1998 Volume 12 Issue 2 Pages 203-208
Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis is commonly accompanied with widespread systemic or intracranial metastases. We presented a extremely rare case of solitary intramedullary spinal cord metastasis. A 49-year-old female, who underwent left mastectomy for breast cancer 10 years ago, was admitted with complaints of nausea, vomiting and tetraparesis. Magnetic resonance images clearly demonstrated an intramedullary tumor localized at the C1-C2 level of the spinal cord with a syrinx-like lesion from the medulla to the thoracic cord. After histological diagnosis was made with surgical specimens, the patient received local radiation therapy, resulting in reduction of the size of the tumor and improvement of the neurological symptoms. However, she died of subarachnoid dissemination of the tumor seven months after the onset. In conclusion, it is considered that removal of the tumor together with extensive adjuvant therapy is necessary in the case of metastatic spinal cord tumors.
