Gangliocytic Paraganglioma of the Cauda Equina with Significant Calcification: First Description in Pediatric Age

Abstract

A 17-year-old boy was referred with a 2-month history of low back pain and bilateral sciatica and difficulty in ambulation. Neurological examination found mild muscle weakness and diminished deep tendon reflexes in his right leg. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intradural-extramedullary tumor at the level of the L4, exiting through the right L4-L5 intervertebral foramen into the right psoas muscle. After total resection of the tumor, histopathological diagnosis revealed a gangliocytic paraganglioma. There are 184 paraganglioma cases reported at the lumbar region to date, and only 4 of them were in the pediatric age group. This report is the fifth paraganglioma case in the lumbar region and the first gangliocytic paraganglioma case in the pediatric age population.

Zusammenfassung

Ein 17-jähriger Patient wurde mit seit zwei Monaten andauernden Rückenschmerzen und beidseitigen Ischiasbeschwerden in die Klinik eingewiesen, Bei der neurologischen Untersuchung fand sich eine leichte Schwäche am rechten Bein und ein Verlust der Muskeleigenreflexe. Im lumbalen MRT wurde in der Höhe L4/5 ein im Intervertebralforamen wachsender und in den rechten Psoasmuskel übergreifender intra-/extramedullärer Tumor festgestellt. Der Tumor wurde total entfernt und nach der histopathologischen Untersuchung als gangliozytisches Paragangliom beschrieben. In der Literatur sind bisher in der Lumbalregion 184 Paragangliome beschrieben und nur vier gehörten in die pädiatrische Altersgruppe. Dieser Report schildert das fünfte Paragangliom in der Lumbalregion und das erste gangliozytische Paragangliom in der pädiatrischen Altersgruppe.

Key words

spinal tumor - paraganglioma - gangliocytic paraganglioma - pediatric age - extradural extension - calcification

Schlüsselwörter

spinaler Tumor - Paragangliom - gangliozytisches Paragangliom - Kindesalter - extradurale Verkalkung

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