Lobular capillary hemangioma of the cauda equina

1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert N. N. Holtzman ◽  
Paul M. Brisson ◽  
Richard E. Pearl ◽  
Michael L. Gruber

✓ This 56-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of low-back pain, sciatica, and paresthesias in the right S-1 dermatome. On examination the patient was shown to have a right-sided Lasègue's sign, normal strength, hypalgesia in the right S-1 dermatome, and a slight diminution of the right Achilles tendon reflex. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 2-cm intradural enhancing lesion at the level of the L-4 vertebra. Laminectomy of L3–L5 vertebrae was performed, and intradural exploration disclosed a blueberry-appearing tumor that was surrounded by an intense arachnoiditis and attached to the right S-1 nerve root. A cystic collection of cerebrospinal fluid was seen caudal to the tumor. Complete removal required transection of the adherent nerve root fascicles. Histological analyses indicate that the lesion was a lobular capillary hemangioma, which, to the authors' knowledge, appears to be one of the first recorded examples of such a case.

1998 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. Detwiler ◽  
Randall W. Porter ◽  
Timothy R. Harrington ◽  
Volker K. H. Sonntag ◽  
Robert F. Spetzler

✓ Vertebral artery tortuosity and loop formation are rare causes of cervical radiculopathy. The authors present the case of a 70-year-old man with 9 years of progressive right-sided cervical and scapular pain but no history of trauma. Computerized tomography myelography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an ovoid mass in the right C3–4 intervertebral foramen. The patient underwent a right C-3 and C-4 hemilaminectomy and a complete C3–4 facetectomy. A pulsatile vascular structure was found compressing the right C-4 nerve root. The bone overlying the vascular structure was removed, producing decompression of the nerve root. Immediate postoperative angiography showed that this lesion was a focal vertebral artery loop. The patient's symptoms resolved after surgery, supporting the use of vascular decompression of a cervical nerve root compressed by a vertebral artery loop for the relief of radicular symptoms.


1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina L. Stephan ◽  
John J. Kepes ◽  
Paul Arnold ◽  
K. Douglas Green ◽  
Fran Chamberlin

✓ A case of a neurocytoma involving a nerve root of the cauda equina in a 46-year-old woman is reported. The patient presented with a 2-month history of progressive left lower-extremity weakness and pain and decreased ability to walk, as well as complaints of incomplete voiding. A magnetic resonance image revealed a 7-mm oval mass that was located intrathecally and extended from T-12 to L-1 and was adjacent to a nerve root. No lesions were identified at higher vertebral levels. The mass was excised. On histological examination it was found to have classical features of a neurocytoma. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a neurocytoma occurring in that region. A detailed histological description of this case and review of the pertinent literature are provided.


1996 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert N. N. Holtzman ◽  
Susan C. Jormark

✓ This 32-year-old man had noticed right leg pain for 4 years and developed classic right sciatica after heavy lifting, followed by episodes of buckling of both legs 1 month prior to admission. His medical history included congenital left abducens palsy. Examination revealed a right Lasègue's sign and Fajersztajn's sign with mild weakness of the right extensor hallucis longus. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 1.5 × 2.0—cm enhancing intradural lesion at the L3–4 level. Following laminectomy of L-3 and L-4 and intradural exposure, the tumor was found to be draped loosely by the roots of the cauda equina and attached to a single root without any adherence to dura. Transection of the adherent fascicles and typical microdissection of arachnoidal filaments permitted its complete removal without violation of the capsule, allowing the preservation of a large fascicle. The patient's recovery was uneventful. Postoperatively, a mild right lateral foot hypalgesia and diminution of the right ankle jerk implicated the S-1 root. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses diagnosed the specimen as a clear cell meningioma.


1980 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 730-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giancarlo Andrioli ◽  
Luca Rigobello ◽  
Salvatore Mingrino ◽  
Vito Toso

✓ Tapia's syndrome is characterized by unilateral paralysis of the tongue and vocal cord, and is caused by a lesion of the 10th and 12th cranial nerves below the nodose ganglion, without involvement of the pharyngeal branches of the 10th nerve. The authors report the case of a 25-year-old man who presented with a 4-year history of progressive glossolaryngeal paralysis. Operation through the right laterocervical region allowed complete removal of a neurofibroma involving the 10th and 12th nerves at their crossing below the nodose ganglion.


1999 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Roncaroli ◽  
Bernd W. Scheithauer ◽  
William E. Krauss

Object. Hemangiomas of the spinal nerve roots are rare. Only 12 cases have been reported in the literature, all since 1965. These lesions occurred in adults, primarily in males, and were located in the cauda equina. Of the 12 lesions, eight were cavernous hemangiomas. The authors report here the clinicopathological features of 10 cases of hemangioma of the spinal nerve root, nine of which were of the capillary type. Methods. The group included six men and four women who ranged in age from 40 to 62 years. The majority of patients presented with pain and weakness. One patient also experienced worsening of pain during menses. In all cases, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging or computerized tomography myelography demonstrated a discrete intraspinal extramedullary mass. Administration of contrast agent resulted in uniform, intense enhancement. A gross-total resection was achieved in all but one case; in most cases, it was necessary to sacrifice the parent nerve root. Preoperative symptoms and signs improved in nine cases. On histological examination, all but one tumor, a spindle-cell hemangioendothelioma, were shown to be ordinary capillary hemangiomas. Two lesions exhibited a cavernous component, and five showed a partly solid growth pattern resembling juvenile capillary hemangioma. In all cases, the relationship with the nerve root was histologically confirmed. The tumor—nerve relation varied. The intact nerve was displaced by the epineurial mass in three cases. The fascicles appeared separated in six cases, and individual nerve fibers were seen throughout one lesion with endoneurial involvement. Conclusions. Hemangiomas of spinal nerve roots pose a challenging diagnostic problem. Knowledge of their existence is relevant in that they may mimic tumors and are amenable to surgical treatment.


2001 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Weigel ◽  
Michael Rittmann ◽  
Joachim K. Krauss

✓ The authors report on a 31-year-old man with spontaneous craniocervical osseous fusion secondary to cervical dystonia (CD). After an 8-year history of severe CD, the patient developed a fixed rotation of his head to the right. Three-dimensional computerized tomography reconstructions revealed rotation and fixation of the occiput and C-1 relative to C-2, which was similar to that seen in atlantoaxial rotatory fixation. There was abnormal ossification of the odontoid facet joints and ligaments. Additional ossification was observed in the cervical soft tissue bridging the lateral mass of C-1 and the occiput. The patient underwent partial myectomy of the dystonic left sternocleidomastoid muscle and selective posterior ramisectomy of the right posterior neck muscles; postoperatively he experienced relief of his neck pain. In patients with CD refractory to conservative treatment, the appropriate timing of surgical treatment is important.


1973 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 679-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Murphey ◽  
James C. H. Simmons ◽  
Bruce Brunson

✓ From the analysis of 648 patients operated on for ruptured cervical discs between 1939 and March of 1972 and a follow-up study of 380 of these patients, the following conclusions seem justified. Osteophytes or hypertrophic spurs rarely produced the classical clinical picture or deficits. Ninety per cent of the patients awakened in the morning with pain in the neck and rhomboid region. Ten per cent had a history of injury, but there was no characteristic pattern as in lumbar discs. Only one patient had a typical hyperextension injury. Anterior chest pain occurred in one-fifth of the cases. Pain in the neck, rhomboid region, and anterior chest was referred from the discs, while the arm pain was usually the result of nerve root compression; however, in a few cases the degenerating disc caused referred pain to the arm without any nerve root pressure. Since accurate diagnosis can be made on clinical grounds, myelography is not necessary in most cases. In our experience conservative treatment was usually unsuccessful while the surgical results were better than in almost any other neurosurgical operation. The nerve root syndromes associated with extruded lateral cervical discs are outlined and the indications and contraindications for myelography discussed.


1970 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 676-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian C. Bailey

✓ This is an analysis of 10 cases of dermoid tumor occurring in the spinal canal (8 lumbar and 2 thoracic). Low-back pain was the commonest presenting symptom, especially if the tumor was adherent to the conus medullaris. Other complaints included urinary dysfunction and motor and sensory disturbances of the legs. Clinical and radiological evidence of spina bifida was found in about half of the cases and suggested the diagnosis of a developmental type of tumor when patients presented with progressive spinal cord compression. At operation, the tumors were often found embedded in the conus medullaris or firmly adherent to the cauda equina, thus precluding complete removal. Evacuation of the cystic contents, however, gave lasting relief of the low-back pain and did not cause any deterioration in neurological function. In a follow-up study, ranging from 1 to 15 years, virtually no improvement in the neurological signs was observed. On the other hand, only one case has deteriorated due to recurrence of tumor growth.


1992 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 945-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard H. Schmidt ◽  
M. Sean Grady ◽  
Wendy Cohen ◽  
Sanford Wright ◽  
H. Richard Winn

✓ The case is presented of a young woman with acute cauda equina syndrome from a ruptured aneurysm in the sacral canal. The lesion was associated with pathological enlargement of the lateral sacral arteries bilaterally, which presumably occurred to provide cross-pelvic collateral flow in response to the diversion of the right internal iliac artery for renal transplantation. The patient presented with signs and symptoms of spontaneous spinal epidural hemorrhage. The radiographic features of this lesion are described. In addition to angiography and partial embolization of the vascular supply, contrast-enhanced high-resolution computerized tomography was essential in the diagnosis and treatment of this unique aneurysm.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. E197-E197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaël Bruneau ◽  
Pierre Goffette ◽  
Guy Cosnard ◽  
Denis Rommel ◽  
Christian Raftopoulos

Abstract OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: We report the third case of an aneurysm of the lateral sacral artery (AnLSA). In all cases, because of an incorrect preoperative diagnosis, the surgeons were confronted with severe and unexpected hemorrhaging, and surgery was aborted without effective treatment. Our purpose is to present the preoperative features of AnLSA and its treatment modalities. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old man had a medical history of renal transplantation on his left external iliac artery. He complained of acute lumbar pain associated with cauda equina syndrome, which resolved within a few hours. At that time, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed an intracanal hematoma extending from S1 to T12. Six weeks later, a second MRI scan demonstrated an oval-shaped intracanal mass behind the vertebral body of S1 with intense gadolinium enhancement. INTERVENTION: An anterior epidural mass was found. An incision into this mass resulted in significant arterial hemorrhaging. Transparietal embolization with a cotton compress and closure of the aneurysm wall were performed. The postoperative clinical status was stable, and a delayed angiographic study suggested a diagnosis of aneurysm of the right LSA, a branch of the internal iliac artery. Its pathophysiology was explained by the development of a high-flow transpelvic shunt from the right iliac artery territory to the left, to maintain the renal graft blood flow that had initially been reduced by stenosis of the left common iliac artery. Six weeks later, a new MRI scan demonstrated that the AnLSA had increased in size. The lesion was then excluded endovascularly by injection of glue. CONCLUSION: A medical history of renal transplantation with MRI scans showing an anterior epidural mass behind S1 or a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma are features that must evoke a diagnosis of AnLSA. Treatment is mandatory and is best achieved by embolization. Surgery based on angiographic findings is indicated if the lesion is responsible for a compressive hematoma.


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