Extramedullary Spinal Teratoma Presenting With Recurrent Aseptic Meningitis - 19/05/14
, Man Xu, MD a, Kai Wang, MD b, Jiao Wang, MD a, Li Yang, MD aAbstract |
Introduction |
Spinal teratomas are extremely rare; they constitute <0.5% of all spinal cord tumors. These rare tumors have nonspecific manifestations but in most cases are accompanied by neurological deficits. Rupture of a mature teratoma can cause chemical meningitis.
Patient Description |
A 7-year-old boy presented with paroxysmal abdominal pain and a history of recurrent aseptic meningitis. Kernig and Brudzinski signs were present. Lumber puncture revealed pleocytosis with no evidence of bacteria growth. Imaging of the spine revealed a cystic lesion in spinal cord at thoracic level 9-11. Endoscopic excision of the cyst was successfully performed. Surgical and histopathological findings confirmed extramedullary matured teratoma.
Conclusions |
As the symptomatic attacks of spontaneous rupture of spinal teratoma resemble presentations of Mollaret meningitis, spinal teratoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of Mollaret meningitis. We describe a rare example of spinal teratoma causing recurrent meningitis. Spine imaging should be considered in individuals with recurrent aseptic meningitis as this promotes earlier diagnosis, more appropriate treatment, and improved neurological outcome.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : teratoma, spinal tumor, aseptic meningitis, Mollaret meningitis
Plan
Vol 50 - N° 6
P. 655-657 - juin 2014 Retour au numéro
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