Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Imaging Casebook
  • Published:

Intracranial Lipomas in Neonate

Journal of Perinatology volume 22, pages 414–415 (2002)Cite this article

Intracranial lipomas are uncommon lesions whose development remains poorly understood. The most common variety is a lipoma of the corpus callosum. Other midline defects may be present, such as agenesis of corpus callosum, meningomyelocele, and spina bifida. Other common intracranial locations for lipoma include the pericallosal quadrigeminal plate and tuber cinerium.

Intracranial lipomas had traditionally been considered as tumors of the adult. There is no doubt that in the pre-CT era many cases of intracranial lipoma were not diagnosed. In recent years several papers have been published regarding the diagnosis of lipoma of the corpus callosum by CT scan;1,2,3,4 several of these studies were in children. The relative frequencies of the locations of the lipomas correspond to the temporal sequence of dissolution of the meninx primitiva, the mesenchymal anlage of the meninges. The explanation is that there is a congenital disorder in the orderly resorption of the meninx primitiva, which normally produces the subarachnoid spaces. This accounts for the subarachnoid or cisternal space location of lipomas. The persistent mesenchyme subsequently differentiates into fatty tissue. This may also contain calcifications and membranous bone. This embryology concept of the development of intracranial lipomas explains the high frequency of other brain hypoplasias. Intracranial lipomas are neither hamartomas nor true neoplasms; rather, they are considered congenital malformations.5,6

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

References

  1. Fisher RM, Cremin BJ . Lipoma of the corpus callosum — diagnosis by ultrasound and magnetic resonance Pediatr Radiol 1988; 18: 409–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Rubio G, Guijo CG, Mallada JJ . MR and CT diagnosis of intracranial lipoma (letters) AJR Am J Roentgenol 1991; 157: 887–8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Imaizumi SO, Pleasure JR, Zubrow AB . Lesion mistaken for hemorrhage in premature infant — lipoma of corpus callosum Pediatr Neurol 1988; 4: 313–6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lin KL, Wang HS, Lui TN . Sonographic diagnosis of a corpus callosum lipoma with extracranial extension in an infant J Ultrasound Med 1995; 14: 537–41

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Truwit CL, Barkovich AJ . Pathogenesis of intracranial lipoma: an MR study in 42 patients AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 1990; 11: 665–74

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Multz MA, Koenigsberg M, Lantos G . US case of the day Radiographics 1996; 16: 1227–30

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Vade A, Horowitz SW . Agenesis of corpus callosum and intraventricular lipomas Pediatr Neurol 1992; 8: 307–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kieslich M, Ehlers S, Bollinger M, Jacobi G . Midline developmental anomalies with lipomas in the corpus callosum region J Child Neurol 2000; 15: 85–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Judy Wilkinson, Librarian, Jersey City Medical Center, for her assistance. We also thank Sylvia Sutton-Thorpe for supporting this effort and preparing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA

    Surasak Puvabanditsin MD

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Jersey City Medical Center, Jersey City, NJ, USA

    Surasak Puvabanditsin MD, Eugene Garrow MD, Daniel Akpalu MD & Maria C Quizon MD

  3. Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA

    Eugene Garrow MD

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jersey City Medical Center, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

    Liat Applewhite MD

Authors
  1. Surasak Puvabanditsin MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eugene Garrow MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Liat Applewhite MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Daniel Akpalu MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Maria C Quizon MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Puvabanditsin, S., Garrow, E., Applewhite, L. et al. Intracranial Lipomas in Neonate. J Perinatol 22, 414–415 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210738

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210738

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links