Turkish Neurosurgery
2014 , Vol 24 , Num 1
Spinal Intradural Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor in a Child with Neurofibromatosis Type 2: The First Reported Case and Literature Review
Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing, China
DOI :
10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.8104-13.0
Spinal intradural malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) in children are extremely rare, with only five reported cases in the
literature. A 9-year-old female with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF-2) presented with right hip pain and severe weakness of bilateral legs for 3
months. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed multiple intradural masses at the T11-L2, L4, and L5-S5 level respectively, and bilateral
vestibular schwannomas in the cerebellopontine angle. Partial tumor excision with T11-L2 laminectomy was undertaken and the tumors in the
spinal cord were consistent with the diagnosis of epithelioid MPNSTs. No adjuvant therapy was performed after surgery. No metastasis of the
tumor was found in the 6-month follow-up MR imaging. She died of brain metastasis at 9 months after surgery. MPNSTs should be added to
the differential diagnosis of intradural tumors of the pediatric spine, even in children with NF-2. Multidisciplinary treatment consisting of total
surgical removal and adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered due to poor prognosis of this abnormality. To our knowledge, this is the first
case of spinal MPNSTs in a child with NF-2 to be published in English literature.
Keywords :
Child, Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, Neurofibromatosis type 2, Spinal cord tumor