Intramedullary spinal teratoma: An interesting case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Mature spinal intramedullary teratomas are benign germ cell tumors that are associated with an excellent long-term outcome following early treatment with radical surgical resection. However, the preoperative diagnosis is often difficult and delayed due to their rare occurrence in the spinal cord, especially when the typical clinical and imaging features are not present. We report a case of intramedullary teratoma in a young adult female who presented with unusual clinical and preoperative radiographic findings. The final diagnosis was made on histopathological examination postoperatively. Variations in clinical presentations, imaging, optimal treatment strategies and histopathological characteristics of this rare tumor are discussed here with a review of the literature.