Teratoma of the spinal cord in an adult: Report of a rare case and review of the literature.
Publication/Presentation Date
2-1-2017
Abstract
Teratomas of the spinal cord are incredibly rare, comprising less than 0.5% of all spinal cord tumors. These tumors are exceptionally rare in adults, with only a handful of cases reported in the literature. We present the case of a 49-year-old gentleman with new onset urinary incontinence who presented with a large intradural tumor of the thoracolumbar spine. The patient underwent a laminectomy with midline durotomy for subtotal tumor resection. Surgical pathology diagnosed the tumor as a mature teratoma, exhibiting the presence of all three germ layers. These tumors tend to present with an indolent onset of symptoms characteristic of the tumor location within the spinal cord and the affected surrounding nerve roots. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful in determining the location and nature of these tumors, but final diagnosis ultimately rests on histopathological analysis. Surgical resection is the preferred treatment, with subtotal resection being favored if there is a high risk of intraoperative neurological damage due to adherent or infiltrative tumor. In general, the prognosis for these tumors is good, with most patients exhibiting stable or improved neurological status after resection.
Volume
36
First Page
59
Last Page
63
ISSN
1532-2653
Published In/Presented At
Schmidt, R. F., Casey, J. P., Gandhe, A. R., Curtis, M. T., & Heller, J. E. (2017). Teratoma of the spinal cord in an adult: Report of a rare case and review of the literature. Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia, 36, 59–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2016.10.022
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
27815027
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article