The clinical experience of recurrent central nervous system hemangioblastomas

• Three (10.3%) and two (28.6%) patients showed recurrence in sporadic and von Hippel–Lindau disease-related hemangioblastomas, respectively.
• Two totally resected mural nodules on the cyst showed recurrence with similar radiologic findings three years later in sporadic HBLs.
• In recurred HBLs related with VHLD, one pure solid mass and one mural nodule on cyst showed the local recurrences after the total resection eight years later and associated with distant recurrence.

ObjectiveHemangioblastomas (HBLs) of the central nervous system are benign vascular tumors that may occur sporadically or in von Hippel–Lindau disease (VHLD). We analyzed the clinical and radiological findings of HBLs focusing on recurrence.Material and MethodsFrom 1998 to 2012, 36 patients with HBLs were treated. Twenty nine patients (80.6%, mean age 46.7 years) had sporadic HBLs and seven (19.4%, mean age 39 years) had HBLs associated with VHLD. Initially, the mass was totally removed in 32 patients, subtotally in one and partially in one, and gamma knife radiosurgery was done in two patients. The mean duration of follow-up was 48.4 months. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiologic findings.ResultsThe location of cerebellum and brainstem was common. The HBLs of spinal cord and cerebral hemisphere were related with VHLD. The common radiologic findings of sporadic HBLs showed a cyst with a mural nodule in 15 patients (51.7%) and pure solid lesion in eight (27.6%). In HBLs related with VHLD, five of seven patients had multiple lesions and pure solid mass was common. Three (10.3%) and two (28.6%) patients showed recurrence in sporadic and VHLD-related HBLs, respectively. Two totally resected mural nodules on the cyst showed recurrence with similar radiologic findings 3 years later in sporadic HBLs. In recurred HBLs related with VHLD, one pure solid mass and one mural nodule on cyst showed the local recurrences after the total resection 8 years later and associated with distant recurrence.ConclusionsAll patients should be more specifically followed to detect local and distant recurrence, even if the clinical course was benign and mass was totally removed.