scholarly journals Primary spinal melanoma: illustrative case

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna House ◽  
Jacob Archer ◽  
Jamie Bradbury

BACKGROUND Primary spinal melanoma is extremely rare, accounting for ∼1% of all primary melanomas. Typically presenting insidiously in the thoracic spinal cord, primary spinal melanomas can have an acute presentation due to their propensity to hemorrhage. OBSERVATIONS Despite its rarity, primary spinal melanoma should be included in the differential diagnosis when a hemorrhagic pattern of T1 and T2 intensities is seen on magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, the complete diagnosis is crucial because the prognosis of a primary spinal melanoma is considerably more favorable than that of a primary cutaneous melanoma with metastatic spread. LESSONS Resection is the treatment of choice, with some authors advocating for postoperative chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and/or radiation. We describe a case of acute quadriplegia from hemorrhagic primary spinal melanoma requiring resection.

Neurosurgery ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. E1053-E1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenichi Sato ◽  
Luca Roccatagliata ◽  
Sebastien Depuydt ◽  
Georges Rodesch

Abstract BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Arterial aneurysms of the spinal cord are rare. Their pathogenesis is variable, and the therapeutic strategies remain controversial, because their natural history is unclear. We report a case of multiple dissecting aneurysms of radiculomedullary and radiculopial arteries presenting with spinal infarction and subarachnoid hemorrhage, which spontaneously resolved. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 67-year-old woman was hospitalized owing to sudden onset of severe back pain with discomfort in the lower extremities. Two days later, she again experienced sudden back pain accompanied by paraparesis and sphincter disturbance. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic spinal cord showed 2 intradural masses of heterogeneous intensity at the levels of T-8 and T-10, spinal infarction, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Spinal angiography revealed a “pearls and strings” aspect of a radiculomedullary artery arising from the left T-11 and a fusiform aneurysm of a radiculopial artery arising from the left T-8. Infectious and immunological evaluations failed to show any anomaly. Spontaneous dissections were suspected. Conservative treatment was proposed, and the patient's clinical course remained uneventful. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging and spinal angiography performed 2 months after onset showed disappearance of both arterial lesions. CONCLUSION: Arterial dissections of spinal radicular arteries can resolve spontaneously and be managed conservatively. We propose a classification of the pathogenesis of spinal arterial aneurysm to clarify appropriate treatment strategies by a literature review.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 671-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Scholtes ◽  
Peter Adriaensens ◽  
Liesbet Storme ◽  
Armin Buss ◽  
Byron A. Kakulas ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To correlate high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with immunohistopathology in the injured human spinal cord. METHODS: Postmortem MRI scans at a field strength of 9.4 T, as well as standard histology and immunohistochemistry, were performed on an excised specimen of human high thoracic spinal cord, obtained 7 months after the initial trauma, several segments below a severe spinal cord lesion (C5). RESULTS: A precise correlation is described between MRI and immunohistochemistry of the long white matter tracts undergoing Wallerian degeneration and of an extension of the cervical lesion into the high thoracic cord. CONCLUSION: MRI, the only imaging technique that currently provides useful information on the spinal cord parenchyma after trauma, is rapidly evolving. High-field scanners of up to 9.4 T are being clinically tested. The present postmortem investigation of an isolated spinal cord specimen demonstrates the precise correlation that can be achieved between imaging and pathology. In future investigations, this type of technique can lead to a more precise description of spinal cord injuries and their consequences in remote tissue. Translation into the clinical setting will improve diagnosis and follow-up of spinal cord injured patients.


1993 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aílton Melo ◽  
Luciana Moura ◽  
Solana Rios ◽  
Marcos Machado ◽  
Gersonita Costa

Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spinal cord were carried out for seventeen consecutive patients with HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM). Eight patients had brain abnormalities and four had decreased thoracic spinal cord diameter. Brain lesions were mostly located in subcortical and periventricular areas. Our data suggest that diffuse central nervous system lesions are present in patients with HAM.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Murakami ◽  
Izumi Koyanagi ◽  
Takahisa Kaneko ◽  
Akihiro Yoneta ◽  
Yoshiko Keira ◽  
...  

Hyperhidrosis is caused by a sympathetic dysfunction of the central or peripheral nervous system. Intramedullary spinal cord lesions can be a cause of hyperhidrosis. The authors report a rare case of intramedullary thoracic spinal cord ganglioglioma presenting as hyperhidrosis. This 16-year-old boy presented with abnormal sweating on the right side of the neck, chest, and the right arm that had been occurring for 6 years. Neurological examination revealed mild motor weakness of the right lower extremity and slightly decreased sensation in the left lower extremity. Hyperhidrosis was observed in the right C3–T8 dermatomes. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an intramedullary tumor at the right side of the spinal cord at the T2–3 level. The tumor showed partial enhancement after Gd administration. The patient underwent removal of the tumor via hemilaminectomy of T2–3. Only subtotal resection was achieved because the margins of the tumor were unclear. Histopathological examination revealed ganglioglioma. Hyperhidrosis gradually improved after surgery. Hyperhidrosis is a rare clinical manifestation of intramedullary spinal cord tumors, and only a few cases have been reported in the literature. The location of the tumor origin, around the right gray matter of the lateral spinal cord, may account for the hyperhidrosis as the initial symptom in this patient. Physicians should examine the spinal cord using MRI studies when a patient has hyperhidrosis with some motor or sensory symptoms of the extremities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-164
Author(s):  
Cătălina Anca Cucoș ◽  
Radu Constantinescu ◽  
Ateș Barut ◽  
Iuliana Ionașcu ◽  
Constantin Vlăgioiu

Abstract Chiari-like malformation represents a congenital anomaly that affects the bony cranial base and the hindbrain, leading to fluid filled cavities formation in the spinal cord, condition named Syringomyelia. This paper aims to assess the variety of the clinical signs and to evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging findings in thirty- seven Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs. The study was performed over a four-year period, from 2013 to 2017, all cases underwent neurological examination, full diagnostic work-up, including magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain, cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord. Thirty-seven dogs were included in this study, 23 females and 14 males, with a mean age of 3.6±2.1years. The commonest clinical findings encountered were neuropathic pain and vocalization, seen in all 37 cases, followed by scratching, facial rubbing, paw licking, air licking, tail chasing, seizures and unilateral facial paralysis. Different grades of cerebellar herniation and cervical syrinxes were noted in all cases, other magnetic resonance imaging findings encountered were medullary kinking, presyrinx and ventriculomegaly. In establishing the diagnosis of the Chiari-like malformation and Syringomyelia, the breed, clinical history and the symptomatology are very important, but only magnetic resonance imaging technique can provide quantitative assessment of the nervous system lesions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 158 (8) ◽  
pp. 573-577
Author(s):  
U Braun ◽  
J Suarez ◽  
S Gasparini ◽  
S Warislohner ◽  
M Dennler

Neurosurgery ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 638-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick L. Valls ◽  
Gill L. Naul ◽  
Steven L. Kanter

Abstract Arachnoid cysts of the spinal canal are relatively common lesions that may be either intra- or extradural. These cysts are usually asymptomatic but may produce symptoms by compressing the spinal cord or nerve roots. We report a case in which an intradural thoracic arachnoid cyst became symptomatic after a routine decompressive lumbar laminectomy for spinal stenosis. Myelography revealed no abnormality, although magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography after myelography demonstrated a mass within the posterior aspect of the thoracic spinal canal associated with anterior displacement and compression of the spinal cord. A change in the flow dynamics of the cerebrospinal fluid probably allowed the development of spinal cord compression due to one of the following: expansion of the cyst, decreased cerebrospinal fluid buffer between the cord and the cyst, or epidural venous engorgement. A concomitant and more cephalad lesion such as an arachnoid cyst should be considered when myelopathic complications arise after lumbar surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography after myelography are useful to demonstrate the additional pathological processes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Gao ◽  
Xuejian Wang

✓Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare tumor. The authors report a case of an EMP originating in the thoracic spinal cord. To their knowledge this is the first report in which an EMP originating in this location is described. Isointense and hyperintense signals were seen on T1-weighted and T2-weighted magnetic resonance images, respectively, with marked irregular contrast enhancement and extensive edema. No evidence of bone marrow involvement or multiple myeloma was noted. The histological findings were compatible with an EMP.


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