Benign neoplasm; Cancer
• ISSN: 0303-8467; 1872-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2009.02.002

Abstract The authors describe clinical and radiological features of a 32-year-old male patient with a posterior fossa lesion. The radiological characteristics resembled an extra-axial lesion; a meningioma, with attachment to the tentorium and petrous bone. The histological diagnosis was classical medulloblastoma. We review literature of this atypical presentation of medulloblastoma and “dural-tail” sign, which can be associated with other benign or malignant lesions. The role of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the diagnosis of primitive neuroectodermal tumors is discussed.