Background:
Teratomas are a unique family of tumors derived from two or more of the three embryonic layers: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. Mature teratomas are comprised the most well-differentiated tissue types and may contain skin, hair, teeth, smooth muscle, respiratory tissues, etc. Infrequently, mature teratomas may be found within the central nervous system and, in exceedingly rare cases, may be occur within the spinal cord itself (i.e., intramedullary/intradural).
Case Description:
A 78-year-old female presented with a subacute progressive lower extremity paraparesis. The MR revealed a cystic 81 × 30 × 25 mm intradural/intramedullary spinal mass involving the distal conus with exophytic extension into the L1-L4 spinal canal. Following surgical intervention consisting of a L1-L4 laminectomy, the lesion was largely removed. Pathology of the mass confirmed a large mature teratoma containing a multilobulated cyst that intraoperatively compressed the conus and cauda equina. Immediately postoperatively, the patient significantly improved neurologically. However, on postoperative day 2, she acutely developed a change in mental status with the left gaze preference and hemiparesis. CT brain in the acute setting showed no evidence of causative pathology and subsequent MR brain was unremarkable. The patient’s neurologic deficits progressively improved leading to eventual discharge.
Conclusion:
Intrathecal intramedullary/extramedullary mature teratomas of the conus that results in subacute cauda equina syndromes are rare. The differential diagnosis for such lesions exophytic to the conus must include mature teratomas which, though rare, may be readily resected resulting in generally favorable outcomes.
BACKGROUND
Pseudogout, or calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) disease, is an inflammatory joint disease that most commonly involves the joints of the knees, ankles, and wrists. Pseudogout has also been known to involve the spine, especially the atlanto-occipital joint of the cervical spine, but there is limited documentation of its involvement in the lumbar spine. Though the atypical presentation of spinal pseudogout with findings consistent with discitis and epidural abscess has been documented, its presentation with associated chronic spinal epidural hematoma is a rare entity.
OBSERVATIONS
The authors present two separate cases of pseudogout involvement of the lumbar spine, one case presenting with a clinical and radiographic picture consistent with discitis and epidural abscess and the other with radiographic and operative findings consistent with a chronic epidural hematoma.
LESSONS
This case series demonstrates rare and atypical presentations of pseudogout within the lumbosacral spine.
Introduction: Resection of intra-axial tumors (IaT) in eloquent brain regions risks major postoperative neurological deficits. Awake craniotomy is often used to navigate these areas; however, some patients are ineligible for awake procedures. The trans-sulcal approach (TScal) was introduced to reduce parenchymal trauma during tumor resection. We report our experiences utilizing TScal for resection of deep IaT located in eloquent areas. Materials and Methods: This is a single-center retrospective analysis of patients who underwent IaT resection in eloquent areas via TScal from January 2013 to April 2021. Seventeen cases were reviewed, and relevant data was collected. Fluorescence-guided surgery with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and intraoperative ultrasound was performed in some cases. Results: Seventeen patients (10 males, 7 females) averaging 61.2 years-old (range, 21–76) were included in this study. Average length of stay was 4.8 days, and only 2 patients (11.8%) required hospital readmission within 30 days. Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 15 patients (88.2%), while subtotal resection occurred in 2 patients (11.8%). Eleven patients (64.7%) reported full resolution of symptoms, 4 patients (23.5%) reported deficit improvement, and 2 patients (11.8%) experienced no change from their preoperative deficits. No patient developed new permanent deficits postoperatively. Discussion: GTR, preoperative deficit reduction, and complications were comparable to awake craniotomy and other TScal studies. Ancillary intraoperative techniques, such as brain mapping, 5-ALA and intraoperative ultrasound, are afforded by TScal to improve resection rates and overall outcomes. Conclusions: TScal can be an option for patients with deep lesions in eloquent areas who are not candidates for awake surgeries.
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