Mature cystic teratoma of spinal cord in an adult

Abstract

Aim: Reporting a rare case of mature cystic teratoma of spinal cord in an adult
 Background: Teratomas of the central nervous system are rare lesions accounting for less than 0.5-2% of all CNS tumors. Most of these are found in pediatric age group and favor sellar - suprasellar, pineal and sacro-coccygeal regions. Their occurrence in spinal cord in an adult is incredibly rare.
 Case presentation: A 22-year-old male presented with low back ache and weakness of both lower limbs. Clinical examination and radiological workup revealed presence of a cystic lesion causing diffuse enlargement of the cord from L1 to L5-S1. Histo-pathological examination of the excised lesion revealed it to be teratoma.
 Conclusion and clinical significance: Mature teratoma of the spinal cord in adults is extremely rare occurrence. However, this diagnosis should be kept in mind when evaluating a cystic lesion of cord even in adults. Maximal safe resection of the lesion results in prolonged deficit-free survival.