A Case Report on Pseudodepression: 37-year-old Male with Suprasellar Mass
Volume 6 - Issue 3, March 2023 Edition
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Author(s)
Cara Camille M. Matute, MD, Jean Paolo M. Delfino, MD, Perry S. Noble, MD, FPNA
Keywords
Craniopharyngioma, Pseudodepression, Sella or Suprasellar Tumors
Abstract
Craniopharyngioma is a rare benign epithelial tumor that typically occurs in a bimodal age distribution and intracranial tumors commonly present with signs of increased intracranial pressure due to the mass effect. Additionally, craniopharyngiomas often manifest as pituitary and/or hypothalamic dysfunction as well as visual impairment. This case report will discuss an unusual case of craniopharyngioma in a middle-aged male who presented with pseudodepression for 4 months prior to diagnosis. Eventually, the patient developed headache and decreasing sensorium. He underwent excision of tumor during admission and histopathologic diagnosis showed adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma which has a relatively good prognosis but with a high recurrence rate. Hypothetically, the disruption of the neural connections between the hypothalamus and limbic system in craniopharyngiomas cause the psychiatric symptoms. The gradual onset of psychological symptoms and mass effect may be attributed to the benign nature of craniopharyngiomas. The salient features of this case emphasize the importance of having a high index of suspicion for an organic neurological etiology in cases of new onset psychiatric symptoms without the presence of lateralizing signs.
References
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