Resection of a cerebellar hemangioblastoma via a minimally invasive tubular approach

Abstract

Hemangioblastomas are rare benign, highly vascularized tumors occurring in the cerebellum and the spinal cord. They often develop tumor-associated cysts multiple times the size of the solid part of the tumor. Patients with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease typically exhibit multiple tumors with the need of repeated surgeries during their lifetime. As multiple surgeries involve an increased risk of access-related morbidity, a minimally invasive approach can be favorable for specific types of tumors in the posterior fossa. We here present the case of a minimally invasive removal of a superficial cerebellar hemangioblastoma with tumor-associated cyst and indicate the potential benefits and limitations of this technique.