Neuroblastoma and venous sinus thrombosis in an adult patient.
A 35-year-old woman developed symptoms consistent with intracranial venous sinus occlusions that were demonstrated by MR angiography. After a few weeks of anticoagulant therapy, she became paraplegic due to haemorrhages in the caudal spinal canal. A decompressive laminectomy did not improve her neurological deficits. Up to this point, we assumed her condition to be caused solely by the intracranial venous thrombosis and complications of the treatment. A tumour diagnosis had so far not been considered. A few months later she became tetraplegic. MRI revealed fresh bleeding in the upper spinal cord and a dissemination of tumour along the entire craniospinal axis. Biopsy specimens obtained from the spinal canal contained tumour cells with the characteristics of neuroblastoma.
Wester
K
K
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bergen School of Medicine, Haukeland Hospital, Norway.
Mørk
S
S
Smievoll
A I
AI
D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology; D012851:Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology