A case of bladder exstrophy and thoracal intramedullary teratoma

Simultaneous spine extradural and intradural teratomas in a pediatric patient: A rare presentation with insights in the flawed migration of germ cells theory

Spinal teratomas are infrequent lesions in the pediatric population. These lesions can be extradural, intradural or intramedullary. We present a case of an 8-month-old boy that was assessed for underdevelopment of motor milestones. The neurologic examination revealed hyporeflexia, decreased sensation and flaccid paraplegia. MRI of the spine revealed two simultaneous and independent lesions in the extradural and intradural compartment. A laminectomy was performed for the T4-T7 vertebrae with total resection of both lesions. The histopathological analysis confirmed both lesions to be mature cystic teratomas. At the 1-year follow-up, the patient remained with no recovery of neurological function. A debate takes place regarding the etiology of formation of these lesions in the spine. The simultaneous presentation of two independent lesions in this patient could contribute to define the flawed migration of germ cells theory as the etiology for formation of teratomatous lesions in the spine.

Cervical intramedullary teratoma: a case report and systematic review of the literature

Here, we report a case of a 3-year-old female who presented to clinic with an enlarging mass in the posterior cervical midline. The mass was present since birth and demonstrated no cutaneous stigmata. Plain film, CT, and MRI of the cervical spine (C3-C5) revealed enlargement of the spinal canal, soft tissue calcification, spinal dysraphism, and an intramedullary, predominantly fatty, mass. The mass had associated calcifications and a highly proteinaceous cyst. Surgical resection of the spinal lesion was subsequently performed. Histopathological evaluation revealed a mature teratoma. Cervical spinal teratomas in the pediatric population are rare entities with few cases currently reported in the literature. We conducted a systematic review to outline the current evidence detailing cases of intramedullary spinal cord teratomas. Six articles were included for final review. All patients in the included articles underwent maximal surgical resection with one patient also receiving chemotherapy and radiation. With our report, we aim to add to the literature on cervical intramedullary spinal cord teratomas in the pediatric population.

Isolated spinal neurenteric cyst presenting as intramedullary calcified cystic mass on imaging studies: case report and review of literature

Intramedullary neurenteric cysts (NEC) without associated malformations are extremely rare and, to our knowledge, have never been reported in association with calcification. We report a unique imaging presentation as a partially calcified mass of an isolated intramedullary neuroenteric cyst of the lower thoracic spinal cord with pathologic correlation. The literature for isolated forms of intramedullary NEC since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging is also reviewed.