• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.564-568
• /
• 2000

The authors present a rare case of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma which successfully treated with endoscopic tumor resection. A 15-year-old boy was presented with multiple episode of generalized seizure and intermittent headache for 5 years. The patient had facial adenoma sebaceum, multiple nevi on his back, and mental retardation. Cerebral MRI scans showed a round tumor located at the frontal horn of right ventricle near the foramen monro. The tumor was totally removed with endoscopic procedure and histologically confirmed as a subependymal giant cell astrocytoma. Subependymal giant cell astrocytomas can cause all the clinical problems that are associated with other types of intracranial tumor. However, surgical indication is not well standardized, because of the lack of basic knowledge about the tumor and the likelihood of surgical morbidity. We believe that endoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive technique, can circumvent the surgical disadvantage while achieving the surgical goal.