title: Hemangioblastoma of the filum terminale. Case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Hemangioblastomas of the filum terminale are particularly rare tumors. The authors present the case of a 62-year-old woman with a 6 month history of low-back-pain, who underwent surgery for the removal of an hemangioblastoma affecting the cauda at L2-L3 level. This highly vascularized tumour is tightly adherent to the filum terminale and hence is a very challenging pathology to remove. Histologically it consisted in vascular structures interposed to a network of capillary-like vessels, surrounded by stromal cells. MRI, angiography with pre-surgical embolization, and radical surgery represent the focal points in the diagnosis and treatment of these tumours. The most relevant literature has been carefully reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciappetta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Occhiogrosso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domenicucci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bastianello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frati
mesh_terms: D002420:Cauda Equina / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D018325:Hemangioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010524:Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome