[Cerebellar ganglioglioma: a case report].

A case of cerebellar ganglioglioma in a 5 year-old girl is presented. She came to our hospital on January 30, 1989 with complaints of headache of one year duration. CT scans disclosed a low density lesion suggesting a cystic tumor in the left cerebellar hemisphere with moderate hydrocephalus. Preoperative MRI demonstrated more clearly the location and extent of the tumor. She was operated on using suboccipital craniotomy, on March 3. Subtotal removal of the tumor was performed because the tumor had invaded the brain stem. She made an uneventful recovery without any neurological deficits. Histologically, the tumor was composed of ganglion cells and astrocytic cells, so it was diagnosed as ganglioglioma. Cerebellar ganglioglioma is a rare tumor, and only 17 cases have been reported including the present case. Clinical and radiological study of these cases revealed that there are no specific findings to indicate cerebellar ganglioglioma and preoperative diagnosis is impossible. But practically, MRI is the most sensitive method for identifying the extent of the lesion and, thus, is of benefit for deciding operative strategy.