Metastasis of carcinoid to the arch of the axis in a multiple endocrine neoplasia patient: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Carcinoid tumors eventually metastasize to the spine, and epidural spinal cord compression is a relatively frequent neurologic complication of carcinoid. However, a case of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) presenting with spinal cord compression as a result of a metastatic carcinoid tumor has not been reported previously.


OBJECTIVE
To report an extremely rare case of MEN1 presenting with spinal cord compression by metastatic carcinoid tumor.


METHODS
Case report.


METHODS
A 51-year-old man, with a past history of thymoma, insulinoma, and gastric carcinoid presented with neck pain. Neuroradiological examination revealed that a tumor around the arch of the axis compressed the spinal cord with osteoblastic changes.


RESULTS
After hemilaminectomy of the axis and removal of the tumor followed by irradiation, the patient returned to his previous job. Histological examination confirmed metastatic carcinoid tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
Spinal metastasis of carcinoid tumor occurred in a multiple endocrine neoplasia patient, and it is significant to note that carcinoid metastasis is one of differential diagnoses for osteoblastic lesions.
Department of Neurosurgery, Gamma-Knife Center, Takashima Hospital, Yonago 6830826, Japan. mbbmichi@hotmail.com
Michiharu
M
Tanabe
Keiichi
K
Akatsuka
Seiichi
S
Umeda
Kohei
K
Shomori
Seijiro
S
Taniura
Hisayo
H
Okamoto
Hideki
H
Kamitani
Takashi
T
Watanabe
D000328:Adult; D001368:Axis, Cervical Vertebra / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018761:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000473:pathology