Hemangioblastoma of the Central Nervous System: A Case Series of Patients Surgically Treated at Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital, Tehran, Iran during 2004-2014

Objectives Hemangioblastoma refers to a benign vascular neoplasm that comprises stromal and capillary cells. Based on the classification of nervous system tumors proposed by WHO, hemangioblastomas are classified as Grade I meningeal tumors of uncertain origin. These tumors are found almost exclusively in the central nervous system (CNS) and account for 0.9% to 2.1% of all primary CNS tumors. Materials & Methods In this descriptive retrospective study, the archives of pathology reports were reviewed in the Department of Pathology of Shohadae- Tajrish Hospital, Tehran, Iran and patients with definite diagnosis of hemangioblastoma made through histopathological examinations during 2004-2014 were identified. Age, gender and the location of tumor were extracted from the medical records and entered into SPSS statistical software v.22 for analysis. Results Thirty patients including 16 males (53.3%) and 14 females (46.7%) were identified. The mean age of the patients was calculated to be 41.2±13.47 yr, ranging from 19 to 62 yr old. The majority of lesions had been found in the cerebellum of the patients (93.3%); only one had occurred in the cerebrum (3.3%) and another in the fourth ventricle (3.3%). Conclusion Cerebellum is the most commonly affected location in patients with CNS hemangioblastomas, and a male preponderance is observed in these cases.