Osteochondroma of the Tentorium Cerebelli: Report of the First Case and Review of Literature

Abstract Osteochondromas are tumors composed of both bony and cartilaginous elements. These slow-growing lesions commonly occur in the appendicular skeleton. Intracranial presentation is extremely rare with very isolated case reports in the literature. We present here the first case of an osteochondroma arising from the tentorium cerebelli with a nonsystematic review of all cases of intracranial osteochondromas reported in the English literature till now. A literature search was performed by two authors independently using PubMed and Google Scholar search engines. Osteochondromas in the intracranial compartment were included. Baseline parameters like age, sex, site, radiological findings, treatment outcomes, and complications were analyzed. Thirty-two cases were included in the review. The mean age of presentation was 33 years and males were affected more than females. The skull base was the most common site of origin followed by the convexity and falcine dura. Gross total excision was achieved in all cases involving the supratentorial compartment (n = 14). Skull base osteochondroma excision can lead to serious complications due to iatrogenic injury to critical neurovascular structures. Surgery is the primary modality of treatment and there is no role for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Multiple sections of the tumor should be subjected to histopathological examination to avoid missing low-grade chondrosarcomas.