Lhermitte-Duclos Disease treated surgically in an elderly patient: Case Report and literature review

Abstract

A 75-year-old man with Lhermitte-Duclos Disease (LDD) manifesting as progressive headache is presented. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a right cerebellar mass lesion with the characteristic "tiger-striped appearance". A mild mass effect was evident at the medulla oblongata, accompanied by inferior displacement of the right cerebellar tonsil. Thus, tonsillar herniation was considered the cause of his headache and he underwent partial resection of the tumor to solve tonsillar herniation. His headache gradually improved. LDD in the elderly is quite rare. Several differences in the nature of the lesion are seen in the elderly, with tendencies toward a male predominance, hypervascularity, and low rates of association with Cowden disease. Moreover, partial resection to reduce mass effect can improve clinical symptoms without recurrence. In symptomatic LDD in the elderly, to avoid surgical complication, we recommend partial resection to reduce mass effect.