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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

A Novel Vertebral Stabilization Method for Producing Contusive Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: January 5, 2015
Case Report of Spinal Cord Astrocytoma Presenting with Extensive Spinal Vertebral Body Destruction
Abraham Tadele1, Sarah Woodraw2, Mahlon D Johnson3
1Department of Neurosurgery, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Background:
Spinal cord astrocytomas are rare lesions in adults.
Case Description:
In this report, we present the case of a 28-year-old female patient who presented with a 2-year history of back pain and 3-month history of leg weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the patient showed an intrinsic expansive spinal cord lesion with extensive vertebral body destruction. Open biopsy from the tumor with limited debulking confirmed World Health Organization grade II astrocytoma. Postoperatively, the patient had mild improvement in neurologic status.
Conclusions:
This case represents a rare presentation of a spinal cord astrocytoma with extensive erosion of the vertebral body.
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