Myelopathy due to Thoracic Intradural Extramedullary Tumor Misdiagnosed as the Cerebral Infarction: A Case Report

ABSTRACT

STUDY DESIGN: A Case report. OBJECTIVES: We report a case of thoracic intradural extramedullary tumor that has been misdiagnosed as the cerebral infarction. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW Spinal meningioma is one of the common spinal tumors. Clinical symptoms were characteristically progressive myelopathy, rather than radiculopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 66-year-old female patient who had a history of cerebral infarction admitted as suffering from progressive lower extremities weakness for 6 months. The patient was diagnosed and has been treated as the cerebral infarction at another hospital. However, the patient showed worsening symptoms. In magnetic resonance imaging, an intradural extramedullary space occupying mass compressing the spinal cord, between T8 and T9 level, was shown. By undergoing an operation, resected the mass. In a pathologic report, mass was confirmed to be meningioma. RESULTS: After the operation, symptoms were improved. The patient was able to walk 2 weeks after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We report the correct diagnosis and a successful surgical treatment of myelopathy, due to thoracic myelopathy that has been misdiagnosed as the cerebral infarction in another hospital.