title: Adult cervical intramedullary teratoma: first reported immature case.
abstract: Intramedullary teratomas, particularly adult cervicothoracic lesions, are extremely rare. Up to now only 6 cases of intramedullary cervical teratomas have been reported in adults, and all of these were histologically mature. The authors present the case of a 35-year-old man with progressive myelopathic symptoms who was admitted through an outpatient clinic and was surgically treated. The characteristics, diagnosis, epidemiology, and treatment of cervical intramedullary teratomas in adults are also reviewed. Postoperative MR imaging showed that the tumor had been near totally removed, and severely adherent tissue remained ventrocranially with tiny focal enhancement on follow-up MR imaging. Pathological examinations revealed immature teratoma without any malignant component. Adjuvant therapy was not performed. Although no change in neurological findings and symptoms was apparent postoperatively, lesion regrowth was demonstrated on MR imaging 4 months after surgery. At 8 months postoperatively, myelopathic symptoms had developed and a huge intramedullary tumor recurred according to MR imaging. This case is the seventh reported instance of intramedullary cervical teratoma in an adult, and the first case report of the immature type with malignant features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Bong-Kyung
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Joo Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Taek-Hyun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Hung-Seob
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Youn-Kwan
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001706:Biopsy; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013724:Teratoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery