Central Neurocytoma: Rare Presentation in Fourth Ventricle and Review of Literature

Central neurocytomas are rare tumors, typically found in the third ventricle. We present the unusual case of a fourth ventricular central neurocytoma in a 70-year-old female presenting with imbalance and headaches, with an enhancing fourth ventricular mass on imaging. We examine the details of her clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, histopathologic analysis, and postoperative course. We performed a critical literature review of fourth ventricular central neurocytoma, identifying 6 previously reported cases. In contrast to our patient, the majority of these cases were in young males. The 2 females with fourth ventricular neurocytoma developed it at a much later age (mean 63.5 years) than their male counterparts (mean 22.8 years; P = 0.005). Despite being a rare cause for a fourth ventricular lesion, given the appropriate clinical context and radiographic findings, this should remain part of the differential diagnosis.