Intraspinal tumours of cutaneous origin associated with various spinal dysraphisms have been well documented in the literature. However, the metachronous development of intra- and extra-medullary tumours in conjunction with dorsal meningocele is rare. The authors report a patient with a thoracic dorsal meningocele and congenital intradural extramedullary epidermoid tumour. The patient developed an intramedullary epidermoid growth 12 years later. Subtotal resection of the tumour predisposed to a later recurrence. Meningocele is not always an isolated clinical entity but the concurrent occult lesions are usually veiled by the more conspicuous surface anomaly. Thorough magnetic resonance imaging of the whole neural axis helps to identify associated pathologies. Delicate intradural exploration by a microsurgical approach is necessary to achieve appropriate treatment.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.