Glial heterotopia or ectopic brain masquerading as a dacyrocystocele

Abstract

Glial heterotopia is an extremely rare clinical entity mostly presenting in head and neck region secondary to an abnormal development of an isolated mature central nervous system (CNS) tissue at an abnormal location without any continuity with the brain, spinal cord, or meninges. Its origin is either due to mechanical isolation of glial tissues by the developing cranial bones or secondary to misdirected or sequestered embryonic neuroectodermal stem cells outside the CNS. The authors present an exceptionally rare case of a heterotopic glial nodule masquerading as a dacryocystocele, its radiological features along with a brief clinicopathological correlation.