Third ventricular chordoid glioma: case report and review of the literature

Abstract Background Chordoid glioma of the third ventricle is a rare type of brain tumor that was recently characterized as a novel tumor entity. We present a case and review of the literature. Case report A 49-year-old woman presented with progressive headache, memory impairment and urinary incontinence. MRI showed a large well-circumscribed tumor in the third ventricle. The tumor was partially removed via a trans-lamina terminalis approach. The histologic findings indicated chordoid glioma. Residual tumor was treated by stereotactic radiosurgery and showed no regrowth at 2-year follow-up. Conclusions The ideal therapy is total removal of the tumor. However, according to the literature, total removal of the tumor carries a high risk because of its location, and conventional radiation therapy has little effect on the residual tumor. On the other hand, stereotactic radiosurgery appears more promising, and to date, no regrowth has been reported after γ-knife therapy.