A Commoner at an Extremely Rare Site: A Case of Dorsal Intramedullary Spinal Dermoid Cyst

Intramedullary dorsal dermoid cysts are rare benign tumors, arising from the nests of embryonic ectoderm, which get buried or trapped under the lines of fusion of the ectodermal folds in the developing embryo. We present a rare case of intramedullary dermoid cyst in a 30-year-old asymptomatic female, who presented with paraplegia and ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging was suggestive of neoplastic intramedullary mass. Intraoperatively, findings were suspicious of tuberculosis, but on final histopathological evaluation, the final and definitive diagnosis of intramedullary dermoid cyst was rendered. The postoperative phase was uneventful.