First local Case Report of a Holocord Pilocytic Astrocytoma – An Uncommon Entity with Management Challenges

Holocord tumors are defined as “Intramedullary spinal tumor extending through the spinal cord with extension from cervicomedullary junction to the conus.” They are uncommon tumors having variable presentation and histology.1,2 Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is a slow-growing tumor, mostly benign. It is the diagnosis in 5% to 6% of all intracranial gliomas.3 It is the most common tumor in childhood occurring rarely in the adult population.4 To date, 25 cases of holocord astrocytoma have been reported, of these, 4 were adults and 21 were children. The management of this unusual disease is challenging and debatable.1,5 In this case report, we are describing a case of 14 years old male with holocord grade 1 pilocytic astrocytoma along with its clinical management. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first case of a holocord astrocytoma reported in the country.