Haemangioblastoma

Haemangioblastomas are rare and benign tumours which favour the infratentorial structures in the central nervous system. Around 30% of these tumours are associated with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, which if the diagnosis is missed can lead to rapid disease progression and significant morbidity and mortality. Complete surgical resection is the main treatment but other techniques including stereotactic radiosurgery are described in this chapter. Screening for Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), the optimal timing, and mode of treatment remain controversial due to the diversity of clinical presentation in these patients. This chapter also outlines the general principles of managing patients with haemangioblastomas and the factors which impact on prognosis.