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Exophytic intramedullary meningioma of the cervical spinal cord

D Sahni1, J S Harrop, I H Kalfas

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, 1711 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, Texas 77054, USA. dds41@columbia.edu

Journal of Clinical Neuroscience : Official Journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
|August 20, 2008
PubMed

Insights

This study describes a rare case of an intramedullary spinal meningioma, a tumor typically found outside the spinal cord. This finding expands the understanding of spinal cord tumors and their surgical treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Neuropathology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Intramedullary spinal cord neoplasms are uncommon, with astrocytomas and ependymomas being the most frequent.
  • Meningiomas are typically intradural and extramedullary, rarely presenting within the spinal cord itself.

Observation:

  • A 42-year-old male presented with progressive neurological deficits, including sensory loss and lower extremity weakness.
  • Pre-operative imaging indicated an intramedullary cervical lesion.
  • Surgical exploration revealed a tumor originating within the cervical spinal cord and extending extramedullaryly.

Findings:

  • Histological examination confirmed the lesion as a meningioma.
  • This represents a previously undescribed variant of spinal meningioma.
  • The tumor demonstrated both intramedullary and extramedullary components.

Implications:

  • Spinal meningiomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intramedullary spinal lesions.
  • This case expands the known anatomical locations for spinal meningiomas.
  • Surgical resection is a viable and successful treatment option for intramedullary meningiomas.

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