Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor in sellar turcica in an adult: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is a rare central nervous system tumor composed of primitive rhabdoid cells that may differentiate along neuroectodermal, mesenchymal and epithelial lineages. AT/RT in adults is rare but not completely exceptional. It generally arises from the posterior fossa of infants, but the broad majority of the reported AT/RT in adults manifested supratentorially with the exception of four cases that arose in the cerebellum and two that arose in the spinal cord. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 44-year-old female complained of visual disturbance. We performed craniotomies twice and removed partially for each time, but any malignant cells were not found in the specimens. Finally, we determined histological diagnosis from the extended lesion. She died of respiratory failure 17 months after the initial treatment. CONCLUSION: AT/RT should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a sellar lesion in adult patients. However AT/RT is rare in adults, the appropriate immunohistochemical evaluation should be performed to diagnose this rare entity.