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Intraoperative Ultrasound in Spinal Surgery
Published on: August 17, 2022
Intraosseous sacral paraganglioma with extradural extension: case report
Asdrubal Falavigna1, Orlando Righesso, Daniel Volquind
1Department of Neurosurgery, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil. asdrubal@doctor.com
Acta Neurochirurgica
|September 5, 2009
Summary
Spinal paragangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors. Complete surgical removal is crucial for preventing recurrence, even for benign, slow-growing sacral tumors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroendocrine Tumors
- Spinal Oncology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Paragangliomas originate from the neuroendocrine system's paraganglion system.
- While 10% are extra-adrenal, spinal paragangliomas are exceptionally rare.
- Primary intraosseous sacral paragangliomas are exceedingly uncommon, with only three prior reports.
Observation:
- A 69-year-old male presented with low back pain and urinary incontinence.
- Imaging identified a significant intraosseous mass spanning sacral levels S2-S4.
- Surgical resection via posterior midline incision achieved total tumor removal with clear margins.
Findings:
- The sacral paraganglioma was an extradural, friable, grayish, and bleeding mass.
- Post-operative follow-up at 2 years revealed complete symptom resolution.
- No local recurrence was detected after complete gross tumor removal.
Implications:
- Paraganglioma must be considered in the differential diagnosis of sacral tumors.
- Complete surgical resection is the primary goal to minimize recurrence risk.
- Even benign spinal paragangliomas necessitate aggressive surgical management due to recurrence potential.
