Paragangliomas of the lumbar region

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 354-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Gelabert-González

✓ The author reports two cases of cauda equina paraganglioma (CEP) and provides a review of all previously published cases. The current radiological, neurosurgical, and pathological literature on this rare tumor is also reviewed.

2000 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olumide A. Danisa ◽  
Dennis Turner ◽  
William J. Richardson

Object. Progressive kyphotic deformity of the lumbar or thoracolumbar spine may lead to back pain, cosmetic deformity, and risk of neurological compromise. The authors describe a series of patients in whom they performed a singlestage, posterior reduction (“eggshell”) osteotomy procedure to improve sagittal contour by creating lordosis within a single vertebral body. Methods. From 1995 to 1997 the authors performed 12 osteotomy procedures in 11 patients with thoracolumbar or lumbar kyphosis. Seven patients presented with iatrogenic deformity, three with deformity secondary to traumatic injury, and one patient with ankylosing spondylitis. Their mean age at time of surgery was 46.6 years (range 23–78 years). All patients suffered from back pain and were unable to stand upright, but in only one patient were neurological findings demonstrated. The mean preoperative deformity was −26° (range −90 to 0°). At 6-month follow-up examination the mean sagittal contour measured 17.5° (range −17 to 44°), indicating that the mean surgical correction was 40.1° (range 25 to 58°). All patients reported decreased back pain at follow up, and none required narcotic analgesic medication. Complications included a dense paresis that developed immediately postoperatively in a patient who was found to have residual dural compression, which was corrected by emergency decompressive surgery. One elderly patient suffered a perioperative cerebrovascular accident, and three patients suffered neurapraxia with transient muscle weakness of the quadriceps. There was one case of a dural tear. There were no deaths, and prolonged intensive care stays were not required. Conclusions. Single-level posterior reduction osteotomy provides excellent sagittal correction of kyphotic deformity in the lumbar region, with a risk of cauda equina and root and plexus compromise due to the extensive neural exposure.


1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
pp. 954-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle F. Morris ◽  
Katrina Murphy ◽  
Lucy B. Rorke ◽  
Hector E. James

Object. Congenital spinal hamartomas are defined as tumors of well-differentiated mature elements situated in an abnormal location. In this report, the authors document the clinical and pathological features of spinal hamartomas in 10 patients. Methods. Ten patients presented with midline dorsal malformations at birth, initially diagnosed as teratomas or myelomeningoceles. The locations of the masses were variable: two were located in the thoracic region, four at the thoracolumbar junction, two in the lumbar region, one at the lumbosacral junction, and one in the sacral region. The results of the neurological examination were normal in nine patients. All but one mass had intact skin and seven had palpable bone components. Neuroimaging studies revealed widening of the spinal canal, heterotopic bone located dorsally in some patients, and varying degrees of involvement of the intraspinal contents. During surgery, six patients were found to have involvement of the spinal cord or cauda equina. The pathological characteristics of the masses included three or more of the following: bone, cartilage, synovial membrane, urinary tract tissue, cyst wall, yellow or brown fat, and nerves. The well-differentiated cellular elements, which formed mature structures, along with the absence of primitive cellular components and neoplastic characteristics are more consistent with a diagnosis of hamartoma than teratoma. Conclusions. In this series, the authors describe a lesion that is overt on physical examination, yet can have occult spinal canal involvement. Complete neurosurgical evaluation is essential to provide appropriate treatment and prognosis.


1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Robe ◽  
Didier Martin ◽  
Jacques Lenelle ◽  
Achille Stevenaert

✓ The posterior epidural migration of sequestered lumbar disc fragments is an uncommon event. The authors report two such cases in which patients presented with either intense radicular pain or cauda equina syndrome. The radiological characteristics were the posterior epidural location and the ring enhancement of the mass after injection of contrast material. The major diagnostic pitfalls are discussed.


2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 596-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphaël Vialle ◽  
Antoine Feydy ◽  
Ludovic Rillardon ◽  
Carla Tohme-Noun ◽  
Philippe Anract ◽  
...  

✓ Chondroblastoma is a benign cartilaginous neoplasm that generally affects the appendicular skeleton. Twenty-six cases of spinal chondroblastoma have been reported in the past 50 years, only six of which were located in the lumbar region. The authors report two cases involving this exceptional location. In both patients, low-back pain, in the absence of radicular pain, was the presenting symptom. In both cases, plain radiography and computerized tomography scanning revealed an osteolytic lesion surrounded by marginal sclerosis. Magnetic resonance imaging allowed the authors to study the tumor's local extension. Examination of a percutaneous fluoroscopy-guided biopsy sample revealed the following typical histological features of chondroblastoma: chondroid tissue, focally alternating with cellular areas, and no nuclear atypia or pleomorphism. To reduce the risk of local recurrence, vertebrectomy and anterior—posterior fusion were performed in both cases. In one case, a structural lumbar scoliosis was corrected during the posterior procedure. There was no postoperative complication. No recurrence was observed during the 3- to 6-year follow-up period. The surgery-related results were deemed successful. Although exceptional, the diagnosis of chondroblastoma is possible in lesions involving the lumbar spine. Other spinal locations are described in the literature, and frequency of recurrence is stressed. A vertebrectomy is advised to reduce the risk of local recurrence.


1998 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 844-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Koen ◽  
Roger E. McLendon ◽  
Timothy M. George

✓ Intradural spinal teratoma is a rare tumor that can be associated with dysraphic defects. Although the origin of these tumors is traditionally thought to be secondary to primordial germ cells misplaced early in embryogenesis, the pathogenesis of intraspinal teratoma remains unclear. The authors present a series of patients in whom an intradural teratoma arose at the same site as a developmental spinal cord abnormality, including a split cord malformation, myelomeningocele, and lipomyelomeningocele. It is postulated that these lesions were the result of a dysembryogenic mechanism and were not neoplastic.


1988 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan C. Grabel ◽  
Raphael Davis ◽  
Rosario Zappulla

✓ The case presented is of a patient with an intervertebral disc space cyst producing recurrent radicular pain following microdiscectomy in the lumbar region. Difficulties with the preoperative diagnosis of this and other recurrent radicular syndromes are discussed, and a review of the relevant literature is presented.


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.


1971 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolf Rosenkranz

✓ A case of ankylosing spondylitis in a patient with a cauda equina syndrome is reported. A lumbar myelogram revealed erosions of the bones of the neural canal with enclosed multiple intraspinal cysts.


1980 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 765-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole A. Miller ◽  
Richard C. Dewey ◽  
William E. Hunt

✓ The authors describe a lumbar spine fracture that is characterized on anteroposterior x-ray views by separation of the pedicular shadows. It is almost invariably associated with posterior interlaminar herniation of the cauda equina through a dorsal dural split, and anterolateral entrapment or amputation of the nerve root. The fracture is unstable and requires internal fixation and fusion at the time of neurolysis. Fractures meeting these criteria should be explored as soon as the patient's condition permits. Myelography is usually unnecessary and may be contraindicated in some cases. The postulated mechanism of injury is hyperextension with vertical impaction and rupture of the ring made up of the lamina, pedicle, and vertebral body. The ring is fractured in several places in a manner similar to that seen in “Jefferson fracture” of C-1. The special anatomical relationships of the thoracolumbar junction and the plane of the lumbar facets are also discussed.


1979 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven L. Wald ◽  
James E. McLennan ◽  
Richard M. Carroll ◽  
Harold Segal

✓ A case of extradural gouty tophus in the lumbar region in a teen-age girl is presented as an addition to the differential diagnosis of erosive lesions of the spinal canal.


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