Epidermoid Intramedullary Cyst: A Rare Case Report

Abstract

Epidermoid cysts are tumors that ocur in most parts of the body and are often treated by neurosurgeons, but intramedullary localizations of epidermoid cysts are very rare. The incidence in adults is lower than 1% and in children lower than 3%.We report a case of a 27-year-old patient presenting with thoracic spinal cord compression syndrome (T11-12). The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an intramedullary cystic mass. It demonstrated low signal intensity on T1-weighted sequence and high signal intensity on T2-weighted sequences, with minimal peripheral enhancement following intravenous administration of gadoteric acid. After surgical removal of the tumor, the pathology confirmed the radiological diagnosis of spinal epidermoid cyst. MRI reduces the delay in diagnosis of spinal cord tumors but should be guided by clinical judgment.




J Med Cases. 2019;10(3):67-71
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3224