Cerebral vasospasm after tumor resection. A case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Symptomatic cerebral vasospasm can occur after resection of tumors in or adjacent to the basal cisterns, causing delayed neurological deterioration. This potentially treatable condition may go unrecognized. Delay in its recognition will adversely affect the outcome of the patients. There has been a few cases of vasospasm after tumoral resection reported in the literature, mostly in adults. We report a case of vasospasm after resection of a third nerve schwannoma in a pediatric patient. This is the youngest patient reported to date with vasospasm after resection of a brain tumor. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A six years old girl presented with sudden onset diplopia. Radiological work-up revealed a third nerve mass. She underwent a craniotomy for resection of her mass. Pathological findings were consistent with a third nerve schwannoma. One week postoperatively, her mental status deteriorated. A CT scan revealed a diffuse hypodense area involving the right frontal and temporal lobes in the middle cerebral artery distribution as well as the midbrain. The absence of these findings on the MRI imaging performed on the first postoperative day made us evoke a vascular etiology. A cerebral angiogram was performed and revealed vasospasm in the right internal carotid artery and in the right middle and posterior cerebral arteries. Hyperdynamic hypervolemic hemodilutional therapy was instituted. CONCLUSION: Delayed clinical deterioration from vasospasm is a potentially reversible condition, if recognized early. A high index of suspicion should be maintained in case delayed clinical deterioration occurs after surgery of tumors in the basal cisterns. Cerebral angiography will confirm the diagnosis. Early institution of hyperdynamic hypervolemic hemodilutional therapy and angioplasty may reverse the deficit and improve outcome.