| Summary: | The incidence of spinal teratoma ranges from 0.2 to 0.5% of all spinal cord tumours. They may be associated with neural tube defects causing tethered cord syndrome and are rarely localized at the level of filum terminale. Only 0.15–0.18% of spinal tumours has been classified as teratomas. Unlike intra spinal teratomas in infants and children, the symptoms of these tumours in adult patients typically lack specific clinical features that, upon diagnosis, may cause confusion with other spinal tumours.In this case report, a 25-year-old male presented with history of back pain for 3 years weakness in both lower limbs since 2 years and urinary incontinence for 4 months. Upon investigation MRI revealed a D12-L2 intradural multi loculated cystic leision measuring 6.7*2.1*3 cm heterogeneously enhancing with evidence of fat suppression at the level of the conus medullaris.T12-L2 decompressive laminectomies were performed and Subtotal resection of the lesion was achieved because the tumour was adherent to conus.Teratomas should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of intramedullary lesions when the imaging reveals variable signal intensity as a result of tissue heterogeneity. A partial resection is a viable treatment option when the lesion is attached to vital structures due to the low recurrence rates reported in the literature.
|
|---|