P.084 Early malignant transformation of intracranial epidermoid cysts: a case report and systematic review

Abstract

Background: Intracranial epidermoid cysts (IEC) are benign congenital intracranial lesions that rarely undergo malignant transformation. We report a case of IEC evolving into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) 1-year post-resection. Further, we conducted a systematic review on cases of early malignant transformations of IECs. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched from inception until December 2023 for studies reporting malignant transformations of IECs within 2 years of diagnosis. Results: A 48-year-old female underwent surgical resection of a cerebellopontine angle (CPA) IEC in May 2022. She re-presented in July 2023 with headaches, nausea, vomiting, right facial weakness, and rapid cyst progression. Repeat surgical resection revealed a high-grade SCC. Our systematic review identified 19 (10 females, 9 males) additional IEC cases undergoing malignant transformation within 2 years. The mean age at presentation was 57.6 years, most common location was CPA (n=13, 68.4%) and mean time between IEC to malignant transformation was 10.6 months. Eighteen (94.7%) cases transformed to SCC, of which 2 had leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, and 1 transformed to glioblastoma. Conclusions: While malignant transformations of IECs are rare, regular postoperative follow-up is crucial for early malignancy detection and treatment initiation. Further study is warranted to evaluate factors contributing to accelerated malignant progression of IECs.