Hydrocephalus in children – A rare case of pineal cavernoma and literature review

Abstract

Background: Cavernous malformations prevalence ranges from 0.4 to 0.6% and accounts for 5–15% of all central nervous system vascular malformations. Pineal cavernomas constitute <1% of all locations published in the literature, with a total of 26 cases reported, only 5 regarding the pediatric population until 2020. Overall annual hemorrhage rate is 2.4%. Symptoms are often due to hydrocephalus and intracranial hypertension. Case Description: We report a case of a 5-year-old child with visual disturbances, headache, and progressive neurologic deterioration. MR showed a lesion in the pineal region and triventricular hydrocephalus. She was submitted to endoscopic third ventriculostomy and total excision of the lesion by the infratentorial supracerebellar approach a few days later. Histopathological examination confirmed a pineal cavernous malformation. The patient returned to her normal life without any neurologic deficit and a normal development. Conclusion: The ideal treatment is primary lesion removal; however, due to the infrequency and because it is a curable lesion, studies seeking to deepen the knowledge of this disease are considered relevant.