Calcified intracranial epidermoid cyst presented during pregnancy: A case report

We present the case of a 29-year-old female with a history of an intracranial tumor, initially diagnosed at age 22, who presented during her first pregnancy at 23 weeks with a seizure episode. MRI revealed a nonenhancing mass in the middle cranial fossa with high T1-weighted signal intensity. Despit...

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Main Authors: Parisa Pishdad, MD, Amirhossein Soltani, MD, Amirmehdi Ghanbarzadeh, MD, Shakiba Houshi, MD, Mohsen Salimi, MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Radiology Case Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043325004017
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author Parisa Pishdad, MD
Amirhossein Soltani, MD
Amirmehdi Ghanbarzadeh, MD
Shakiba Houshi, MD
Mohsen Salimi, MD
author_facet Parisa Pishdad, MD
Amirhossein Soltani, MD
Amirmehdi Ghanbarzadeh, MD
Shakiba Houshi, MD
Mohsen Salimi, MD
author_sort Parisa Pishdad, MD
collection DOAJ
description We present the case of a 29-year-old female with a history of an intracranial tumor, initially diagnosed at age 22, who presented during her first pregnancy at 23 weeks with a seizure episode. MRI revealed a nonenhancing mass in the middle cranial fossa with high T1-weighted signal intensity. Despite concerns regarding the potential for eclampsia, the patient was conservatively managed with seizure prophylaxis, and a cesarean section was performed at 38 weeks’ gestation. Over the following years, the patient experienced stable imaging findings and mild headaches but later developed worsening symptoms due to mass effect, requiring a Ventriculoperitoneal shunt and subsequent tumor resection. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of an epidermoid cyst. This case highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to managing intracranial lesions in pregnancy, as early diagnosis and careful coordination between obstetrics, neurology, and neurosurgery teams are crucial to ensuring optimal maternal and fetal outcomes. Additionally, it underscores the need for long-term follow-up in patients with brain lesions during pregnancy, as complications may arise years later, necessitating timely interventions. Notably, this case also demonstrates unique characteristics of an epidermoid cyst with high T1-weighted signal and hyperdensity on CT that remained unchanged over time, favoring the diagnosis of a calcified epidermoid cyst—a rare entity.
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spelling doaj-art-e452f337f38f4ca68e785e7dfdad9f192025-08-20T02:30:55ZengElsevierRadiology Case Reports1930-04332025-08-012083738374310.1016/j.radcr.2025.04.103Calcified intracranial epidermoid cyst presented during pregnancy: A case reportParisa Pishdad, MD0Amirhossein Soltani, MD1Amirmehdi Ghanbarzadeh, MD2Shakiba Houshi, MD3Mohsen Salimi, MD4Department of Radiology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Medical Imaging Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IranDepartment of Radiology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Medical Imaging Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IranSchool of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IranIsfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IranSchool of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Corresponding author.We present the case of a 29-year-old female with a history of an intracranial tumor, initially diagnosed at age 22, who presented during her first pregnancy at 23 weeks with a seizure episode. MRI revealed a nonenhancing mass in the middle cranial fossa with high T1-weighted signal intensity. Despite concerns regarding the potential for eclampsia, the patient was conservatively managed with seizure prophylaxis, and a cesarean section was performed at 38 weeks’ gestation. Over the following years, the patient experienced stable imaging findings and mild headaches but later developed worsening symptoms due to mass effect, requiring a Ventriculoperitoneal shunt and subsequent tumor resection. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of an epidermoid cyst. This case highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to managing intracranial lesions in pregnancy, as early diagnosis and careful coordination between obstetrics, neurology, and neurosurgery teams are crucial to ensuring optimal maternal and fetal outcomes. Additionally, it underscores the need for long-term follow-up in patients with brain lesions during pregnancy, as complications may arise years later, necessitating timely interventions. Notably, this case also demonstrates unique characteristics of an epidermoid cyst with high T1-weighted signal and hyperdensity on CT that remained unchanged over time, favoring the diagnosis of a calcified epidermoid cyst—a rare entity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043325004017Brain tumorCalcified epidermoid cystIntracranial epidermoid cystPregnancy
spellingShingle Parisa Pishdad, MD
Amirhossein Soltani, MD
Amirmehdi Ghanbarzadeh, MD
Shakiba Houshi, MD
Mohsen Salimi, MD
Calcified intracranial epidermoid cyst presented during pregnancy: A case report
Radiology Case Reports
Brain tumor
Calcified epidermoid cyst
Intracranial epidermoid cyst
Pregnancy
title Calcified intracranial epidermoid cyst presented during pregnancy: A case report
title_full Calcified intracranial epidermoid cyst presented during pregnancy: A case report
title_fullStr Calcified intracranial epidermoid cyst presented during pregnancy: A case report
title_full_unstemmed Calcified intracranial epidermoid cyst presented during pregnancy: A case report
title_short Calcified intracranial epidermoid cyst presented during pregnancy: A case report
title_sort calcified intracranial epidermoid cyst presented during pregnancy a case report
topic Brain tumor
Calcified epidermoid cyst
Intracranial epidermoid cyst
Pregnancy
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043325004017
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AT amirmehdighanbarzadehmd calcifiedintracranialepidermoidcystpresentedduringpregnancyacasereport
AT shakibahoushimd calcifiedintracranialepidermoidcystpresentedduringpregnancyacasereport
AT mohsensalimimd calcifiedintracranialepidermoidcystpresentedduringpregnancyacasereport