Intramedullary cervical spinal cord ganglioglioma, review of the literature and therapeutic controversies

Abstract

Study design: Case report with comprehensive review of literature. Settings: Department of Neurosurgery, Shohada Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Daneshgah Street, Tabriz, East Azerbayjan, Iran. Report: A 22-year-old female presented with neck pain, which was worse at night and recumbency, and intermittent paresthesia in upper limbs. MRI revealed an intramedullary cervical tumour with a syrinx within the upper cervical cord and medulla. Total resection of tumour with laminoplasty and duraplasty was done. Pathology confirmed ganglioglioma of the spinal cord. A year after surgery, the patient has no complaint. Physical exam reveals no abnormality. MRI with contrast reveals no recurrence. Conclusion: No general consensus exists on the management of intramedullary spinal ganglioglioma. MRI might be non-specific; however, some may be characteristic to differentiate it from other intramedullary tumours. The tumour responds optimally to resection, and every attempt should be made to perform a total surgical resection. The role of adjuvant therapy remains controversial. آ© 2009 International Spinal Cord Society All rights reserved.