Postoperative hyperthermia after resection of a seminoma from the thalamus and third ventricle

Hyperthermia is relatively common in inpatients, but hyperthermia occurring in the immediate postoperative period after undergoing neurosurgery has some unique characteristics. This case report concerns a patient who developed immediate postoperative hyperthermia up to 39.3°C (the axillary temperature) in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) after resection of a seminoma from the thalamus and third ventricle. Having been re-intubated and mechanically ventilated, the elevated temperature was treated on the PACU by cooling the skin with ice and antipyretic drugs. Within 2 hours after the surgery, the patient's body temperature had fallen to 37.8°C and vital signs were stable. The patient was then transferred to the neurology intensive care unit for further management. The patient was discharged 70 days after surgery with normal body temperature. During excision of a space-occupying lesion in the thalamus or hypothalamus, clinicians must be mindful of the possibility of hyperthermia and administer appropriate treatments immediately.