Hourglass tumors of the spine in children: A report of five cases

Abstract

Five cases of hourglass tumors of the spine in infancy and in childhood have been presented; the youngest, six weeks old and the oldest, six years old. One case was diagnosed as a neuroblastoma; one case, an “undifferentiated malignant neoplasm”; one was a perineurial fibroblastoma; one is still under discussion; and the specimen was lost in the fifth case. Hourglass tumors have been shown to be a rare type but present characteristics similar to other like tumors already recorded in the literature. Their symptomatology and x-ray findings have been described.