Intradural Extramedullary Metastasis of the Upper Thoracic Spine – Case Report and Literature Review

We report a case of 46-year-old male operated on for moderately differentiated lung adenocarcinoma. Postoperatively, he underwent six courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He developed progressive severe inferior paraparesis accompanied by excruciating pain between the shoulders two years later. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed metastases in the bodies of T2 and T3 vertebrae with adjacent intradural extramedullary lesion compressing the spinal cord. The patient underwent surgical decompression and vertebral body cement augmentation that lead to pain relief and partial neurological recovery. The histological examination was consistent with metastases from low differentiated pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Surgical resection of intradural extramedullary metastasis improves patient quality of life by reducing pain intensity and neurological deficit.