Epidural seeding in medulloblastoma: A rare presentation of tumor seeding

Onur Erdogan1,2, Melih Eröksüz3,4, Yener Şahin3,4

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. onurerdoganmd@gmail.com.

Insights

Epidural seeding is an extremely rare complication of medulloblastoma, a common pediatric brain tumor. This case highlights a unique instance of epidural spinal seeding, emphasizing the need for vigilant long-term patient surveillance.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Neuro-oncology
  • Neurosurgery

Background:

  • Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric malignant brain tumor.
  • It frequently disseminates via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the subarachnoid space.
  • Leptomeningeal seeding is common, but epidural seeding is exceptionally rare.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a rare case of epidural medulloblastoma seeding.
  • To discuss potential mechanisms and implications for patient follow-up.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of an 8-year-old male with anaplastic large cell medulloblastoma.
  • Treatment included tumor resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.
  • Long-term follow-up imaging revealed spinal and epidural lesions.

Main Results:

  • Four years post-treatment, the patient developed thoracic spinal and S2-3 level epidural lesions.
  • Surgical confirmation showed the epidural mass was confined to the epidural space.
  • No intradural involvement was observed.

Conclusions:

  • This case represents one of the few documented instances of epidural medulloblastoma seeding.
  • Lumbar puncture is hypothesized as a potential route for tumor cell introduction into the epidural space.
  • Vigilant long-term surveillance is crucial for detecting rare metastatic patterns in medulloblastoma survivors.

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