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Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Intraoperative Ultrasound in Spinal Surgery
Published on: August 17, 2022
Intraspinal extradural teratoma mimicking neural sheath tumor in infant
Seung-Jin Choi1, Hyun-Joo Choi, Jae-Taek Hong
1Department of Neurosurgery, St. Vincent Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 93-6 Chi-dong, 442-723 Paldal-ku, Suwon, Korea. sjinchoi88@hotmail.com
Insights
An unusual extradural intraspinal teratoma was found in an infant. Surgical removal led to significant improvement in the patient's paraparesis.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Pediatric Oncology
- Spinal Surgery
Background:
- Intraspinal teratomas are rare tumors.
- Extradural teratomas are exceptionally uncommon in both pediatric and adult populations.
- This case highlights a unique presentation of a mature teratoma originating extradurally.
Observation:
- An 8-month-old male infant presented with progressive paraparesis (grade 1).
- Spinal MRI revealed a cystic extradural mass compressing the dural sac from T-2 to T-4.
- The tumor, arising from the spinal root sheath, mimicked a neural sheath tumor.
Findings:
- A well-encapsulated, extradural mature teratoma was surgically excised.
- Hemilaminectomies with facet preservation were performed to ensure adequate exposure and prevent instability.
- Postoperative recovery showed marked improvement in paraparesis to grade 4 within 3 months.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of extradural spinal teratomas.
- Early surgical intervention can lead to favorable outcomes in pediatric spinal tumors.
- The surgical technique emphasizes preserving spinal stability during tumor resection.
Introduction:
An intraspinal teratoma that is located entirely extradurally is unusual both in children and in adults.
Case History:
The authors present a case of an 8-month-old male infant with an extradurally arising intraspinal mature teratoma located from T-2 to T-4, who had suffered from progressive paraparesis (grade 1). The patient did not have any stigmata or anomalies suggesting spinal dysraphism. Spinal MRI showed a cystic extradural mass markedly compressing the dural sac. On operation, the only way of getting sufficient space for exposure of the whole tumor was to perform hemilaminectomies with preservation of facetal areas to prevent postoperative instability. The tumor was well encapsulated and located entirely extradurally, and the cystic portion was occupied with yellowish fluid. The site of tumor occurrence was the spinal root sheath, mimicking a neural sheath tumor. Paraparesis had improved markedly to grade 4 by the time of the neurological examination 3 months after operation.
