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Intramedullary spinal cord astrolipoma: case report
Henry E Aryan1, Steven G Imbesi, Darius K Amjadi
1Division of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California 92103-8893, USA. hearyan@ucsd.edu
Neurosurgery
|October 2, 2003
Summary
This case report details a rare thoracic astrolipoma in an otherwise healthy patient. Complete surgical resection led to symptom improvement and no evidence of recurrence at 12 months.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Spinal cord tumors
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Astrocytomas and lipomas are distinct spinal cord tumor types.
- Astrolipomas, a rare combination, present unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
Observation:
- A 36-year-old woman presented with thoracic pain and lower extremity weakness.
- MRI revealed a T9-T11 intramedullary mass with lipomatous features.
Findings:
- The patient underwent gross total resection of the astrolipoma.
- Postoperatively, initial worsening of symptoms resolved, with significant clinical improvement at 3 months.
- No tumor recurrence was observed at 12-month follow-up imaging.
Implications:
- Gross total resection is a viable treatment for spinal astrolipoma.
- Continued radiographic surveillance is recommended, with retreatment for recurrence.
- The long-term prognosis for spinal astrolipomas remains uncertain.