Dermoid tumour of the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus

Congenital intracranial dermoid tumors are very rare. Supratentorial dermoid cysts have been more frequently reported over the past decade and they are known to have a predilection for the cavernous sinus. Dermoid tumors originating from the cavernous sinus are usually interdural and thus, presentation with ophthalmoplegia is uncommon. They are congenital benign tumors and are believed to originate from ectopic inclusion of epithelial cells during closure of the neural tube during embryonic development. The location of these dermoid lesions in the cavernous sinus and the complexity of the operative procedure for these lesions have been noted by several authors. In this report, we describe the case of a dermoid cyst that was embedded in the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus and review the literature relating to related cavernous dermoid lesions. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.