Open AccessA purely midline ventral schwannoma mimicking a meningioma in the thoracic spine resected via costotransversectomy
Author(s) -
Han-Yang Hung,
Tzu-Yung Chen,
Ming-Hsun Li,
Shin-Yuan Chen,
Sheng-Tzung Tsai
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
tzu-chi medical journal/cí-jì yīxué
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.343
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2223-8956
pISSN - 1016-3190
DOI - 10.1016/j.tcmj.2013.09.009
Subject(s) - medicine , schwannoma , magnetic resonance imaging , spinal cord , myelopathy , nerve root , meningioma , thoracic spine , spinal cord compression , anatomy , nerve sheath tumor , radiology , psychiatry
pinal schwannomas are intradural nerve sheath tumors typically located in a dorsolateral or ventrolateral position. Clinical presentations vary from radicular root pain to cord compression myelopathy. Prognosis is usually benign if the tumor can be removed safely. A 62-year-old man had myelopathy and incontinence due to a midline ventral intradural-extramedullary tumor of the thoracic spinal cord. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that the tumor was movable and connected with one root. The tumor was removed with a unilateral costotransversectomy with a posterior approach. Histological diagnosis revealed a schwannoma. Magnetic resonance imaging is a prerequisite to differentiate a ventral and midline intradural spinal schwannoma from other tumors preoperatively. A posterior approach is an efficient and effective method of treating a purely ventral thoracic schwannoma with significant cord compression