Sellar hemangioblastoma mimicking a macroadenoma.

PURPOSE Hemangioblastomas (HGB) are slow growing benign vascular tumors that arise almost always from the cerebellum and the spinal cord. Supratentorial location is extremely rare with approximately 130 cases published to date. We present a case of a sellar hemangioblastoma. CASE REPORT An eleven year-old girl presented with a sellar and suprasellar tumor that seemed to be a macroadenoma. A transsphenoidal approach was attempted but excessive intraoperative bleeding made the resection not feasible. A second transcranial approach was successful in partially removing the lesion and decompressing the optic chiasm and the pituitary stalk. Pathological review revealed a seller hemangioblastoma. screening for Von Hippel Lindeau Syndrome was negative. CONCLUSION The preoperative diagnosis of HGB is extremely difficult in this case but would have been essential in order to choose the right surgical approach.