Medical experts in Hyderabad have successfully treated a nine-month-old baby from Somalia diagnosed with a rare brain tumour that triggered life-threatening hydrocephalus, performing two complex neurosurgical procedures in a single operation.
The infant, Shafie Mohamed Hussain, was brought to the hospital after his family noticed he had become unusually lethargic, less active and was not responding normally. Brain imaging revealed severe hydrocephalus, an abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inside the brain, along with an exceptionally rare glioneural tumour arising from the choroid plexus, the tissue responsible for producing CSF.
According to the treating team, the tumour not only occupied space inside the brain but also contributed to excessive production of cerebrospinal fluid, rapidly increasing pressure within the skull. Left untreated, the condition could have led to permanent neurological damage, developmental delay, seizures, vision loss and even death.
Given the baby's age and the complexity of the case, neurosurgeons opted to tackle both problems during a single surgery. They first inserted a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt to divert excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain to the abdominal cavity, immediately relieving the raised intracranial pressure. In the same operation, they performed a craniotomy and completely removed the tumour.
The excised tissue was analysed by histopathology and confirmed to be a rare paediatric glioneural tumour originating from the choroid plexus.
"This baby had life-threatening hydrocephalus caused by a very rare glioneural tumour arising from the choroid plexus. The tumour was continuously contributing to excessive cerebrospinal fluid accumulation, resulting in dangerously increased pressure inside the brain and progressive enlargement of the head. We first relieved the pressure by inserting a VP shunt and then completely removed the tumour during the same surgery," said Dr Laxminadh Sivaraju, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at CARE Hospitals, HITEC City.
He added that performing two major neurosurgical procedures in a nine-month-old infant during a single sitting required meticulous planning, microsurgical precision and close coordination between the neurosurgery, anaesthesia, radiology, paediatrics and pathology teams.
The baby, who recovered well after surgery, was monitored in the intensive care unit, shifted to the ward once stable, and discharged three days later.
Hydrocephalus occurs when cerebrospinal fluid accumulates within the brain's ventricles, increasing pressure on brain tissue. In infants, whose skull bones have not yet fused, the condition often presents as an unusually large or rapidly enlarging head.
While hydrocephalus can occur due to congenital abnormalities, infections or bleeding, tumours arising from the choroid plexus are an uncommon cause, particularly in babies, say doctors.
Doctors advised parents to seek prompt medical attention if infants develop persistent vomiting, poor feeding, excessive sleepiness, seizures, unusual lethargy, behavioural changes or a rapidly increasing head size, as early diagnosis and treatment can prevent irreversible brain injury.
