Neurológia pre prax 4/2011

Paraganglioma of the cauda equina and the filum terminale

Paragangliomas are benign neuroepithelial tumours typically localized in glomus caroticum and jugulare. Their spinal localization is very rare, entirely in the area of cauda equina and filum terminale. We present a case report of 33-year old woman. Her initial symptom was low back pain irradiating into lower limbs without neurological deficit. Magnetic resonance showed tumour expansion filling the whole spinal canal in the range from L4 to S1. Peroperatively we found a well circumscribed intramural tumour which clearly originated from filum terminale interconnected by a vascular pedicle. The tumour was radically resected. The histopathological and imunohistochemical exam classified the tumour as paraganglioma. Six months after the surgery the magnetic resonance is without any evidence of the tumour recurence. The general analysis of the available literature concerning paraganglioma of cauda equina and filum terminale is present in the discussion.

Keywords: paraganglioma, filum terminale, cauda equina, spinal tumours.