A case of muItiloculated, intracranial epidermoid cyst in a beagle dog

Abstract

An intracranial epidermoid cyst was identified within the fourth ventricle of a male 10-month-old beagle dog. The cyst, which exhibited a multilocular structure, was lined by a stratified squamous epithelium and filled with desquamated keratin. In the region of the roof of the fourth ventricle, choroid plexus adherent to the cyst wall and secondary compression of the cerebellum were also seen.

Intracranial Epidermoid Cyst and Syringohydromyelia in a Dog

“…Ten canine intracranial epidermoid cysts have been described 1,8–14 . Three were identified in asymptomatic animals euthanized for unrelated diseases 8,17,18 .…”

“…In dogs, epidermoid cysts have been reported within the cranial cavity 1,8–14 and vertebral canal, 15,16 with cranial sites outnumbering spinal sites 5:1. There have been 10 previously documented canine intracranial epidermoid cysts and three intracranial dermoid cysts 8,17,18 .…”

Intracranial Intra-arachnoid Diverticula and Cyst-like Abnormalities of the Brain

“…33 There are sporadic case reports of affected dogs that represent postmortem findings and only occasionally include attempted therapy. [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] Most of the intracranial canine epidermoid cysts reported have been located in the cerebellopontine/medullary angle, and can extend into the fourth ventricle 34,35,[37][38][39][40][41][42] (Fig. 2).…”

“…2,42,43 The lining of the epidermoid cyst helps differentiate these structures from dermoid cysts, which have a more complex arrangement of dermis that may include hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands. 2,37,42 Clinical Signs Neurologic signs were not reported in several dogs with central nervous system epidermoid cysts; the cyst was an incidental finding on postmortem examination 38,40,42 ; because the cysts show slow, linear growth, neurologic signs often present in middle age in humans and dogs. [33][34][35][36]43,44 Because of the common location of epidermoid cysts in the cerebellopontine/medullary angle, vestibular signs are frequently reported in humans and dogs [33][34][35][36][41][42][43][44][45] with up to 93% of human patients presenting with CN VIII dysfunction in one study.…”

Imaging Diagnosis — Intracranial Epidermoid Cyst in a Doberman Pinscher

“…I ntracranial epidermoid cysts , also described as primary cholesteatomas, are benign space‐occupying proliferations that represent up to 1.8% of all intracranial mass‐lesions in people 1–3 . Although listed in the WHO Classification of Tumors of the Nervous System of Domestic Animals , clinical reports on epidermoid cysts in animals are sparse, and only a few have been reported in dogs and horses 4–12 …”