Pseudocapsule formation after gamma knife radiosurgery for trigeminal neurinoma - Case report

A 38-year-old female presented with a trigeminal neurinoma manifesting as left facial paresthesia. The diagnosis was based on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings. Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKR) was performed at another hospital at her request. Fifteen months after the GKR, follow-up MR imaging revealed tumor regrowth causing extensive compression of the brainstem, and cyst formation in the tumor. Her clinical symptoms including facial pain and diplopia had worsened, so she was referred to our affiliated hospital for microsurgery. The tumor was totally resected, but the left trigeminal nerve had to be sacrificed because of pseudocapsule formation which covered both the tumor and the trigeminal nerve fibers. The diplopia disappeared, but her facial pain deteriorated after the operation. GKR can induce fibrosis or degenerative change in nearby structures, which may complicate subsequent surgery.