Pediatric Nasal Glioma

  • Etiology:
    — Dysplastic non-neoplastic glial tissue
    — Development analogous to encephalocele formation in that defect closes leaving CNS tissue in extracranial space
    — Analogous development: Frontonasal encephalocele – extranasal glial heterotopia
    — Analogous development: Nasoethmoidal encephalocele – intranasal glial heterotopia
  • Imaging MRI:
    — 15% have pedicle of fibrous tissue to intracranial cavity
    — No cerebrospinal fluid tract communicating with subarachnoid spaces
    — Isointense to parenchyma or gliotic
    — T1WI: Hypointense
    — T1WI post contrast: Enhancement rare
    — T2WI: Hyperintense
  • DDX:
  • Complications:
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical: 60% extranasal

Radiology Cases of Nasal Glioma

CT of nasal glioma
Axial CT with contrast of the face in soft tissue (above left) and bone (above right) windows show a nasal mass of soft tissue density arising off of the dorsal aspect of the nose and splaying the nasal bones. Sagittal CT (below) shows there is no evidence of intracranial extension.