Sellar brain tumour co-existing with a left posterior communicating aneurysm causing ptosis: lessons learnt (case report)

Posterior communicating aneurysm (PCOM) commonly presents with ptosis of the eye. This is so also with space occupying lesion compressing the oculomotor nerve. It is quite uncommon for a patient to have both lesions at the same anatomical space concurrently causing ptosis. If undiagnosed before surgical intervention, surgical complications from such a complex neurosurgical problem can be extremely devastating. We share our recent experience with confusing clinical presentation and subsequent treatment of a sellar brain mass co-existing with a left posterior communicating artery aneurysm at the same location in a 48 years old woman who was successfully managed with left pterional craniotomy and clipping of the PCOM aneurysm followed by gross total excision of the lesion. She improved with full resolution of left ptosis within 2 months. The histology revealed WHO Grade 1 psammomatous meningioma. Although similar sorts of pathologies occurring together have been described in the literature, this unique experience underscores the importance of thoroughly evaluating neurosurgical cases clinically irrespective of findings from radiologic investigations in order to prevent unexpected intra-operative disasters and embarrassment. Moreso, this is important particularly in Africa where advanced investigations to easily identify such complex pathologies are not readily available.