Central neurocytoma is an uncommon neuro e ct o d e rm al tumor of young adults, usually situated in the lateral ventricles at the foramen of Monro , and was first individualized by Hassoun et al.1 . Histologically it often strikingly resembles oligodend roglioma. The diagnosis must be based on immun o h i s t o c h e m i s t ry for neuronal antigens such as synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) 2 or on electron microscopy demonstrating synapselike stru c t u re s 3 , 4 . Central neurocytomas are re l a t ively well delimited and have good prognosis 5,6 .
CASESCase 1 -A 26-year-old woman presented with a prog ressive 6-month history of headache. Two and half months earlier she noticed decrease in muscle stre n g t h and tingling in both lower limbs, loss of visual acuity a n d u r i n a ry incontinence. On examination, she was alert and cooperative. There was mild anisocoria, mild tetraparesis, spasticity and hyperreflexia, more marked on the l e f t , bilateral ankle clonus, left sided dysmetria and a diff iculty for fine movements with the left hand. Sensibility was normal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Fig 1) demonstrated a large tumor (8 x 6 x 5 cm) straddling both lateral ventricles at the foramina of Monro, associated with supratentorial hydrocephalus. The lesion was h e t e rogeneous, with solid and cystic areas. The solid component was predominantly isointense in T1 and T2 weighted images and was strongly enhanced by contrast. Cystic areas were iso-or hypointense in T1 and iso-or hyperintense in T2. Large vessels were noted with-