Open AccessParaganglioma of the Cauda Equina
Author(s) -
Yoshida Aichi,
Umekita Yoshihisa,
Ohi Yasuyo,
Hatanaka Shingo,
Yoshida Hiroki
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
acta patholigica japonica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 0001-6632
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1991.tb03360.x
Subject(s) - cauda equina , pathology , paraganglioma , glial fibrillary acidic protein , enolase , immunohistochemistry , anatomy , staining , eosinophilic , cytoplasm , stroma , spinal cord , medicine , biology , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , psychiatry
A case of paraganglioma of the cauda equina is reported. The patient was a 55 year old Japanese woman who complained of lower back pain and gradual weakening of the left lower extremity, she was diagnosed as having a spinal cord tumor, and the tumor was removed surgically. Histologically, the tumor was encapsulated, and consisted of solid nests of large, polyhedral epithelioid cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. The nests were separated from each other by a thin fibrovascular stroma. Grimelius staining revealed neurosecretory granules in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells. This was further confirmed by electron microscopic observation. The tumor cells were immunohistochemically positive for neuron‐specific enolase (NSE), but negative for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). On the basis of the histologic, immunohisto‐chemical and electron microscopic features of the tumor cells, the tumor was diagnosed as paraganglioma. The cauda equina is a rare location for this type of tumor, and only a limited number of cases have been reported.