Spinal cord astrocytoma: a unique presentation of abdominal pain

Abstract

A previously healthy male presented at age 5 years with recurrent abdominal pain that occurred diffusely. The pain was severe enough to cause episodic screaming, especially at night with spontaneous resolution. The patient was initially treated for constipation but when motor symptoms began to develop, imaging revealed the cause of his pain to be a spinal cord mass. The tumor was treated with steroids, and biopsy confirmed a grade II spinal cord astrocytoma. We describe this unusual presentation of a pediatric spinal cord astrocytoma and review the literature.

Advances in Molecular Pathology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Spinal Cord Astrocytomas

“…Bladder or gastrointestinal dysfunction, although less frequent, could also be the first symptom of SCA. 7 Notably, in some high-grade SCAs with intracranial dissemination, spinal cord compression may not be the initial symptom. Chen et al described an adult case initially thought to be a CNS infection but was ultimately diagnosed as spinal cord diffuse midline glioma (DMG) with H3 K27 alteration.…”