Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor with Cervical Vertebra Involvement in a Teenage Child: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Extradural malignant rhabdoid tumor of the spine in children: A case-based review

BACKGROUND

Extradural malignant rhabdoid tumors of the spine are highly malignant and invasive tumors (WHO grade IV) with poor prognosis, most frequently occurring in young children before 2 years of age. Pain and motor deficit are the most common presenting signs.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We report a case of a 2-year-old girl presenting with axial ataxia and paraparesis related to an extradural malignant rhabdoid tumor causing posterior thoracic spinal cord compression (D3-D6). She underwent two near-total removal of the tumor, adjuvant chemotherapy according to the Eu-Rhab protocol and proton beam therapy. She then developed multiple cranial nerve paresis (meningeal carcinomatosis) after 4 cycles of chemotherapy and died at 4.32 months of follow-up.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The role of the PET scan was essential to guide us to remove a residue, while two concomitant spinal MRIs were considered negative. We reviewed the 16 cases reported in the literature. Multiple surgeries and radiotherapy seem to be correlated with longer survival. No child younger than 2 years old had a documented survival higher than 4.32 months.

Extra-renal rhabdoid tumor in an adult presenting as cervical adenopathy with spondylodiscitis

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Rhabdoid tumor (RT) is among the most aggressive and lethal types of cancer. It most commonly arises in the central nervous system, kidney, or soft tissues. It typically affects young children.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present a case of a 21 years old man with an extrarenal rhabdoid tumor (ERRT) in the neck extending to the vertebra and epidural space. Clinical presentation was at first misleading as it presented as infectious spondylodiscitis with cervical adenopathies. The patient developed quadriplegia a few days after biopsy was taken and succumbed to his disease a week later.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

The diagnosis of MRT is mainly based on histopathology, immunohistochemistry and molecular studies. Loss of INI1 expression due to biallelic mutation of the SMARCB1 gene is characteristic. Because of the lack of standardized treatment protocols for MRT, various combinations of chemotherapeutic drugs are used. However, prognosis remains poor especially for cervical vertebral localization as it results in a rapid fatal outcome secondary to respiratory failure.

CONCLUSION

SMARCB1-related biology and potential therapeutic targets are the main focus of preclinical investigations that aim to expand treatment options and improve patient's survival.

Clinical diagnostic and radiographic features of primary spinal atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors tumor in a pediatric patient: A case report and review of the literature

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs) are rare embryonal tumors comprising 1-2% of all pediatric CNS neoplasms. Spinal ATRTs are even more uncommon, accounting for 2% of all reported ATRT cases. Despite their rarity, ATRTs affect young children disproportionately and are characterized by a high malignant potential due to a heterogeneous cellular composition and inactivating mutations in the SMARCB1 (90%) and SMARCA4 (10%) genes. A 15-month-old female presented with a 2-week history of decreased lower extremity movement and new-onset need for assistance with ambulation. MRI lumbar spine revealed a contrast-enhancing intradural mass at the L3-L4 level with iso-intensity on T1 and T2 sequences. The patient subsequently underwent subtotal tumor resection (∼80%) given concerns for maintaining neurological function. Final pathology was consistent with spinal ATRT, and she later underwent adjuvant chemoradiation therapy per ACNS0333 protocol. She has since remained in remission with age-appropriate developmental milestones over the past 2 years. ATRTs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intradural spinal lesions, especially in the pediatric patient population. Clinical course, presentation, and diagnosis is often delayed due to the rarity of these tumors, but contrasted craniospinal MRI is key for diagnosis and histopathology with IHC staining showing loss of INI is confirmatory. While gross total resection is the goal, maximal safe tumor resection should be prioritized in order to preserve neurological function. Adjuvant chemoradiation following gross total/subtotal resection has been shown to significantly improve overall survival.

Pediatric primary spinal atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor: a case series and review of the literature

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs) are rare malignant central nervous system tumors, commonly occurring before 3 years of age. Median overall survival (OS) of patients with these tumors is about 1 year, despite aggressive multimodal therapy. Pediatric primary spinal ATRTs are even more rare, with fewer than 50 cases reported. The authors present a series of four patients who were treated at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago in the period from 1996 to 2017.These patients, with ages 2-11 years, presented with pain and a decline in motor functions. They were found to have lesions in the lumbar, thoracic, and/or cervical spine. One patient's tumor was intramedullary with exophytic components, while another patient's tumor had both intra- and extradural components. All patients underwent resection followed by chemotherapy (systemic and intrathecal). Two patients had fractionated radiation therapy and one had an autologous stem cell transplant. Three patients are known to be deceased (OS 8.5-45 months). The fourth patient was in remission 19 years after her initial diagnosis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the largest series of pediatric primary spinal ATRTs documented at a single institution. These cases illustrate a variety of presentations of spinal ATRT and add to the body of literature on this aggressive pathology.A systematic MEDLINE search was also conducted using the keywords "atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor," "pediatric spinal rhabdoid tumor," and "malignant rhabdoid tumor spine." Reports were included for patients younger than 21 years, without evidence of intracranial or systemic disease at the time of diagnosis. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of the four institutional cases were compared to those in the literature. This review yielded an additional 48 cases of primary pediatric spinal ATRTs reported in the English-language literature. Patients (ages 2 months to 19 years) presented with symptoms of pain, regression of motor function, and spinal cord compression. The majority of tumors were intradural (14 extramedullary, 8 intramedullary, 1 both). Eleven cases in the literature described tumors limited to extradural structures, while 10 tumors involved the intra- and extradural spine. Four reports did not specify tumor location. Although rare, spinal ATRT should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pediatric patients presenting with a new spinal mass.

Intradural lumbosacral malignant extrarenal rhabdoid tumor: a case report

BACKGROUND

Rhabdoid tumors are highly malignant tumors predominantly affecting the pediatric population. When these tumors occur outside of the kidneys, they are referred to as malignant extrarenal rhabdoid tumors (MERT), a rare highly aggressive subtype. Less commonly, these tumors involve the neuro-axis.

OBJECTIVE

Here we present a case of a 15-year-old girl with intradural MERT of the lumbosacral spine who presented with back pain, sudden worsening of lower extremity strength, and complete loss of bowel and bladder control.

RESULTS

The patient's tumor showed loss of INI-1 and negative staining for cytokeratin AE1AE3, CD99, and SOX10.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, there are no previous case reports of MERT with intradural lumbosacral spinal involvement.