Rapid resolution of depression and epilepsy following resection of a septal region tumor: illustrative case.

Background: The authors present a case of a young patient who presented with depression symptoms and epilepsy. She was found to have a low-grade glioneuronal tumor located in the septal region, a critical limbic area involved in neuropsychiatric disorders. This region includes the ventral striatum, a key component of the brain's reward processing circuitry, which has been targeted in deep brain stimulation trials for treatment-resistant depression.

Observations: Following resection of the septal region tumor, the patient experienced rapid remission of both her depression symptoms and epilepsy.

Lessons: This case illustrates the resolution of both seizures and mood disturbances following the removal of the septal region tumor and highlights the potential for lesions in key limbic structures to underlie both disruption of mood and epileptic activity. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24733.