A rare brain growth that looked like cancer but was not
Original title: Atypical Lhermitte-Duclos Disease Presenting as a Malignant Cerebellar Tumor: NeuN-Positive Neuronal Differentiation as a Diagnostic Clue.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This is a report about one patient, not a new treatment.
The short version
A woman had a brain growth that looked like cancer, but tissue tests showed it was not.
What was studied. Doctors report the story of one patient, a 32-year-old woman. She had worsening headaches, vomiting, and dizziness, and she was unsteady on her right side. Doctors used a brain scan, surgery, and tests on the removed tissue.
What they found. The scan showed a large growth in the back of her brain. It spread into nearby parts and looked much like a fast-growing cancer. Surgeons operated to ease the pressure in her brain. Tests on the tissue showed a rare growth called Lhermitte-Duclos disease, which is not cancer. Part of the growth was left behind, and she recovered without problems.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Some growths in the back of the brain can look like cancer on a scan. Tests on the tissue itself can tell them apart. For a patient, that can mean avoiding harsh treatment they do not need.
What it doesn't mean: This is one person's story, not a study of many people. It is not a new treatment, and it is not a cure. It does not mean a growth that looks like cancer is usually harmless. Most are not. Only your own care team can say what your scan and tests show.
Source: PubMed, May 26, 2026 · Read the original
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