Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma in the posterior fossa: a case report with advanced neuroimaging findings

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare glioma usually occurring in children and young adults. It is a benign World Health Organization (WHO) grade II tumor that accounts for < 1% of all astrocytomas. Its occurrence in the infratentorial compartment is rare, and the cerebellum is the most common of the unusual locations. Few case reports have described conventional imaging features of these tumors, but none has reported the advanced magnetic resonance (MR) neuroimaging features in dynamic susceptibility perfusion-weighted imaging (DSC-PWI), diffusion weighted-imaging (DWI) and MR spectroscopy. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to report a case of PXA in the cerebellum of a 28-year-old patient and discuss the MR advanced imaging characteristics compared to the more common PXA supratentorial type.