Three patients presented with cerebellar hemispheric astrocytic tumors which showed an exophytic growth pattern. The neuroimaging appearances of these cases mimicked a cerebellopontine angle tumor in two cases, and a posterior fossa extra-axial tumor in the other, which arose from the left cerebellar hemisphere with exophytic extension into the left crural and quadrigeminal cisterns and compressed the midbrain directly. All patients underwent surgical resection, and two patients also received ad juvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy.Intraoperative findings confirmed that the tumors had intramedullary origins from the cerebellar hemisphere, and extended exophytically into the subarach noid space forming an extra-axial mass lesion. The histological diagnoses were mixed malignant oligo-astrocytoma (grade III), astrocytoma (grade II), and glioblastoma (grade IV). Cerebellar gliomas with exophytic growth to the cerebellopontine angle cistern should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cerebellopontine angle tumors.

Surgery could be a choice of the treatment modality to resolve symptoms in ligamentum flavum hematoma.

Ruptured aneurysms of the distal anterior cerebral artery (ACA) are relatively rare and surgical management provides some unique technical challenges. This retrospective analysis of 20 patients with distal ACA aneurysms evaluated the clinical features and surgical strategies. The characteristic findings were small and common concurrent aneurysms, and frequent intracerebral hematoma (ICH). Aneurysms were divided by location on the genu (n ＝ 13), infracallosal (n ＝ 5), and supracallosal portions (n ＝ 2). All patients except one underwent surgery via an interhemispheric route. Unilateral craniotomy was performed for aneurysms on the genu portions without massive ICH. Bilateral craniotomies were selected for aneurysm located on the infracallosal portion or combined with massive ICH. No intraoperative rupture was observed. Favorable outcomes were achieved in 15 of 20 patients, and only one patient died. The preoperative Hunt and Kosnik grade was closely correlated with the outcome.

Neuroendoscopic procedures can provide histological diagnosis, define the tumor-midbrain interrelationship, and be highly effective in treating obstructive hydrocephalus and in removing tectal tumors. This procedure may receive clinical application as a new management strategy for tectal glioma.

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