title: Primary intraspinal primitive neuroectodermal tumor treated with autologous stem cell transplantation: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: The authors describe the case of a 19-year-old female patient with a primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) of the thoraco-lumbar spinal cord, who presented with acute urinary retention and back pain for 2 months. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intradural extramedullary tumor, 6.5 cm long, in the region of the conus medullaris. Histological examination disclosed a small round cell tumor with immunohistochemical characteristics of a peripheral PNET. Metastatic workup showed no evidence of an intracranial tumor or metastases outside the neuroaxis. The patient received multidisciplinary treatment, including surgical excision, irradiation of the entire cranio-spinal axis, and high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue. Presently, 24 months after diagnosis, the patient remains in complete remission.
authors.affiliation: Israel Defense Forces, Medical Corps, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nutman
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Postovsky
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zaidman
authors.forename: Ronit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elhasid
authors.forename: Euvgeni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vlodavsky
authors.forename: Yitshak
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kreiss
authors.forename: Myriam Weyl
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Ben Arush
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D018242:Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive / Q000628:therapy*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous