Successful treatment of a haemangioblastoma in a 95 year-old patient : case report

Haemangioblastomas located in the posterior fossa have rarely been described in patients older than 60 years of age. The authors report a case of a 95 year-old man who presented with an obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to a posterior fossa tumour. Computed tomography and angiography suggested intracerebellar metastasis. Despite the advanced age of the patient and his poor general condition, surgery was performed with the patient in a supine position. A haemiangioblastoma was found and completely removed. The postoperative course was without complications. This case demonstrates that the combination of modern anaesthesia, supine operating position, and the use of microsurgical techniques allow succesffull operations on the posterior fossa even in very old patients.